Eggs

Whether you're keeping it simple with scrambled or trying out something a little trickier like soufflé or crème brulee, eggs are an essential part of many people's diets. They offer almost every vitamin and nutrient needed for life, including iodine, phosphorous, selenium, choline, antioxidants, and vitamin B2, B5, B9, B12, and D, not to mention they're a great source of protein. Check out the recipes below for delicious takes on old favorites as well as new recipes that you'll be sure to love. Adding your own fresh eggs, will make them that much better!

DEAD MAN'S MISERY: VANILLA WAFER DESSERT
1 Box vanilla wafer cookies
1/2 cup softened margarine or butter
6 eggs separated
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2/3 cups chopped pecans
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 cup powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. boiling water

Crust:
Finely crush one box of vanilla wafer cookies, and cover the bottom of a 9"x13" baking dish with a thin layer of the crumbs.

Bottom Layer:
Place 3 egg yolks into a mixing bowl and beat well. Add 1/2 cup softened margarine and mix well using an electric mixer. Add 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract and 2/3 cup chopped pecans, mix until well blended. In a separate bowl beat 3 egg whites until stiff. Gently fold in egg whites into mixture. Carefully spread completed mixture over the top of the vanilla wafer crumbs in the pan. Sprinkle a thin layer of wafer crumbs to cover the bottom layer filling. Set aside in refrigerator while you prepare the top filling layer.

Top Layer:
Combine 1/2 cup cocoa, 1 cup powdered sugar, and 2 Tbsp. boiling water in a mixing bowl with the electric mixer, blend well. Add 3 well beaten egg yolks and mix well. Gently fold in 3 stiffly beaten egg whites. Remove pan from refrigerator and carefully spread top layer mixture on top of the layer of crumbs. Sprinkle a final thin layer of crumbs to cover the top layer filling. Refrigerate until ready to serve. It's best to chill overnight before serving.
* Use caution in consuming raw eggs due to the slight risk of Salmonella or other food-borne illness.



EGG WHITE BRUSHETTA OMELET
3 egg whites
1 tsp. water
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
2 tsp. fresh chopped basil leaves
1 plum or Roma tomato, chopped
1 small clove fresh garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. finely shredded parmesan cheese

Whisk egg whites, water, salt and pepper in a bowl until soft peaks form. In a separate bowl toss together, tomato, garlic, parmesan cheese, and basil. Lightly coat a nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Pour egg white mixture into pan and cook on medium heat until eggs begin to set up on bottom. Lift up edge of eggs with spatula and push the cooked part toward the center of pan while letting the uncooked portion run underneath. Continue cooking until eggs are almost set and bottom is slightly browned. Spread vegetable filling over half of the omelet and fold over to cover. Cook on medium to low heat for 2 minutes.



GRANDMA'S FRENCH TOAST
2 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
8 slices French bread

Lightly coat skillet or griddle with butter or cooking spray and turn to medium heat. Whisk eggs with milk until well blended. Add 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract and 1/4 tsp. cinnamon and mix well. Dip 8 slices of French bread into egg mixture until well coated. Place slices onto griddle or skillet and cook until lightly brown on underneath side. Flip and cook until lightly browned on second side. Remove to plate and lightly butter. Sprinkle with granulated sugar, powdered sugar, syrup or any of your favorite toppings.



EASY EGG SOUFFLÉ
8 slices of bread
8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese
3 eggs beaten
2 1/2 cups milk
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. dry mustard
1/4 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
3 drops hot pepper
2 Tbsp. melted margarine
2 cups onion

Trim crusts off bread. Place four slices on the bottom of a greased 9" square baking dish. Top with 4 oz. Sharp cheddar cheese. Repeat with remaining bread and cheese. Combine eggs, milk, salt, mustard, Worcestershire, and hot pepper. Pour mixture over bread and cheese layers, cover and refrigerate overnight. Uncover and drizzle with melted margarine. Bake at 350 F for approximately 60 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean when you poke it. For even more flavor, add chopped ham and green peppers to the mixture.

Chickens begin laying eggs between 18 and 22 weeks of age, depending on the breed and environment. Don't be surprised if your hens lay smaller eggs that have softer shells in the beginning. They will reach their peak egg production (90 to 95 percent) about four to six weeks after they begin laying. For their first year of egg production, hens will almost lay an egg a day, producing nearly 25 pounds of eggs! It takes approximately 25 hours for a hen to produce an egg, so the time of day at which they lay will gradually increase.

After the first 12 months, egg production will drop to about 65 percent, and your hens will lay less often. However, the eggs that they do lay will be larger (jumbo eggs) than the eggs produced by younger chickens. Once your hens have reached between 2 and 3 years of age, they are basically finished with peak production laying. To keep your egg production going, and to have a constant supply, it is suggested that you raise new replacement chicks each year. This way as your laying hens are getting older and decreasing in production, your new chicks are getting ready to start their peak production.

To make sure your hens have the most productive laying cycle, it's important to manage them correctly. Age obviously plays a huge factor in the laying cycle, but so does light, disease, and nutrition.

Light
A chicken's internal clock is dictated by sunlight. The amount of light they receive is directly related to their production of eggs; the less light they receive, the fewer eggs they produce. To maintain a more consistent production level, you should maintain a constant light source throughout the year. Purina recommends giving laying hens 14 to 16 hours of light (natural or artificial) a day.

Illness
Making sure your chicken has a balanced diet will help reduce the effect of nutritional health challenges that could decrease egg production. Additionally, you can consider getting your hens vaccinated, especially if you take birds to shows, purchase additional birds and add them to your flock, or have had a problem with disease in the past.

Nutrition
If a hen isn't receiving the correct nutrition, her egg production will decrease or even stop. The quality of her eggs will also suffer. Purina® Layena® SunFresh® Recipe provides your laying hens with the balanced diet they need to produce healthy hens, and high quality eggs. Learn more about Purina® Layena® SunFresh® Recipe in the Product Spotlight.

Purina® Layena® SunFresh® Recipe takes "natural" to a whole new level by using only the freshest, highest quality sun-grown grains and plant proteins to give birds the wholesome, healthy goodness and fresh taste they deserve.* Made from natural plant-based ingredients free of all animal proteins and fats, Purina® Layena® SunFresh® Recipe contains all the quality nutrients laying hens need to produce lots of strong-shelled, healthy, golden-yolked eggs.


• Certified Natural*—our guarantee that this is the very best feed providing safe, natural nutrition for poultry
• SunFresh® Recipe—formulated with sun-grown grains with a recipe free of animal proteins
• Superior Nutrition—gives great appearance and healthy eggs
• Essential Amino Acids—enhanced with lysine and methionine to give birds the healthy nutrients they need to produce plenty of tasty eggs
• Exclusive Level of Marigold Extract—for rich yellow yolks
• Key Levels of Calcium and Manganese—strong shells with few cracks
• Proprietary Level of Vitamin A—strong reproduction and overall health
• Key Level of Vitamin E—supports a healthy immune system


*with added vitamins, minerals, and trace nutrients