Our own natural colors

Every spring, our kids ask if they can dye some hard boiled eggs for the holidays. We celebrate Passover instead of Easter – but we don’t see this activity as a religious one – merely a seasonal (edible!) activity that we can do together.  For the past two years, instead of purchasing kits full of artificial chemicals, we opted to go the natural route. By using natural ingredients that we already had on hand, we could keep a handle on our budget and the eggs would remain edible, even if the color snuck onto the eggs through the cracks. As an added bonus, our kids could interact with a few ingredients that they usually don’t enjoy. Since it can take between fifteen and twenty exposures to foods before they can be accepted, playing with our food was an excellent way for the kids to get used to it.

Don’t miss the links at the bottom of this post for eggsellent excellent tips on making hard boiled eggs! It may seem simple, but it’s an art.  Seriously.

Eggs: Resources and Recipes

• Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs: Tip
• How To Cook Hard Boiled Eggs
• How to Hard Boil Eggs
• Easter Egg Bread – a bonus because it is SO beautiful and fun
• The MOST Beautiful Natural Egg Dye tutorial I have ever seen

And for some exciting news…

A publishing house told me today that they are interested in my book on cooking with kids.  With any luck, we will be able to work out an offer that works for everyone.  If so, I’ll be sharing my amazing coconut macaroon recipe with you.  In print!

Now that our backyard chickens are laying eggs, our kids are more interested than ever in eating these little orbs.  They are full of nutrition, taste great and in our case, are super fresh.  But the true nutrition content of eggs can be confusing, as we realized during a conversation at the table during Passover.  It went something like this:  Mom-to-Toddler: “No, don’t pick out the yolk.  If anything, eat the yolk and leave the white.  The yolk is where all of the protein and nutrients are.”  Me-to-other-mom, “I’m not sure about that – I think that the white has a lot of protein.”  Other-mom-to-me.  “No – the yolk has to have the protein since that’s how the chick grows.”

Before I continue, I need to point out that I hate conflict.  I try not to engage in arguments unless I know that I have a valid point.  So, as usual, I backed down, saying that I would look it up.  And when I say “look it up,” I mean that I would ask my friend Liz, who is a nutritionist and co-author of Meal Makeover Moms.  I knew that she would know the answer!

She didn’t disappoint, of course.  Turns out that over 1/2 of an egg’s protein is in the Albumen (or white).  That’s what makes egg white such an attractive food to athletes who are trying to increase their protein intake.  But the majority of remaining nutrients are found in the yolk.  Liz supports consuming the entire egg, because there are a host of beneficial nutrients in the yolk: antioxidants, omega-3s (If you buy omega-3 eggs), monounsaturated fat, vitamin A, vitamin D, etc.  And she says that lots of new research is emerging on the brain health benefits of a nutrient called, Choline.  Some people are reluctant to consume egg yolks because they are concerned about what it will do to their cholesterol levels.  But Liz says that although eggs contain cholesterol, they are very low in saturated fat (which is what raises blood cholesterol levels).  She also points out that there are more heart-healthy monounsaturated fats in the yolk than saturated fats.  So have at it (unless your doctor tells you not to, of course).

Some egg-fun:

• Love Numbers and Data?  Here is an interesting chart that breaks down the nutrient content of an egg.
• Want to learn more about the science of eggs?  Check this out, from the Exploratorium, and you will learn how to cook and play with eggs.
• Try making these recipes from Liz:  Cowboy Breakfast Wraps and Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Pancakes
  

By talking about a little biology at breakfast, my kids become more engaged with their meal.  Both of my children love to eat eggs, but this would be a useful tip with foods that they might not be as excited to eat.  I wonder what other fun facts we can learn about our food.

Do you have any fun food facts that have engaged your kids?

I have seen several blog posts recently about using natural ingredients to dye eggs, instead of purchasing kits full of artificial chemicals.  Since I am trying to watch our budget, it was a win-win situation.  I could use ingredients that we had on hand and I could keep our hard boiled eggs safely edible.  An extra bonus came from the fact that my daughter could interact with some ingredients that she usually doesn’t enjoy.  Since it often takes 15-20 exposures to a new food before it is accepted, playing with food in a constructive fashion is an excellent way to help our kids get used to it.

I rummaged through the colorful items I had in the kitchen and set to work.  On the stove, I put 3 pots a-simmer.  One pot contained water, red onion peels and some chili powder.  A second contained water with 3 Tbs. of tumeric.  And the third contained water, frozen spinach and frozen blueberries.  I figured that with these ingredients, I might end up with something that looked yellowish, reddish and purplish.  I simply strained them into bowls and added a bit of white vinegar to help the colors bind to the eggs.  What do you know – Mission Accomplished!

When our friends arrived early for our Passover Seder, I set the kids up at a table covered with a splashmat and put them to work.  A few of the kids tried to wrap the eggs with rubber bands before dipping them into the colors, hoping that they would end up with stripes.  But some of the rubber bands didn’t fit well and slid off.  The kids were discouraged at first to find that the color didn’t adhere to the eggs as well as they would have liked.  So we decided to let the eggs sit in the colored solutions through dinner and then take a look.

While the results were more muted than their commercial counterparts, we had a great time and loved using real food to dye our eggs.  This was an excellent activity that allowed us to play with our food – both in the creation of the dyes and with the eggs, themselves.  They were delicious, too!

Oooh, look what I found – more ways to play with your food, and learn some science at the same time!

Oh, and to clarify a few things:

• A Passover Seder is the service that we have with our families and friends during our celebratory dinner at Passover.  There are two nights of seders, but many families only have time to do one.
• A Haggadah is the little prayer book that guides you through the seder.  Some are looooong and very boring.  Others are like the cliff note version.  And this one is only 2 minutes and downright hysterical.

The Two-Minute Haggadah: A Passover service for the impatient.
By Michael Rubiner

Opening prayers:
Thanks, God, for creating wine. (Drink wine.)

Thanks for creating produce. (Eat parsley.)

Overview: Once we were slaves in Egypt. Now we’re free. That’s why we’re doing this.

Four questions:
1. What’s up with the matzoh?
2. What’s the deal with horseradish?
3. What’s with the dipping of the herbs?
4. What’s this whole slouching at the table business?

Answers:
1. When we left Egypt, we were in a hurry. There was no time for making decent bread.
2. Life was bitter, like horseradish.
3. It’s called symbolism.
4. Free people get to slouch.

A funny story: Once, these five rabbis talked all night, then it was morning. (Heat soup now.)

The four kinds of children and how to deal with them:

• Wise child-explain Passover.
• Simple child-explain Passover slowly.
• Silent child-explain Passover loudly.

Speaking of children: We hid some matzoh. Whoever finds it gets five bucks.

The story of Passover:
It’s a long time ago. We’re slaves in Egypt. Pharaoh is a nightmare. We cry out for help. God brings plagues upon the Egyptians. We escape, bake some matzoh. God parts the Red Sea. We make it through; the Egyptians aren’t so lucky. We wander 40 years in the desert, eat manna, get the Torah, wind up in Israel, get a new temple, enjoy several years without being persecuted again. (Let brisket cool now.)

The 10 Plagues: Blood, Frogs, Lice-you name it.

(This is where it is fun to play with your “Bag of Plagues,” a great distraction for both adults and kids)

The singing of “Dayenu”:
If God had gotten us out of Egypt and not punished our enemies, it would’ve been enough. If he’d punished our enemies and not parted the Red Sea, it would’ve been enough.

If he’d parted the Red Sea-(Remove gefilte fish from refrigerator now.)

Eat matzoh. Drink more wine. Slouch.

Thanks again, God, for everything.

SERVE MEAL.

Turns out, Passover food doesn’t have to be disgusting, unless the person hosting the event isn’t a good cook!  Anyway, now that I am a mom who likes to spend time in the kitchen, I am determined to create some Passover food memories for my family that won’t inspire such derogatory comments. Before I give you a delicious and Passover-appropriate recipe to try, I feel like I should give you a bit of background on some of the Passover traditions and food “rules,” if you will. Remember, I didn’t make this up, I am just the messenger here.

Passover is a week-long holiday where families (and friends) get together and tell stories about the exodus of Jews from Egypt. We use a book called a Haggadah that combines stories, prayers and songs, along with questions and answers and breaks along the way for eating ritual bits of food.

On every Passover table, there is a seder plate filled with foods that symbolize the plight of the Jewish slaves.

• Matzoh (unleavened bread) represents the bread that did not have time to rise when the Jews had to flee.
• Parsley (or karpas) is dipped in salt water to represent the salty tears of the slaves.
• Horseradish (maror) represents the bitterness of slavery.
• A hard boiled egg (beitzah) represents the cycle of life
• Charoset (my favorite!) is a sweet mixture of fruit, nuts and sweet wine. This basic formula varies, depending on your ancestry and background. It represents the mortar that the Jews used to build the empire of the Pharoah.
• Roasted lamb shank bone is symbolic of the sacrificial lamb who was slain on the eve of their exodus from Egypt

For a fun and light version of the above, check out this Passover Symbols video on YouTube…

There are a few food rules that come along with this holiday. Traditions vary greatly depending on a family’s background. Most Jews don’t eat wheat, rye, oats, barley and spelt during Passover. The exception is matzoh, which is made from wheat, but has not been allowed to ferment or rise. What IS allowed? Fruit, potatoes, root vegetables, leafy greens, nuts, eggs, fish, dairy and meat. However, according to kosher law, meat and dairy can not be served together. I am not really clear on the reasons for that one, but I thought I’d share…

Okay, now that you know all of your restrictions, you can understand how an uninspired cook might feel limited. That said, there are loads of delicious recipes that would be ideal for Passover. I will share a great dessert recipe that fits all of our constraints and won’t make anyone feel that they are missing out on anything!

Tangy Lemon Bars

Pastry:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup matzoh meal
1 stick margarine or butter, melted

Lemon Filling:
3 large eggs
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbs. margarine or butter, melted
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
2 Tbs. potato starch

1. Place oven rack in center of oven and preheat to 350. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with heavy foil, letting an inch extend over the sides. Oil or spray the foil.
2. For the pastry: In a small bowl, stir together the sugar, matzoh meal and melted butter. Press into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake 20-25 minutes or until pale golden. Reduce oven to 325.
3. For the filling: Whisk eggs in a medium bowl. Whisk in melted butter, lemon juice and potato starch. Pour over pre-baked crust and bake at 325 for 20-25 minutes, or until top is set.
4. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature.
5. To cut, remove from pan by lifting out the foil. Place on cutting board. Cut into 1 inch squares.
6. The bars may be refrigerated for 1 week or frozen.

This recipe comes from Fast and Festive Meals for the Jewish Holidays