When Signe Langford reached out to me about her book, Happy Hens & Fresh Eggs (winner of the Best Single Subject Book in Canada at the 2016 Gourmand Cookbook Awards), I wasn’t sure it was for me. There are no chickens in my back yard but I have been known to declare each and every time we pass farmland, “I want a farmhouse with a few chickens, maybe a goat.” My husband always laughs and while I love the conveniences of living in the city, I do long for rural life – some land, animals, and room to breathe (as long as I have an internet connection, cable and a large supply of Diet Pepsi, that is.)
When Signe’s book arrived, I was pleasantly surprised because not only does it cover everything you need to know to raise chickens from building a coop to egg production but it also contains many gorgeous recipes, 100 of them in fact. The photos are beautiful and while I can make the recipes now, I will have the author’s knowledge of chicken rearing at my finger tips when the farm dream ever becomes a reality.
The recipes are luscious – Sweet Lingonberry Jam Omelette, Cinnamon-Vanilla Baked Custard, Maple-Chipotle Ontario Pecans, Froufrou Chocolate Chiffon Cake and Golden Chinese Egg Cakes are all marked to try along with many others.
I started this post early Monday morning and took a trip to our local Sprouts where I met a beautiful woman with a lovely accent who was talking about her ducks and chickens and how she had to take her goat to the animal hospital early that morning. She runs an animal sanctuary in Larkspur and I volunteered to have my son and I come help her. She said she would pay me in all the fresh eggs I could use! We exchanged numbers and I’ll be calling her by the end of the week. We’ll be helping animals which is payment enough but the eggs will be perfect to create all of Signe’s recipes.
Special thanks to Signe and Douglas & McIntyre for sharing the recipe for Meeru’s Curried Devilled Eggs Recipe (which can be downloaded at the link). (I am a huge fan of Vikram Vij and this is Meeru’s recipe from their book Vij’s at Home.)
GIVEAWAY: Signe and her publisher want one of you to win a copy of Happy Hens & Fresh Eggs! The giveaway is open to U.S. addresses only. To enter leave a comment on this post. You may enter daily until a random winner is chosen on August 25th. For a second entry, you may share this post. Good luck.
Random Number Generator picked #27 Laurel Eden!
We have had a few chickens in the past but I would love to know how to do it properly!
I think eggs are the most versatile ingredient in the world’s larder. The book sounds lovely.
Thank you Jenny for the lovely story! Talk about win-win…helping critters, getting fresh eggs! Good luck to your readers for the give-away!
Looks like a very interesting and beautiful book.
Eggs are perhaps my favorite ingredient. I love them any way they are cooked. This book sounds great!
We just started keeping chickens – this book would be perfect for us! Thanks!
We used to live in a private house in The Bronx a few blocks from where I live now when I was a kid, my Dad was a good old country boy from Georgia, he began raising chickens in the basement, long story but I have a healthy fear of live chickens. I like to eat them though!
I shared on Facebook.
Have endured many adventures in raising chickens..
We go through so many eggs that I would absolutely love this book. My parents have a house that they are starting a mini homestead on. They are considering chickens so that portion of the book would be super helpful as well!
My husband has been wanting chickens, but I think they’re too much work. Maybe this book will make me a chicken convert.
I love fresh chicken eggs. What a great looking book!
My brother has a big property, and has 8 chickens. How I love their eggs over easy. Heaven
Although I do not want to raise chickens, the book looks lovely!
I have always wanted to live in the country and raise animals but I am afraid that dream is not possible. Perhaps this book will make that dream seem more attainable!
This will come in handy since moving to the country and receiving a chicken coop as a housewarming gift!
I love eggs and would love to have some new inspiration!
We’ve been wanting to add chickens to our backyard…
Checking in for today! Those are some very handsome chickens.
The book looks lovely.! I’d love to have chickens but I’m afraid the coyotes and fox would have a hey day no matter how well penned. And honestly wouldn’t want them cooped up all the time (pun intended!!)
Just starting to get eggs from my girls! This would be perfect!
My husband loves eggs owning chickens would be his dream
Clucking for a win!
Living in a food desert,eggs have always been able to sustain me. They are appreciably the most versatile protein. Five dollars for a dozen organic free-range eggs from the farmer’s market is an economical addition to my diet.
Daily entry
The cover to this cookbook is beautiful and the deviled eggs sound delicious!
Shared on my Facebook page.
i’d love this
Thanks so much for the chance to own this fabulous book!
Chickens are our best friends, their little golden eggs are so full of great nutrients. Just love em, so versatile. I would love to get my hands on this wonderful book!
Our neighbors in Germany had chickens and we would sometimes get eggs from them, they were the best eggs ever. Now, my husband and I are hoping to have our own chickens. This book looks beautiful.
While we don’t have our own chickens, my neighbor’s chickens come to visit. Matter of fact I just came in from feeding them some bread…..I say the same thing….”would love to have some chickens and a goat”, entertainment & milk for making goat cheese!!!!… But for now just happy to have the “visitors” and the occasional “present” they leave us in the garden…. Would be helpful to know how to clean them and check if they are “good” providing they haven’t baked in the sun all afternoon….
Cluck cluck cluck
Hi for today!
Hello, it’s me.
Love eggs
I wish it was legal for me to have backyard chickens where I live,.
Nothing like fresh eggs. I wish I had access to them all the time.
I don’t have a book of this type in my collection! I’d love to win it!
Shared
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/138204282294332855/
With me being gone all the time Chickens won’t work but Egg Receipts would be Great !!
So many eggs in my fridge to use up this weekend.
Checking in for today 🙂
I never thought much about hens until my sister got one and we had fresh eggs daily. The first 2 eggsJunior, gave us, were double yolks. Wonderful, delicious eggs!
The Incredible edible egg
And Jill went tumbling after
Hope you’re having a great weekend!
I don’t believe my building management company will let me build a chicken coop on apartment property. However, I do know how to get my hands on some fresh eggs. I would love to get this book in my hands. It’s going on my wish list.
Howdy for today!
Don’t think I will ever raise chickens but would love the recipes.
Hi today!
My husband made me scrambled eggs for breakfast, with lots of butter.
Eggs, yum.
I had eggs in tortillas for breakfast today
I would love this!
I’m not able to keep chickens but I am grateful that eggs are no longer the taboo they once were because I do love them. This looks like a beautiful book to make use of them with! I love deviled eggs and am always looking for new twists on the classics. The cover alone is telling me I should own this book!
I don’t keep chickens but have a colleague at work who does–and she shares the most marvelous eggs (blue, green, brown) with the orangest yolks . . . and this book looks like a perfect gift idea for her.
Interesting!!
Delicious delicious eggs.
This is a “must have” for me.
YAY
When I’m at a lose for a dinner idea, often turn to eggs and breakfast food
I had eggs for breakfast every day this week.
Eggs glorious eggs,please sir, may I have some more
The heat is getting to me.
Maybe chickens are in my future.
We always buy jumbo eggs hoping to get a double yolk.
I just had eggs for dinner.
Eggs, eggs the magical fruit…oh wait, eggs aren’t fruit.
Nothing like fresh eggs!
Eggs!
Eggs does a body good, oh snap that’s milk, never mind
Robin’s comments just kill me.
Don’t egg me on! LOL
Eggs again today
I detest live chickens, the nasty little mother clucker,s but I do love their ovum. Please forgive me all you chicken owners.
I am a lucky duck (no pun intended…) because I work with a fellow who keeps chickens and he brings eggs to work for me. I get the benefit of fresh eggs without the work.
I think of this as DIY eggs. My father’s family had a chicken farm “out back” of the house and rug shop, and I remember candling eggs at night over my grandmother’s kitchen table.
Love fresh eggs.
Eggsellent
I’m almost out of eggs and need to get some more from the store.
Dang, I forgot to buy eggs today.
I eat eggs for breakfast every day!
What do eggs do for fun?
Kari-Yokie!!!
Just had eggs for dinner.
Ham and eggs for breakfast tomorrow.
Checking in!
Would love a copy of this! Finishing up constructing our chicken coop.
I love eggs!
Which came first….y’all know the rest of that one.
I think the egg came first
I vote chicken.