Eggs Dyed with All Natural, everyday ingredients

Try making these all natural dyes using everyday ingredients!

Yellow: Two cups water plus 3/4 tablespoons turmeric creates a yellow or deep gold. Also try orange or lemon peels, carrots, chamomile tea, celery seed, green tea, ground cumin, or saffron.
Pink: Two cups water + two cups grated beets, raspberries, red grape juice or beet kvass (no vinegar is needed for the beek kvass)
Orange: Two cups yellow onion peels and five cups water. Also try carrots or paprika
Blue/Green: Three cups tightly packed shredded cabbage plus enough water to cover one inch above shreds. Also try fresh basil or grass for green eggs. To make blue eggs, try ½ cup blueberries plus 1½ cups water or purple grape juice.
Red: Three to four cups tightly packed red onion peels plus water to cover about one inch above. Also try rose hips, pomegranate juice, or raspberries.
Experiment with other household ingredients for more color options!

Ingredients/Tools Needed:
Natural dye materials (see above)
Water
Vinegar (1 tablespoon per dye color)
Pots (for simmering ingredients)
Mesh Strainer
Small Bowls or Mason Jars
SMC Certified Humane Brown Eggs


Directions for Making All Natural Dyes
Bring dye supplies and water to a boil. Use approximately ½ to ¾ cup of the natural dye ingredient per one cup of water, except for the spices… you’ll use a lot less. The water should come to ½ – 1 inch above your dye material. Turn heat down to low and simmer, covered, for 15-60 minutes until desired color is reached. Keep in mind that the eggs will be several shades lighter so it’s best to go for deep, rich hues.
If you’re using juice, you can skip the boiling. Just add the vinegar and get started.
Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature
Pour dye through a mesh strainer into bowls/mason jars and add 3 teaspoons of vinegar for each cup of dye liquid
Add eggs and place in fridge until desired color is reached (I started mine in early afternoon and leave them overnight)

Did you know you can dye brown eggs instead of white for a different range of colors? When brown eggs are immersed in dye, they take on darker, bolder colors. Learn more about dyeing brown eggs in our blog post.

South Mountain Creamery's Brown Eggs are Certified Humane, meaning they meet the Humane Farm Animal Care Standards. Our laying hens receive a nutritious diet without antibiotics or hormones, shelter, resting areas, sufficient space, and the ability to engage in natural behaviors. SMC's eggs are also high in DHA and Omega 3 Fatty Acids. www.southmountaincreamery.com

date Monday, March 30, 2015


Happy St. Patrick's Day! 
Shepherd's Pie

In early cook books, Cottage Pie was a dish using leftover roasted meat of any kind. The pie was lined and topped with a mashed potato crust. The term "shepherd's pie" did not appear until 1877. Since then, it has become synonymous with "cottage pie", regardless of the main ingredient. The term "shepherd's pie" has been used with recipes containing lamb, since shepherds are concerned with sheep and not cattle. (source: Wikipedia)

INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon Manoli Canoli olive oil
1 tablespoon SMC butter
1 onion, diced
2 pounds SMC ground lamb
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ketchup
3 cloves garlic, minced (available in vegetable bag)
2 1/2 cups water, or as needed
1 (12 ounce) package frozen peas and carrots, thawed
2 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and halved
1 tablespoon SMC butter
1 pinch ground cayenne pepper
1/4 cup SMC cream cheese
1/4 pound SMC cheddar cheese, shredded
1 SMC Certified Humane egg yolk
2 tablespoons SMC milk
salt and ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Place olive oil and butter in Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and ground lamb; brown the meat, breaking it up into small crumbles as it cooks, about 10 minutes.
Stir in flour until incorporated, and then mix in salt, black pepper, rosemary, paprika, cinnamon, ketchup, and garlic. Cook and stir until garlic is fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes.
Stir in water. Reduce heat to medium-low and bring mixture to a simmer; cook and stir until thick, about 5-6 minutes.
Remove lamb mixture from heat and stir in peas and carrots until combined.
Spread lamb mixture into the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish and set aside.
Place potatoes into a large pan of salted water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain well and return potatoes to pan.
Mash butter, cayenne pepper, cream cheese, and cheese into potatoes. Mash until combined and potatoes are smooth. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
Whisk together egg yolk and milk in a small bowl. Stir into the mashed potato mixture.
Top the lamb mixture in the baking dish with the mashed potatoes and spread evenly to cover.

Bake in the preheated oven until the top is golden brown and sauce is bubbling up around the edges, about 25 to 30 minutes.

date Tuesday, March 17, 2015