Recipe call for eggs, with shells included - how do I do that?

[DexMom]

I bought a package of Momma Bird's all natural Birdie Bread mix and the prep instructions call for 2 eggs, shells included. How do I put them in? Should I take the eggs out of the shell, scramble the egg and crush up the shell? Run the whole egg through the blender? Prep the eggs some other way?

I'm so confused (which is not hard to do lately)!

 

[Allee]

I wash the whole the whole eggs just like I wash raw vegetables, break the raw egg into the bread mix then crush the shells and drop them in. I usually crush them by hand to save time but I dont see why you couldn't use a blender.

 

[DexMom]

Thank you. I thought it something simple like that, but didn't want to make some silly rookie mistake.

I'll be baking today, after I go to the store and buy new, non-non-stick mini muffin tins. The ones I have are non-stick and I'm concerned about fumes, so I won't bake with them while Dexter is in the house. I don't mind replacing them so much because I've had them for years and years and they're looking beat anyway.

Another question - if I do want to bake with some of my other bake wear that is non-stick, I can move Dexter outside while it is in the oven (to a safe, covered deck). How long after I'm done baking in the oven do I need to wait before it's safe to bring him inside?

 

[Allee]

I would be afraid to guess how long before the air was completely safe after cooking with non stick cookware. Personally, I wouldn't take the chance.

 

[Kiwibird]

I'll be baking today, after I go to the store and buy new, non-non-stick mini muffin tins. The ones I have are non-stick and I'm concerned about fumes, so I won't bake with them while Dexter is in the house. I don't mind replacing them so much because I've had them for years and years and they're looking beat anyway.

Another question - if I do want to bake with some of my other bake wear that is non-stick, I can move Dexter outside while it is in the oven (to a safe, covered deck). How long after I'm done baking in the oven do I need to wait before it's safe to bring him inside?

Keep in mind, teflon doesn't just off-gas into the room (and I don't think there has been any research into how long the fumes take to dissipate to safe levels), it also leeches into the food too. Teflon is scary stuff! I would ditch the non-stick cookware and go to the dollar store and pick up some of those cheap disposable pans for now until you can get new bakeware, which you may or may not find locally. There are many options now besides the traditional PTFE/PFOA non-stick that is toxic to us and deadly to birds. Look into (high quality, not cheap from China) silicone or silicone coated aluminum bakeware if you *must* have non-stick, though I have never had issues with sticking using stainless and stainless triply bakeware (which will last forever and is 100% non-toxic, and the triply bakes perfectly every time since it conducts heat evenly). Non-coated aluminum bakeware sticks and stains and leeches, so not a good long term option, avoid it. It is ALWAYS advisable to have your bird in another room, safely locked in the cage while cooking or baking.

For affordable stainless bakeware, I'd recommend Fox Run or Norpro. Just search "Norpro (whatever item you need)" on amazon [ame=http://www.amazon.com/Norpro-Stainless-Steel-Inch-Loaf/dp/B000SSWXPO]Amazon.com: Norpro Stainless Steel 8.5 Inch Loaf Pan: Stainless Steel Bakeware: Kitchen & Dining[/ame] They have a pretty complete line of bakeware, but Fox Run is the only brand I've found who makes stainless muffin tins

Triply stainless is a much bigger investment, I have a combination of All-Clad (which must be found on ebay since they discontinued their bakeware line) and 360 by Americraft 360 Bakeware | 360 Cookware. Pricey, but ABSOLUTELY worth the investment. I have never had better results from bakeware than the 360 line.

For silicone-coated I'd suggest USA Pans. They produce high-quality bakeware that is silicone coated and comparable to traditional non-stick (without the toxicity and no reported affects on parrots). USA Pans | Baking Pans Made in the USA

Pure silicone, try Lekue Baking Molds from Lekue - Baking trays, macaron mat, muffin pans, mini-tartlette [ame=http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_pg_3?rh=n%3A1055398%2Cn%3A%211063498%2Cn%3A284507%2Cp_4%3ALekue&page=3&ie=UTF8&qid=1437665990]Amazon.com: Lekue - Kitchen & Dining: Home & Kitchen[/ame] I have a few of their specialty items and they are good quality. Be cautious of cheap, no name silicone bakeware. I've heard some of that stuff has additives besides silicone that may be toxic or at best, just reduce the lifespan.

 

[DexMom]

Thank you SO much, Kiwibird. As I was bouncing around the internet looking for bake wear alternatives, I was thinking that silicone would also be toxic and was immediately ignoring any of those options. It's great to know that good quality silicone products are safe for use around Dexter.

As I pulled everything out of the baking cabinet, I realized that overall I don't really have many non-stick pieces to begin with. The majority of my baking pans were handed down from my grandmother and mother-in-law, which were made back before non-stick finishes were even invented. Those old pans are my favorites because they cook evenly and are easy to clean up if properly prepared. It's a case of "they just don't make things like they used to" because those 50+ year old pans rock and the newer, cheaper, non-stick pans seem worn out in just a few years (scratches, flaking, un-cleanable).

I have a couple of specialty type pans (angel food cake ring, decorative bundt pan that looks like Christmas trees, brownie "all edges" pan) that I don't use often enough to make it worth replacing them. If it's really not safe to use them, even with Dex outside and a kitchen airing out period, maybe I'll just give them to my sister.

 

[henpecked]

About eggs,,, i've had several vets tell me to bake the egg shells and and then crush them up, before feeding to parrots. The reasoning is , raw shell could cut the crop/digestive tract, baked shells crumble easier and don't pose the same hazard. I do bake shells, crumble them and store in the frig/freezer. Not much trouble. I don't know of anyone who has harmed their parrot by feeding raw egg shell but it's the way i do it. Of course adding them to something you bake is probably the same as baking them before hand. Just a thought on feeding egg shell. BTW i think it also helps to make the calcium, easier to absorb,usable.