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Saffron and Honey

Eat Chic

October 11, 2019

Visiting Handsome Brook Farm

Last week, I was lucky enough to visit a few of the partner family farms that produce pasture raised, organic eggs for Handsome Brook Farm in Kentucky – aren’t these some of the handsomest chickens you’ve ever seen?!

I know that I always try to make the most conscientious decisions when shopping for food, but egg labels have been notoriously difficult to decode at times – labeling is not always strictly regulated or obvious and can be confusing! For example, cage free may sound good, but still means that the birds are cooped up in crowded barns. And even if the chickens are pasture raised, but not on organic pasture or with organic feed supplement, then you have no idea what or where they are fed.

{If you want to know more about egg labels and decoding the egg aisle in your supermarket, download a handy guide here!}

One of our first stops was Jeremy Schlabach’s farm in Auburn, KY where we got to see happy (and very friendly!) hens as they started their morning feeding, exploring, and taking “dirt baths” in the sunshine. Fun fact: chickens also quite like hanging out in woodsy areas for foraging, exploring and seeking some shade and shelter from hawks or other predators.

We then ventured onwards to Alvin Jantzi’s farm where Alvin and his family graciously welcomed us and hosted a beautiful lunch in the fields. It was really very warming to experience the unique farming model championed by Handsome Brook Farm that supports local farmers and allows them to make a living doing what they do best.

Of course, lunch included lovely dishes made with delicious fresh eggs – these were still warm as they came down the belt! Alvin still gathers all his eggs by hand, by the way.

A hen lays an egg approximately every 26 hours, thus producing about 6 eggs a week, and, on a given day, about 90% of the hens in the barn lay an egg. I also learned that the color of the egg shell is determined by the “lobe” behind the hen’s ear, not by the color of the hen’s feathers.

Brown eggs are not “better” or “worse” than white eggs (or blue eggs etc.) – the difference comes down to how the hens were raised and what they were fed. Even pasture raised chickens get highly specific (and in this case, organic!) feed supplements for extra nutrition.

It was a fun and very educational trip – I learned so much about what makes eggs taste better and how to make sure that they are produced in the most ethical and sustainable way, both on a small and large scale.

ps. I was a guest of Handsome Brook Farm in Kentucky and Tennessee.

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Comments

  1. Pop says

    October 11, 2019 at 4:12 pm

    Hey! I want that Quiche!
    Being on a diet does not help…?

    Reply

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Welcome to Saffron & Honey, my little place under the sun to cook and live colorfully. I'm Ksenia and I'm a cook, writer, and food photographer. Read More…

Ksenia Skvortsova  // Saffron & Honey

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Finally found some great tiramisu! @fsmaui // A+ presentation too // #desserts #tiramisu #ferraros #fourseasonsmaui #fsmaui

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Finally found some great tiramisu! @fsmaui // A+ presentation too // #desserts #tiramisu #ferraros #fourseasonsmaui #fsmaui

Charred squash and pickled radish soba salad - a springtime favorite on the blog // link in my Stories of search “soba salad” on #saffronandhoney.com 🥗 #soba #sobasalad #easymeals #foodstagram

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Charred squash and pickled radish soba salad - a springtime favorite on the blog // link in my Stories of search “soba salad” on #saffronandhoney.com 🥗 #soba #sobasalad #easymeals #foodstagram

when so much of your work is online, it’s always exciting to see it “out in the wild,” in person // stop by your local @foodlandhi 😉 #foodlandambassador #foodland5 #foodphotography #recipedevelopement #foodland

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when so much of your work is online, it’s always exciting to see it “out in the wild,” in person // stop by your local @foodlandhi 😉 #foodlandambassador #foodland5 #foodphotography #recipedevelopement #foodland

So excited that the new @justicetea (my favorite!!) 4-packs are now @target - it’s perfect at the end of a long, fun day in the ☀️ I saw raspberry & lemon 🍋, what flavors are at your local store? // #ad #justicetea #targetfinds

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So excited that the new @justicetea (my favorite!!) 4-packs are now @target - it’s perfect at the end of a long, fun day in the ☀️ I saw raspberry & lemon 🍋, what flavors are at your local store? // #ad #justicetea #targetfinds

lately // “I saw a hundred shades of green today And everything that Man made was outclassed.” #wendycope #themonthofmay

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lately // “I saw a hundred shades of green today And everything that Man made was outclassed.” #wendycope #themonthofmay

Make Mother’s Day truly special! From personalized gifts to sweet surprises, find everything you need at CVS, your go-to for celebrating mom, in-store or online, including these go-to skincare gifts she will love 🫶🏻 // click link in bio to shop! https://creatoriq.cc/434bMPg #MothersDayAtCVS #CVSPartner #skincaregifts #motherdaygifts

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Make Mother’s Day truly special! From personalized gifts to sweet surprises, find everything you need at CVS, your go-to for celebrating mom, in-store or online, including these go-to skincare gifts she will love 🫶🏻 // click link in bio to shop!  https://creatoriq.cc/434bMPg #MothersDayAtCVS #CVSPartner #skincaregifts #motherdaygifts

now through 5/10 - get 40% off photo sitewide with code SHOP4MOM 🎁
Make Mother’s Day truly special! From personalized gifts to sweet surprises, find everything you need at CVS, your go-to for celebrating mom, in-store or online! ❤️ // #MothersDayAtCVS #cvspartner #mothersdaygifts #motherday2025

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now through 5/10 - get 40% off photo sitewide with code SHOP4MOM 🎁
Make Mother’s Day truly special! From personalized gifts to sweet surprises, find everything you need at CVS, your go-to for celebrating mom, in-store or online! ❤️ // #MothersDayAtCVS #cvspartner #mothersdaygifts #motherday2025

sweet reminder that #mothersdaygiftideas are on the blog now - front page, you can’t miss it: saffronandhoney.com // #mothersdaygifts #mothersday 🎁

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sweet reminder that #mothersdaygiftideas are on the blog now - front page, you can’t miss it: saffronandhoney.com // #mothersdaygifts #mothersday 🎁

@freshdirect challenged me to create a ballpark inspired recipe so, here it is! So simple = so satisfying and so easy to order right in your FreshDirect app 👌 // make this hot dog “bread” right on the air fryer - bake at 10 mins @300F // new customers get $50 off their first order with code ChopChop50! // #freshdirect #nycgrocerydelivery #simplerecipes #ballparkrecipes #ballparkinspired

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@freshdirect challenged me to create a ballpark inspired recipe so, here it is! So simple = so satisfying and so easy to order right in your FreshDirect app 👌 // make this hot dog “bread” right on the air fryer - bake at 10 mins @300F // new customers get $50 off their first order with code ChopChop50! // #freshdirect #nycgrocerydelivery #simplerecipes #ballparkrecipes #ballparkinspired

I love making lei, sharing lei, giving lei // lei all day 🫶🏻 // #leiday #leidaycelebration #maydayisleidayinhawaii #mayday #maydayisleiday

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I love making lei, sharing lei, giving lei // lei all day 🫶🏻 // #leiday #leidaycelebration #maydayisleidayinhawaii #mayday #maydayisleiday

happy May Day // happy Lei Day // more on why we celebrate it in Hawai’i in my Stories 🫶🏻 // #leiday #mayday #maydayisleidayinhawaii #maydayisleiday #mauinokaoi

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happy May Day // happy Lei Day // more on why we celebrate it in Hawai’i in my Stories 🫶🏻 // #leiday #mayday #maydayisleidayinhawaii #maydayisleiday #mauinokaoi

#MothersDay #GiftGuides are live on the blog! // tried and true favorites (that can still surprise) + 🎁 for those who are particularly hard to shop for (you know who you are 🤣) // link in my profile or just head to #saffronandhoney.com ❤️ ps. My favorites are probably the ILYSM necklace (it’s a steal at $40!) and the “I can buy myself cauliflowers” bag - unexpected, useful, and sure to elicit a big laugh!

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#MothersDay #GiftGuides are live on the blog! // tried and true favorites (that can still surprise) + 🎁 for those who are particularly hard to shop for (you know who you are 🤣) // link in my profile or just head to #saffronandhoney.com ❤️ ps. My favorites are probably the ILYSM necklace (it’s a steal at $40!) and the “I can buy myself cauliflowers” bag - unexpected, useful, and sure to elicit a big laugh!
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