“EXCEPTIONAL EGGS” Contest
grand prize
Her Egg Bake Goes Over Easily with Our Judges
Simple and healthy. When it comes to cooking, those are Nancy Miller’s key ingredients…whether she’s making a recipe from Cooking for 2 or dreaming up her own.
“A lot of times, I’ll just put together a meal with whatever’s in the cupboard,” says Nancy, who lives with her husband, Don, in Bettendorf, Iowa.
“For instance, one night I was trying to make sausage-stuffed squash, but the squash wasn’t cooperating. So I added some ingredients I had on hand, including tomato sauce, cheese and green beans, to the browned sausage. We ended up with a delicious casserole.”
And when Nancy wanted to make something with fruit for Sunday brunch, she came up with her Apple-Bacon Egg Bake. After reading about our recent “Exceptional Eggs” contest, Don encouraged Nancy to enter. Our judges were “egg-static” about the casserole’s fluffy texture and wonderful apple flavor, and awarded Nancy the $500 Grand Prize.
“I’ve been making a version of this egg bake for 2 years now,” she notes. “The recipe is so easy and versatile. You can spice it up with a little salsa, or use sausage instead of bacon. You can serve it for breakfast, brunch or even dinner.”
Arthritis makes cutting up vegetables and other meal preparation difficult for Nancy. So Don, who works at a local restaurant, often lends a hand. He gets a kick out of helping his wife come up with what they call “Nancy creations.”
Clowning Around
In addition to cooking for themselves, Don and Nancy like to entertain others…but not in the traditional sense.
“We’re professional clowns,” reveals Nancy, who also works in retail. “Since I was 5 years old, I wanted to be a clown. I’d even dress up as one for our neighborhood parades every summer.
“So about 5 years ago, we signed up for a clown class, and learned to apply makeup and create balloon figures, among other things. We joined a clown ministry that visits nursing homes. And we sometimes dress as clowns at the local hospital where we volunteer.”
The couple’s clowning brings smiles to people’s faces…the same kind of smiles Cooking for 2 readers will have once they taste Nancy’s award-winning egg recipe.
Egg-ology
- •Most recipes use large eggs, even if the ingredient list simply calls for eggs. Using extra-large or medium eggs in baked goods could alter the results.
- •You can tell if an egg is fresh by placing it in a bowl of cool, salted water. If it sinks, it’s fresh. If it floats, throw it out.
- •Separate eggs while still cold from the refrigerator. For maximum volume, allow egg whites to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before beating.
- •Egg whites may be refrigerated in a tightly covered container for up to 4 days, or frozen for up to a year. Try freezing extra whites in ice-cube trays, one per section. Once frozen, remove to a freezer bag and store.
- •To store unbroken egg yolks, place in a container and cover yolks with water. Cover container tightly and refrigerate for 2 days. To freeze, beat 1/4 cup egg yolks (4 yolks) with 1/8 teaspoon salt or 1-1/2 teaspoons sugar. Place in tightly covered container and store for up to a year.