I've Eaten More Hard Boiled Eggs in the Last Three Months....

than I can even keep track of these days.

My increased consumption stemmed from the need to eat more protein on a daily basis. In looking at my options, I decided that in addition to my daily almond consumption, my protein bites needed to be quick, portable and require little to no preparation. The weekly hard boiled egg party began.

Every Sunday afternoon, I take out one of the best gifts I've ever received-an egg cooker. This one appliance makes perfect hard boiled eggs-every single time. No wrestling with the peel, no disappointment with a half cooked yolk, no ripped or torn whites... just pure perfection.

I know, I know--you don't eat eggs because of the cholesterol, right? See the American Heart Association recommendations for eggs below.

One egg contains about 213 milligrams of dietary cholesterol. The daily recommended cholesterol limit is less than 300 milligrams for people with normal LDL (bad) cholesterol levels. An egg can fit within heart-healthy guidelines for those people only if cholesterol from other sources — such as meats, poultry and dairy products — is limited. For example, eating one egg for breakfast, drinking two cups of coffee with one tablespoon of half-and-half each, lunching on four ounces of lean turkey breast without skin and one tablespoon of mayonnaise, and having a 6-ounce serving of broiled, short loin porterhouse steak for dinner would account for about 510 mg of dietary cholesterol that day — nearly twice the recommended limit. If you’re going to eat an egg every morning, substitute vegetables for some of the meat, or drink your coffee without half-and-half in the example above. And remember that many other foods, especially baked goods, are prepared with eggs — and those eggs count toward your daily cholesterol limit. People with high LDL blood cholesterol levels or who are taking a blood cholesterol-lowering medication should eat less than 200 mg of cholesterol per day.

If your cholesterol is something you are concerned about (which, let's face it, we all need to be concerned about our cholesterol), please take a look at everything else in your diet-eggs are most likely not the culprit for an increased cholesterol level.


For more egg nutrition, egg safety, egg research, recipes and egg trivia, go to the Egg Nutrition Center or the American Egg Board.

Why Food Tastes Better When Someone Else Make It: A Case Study with Flank Steak

For some reason, food usually tastes better when someone else makes it for you. I'm not saying always-it certainly depends on the cook-but usually a fair assessment, I think. Recent events have spurred an outpouring of food and goodies here at our house and we are welcoming all of it with open arms. Case in point: My sister Amy's marinated flank steak recipe.


She'll tell you she inherited the recipe from her mother in law Sharon ( a great cook and baker in her own right, I might add). But in my mind, it's all Amy's recipe.

She'll tell you to get the flank steak at Costco (its the best for meat) and she'll tell you make the marinade a day in advance for maximum flavor, but that you can do it the day of if you are running low on time. She'll tell you to use an electric knife if you have it for the most thin of slices. She'll also tell you to make rice pilaf, fruit, salad and rolls to round out the meal. She'll tell you that this is one of the best things in her repertoire. I believe her!

Marinade for the flank steak:

1 cup of oil
3/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup chopped onions, diced very small
1/2 tsp cracked pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced very small

Mix all ingredients and pour over steak or use gallon zip-loc bags and put steak in with marinade. When marinating 2 flank steaks, double the marinade. Best to marinate the steak for 24 hours or more. You can marinade the steak and freeze it.


Sauce for flank steak:
1/2 to 3/4 stick of margarine or butter
2-3 large onions, sliced
4-6 T your favorite BBQ sauce

Melt butter or margarine in a sauce pan. Slice a few large onions and break up the slices and put them on the sauce pan in the butter. Cover and slowly let them soften. Pour 4 tablespoons of your favorite BBQ sauce in and mix. Cover and let cook for 15-20 minutes. Pour over meat.

Cook flank steak for about 8 minutes on each side depending upon your grill and your meat well-doneness! Slice thinly against the grain. Also great for steak fajitas or entree dinner salads.