Eggs.

When I was a child we'd often have pancakes and scrambled eggs for Thursday evening's dinner. On special occasions like Christmas and birthdays, my Dad's classic scrambled eggs went alongside of everything: our homemade bread toasted with butter, the sizzling bacon, the vibrant fruit, and sometimes, on really special occasions, we would even have them with orange juice.

There was something about those scrambled eggs--they were never the center piece, yet one of the most important components of our breakfast plate. They had nothing fancy on them, rarely did they even have cheese, yet I can still recall that they seemed absolutely perfect somehow.

Perhaps it was just a trick of the memory; remembering something as supremely better than it actually was. However, they've taunted me for the longest time and I've never been able to replicate that egg perfection. I should admit that I actually began to not even care for eggs anymore. 

Lets face it: eggs can be really bad. In my opinion, they're either amazing, or so-so. 

However they're a wonderful source of vitamin D, A, protein, and fat. (News flash, we've known for years now that there's good fat and bad fat and yet the mindset of "eggs=cholesterol=heart attack" has remained pervasive...do some research if you don't know, but certain fats are actually vital for a good life).  They help get the day going or finish it off (because why limit eggs to breakfast?!). Obviously it's necesary to find a way to prepare them so that their greatness can really shine. 

I think a lot of people lose sight of the creativity and opportunities that there are in food preparation. If that's not true, then I don't see any other logical reason for people eating so much processed food. Losing the connection with food and it's amazing nourishing properties when properly prepared is a serious tragedy.

But back to the eggs.

I had thought that those childhood eggs might remain elusive forever..haunting me every time I fried up some eggs in our nonstick pan. (I say that with some vengeance because I greatly prefer cast iron pans which unfortunately our stove top does not accommodate for.)

However, I am very happy to announce that I've finally (after 9 months of living here) discovered how to successfully scramble some egg with our not-so-ideal pan and the different stove top. Hey, better now than never! However, my discovery wasI more than just preparing satisfactory eggs: they were The Eggs. The first bite was pure déjà vu and the rest were a continuous conduction of pleasure throughout my axons. (I am studying the nervous system right now, can you tell?) 

As I ate them I carefully went over the details of what is done with these eggs so as to make them so superior to all predecessors. I has used our sad pan as always done a few things differently. 

Heat them low and slow. That's the trick. I turn the heat to medium and let the eggs sit in the pan for a wee bit. Then I gently pull the spatula back and forth to make little mounds of golden egg. This makes them super soft and fluffy. 

My preference (and what makes them so deliciously childhood-like) is to take them off the heat while they're still moist and wet. It used to disgust me, but now I realize that overcooking the eggs is what depletes them of their delicious flavor. It reaches perfection by cooking in the pan while I grab a plate.

Overcooked eggs are a catastrophe really, because then all the flavor is gone. This technique (at least for me) produces eggs that are so good, you don even think about adding anything to them. (I should note that I use salt and pepper, but I feel that that goes without saying.)

Plate the eggs. Eat the eggs. Change the world. (Cool motto, dontchya think?) 

But in all seriousness, taking the time to prepare good, healthy food in a way that makes you hum a tune while you're doing it is exactly how we can change the world. One good choice leads to another. And having fun, taking joy, in the things that God has so graciously given us, even small things like eggs, all adds up in the end to be the fullness of this life. You can see how it works when you study chemistry or anatomy. So many little, microscopic elements working together to make life. What's true in the sciences is true in our day-to-day, moment-by-moment occurrences: the small things become the big things. It's pretty simple...just like making eggs.