[SamAdams76]

Hard-boiled eggs are an excellent snack but don't get too carried away. I never have more than three eggs a day. The "satiety" they provide is incredible. I can have two eggs for breakfast and not be hungry until dinner. In fact, I sometimes have to force myself to have lunch. Now in the past, I could have a huge stack of pancakes or two bowls of oatmeal for breakfast and be absolutely ravenous for a snack two or three hours later. Now I rarely have snacks at all.

But maybe somebody can help me out here. When I hard-boil eggs, I sometimes have a hard time peeling them. Now sometimes, the shell comes right off. But other times, it is so hard that you end up taking most of the white part off with it. Does anybody have a foolproof way to boil eggs so that the shell comes off easily every time?

[Keith in Iowa]

>>Does anybody have a foolproof way to boil eggs so that the shell comes off easily every time?

Use older eggs - ones you've had in the fridge for a few days, and cool them quickly in an ice water bath after cooking.

[Ladysmith]

Yep, crack them slightly before you put them in the water to boil. The water seeps in between the egg and the shell. I just learned this myself from my brother as I've been getting fresh homegrown eggs from someone at work and want to throw those eggs against the wall because they just don't peel!

[A_perfect_lady]

Now in the past, I could have a huge stack of pancakes or two bowls of oatmeal for breakfast and be absolutely ravenous for a snack two or three hours later.

Tell me about it. As a kid, I could go through a box of Lucky Charms in two days. I'd have 4-5 bowls every morning, and I don't mean little bowls, I mean old margarine tubs that Grandma had cleaned and kept once they were emptied. Those babies probably held 4 cups of cereal. I ate so much, relatives used to gather in awe to watch. I suppose it was "awesome" because I was thin as a rail.

This went on until I was about 24. Then... suddenly... my metabolism slowed down and it all started catching up with me. By last November I was 155lbs. (I'm a 5'4" female, late 30s). I've been doing a modified version of Atkins for 8 months now, and am back down to 123 on my way to 115. But boy, my eating habits had to change big time.

Now I crave red meat. I mean, I really crave it. I never used to want anything to do with it. Now, when my significant other asks what I want for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, the answer is almost always the same: STEAK!!

[afraidfortherepublic]

Does anybody have a foolproof way to boil eggs so that the shell comes off easily every time?

That is a question that has plagued cooks from time immemorial! My understanding is that the ease of peeling the egg has a lot to do with the age of the egg. Older eggs peel better. Never go out and buy & immediately boil 3 dozen eggs for Easter -- they'll stick every time. Better to boil the eggs that have been sitting around your regrigerator for a week, or more.

My other trick is to bring the pot to a boil, add salt to the water (I don't know why, I think it is supposed to make the water hotter). When the pot is really boiling hard, lower the eggs gently into the water with a slotted spoon, or spaghetti server. Bring the pot back to a boil and then turn it off. Cover and let it sit 20 minutes. Then plunge the eggs into cold water until you can handle them and put them in your regrigerator. They should be perfectly cooked and peel easily for you, but I think the age of the egg is more important than the cooking method. Good luck.

Now to your other tip. I've blown it today with an omelate for breakfast and a hardboiled egg for lunch. But I'll be good from now on. Thanks.