Driving home from the store the other day, I happened to see a hand-painted sign advertising “Fresh Farm Eggs” with a big arrow and was soooo excited! I would describe our area as rural, we do back up to a cornfield, but I am 10-15 minutes from a few large cities and all the shopping I could want or need. We’re only 45 minutes from Chicago, we’re not in the middle of nowhere necessarily, but we’re bordering on it!
When I walked up to the farm, it was a family who thought that raising chickens would be healthier and could be fun. The chickens were roaming their grassy yard with no fence, not kept in confinement, some even were walking up to me! These chickens were as free range as they could be! At $3 a dozen, it was only double what I’m paying now, and half of what I’d pay for the comparable eggs from Trader Joe’s or any other health foods store. I think that’s doable, especially considering the health benefits!
I still had some store eggs when I stopped at the farm, so I thought it would be fun to compare the two. The store eggs are the cheapest ones from Trader Joe’s ($1.39) and the only thing I know is that they were raised without growth hormones. The farm eggs are from free-range chickens, raised on grass and bugs (what chickens should be eating!) and some organic corn feed, with no chemicals, antibiotics, or growth hormones.
Look at the eggs above on the left and then on the right, the darker the yolk the more nutrient rich. The eggs on the left are those from the farm, DARK orange and full of good nutrients and because of the way they are fed, omega-3 long chain fatty acids (some of the good stuff found in mothers’ milk). The ones on the right are those from the store, a darker yellow than some I’ve seen, but you can tell they’re not even the same shade as the farm eggs.
The whites of the eggs on the left aren’t separate, there’s not a thick part and a runnier part, it’s all thick. The eggs on the right I actually put into the pan first, waited a good 30 seconds, and then added the farm eggs. The whites are still separated and took another 30 seconds to cook after I had already taken out the farm eggs.
After they were done, you can see the store eggs on the left and the farm eggs on the right. The store egg white was a bit cloudy while the yolk was a paler yellow. The farm egg white is more clear and a pure white while the yolk is a dark, almost fluorescent, orange.
But most importantly, they taste SOOOOO MUCH BETTER!
Let me just say, I don’t mean to sound like a snob comparing the eggs, I was just curious! We eat store eggs and still will if we can’t make it to the farm. Eggs are great for you no matter what kind you’re eating, but if you have the opportunity to get farm eggs, I highly encourage you to support your local farmers! If you can afford to pay a bit more for a better quality egg, there is a difference!
Now that we’re eating eggs, how about a frittata recipe?!
(If you’re new, I promise my blog isn’t a boring trip to school like this every day…. lol)
My Aussie friend, Karrah, shared this recipe for frittata on her blog and it was soooo good! I had heard of frittata before, didn’t really know how to go about it, but it was so easy and you could just use what you had on hand. Plus she uses fun words like “rashers,” cooks using Celsius, and spells favorite “favourite!” Makes the recipe sooo much better! :D
Karrah and her adorable daughter, Kailin.
Karrah and Kailin’s Frittata (taken from here)
-8 eggs
-1 tomato
-2 bacon rashers (Karrah, what’s a rasher?? More is better with bacon so until she answers just go by that, lol)
-1/2 onion
-cheese to sprinkle on top
-S & P
Preheat oven to 200′C ( approx 400 F).
In a bowl, beat the eggs and add salt and pepper. Cut up your tomato ( I remove the seeds..), bacon and onion ( chunky or small it doesn’t really matter.. I go bite size..). Put all ingredients in a bowl and give it a quick stir.
Grease whatever you choose to put it in, I use a pie dish .. Pour mix into the dish and sprinkle the cheese on top.
Pop into the oven for about half an hour. Will be ready when it is nice and golden brown and no longer runny.
Whola !! So quick and easy, it’s my favourite breakfast and Kailin loves it !
You could really add whatever you want to this .. this is usually what I use cos it’s always available in my house !
Wow – yum! Doesn’t her picture make you want to lick your screen??
I made a frittata on Tuesday, didn’t have the bacon, but added broccoli in it’s place. Let’s just say it wasn’t the same as when I used Karrah’s recipe, but it was still good! Lily ate about one third of the frittata for lunch, she loved it! Here’s mine before I popped it in:
Chop your ingredients and keep them in the fridge for quick preparation – this recipe only takes as long as it takes to get your ingredients ready!
Enjoy! If you haven’t already entered the giveaway, do it today! Ends tomorrow at midnight!!!
Great post!!! Great recipe, it makes me soooooo hungry! I can't wait to go to the farm.Bonnie
I have been making an effort to eat better food. I really can tell a difference between organic and processed. Love this comparison.
thanks for the shout out !! Hope you all enjoy the recipe ! yumm.. i want some now .. guess what we're having for lunch ?!
Ok AM and Karrah – stupid question coming your way… do you cook the bacon before putting it in? Because I just read the recipe and I have all the ingredients so I realllly want to make this in the morning! Of course I don't have the 'good' kind of eggs or any organic veggies, but it still sounds yummy!!
Just found your blog today – so cute!I grew up with chickens and our own fresh eggs everyday (and still use them). Just wanted to make sure you know (and Red Door Home knows who commented above) that the better quality is not due to being organic, it is due to being fresh. Eggs are in cold storage for about 6 months – sometimes longer before they get to the consumer – that is a long time! I am glad you are supporting your local farmer!!