The Perfect Egg

Isn't it amazing how sometimes the simplest things in life can make you so happy?  I think that I have finally mastered the art of making hard boiled eggs that are easy to peel and taste great.  Sounds simple right?  Wrong!  If you google this simple task, you will see countless of websites and youtube videos on how to make the perfect eggs.  I've tried most of these things (including the "blow the egg through the hole" method to try to deshell the egg without all the mess).  Somehow, my very first batch of eggs a few weeks ago were perfect!  Then the next batch was absolutely horrible (and it included some of the eggs from the first carton so it wasn't the difference in the eggs themselves).  I must have peeled off half of the egg white when peeling the egg.  For the third batch, I did more research online and added baking soda to the water.  I did not do much better than the second batch.  "What is going on here?" I thought.

Then I decided to email a couple of friends of mine who I know have made several dozen batches of hard boiled eggs to see if they had any tricks up their sleeves.  One of them sent me the recipe from America's Test Kitchen and gave me the additional advice to continue to boil my eggs/water for an entire minute before removing from the heat to compensate for the altitude (I live in Denver, CO).  I had read on another forum to boil for an additional minute as well (although it had nothing to do with altitude) so I figured there was definitely something to this tip.  She also pointed out that older eggs are easier to peel than newer eggs (another tidbit that I had read in other forums as well).  Because of this second tip, I made a trip to the grocery store in search of eggs.  I stood in front of all the different organic, cage-free eggs and compared all the dates on the sides of the cartons.  The dates ranged from "Sell-by Jan 28" to "Sell-by Feb 7th."  I picked up 3-dozen eggs with the oldest date (Jan 28 - only three days later from the date of purchase).

I went home and to my surprise, the carton of eggs I had in my fridge had a sell-by date of Feb. 4th.  Hmmm.

I asked my friend if she added salt or baking soda (more tips and tricks I found online) to her water and she said that she did not.  No need, it's all gimmicks.  My other friend emailed me back and had a completely different method to his eggs, and he claims that he never had any problems peeling his eggs (I'll post his recipe at the end for those of you who want to try it - as for me, I'm not messing with my winning recipe).

So there I was, ready to begin making my next batch of hard boiled eggs, and hoping that America's Test Kitchen and my friend wouldn't steer me wrong.  I was striving for perfection!  But here's the thing...I couldn't let go of the fact that I had put salt in the water for my first batch that came out perfect.  So, even though the recipe didn't call for it, I had to add salt.  I just had to!  (I have since googled and learned that adding salt to water forces the solution to reach an increased temperature before the solution begins to boil; in other words, the water has to reach a higher temperature before it starts boiling.  Go here to read all about it: Salt and the Boiling Point of Water)

Here is my final and winning recipe:

1. Put a single layer of eggs in the bottom of the pan (check; I use a huge soup pot and boil approx 10-15 eggs at a time)
2. Fill the pan with cold water so that it covers the eggs by 1-inch (check; except I think I actually use closer to 1 1/2 inches or even 2 inches of water)
3. Add about 1/8 cup of salt (remember, I use a huge pot so adjust salt amount to size of your pot and amount of water)
4. Bring the water/solution to a full boil (not that wimpy initial boil) and then set the timer for 60 seconds
5. Cover the pot and remove from the stove
6. Let sit covered for 10 minutes (not 15!!  My cookbook said 15, The Joy of Cooking says 15 and it even says to add 2 minutes for eggs that are not room temperature which mine never are).
7. While the eggs are sitting in the pot, prepare a larg bowl full of cold water and lots of ice (an ice bath)
8. When the timer goes off (yes, I use a timer otherwise I lose track of time) remove the eggs from the hot water and place in the ice bath for 5 minutes (I used to let them sit in this ice bath for much longer, but now I remove them after exactly 5 minutes)
9. To peel it, crack the egg gently all around the entire egg, then find a good spot (it doesn't have to be the top or the bottom if this recipe works as it should) and start peeling from there
• My friend recommends peeling under cool running water (this does help but I worry about egg shells going down my drain so I just peel over the trash can - this recipe is so fabulous I don't even need the running water).

Voila!  There it is. 

I have no idea what, in particular, about my winning recipe makes it work. In fact, I've already made another batch, just to be certain that it wasn't a fluke and I noticed a minor difference but I actually slightly altered a few things.  First, my water wasn't cold, it was closer to warm (I think this may not be a good idea because you want the "time" factor of the water warming up while cooking the eggs in the process - i say this because the eggs were just BARELY undercooked in the center).  Second, I cooked 15 eggs instead of 11 (not sure if this makes a difference or not).  I was still able to peel the egg without tearing off any whites, but it was just a tad stickier (the shell in the batch above practically flaked off).  So, my next batch will consist of cold water and 15 eggs to see if the temperature of the water made a difference.  And then I'll go from there! 

Maybe when I have more time and nothing to do, I'll conduct a true experiment (with a couple of eggs at a time) only changing one thing at a time and seeing how it affects the final result. First I'll have a control group (2 eggs made the way described above).  My first experimental group (Exp A) will be a batch with no salt.  Next will be a batch with not letting the water boil for an extra minute (with and without salt, so this is technically 2 diff experimental groups: Exp B & Exp C), and finally one with leaving the eggs in the ice bath for longer than 5 minutes (done the tradional method: Exp C).  I promise to report back if I conduct my experiment (I can't help it, I'm a scientist).

Unfortunately I must add a disclaimer.  Just like I had to add a minute to my boil in order to compensate for the altitude, it's likely most of you reading this won't need to do that.  You might also need to adjust the boil or sit in pot time up or down by a minute or two depending on your stove and altitude. 

America's Test Kitchen - you guys are the BOMB.  This is not the first time a friend has referred me to them for the best recipe for something.  When I cracked my first egg from that winning recipe, I had a hard boiled egg in one hand, a massive grin on my face, and I swear the Hallelujah Chorus was blaring in the background. It was magical.

Introverts do not need to be cured

I recently read the following quote online from an ex-teacher, Carol Fertig, who wrote a blog on The Gifted Introvert:

"Many teachers (and parents) are extroverts. It is very difficult for an extrovert to understand an introvert. Therefore, an adult may see the introverted student as someone with a problem, not as simply someone with a different personality type. This may lead to attempts to get the young person to be “friendlier,” to work in large groups, to talk more often and more spontaneously, and to be more outgoing and interactive.
There is nothing wrong with being an introvert. It does not need to be cured. It simply needs to be understood and accepted."

It made me think, does this apply to organizations as well? The workplace is dominated by extroverts (according to her sources extroverts outweigh introverts 3 to 1) and research will tell you that extroverts are more successful and make more money. Could it be that we simply don't understand and accept introverts? Even for an extrovert like myself, a recurring "developmental area" for me has always been to walk around and talk to people more. Make conversation, build relationships. Seems I wasn't extroverted enough.

Maybe we can learn from this teacher. There is nothing wrong with being an introvert (or in my case not as much of an extrovert as they wanted me to be). It does not need to be cured. It simply needs to be understood and accepted. Anyone up for a team workshop on personality?

Brain Candy

So I went to a conference last week where the topic was Leading Edge of Selection and Assessment in a Global Setting.  I don't think I've ever gotten so much out of conference before in my entire life.  Not just in content and what was discussed, but in so many different respects.  I promise to write more about it but it is going to have to wait as other pressing matters are calling my name.  For now...the best way that I can describe those two days is "BRAIN CANDY."

Promotion IS Selection

What happens when employees are promoted from within? Promotion is a form of selection, however most organizations don't take it as seriously. How many organizations do you know use a competitive promotional process? I have seen employees get promoted because they are the best at what they do, only to fail at their new position. Why? Because success in a particular job does not equal success at the next level. Different KSA’s (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities) are necessary. Then what? Should the employee be let go? Probably not. But will he/she be happy being placed back in their previous position? Probably not. Either way the employee will likely move on to another organization. Organizations need to make sure they treat promotions as seriously as they treat selection. A competitive process might not be necessary, but managers need help identifying those individuals who will be successful at the next level. I often heard from several managers that one of the toughest things for them to identify was "potential." Claiming to engage in succession planning isn't enough.



I know of a CEO who often discussed the importance of succession planning with his executive staff, but never took the time to sit down and figure out exactly what that meant for his organization. He simply repeated himself over and over about how important it was to think about succession planning and that they needed to be identifying who would be moving up the ladder. However, when executives began to leave, nobody knew who would take their place. When replacements were announced...employees were usually extremely surprised by the selection. It appeared as if the individuals were selected out of thin air. Inevitably, employees accepted the fact that if you wanted to get promoted, you needed to become friends with the CEO and the executive staff. It was perceived that promotion had nothing to do with actual skills and abilities. This is not what you want in your organization. I repeat...organizations need to treat promotions as seriously as they treat selection.

The age of the internet. Is it a good thing?

A colleague of mine, Lisa Breytspraak, recently wrote a blog asking the question, “Are Introverts more or less stressed in the age of the internet?” She goes on to discuss how she got excited about being able to activate her international data plan with AT&T without ever having to call someone on the phone (she doesn’t like talking to strangers). She claims to be a borderline introvert who loves avoiding people she doesn’t already know, and prefers to interact via websites, email, text, etc.

I found this very fascinating. Truly. I'm an extrovert. Not borderline, at least not according to all of the personality tests I’ve taken throughout my lifetime (and I’ve taken a lot) and not according to anyone who knows me. But do they really know me? Do these tests really measure all aspects of introversion and extroversion? After all, I also love avoiding people I don’t know and prefer to interact via websites, email, text, etc.

I am starting to realize that I have "I" tendencies. I hate talking to customer service representatives and I don’t particularly like to make small talk with the cashiers or anyone else I have to encounter while running errands. I don’t like to go shopping at the mall because there are way too many people walking around. I try to avoid eye contact with people when I’m walking (anywhere). Sales associates bug the hell out of me always trying to talk to me. I don't answer my phone unless I know who it is, and a lot of times I don’t even LOOK to see who it is, I just don’t feel like talking on the phone so I just don't answer it. I’ve always had these tendencies, I just never realized that other extroverts didn’t. That is, until I met someone who is the epitome of an extrovert. This individual absolutely cannot stand to be alone. She must have dinner plans with someone every single night and she is constantly on her cell phone. Not surprisingly, she was one of the first people to purchase one of those Motorola flip phones when they first hit the market in the mid-90s. I thoroughly enjoy spending time alone at home. Not just for one evening but for days straight without contact from anyone.

Does that sound like an extrovert to you? Probably not. But I test extrovert. I love people, I love to go out with friends, I make conversation easily, I do not stress out about speaking in public, I love parties (big parties and small parties), and I actually do like to meet new people. I have forged lasting friendships with people I’ve met at a bar! These are all things that we psychologists use to measure whether or not someone is an introvert or an extrovert. So am I truly an extrovert?

What aren’t they asking in these personality questionnaires? I can think of a few things:

• They don't ask me about my shopping preference (mall or internet).


• They don’t ask me about my preferred method of customer service (would you prefer to speak to an actual person on the phone, send an email, or use LiveChat online, my personal favorite).


• They don’t ask me my preferred method of leaving a social gathering!! I absolutely hate the long good bye. That’s when you go around the entire room and say good bye to every single person, hug them, make additional small talk, get stuck talking to someone a bit longer than you anticipated but you continue to talk, then you move on to the next person, and the next thing you know it’s 30 minutes later. Why can't I just look around the room and say Bye everyone! I understand it’s polite to say good bye to the host, but other than that I feel it’s best to make as quick an exit as possible. When I’m ready to leave, I’m ready to leave!


• They don’t ask me my preferred method of communication with friends, co-workers, etc. (email, text, phone). Hands down I would say email and text. Here’s one example. I recently tried to reconnect with an old co-worker of mine and I sent him an email. He responded saying that he does not really use email, and gave me his cell phone number for me to call him so that we can try to get together. That was 4 weeks ago and I still haven’t called.

Is it just me or do any other extroverts feel this way too? I recently completed the long version of the MBTI (a well known personality test) which breaks down the personality dimensions into sub-dimensions. It will be interesting to see what the long form results show. What it won’t show, is my responses to the questions above. But maybe these questions have nothing to do introversion and extroversion. Maybe it’s the addiction to efficiency that is confusing the matter? Let’s evaluate:

• Internet shopping = efficient (no wasted time driving to the mall walking around from store to store)


• LiveChat customer service = efficient (you can work on other things while they are typing their responses back to you)


• Short Good Byes = efficient (no need for an explanation here)


• Email and Text = efficient (no additional chit chat, just straight to the point)
  

The age of the internet helps us avoid people when we want to, whether introvert or extrovert. For my colleague (an MBTI introvert) and for myself (an MBTI extrovert) we see this as a good thing. However, is it a good thing? Maybe the question should be, “Has the age of the internet sacrificed human interaction for the sake of efficiency?”

Government Dialogue

I can't believe it, but after a gazillion hours I think that I am getting close to being done with all the necessary Federal and State government forms in order to successfully process payroll for Thought Ensemble. I had no idea that this process would be so involved and so complicated!! Part of the complication was the fact that we have employees in two different states, and each state has its own way of doing things. Why does the government have to make everything so darn difficult? I don't think you really want me to answer that question. Below is my interpretation of what each governing body I’ve been dealing with has said to me over the last several weeks (comments in parentheses are my personal thoughts in response).

Texas says: "You don't need to do anything until after you have actually submitted a payroll check. Then come back to our website and complete this one form and submit it. Here's the schedule of the four times a year you will pay your liabilities. You can pay by phone, by internet, or with paper forms, pick your pleasure. Oh, and don't forget...we will NOT take money out of your hard earned paycheck!!!"

Colorado says: "You must fill out this form now and submit it prior to processing payroll. We will then mail you a form back in the mail with your instructions on when to pay your liabilities (the form we received did not have a schedule on it but we did receive blank forms to submit) and account information. Oh yeah, and don't forget that we will take out a LOT of money from each and every one of your Colorado paychecks!! Just don’t let your Colorado employees compare their paychecks to your Texas checks, okay?"

Federal Government says: "You must file with us through this obscure website that you cannot find so you will have to get your highly paid accountant to tell you where to go in order to accomplish this task. We will then take our time mailing you a piece of paper with your Oh So Important PIN number that you will use to login to our fancy website. Hopefully you will get it in time to make your first MONTHLY liability payment (we got our paperwork the day before we needed to make our payment…phew!). Then, after that, don’t forget to make your HUGE monthly payments for Medicare, Social Security (which we will never see a dime of), and the all encompassing Federal taxes that go toward whatever we decide. But wait! That’s not all. As soon as you get comfortable with your monthly payments, we will change things up on you! Because you pay such large amounts of cash to us (and thank you for that BTW), we are going to UP you to the Semi-Weekly Requirements for payment! Yes, that means that instead of having 15 days to pay us after payroll, you will be forced to pay us within 2-4 business days. Lucky you! Now go out and make tons of money so you can keep paying us lots of cash.”

So here I am, hoping to finalize the Texas form (and wondering why I ever left Texas - they let me keep more of my money) so I can submit it and be officially complete with the “setup” process for all three governments (and now remembering why I love Colorado so much - the weather, the mountains). After that, it’s just a matter of keeping up with three different liability payment schedules. Thank Goodness for QuickBooks (and Outlook).

Thought Ensemble

I will begin blogging here all things related to Psychology, Assessment, IT, Life, etc. Stay tuned!!