Lisa Steele's Blog, page 8

Why is Pound Cake Called Pound Cake?

Pound cake got its name because the cake was originally made with a pound each of butter, sugar, eggs and flour.

Have you ever stopped to wonder why a pound cake is called a pound cake?  Hint: it's not because the cake weighs a pound. In fact, a traditional pound cake would actually weigh more than four pounds!
And it's not called "pound cake" because it will make you put on extra pounds. Although that is likely true. 

Why is Pound Cake Called Pound Cake?

I love the simplicity of a classic pound cak...

How to Keep Your Chickens Safe from Raccoons

Mischievous raccoons, with their brown, shiny, alert eyes, cute black masks and unbelievably human-like hands, are arguably one of the cutest wildlife critters out there, but they are also sneaky, vicious chicken killers.

Don't let their cute faces fool you. Raccoons are strong and smart - and they want to eat your chickens. They'll eat chicken feed, scratch grains, eggs and baby chicks if given the opportunity. 

Raccoons will also drink from your chickens waterer (they love to dunk their food in ...

The Secret Ingredient in Queen Elizabeth's Royal Scrambled Eggs

Two rather peculiar ingredients gave Queen Elizabeth's royal scrambled eggs an unexpected and uniquely bright flavor.

Shortly after the death of Queen Elizabeth, an Australian nutritionist came forward with the recipe for the late Queen's favorite way to enjoy her scrambled eggs for breakfast. Apparently, her Majesty liked to  include a secret ingredient (or two!) in her eggs. 

At least according to the nutritionist, who apparently been given the recipe by the Queen's private chef.

photo credit: Sh...

The Secret Ingredient in Queen Elizabeth's Royal Eggs

Lemon and nutmeg gave Queen Elizabeth's royal eggs an unexpected and uniquely bright flavor.

Shortly after the death of Queen Elizabeth, an Australian nutritionist came forward with the recipe for the late Queen's favorite way to enjoy her eggs for breakfast that include a secret ingredient (or two!) and had apparently been given to her by the Queen's private chef.

photo credit: Shutterstock

Being a longtime fan of her Majesty, not least for her backbone of steel and adorable outfits, I felt like I...

Maple Sour with Egg White Foam

Foamy egg whites on top of this cocktail plus a splash of maple syrup add texture and a surprising twist to the classic sour recipe.

Whiskey sours made with store-bought mix were my drink of choice for a while in college. Then I became an adult and graduated to the homemade version, which is SOOOO much better. 

I go traditional and dry-shake an egg white for the top of the cocktail - technically making it a Boston sour in a nod to my home state. 

"Egg whites in cocktails?", you might say. "Oh yes,"...

The Best Plant-Based Protein Smoothie for Molting Chickens

There are many plants that contain beneficial protein for molting chickens, so why not blend them up into a delicious plant-based smoothie for them.

Chickens drop their feathers during their annual molting period to grow in nice, new feathers before the cold weather sets in each winter.

Because feathers are almost entirely made up of protein, adding a bit of extra protein to your molting chickens diet during the fall isn’t a bad idea. 

The Best Plant-Based Protein Smoothie for Molting Chickens

Altho...

7 Methods to Separate Eggs like a Pro

Here are 7 tried-and-true methods for separating eggs like a pro.
Learning how to separate an egg cleanly without breaking the yolk and getting any of the yolk in the whites takes practice. 

If you're beating the egg whites for meringue or a souffle, for example, even the tiniest bit of yolk in the white can cause them not to whip up nicely, so separating eggs is a skill you will want to master. 

Using the freshest eggs you can find is a good start. 

There is a membrane that encases the yolk which s...

Will Raising Chickens for Eggs Really Save you Money?

Raising a small flock of backyard chickens is a fun hobby that provides you a convenient source of delicious fresh eggs, but will it really save you money in the long run compared to buying eggs from the supermarket?

With a recession looming on the horizon (or maybe it's already here?) and rising food prices, eggs still remain one of the most nutritious, economical protein choices. 

Many of us raise our own chickens and grow our own gardens already, so we are semi-insulated from the increase in ...

What's the Best Way to Crack an Egg?

Believe it or not, there's a right way and a wrong way to crack an egg.

If you raise chickens, you've most likely cracked way more eggs than the average person, and you probably don't think twice about it.

But you don't have to have a backyard full of poultry to use eggs on a regular basis, and anyone who bakes regularly likely cracks eggs all the time as well. Or anyone feeding a family. 

Okay, pretty much everyone cracks lots of eggs over the course of a year, I would guess!

But regardless, I'm gu...

White Chocolate Jam Blondie Bars

These sweet patriotic red, white and blue jam blondie bars come together quickly using basic ingredients from your pantry.

If you're looking for a quick and easy dessert for your summer barbeques and picnics that uses simple ingredients from your pantry, travels well and can  be made in advance and left out at room temperature for a couple of days, look no further than these sweet white chocolate jam blondies. 

These sweet patriotic red, white and blue jam blondie bars come together quickly using ...