Eggies Review

Eggies package front

Eggies package back

This is something I never would have paid good money for, but when a set of Eggies came up on my local Buy Nothing group, I was thrilled to get them. I like to have boiled eggs on green salads, mixed into tuna salad, or just made into good old-fashioned egg salad, and let's face it, peeling eggs can be a pain in the neck. I particularly get irritated when I get an egg that doesn't want to let go of its shell, and I end up peeling off chunks of egg. Eggies to the rescue! Let's see how they did.

This set is dated 2011. I don't know if there have been any updates to the product since then. It comes with six Eggies and an egg separator. Each Eggie is made up of 4 parts - bottom, top, connecting collar, and cap. I was expecting silicone, but they are made of a firm, slightly flexible plastic.

To use the Eggies, you snap the top and bottom sections together, then attach the connecting collar to keep them together. Make sure that you don't cross-thread the collar, and that the two halves are securely connected so that the egg doesn't leak out during the boiling process.

The instructions tell you to coat the inside of the Eggies with non-stick cooking spray or oil to prevent sticking. I chose to use olive oil, putting just a couple of drops in the bottom and spreading it over the interior surface of all parts (I did this before I connected the two halves). Now, assembled and greased, we're ready to add eggs.

Hard boiled egg in Eggie

I did this test using a large egg. The first thing to note is that boiling times are increased when using Eggies. For a hard-boiled egg, the cooking chart suggests 15-18 minutes from the time the water boils. That is up to twice as long as boiling in-shell. (I usually use the Alton Brown method found here) Second, the large egg I placed in the Eggie only filled the bottom half, leaving the top half full of air, and creating a flat egg.

The Eggies box touts this product as being "So Fast & Easy" and shows photos of deviled eggs, sliced eggs on a salad and "tasty" eggs Benedict. Fast? No. Taking into account the time it takes to grease each one, plus the added cook time, even when you consider the time saved by not having to peel later, you're looking at doubling your prep time. Easy? Maybe. But it is easier to just drop a couple eggs in the pan and boil them up.

The end product is great if you plan to chop your eggs. Or if you want them to sit nicely on top of something like eggs Benedict. (Really? Boiled eggs on a Bene?) Not so much for making deviled eggs, or if you need something that is, well, egg-shaped. Eggies might work better with jumbo eggs or duck eggs - something that will fill more than half the Eggie.

I'm glad that I didn't spend anything on this product. I can't say that I recommend it. You do end up with eggs you don't have to peel, but they are coated with oil, and it takes longer to get there.

Cheeseburger Macaroni

The other day, child number 1 asked (pleaded?) for some of that stuff that comes in a box - you know, with the big smiling hand?  Now I just don't do boxes as a general rule, so I told her that we'd come up with something.  Knowing basically what I wanted to do, I searched for recipes to see what others in my situation had done.  I found some awesome sounding recipes that just didn't measure up to her expectations (I plan to try a few of them later, when she's not watching).  Most of those involved some sort of spice or tomatoes, both of which are generally not in her diet.  Several recipes went something like this:  1 pound ground beef, 1 box cheeseburger macaroni mix . . . wait, really?  You call that a recipe?

Here's what we came up with, and believe it or not, it ended up smelling and tasting very much like the end product of that boxed mix - exactly what she was looking for.

1 pound ground beef
Garlic powder to taste
1 tablespoon dried minced onion (or use the real thing)
1/3 cup milk
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
and (yeah, I know)
1 box mac and cheese - prepared according to package instructions

Crumble the ground beef in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Sprinkle the garlic powder over the beef as it browns.  Rehydrate the onions with very hot water and dump them in with the beef.  Stir and break up the chunks.  When the beef is cooked through, stir it into the prepared mac & cheese.  Over low heat, stir in the milk and shredded cheese.  When the cheese is melted, the dish is ready.  Add more cheese if your dish is not sufficiently cheesy.  Serve it up with something green and enjoy!

Now, how did I end up with a kid that LOVES that smiling hand stuff?  Maybe it's because I never buy it . . .

What can I do with these oranges?

Recently I was looking for something to do with a couple of oranges.  These oranges had been sitting on the counter waiting for someone to eat them, and they were approaching the end of their useful lives.  I didn't want them to go in the trash so I searched for recipes.  I weeded out all those that used the orange in pieces, since obviously nobody was interested in actually eating them, then I stumbled across a marinade recipe that sounded promising.  I put my own spin on it and this is what we ended up with:

Orange Salmon

4 salmon filets
juice of 2 oranges (about 1/4 cup)
1 tablespoon tarragon leaves
1 tablespoon basil leaves
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons olive oil

Place the salmon filets in a quart size zipper bag.

Mix the next six ingredients in a small bowl.  Whisk in the oil, then pour the marinade into the bag with the salmon.  Make sure the bag is tightly sealed, then massage the bag so that all surfaces of the salmon are coated.  Do this carefully so that you don't break up your filets.  Put the bag in the fridge, and let the flavors meld for at least two hours.  (You could put this in the freezer at this point to prepare at a later date.)

Now, I do these in the oven so that I can spoon the pan liquids over my rice, but you could pan-fry or grill the filets.  If you choose to bake them, put them in a pan large enough to lay them out in a single layer and bake at 375 degrees F for 10-20 minutes, depending on the thickness of your filets.

This recipe works equally well using regular orange juice if you don't have oranges sitting around.  Oh, and the herbs are measured dry.  If you choose to use fresh, chop them finely and don't use quite as much since the flavor of fresh herbs is much stronger.

Serve these babies up hot with Basmati rice and asparagus or a salad.  Yum!

And for those who shy away from rice that actually has to be cooked, here's how I make perfect Basmati every time:

You will need a two-quart saucepan with lid, butter, rice, salt and water.  And a timer - this is important.  Place the pan on the stove over high heat.  Put one tablespoon of butter into the pan.  When the butter has melted, pour one cup of rice into the pan.  Add salt (a generous sprinkle) and stir.  When the rice starts to toast (don't let it brown), pour in 2 cups hot water.  Stir the rice and wait for the water to come to a boil - this should happen pretty quickly.  When the water boils, put the lid on the pan and turn the heat down to low.  Allow to cook for ten minutes (remember that timer?) WITHOUT lifting the lid.  When the timer goes off, stir the rice.  It will be a bit wet.  Place the lid back on the pan, but allow it to vent.  Continue to cook the rice for another 2-5 minutes, stirring occasionally until it reaches the proper consistency.  The grains should be moist, but dry enough that they don't stick together.

Enjoy!

Four People, Four Meals, Under $15

One rotisserie chicken - $6

One pound white rice - $1

One pound fresh whole carrots - $1

One stalk celery - $1

One onion - $0.50

Salad dressing (ranch, creamy Italian or Caesar) - $1

One tomato - $1

One head lettuce - $1

One loaf white bread - $1

Now, granted, you could spend more than $15 on the groceries listed, but if you shop cheap (dollar store, no name brands, etc.) it is possible.

Day 1 – Dinner

Cut off legs and wings, separate thighs and drumsticks, serve hot for dinner with rice and salad.

Day 2 – Lunch

Carefully remove breasts, slice for sandwiches.  This will make lunch for four people.  Don't forget to put lettuce on those sandwiches!

Day 2 – Dinner

Remove all remaining meat from bones.  Chop 1-2 cups meat and set aside.  Place carcass, gristle, skin, etc. in a large pot (be sure to include some fat).  Add one carrot, one rib of celery, half an onion, all chopped.  Pour in 3-4 quarts water, add salt and bring to a boil.  Turn down heat and simmer 30-60 minutes.  Remove bones.  Pour broth through sieve into a 1-quart storage container to freeze for later use.  Add uncooked rice to the remaining broth in pot.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Cover and simmer for another 10 minutes or until rice is tender.  Serve with salad.

While the soup is cooking, place chopped chicken in a large bowl.  Add finely chopped vegetables – carrot, celery, onion & tomato.  Add enough salad dressing to hold together and season to taste.  Place in fridge for tomorrow’s lunch.

Day 3 – Lunch

Get out that chicken salad and make sandwiches.  This will feed at least two people and maybe more, depending on how thick you spread that salad.

Day 4 – Another meal somewhere down the road

Remember that quart of broth you put in the freezer?  Take it out and use your imagination – chicken noodle soup?  A base for a light pasta sauce?  It’s up to you!

Oh, and you don't have to eat this three days in a row.  Put that freezer to work, just don't make the chicken salad until you're ready to eat it - it won't freeze well.

Looking to get fancier with that chicken?  Here are a couple of links for tasty recipes:

http://family.go.com/food/pkg-quick-easy-recipes/rotisserie-chicken-recipes-pg/view-all/

http://www.parents.com/recipes/cooking/family-favorites/easy-rotisserie-chicken-recipes/