When my paternal grandfather died back in the 80s, the neighbors rallied to bring food for the repast, after the funeral, since people had come by the busloads. One neighbor brought eggshell wine. To my young eyes and ears, that had to be one of the most yucky-sounding and looking things that I had ever seen or heard. Notice that I didn't mention taste; there was no way that I was going to drink that. Some guests, however, drank it all, and quite happily, too. I thought. "Yep, they are candidates for serious prayer."

Fast forward many years to my much loved profession as a Naturopath. I now understand that eggshells (the organic ones, anyway) are great sources of calcium. Although I don't eat eggs, I collect the shells from a good friend who gets farm-raised eggs from his neighbor.

What do I do with eggshells?

I rinse the shells with Kangen water (I do not use soap) and dry them. One can also use purified hot water. I then grind the shells in my coffee grinder and store the fine powder in an airtight container. Some people crush the eggshells in their hands and add them to percolating coffee. Why? Well, eggshells are alkaline and remove some of the bitterness of the coffee and some of its acidity.

I don't drink coffee but I sprinkle my powdered eggshells in soups or stews, and I add it to my home-made toothpaste.

If only those neighbors could see me now.