What a week of brutal Ohio weather we had recently. Snow covered ice and zero degree temperatures. It’s always a challenge to make sure all the animals on the farm—horses, goats, sheep, chickens, dogs, and cats are well taken care of providing plenty of food and water and good shelter.

Ice under the snow on roadways is always treacherous. Vinegar Hill Road is a substantial hill and was treacherous. We made it down the untouched hill to the stable drive to do our chores, but frantically  it took three tries up the hill in our four-wheel drive truck to get back home.  And let me tell you if you’ve never backed down a hill sliding and barely getting stopped before plunging in a deep ditch on either side, you’ve not lived! Ha! It is a freak-out  moment for sure.

As you know, I recently purchased a flock of nine hens. Or, now you do. Yes, I’m that crazy chicken lady rocking it again. At first, because of the short winter daylight hours, their egg production was next to none. Two eggs a day from nine hens.  Installing a light to lengthen their daylight hours did the trick. Quickly their production rose to eight a few days ago. And I got Easter Egger eggs of olive green and a blue one. Love it!

Now that egg production is up, the challenge is to get the eggs gathered before they freeze. In zero degree mornings, I’m thinking they are half frozen before they hit the nesting material.  Not kidding. So not kidding.

 Besides the challenge of getting to the eggs before they freeze, the other challenge is using up that many eggs in one week. How many eggs would that be? Well, calculate this: eight eggs a day times seven days is fifty-six last I counted. With that kind of production, plus I still have one slacking hen that will eventually get on board, then it will be nine eggs a day, sixty-three eggs, a few eggs over five dozen per week.   

With the over abundance of eggs, I started searching for recipes that used eggs––many eggs.” Yes, scrambled eggs and over easy eggs are delicious but three eggs each morning hardly reduces the mound of eggs.  

I found Pinterest great for finding recipes at one’s fingertips.  One of the recipes I stumbled upon and saved was a Custard Pie. I remember Daddy mentioning his love for this and a sugar pie.  Now this isn’t just any custard pie—this one  has a MAGIC CRUST.  As I have mentioned before, I simple cannot  make a good flakey piecrust. So, with that being said, I always buy piecrust. But this pie, get this, it makes its own crust. And to make it even more appealing, it uses four eggs. Yes, I know what your are thinking:  Sherry, even if you make that pie everyday, you will still have eggs left over.  Well, true. Don’t sell me short!  I’m still searching for more ways to use eggs.  In the mean time, during another   winter storm blast when you are hunkered down, make your way to the kitchen and give this one a try. It is marvelous!  

 Take Joy!

Sherry Phillips Mitchell, Author

 MAGIC CRUST CUSTARD PIE

¼ Cup butter, slightly melted

4 large eggs

¾ cup white sugar

1 pinch salt

2 cups milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

½ cup all purpose flour

Nutmeg for top

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Put all ingredients together and beat on high until all ingredients are blended well.

Pour into a 9” pie pan and sprinkle top lightly with nutmeg or substitute with cinnamon. 

Bake for 45 minutes until set.  Keep Refrigerated.