Eggsellent

We have a new source for eggs.  A woman in my department raises cage-free chickens and they are feed naturally/organically.  A carton of 18 sets me back four bucks, but we have a deal now.  If I bring her a large Tim Horton's coffee every Friday morning, I get a dozen in exchange.  Or should I say "eggschange?"

These eggs are awesome.  Not only are they comparable in price to "regular" supermarket eggs, they are even better than commercially sold organic eggs.  Because they are "farm fresh," they haven't been washed in Chlorine, treated with lye, or subject to other treatments to make them market-ready.  I feel a whole lot better about feeding the whole egg (shell and all) to the dog.

Not only are these a bargain, they taste better and are more nutritionally dense.  Nothing is rubbed on them to make them shiny. I never realized before that eggs have a natural "cuticle" that serves as a barrier which naturally protects the shell and which is removed  by the time commercial eggs (even organics) make it to the store.  The eggs I'm getting have this layer intact.

Best of all, I know the chickens are living a happy life in a yard where they are well cared for, the ground is clean, and they run around all they want.