FarmWife Answers, episode one

Hot dog. We may be on to something here. I'm loving this....I may just change my name to Ann Landers...OK, maybe not.

Brando: Thank you for the kind offer, but I have three professional mess makers on my hands already & one in training. Really, if we could get "trashing a bed room" turned into an Olympic event we could so get a free trip to China!!

Art: Because they long to be, close to me. You see, on the day that I was born the angels got together and decided to create a dream come true....

Pilot: You just have to be the smart alec around here don't you?

Yes, fat people can go skinny dipping. It's part of that whole life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness thing...although I secretly wonder about anyone who goes skinny dipping. And for the record, yes, I have (in my own back yard at midnight in a pool surrounded by privacy fencing).

I am a closet claustrophobic...well, not anymore. I guess I just came out.

I never have understood the "abbreviation" thing. But according to Dictionary.com :
abbreviation-
1460, from M.Fr. abréviation, from L.L. abbreviationem (nom. abbreviatio), from pp. of abbreviare "make brief," from L. ad "to" + breviare "shorten," from brevis "short, low, little, shallow".
So I guess we can blame the Romans & more recently the French.

And finally, Pilot:
Thesaurus-
glossary, language reference book, lexicon, onomasticon, reference book, sourcebook, storehouse of words, terminology, treasury of words, vocabulary, word list

There, answer all your questions?

Now, onto the egg questions.

Inkling asks, "What is the gross white thingy in some eggs?" According to Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens it is the chalaziferous layer or chalaza. It is dense albumen (egg white) that surrounds the yolk. It protects and anchors the yolk in the middle of the egg white. It is not (as a buddy of mine told his girlfriend who forever after refused to eat eggs) Rooster sperm. It is perfectly safe to eat.

Christine wants to know about blood in eggs. Personally, I'd toss them. It's a little on the gross side for me, but from what I read in my book, it's not really a problem. You can eat eggs from breeding hens as long as you catch them fresh. You want to get them in the fridge before the chick starts to develop (you usually have a few days before that happens). Blood spots are actually caused when a bit of blood or tissue is released along with a yolk when it leaves the yolk sack in the hen's ovary. They are usually released from the yolk sack in an area free from vessels but will occasionally rupture from somewhere else causing the blood spot. It has nothing to do with fertilization.

And as for poop on eggs, I seriously recommend washing them prior to putting them in the fridge. I really don't want chicken poo next to my yogurt. The book says to discard eggs that are seriously soiled, but I always washed ours. Egg shells are porous so I washed them in cold water (to prevent bacteria from entering the egg as easily) with a nylon scrubby & a drop of dish liquid if they were really bad. Washing eggs removes the bloom (or cuticle) that seals the pores, so they also recommend dipping washed eggs in a bleach & water solution to sanitize it (I never did). Make sure your eggs are dry before you put them in the carton, especially if it's a paper carton or they'll stick to the paper & break when you try to get them out.

"Clean eggs stored at 45 degrees and 70% humidity will keep well for at least 3 months. In a standard household refrigerator, where food tends to dry out, eggs will keep for up to 5 weeks." In fact when you buy graded eggs from the store, the only thing the grades tell you is how fresh the eggs are. Grade A eggs are slightly older than AA. Grade B have slight shell defects or stains (they're the "seconds" of the egg world). To tell if your egg is fresh, float it in plain water. If the egg sinks to the bottom & rests on it's side, it's very fresh. If it floats to the top, toss it. If it hovers with it's end down, it's about a week old. If it stands on end it's 2-3 weeks old. Another way to tell how fresh it is is to look at the albumen (egg white). A fresh egg will have a firm, cloudy albumen that holds the yolk well. If the egg is stale it's albumen will be watery & thin. Occasionally you get a fresh egg with a watery albumen, but not often.

And finally, Christine, the Pope was less than impressed by Johnny Depp's performance in Sweeny Todd, but as he is a huge fan of Helena Bonham Carter, he was blown away by her renditions" of The Worst Pies in London" & "Try the Priest."

Keep 'em coming, Ya'll!!