How to use up a bunch of fresh eggs without really trying

Even tho we don't really notice the lengthening days, the hens sure do! The backyard girls are all finished molting and back online and the pullets, who have yet to go thru a molt, are picking up production, too.

We don't use artificial lighting so this winter we've been averaging around 50% on egg production -- out of 20 layers, we would collect between 9 and 11 eggs each day. (Production did drop during two spells of bad weather but only for a day or so each time.) This week tho we've collected 2 dozen over our previous average. We sell extra eggs but it's too cold to set a cooler out with an on-your-honor money jar and we're hardly home long enough to put the 'eggs for sale' sign up at the end of the road so I've been pulling out all the recipes we like which use 6 or more eggs.

That means we have a few jars of lemon curd in the refrigerator and a plain old-fashioned pound cake sitting on the counter to spread it on. I made a pan of Chile Cheese Squares with some of the inexpensive cheese I've been able to pick up at a nearby grocery outlet Sharp Shopper. (Boy, I like that store!) Those squares are good warm or at room temperature and they freeze great, too.

And for lunch (our main meal), we like an herb and cheese soufflé or a frittata with a loaf of homemade bread and either a side salad or some steamed fresh spinach from those cold frames DH has going now. There was a time I hesitated to tackle a soufflé but I discovered it's more the idea of the thing than the actual process that scared me and once I made one I lost my fear.

My Baked Southern Grits recipe only uses 4 eggs but I consider that a lot for a side dish and when I have extra zucchini and eggs both on hand, I make Zucchini Cheese Squares. Since I freeze shredded zucchini, I don't have to wait till summer to make it.

Angel Food Cake is another favorite sweet tho we're beginning to prefer a Daffodil Sponge Cake as it lets me use up the whites AND the yolks, plus makes a pretty, tasty cake to boot. It's part angel food and part yellow sponge cake so it's a marbled yellow-and-white. I'm planning to make several for different events this spring as it looks sensational on a plate with a few fresh blossoms for decoration. And it's low fat with not that much sugar compared to other cakes the same size.