MISSBHAY

Get ready to take a walk on the sunny side!

First, let’s chat about eggs. They are so easy right? Buy them by the dozen, last for a while in the fridge, and are totally versatile. Baked, broiled, poached, scrambled, boiled, sunny side up, over easy. While they are always good in the morning, I am guilty for loving to have breakfast for dinner. The list on the ways to use eggs is endless. I am not even going there. They taste delicious and are a go to for many families! While I do not have children of my own, I am all about educating kids on the foods they eat, and involving them in the kitchen! A healthy lifestyle is a more obvious choice if our children grow up aware and educated on the things they put into their bodies! Eggs are a fairly low calorie choice, and contain vitamins and minerals.

On the flip side.. Eggs do tend to get slack. Firstly, the inhumane conditions of mass production (which is something that I totally understand, and do not condone or promote). Secondly, the nutritional value of eggs can be somewhat confusing. Are they good for us? Or aren’t they? Well.. opinions differ, but facts are facts. So, let’s just be honest..

The way that the animals are raise truly do effect us. What they eat, and how they live in turn, goes into our systems. From over crowding and lack of free movement, to the use of antibiotics, stimulants, steroids, or hormones, researchers do not know the long term effects that eating the animals raised in these conditions will have on us. To be on the safe side, I recommend choosing a free-range, natural or organic option. This way, we know that they were raised eating non-chemical food with the antibiotics, stimulants, steroids, and hormones left out and that they were free to move around and get the exercise they need to grow healthy and happy. Happy chickens means happy eggs! (And to be clear, this applies to all mass production of all animals, not just chickens! If you choose to eat animal products, be sure to buy organic whenever possible!)

So are they good for us? I get this question a lot because yes, they are high in protein, but they are also high in cholesterol. Research suggests, if your regular diet is not high in fat, then eating eggs on the regular does not greatly raise your total cholesterol. But, there is a catch.. if you have a cholesterol problem, or cardiovascular issues, any foods that contain fat should be only consumed after careful deliberation. Okay, with my little egg rant out of the way, we can get to the reason you came here.

Egg Clouds, as I call them, although they do have other names, you guys they really are a fun option to jazz up your morning. They are also kid friendly – just make sure an adult is supervising around the oven! They are very easy to make, and can be personalized however you, or your kids prefer. You can make a small batch, or large batch. I find they are awesome when cooking for company because it can sometimes be hard to cook eggs for a large number of people, and have them all done at the same time! Plus, it’s always fun to serve something a little different!..So let’s get started.

EGG CLOUDS

WHAT YOU NEED:
Eggs
Grated Cheese
Extras: Chives or green onion, bacon, small sausage pieces..etc.
Ground pepper (+Sea salt if you like)

NOTES: *The quantities for the above ingredients will vary on how many eggs you are making, however – If I am using 4 eggs, I use approx 1/4 cup of each extra – up to about 3/4 of a cup in total, but go by personal preference if you want more or less of one of them. I also recommend using cheese that has a lower moisture % so that it doesn’t make the eggs runny. Any extras that I add in, besides the grated cheese, I cut into a very fine dice, technically called “Brunoise”

WHAT TO DO:
*Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

1.Separate your egg whites from the yolks. When you do this, put all whites into a large bowl, and your yolks into SEPARATE small bowls, making sure to not break the yolk as you are separating.

2.Next, whip your egg whites until stiff peaks form.

3.At this point, fold in your cheese and extras.

4.Spoon your egg whites onto your baking sheet, and create a little divot, or well, in the middle of each mound.

5.Bake for 3 – 4 minutes. Remove from oven.

6. Carefully add an egg yolk to each divot/well.

7.Season with pepper (and sea salt if you please)
8.Bake for 2 – 3 minutes, or until the egg yolks are set. – Keep an eye on them so they don’t get firm, unless that’s your thing!

Enjoy these gems! They are great for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner! Don’t forget to let me know how you like them and what extras you love to add! I love seeing your takes on my recipes so make sure you tag me @missbhay so I can see your egg clouds!

Disclaimer: Some of the photos show with cheese and chives, and some show with just cheese. I had made a large batch of plain cheese at an earlier time, and made one at another time with chives added.