“I’m going to eggucate the kids,” she said.

One thing that she’s observed when talking to different groups of students — she presents to every age group from pre-kindergarten to adults — is that not all of them know just exactly where those eggs actually come from.

“It depends entirely on where they’re from,” she said. “I’m surprised at the number that have small backyard flocks though there’s lots more that just know they come from the grocery store.”

After introducing herself as The Egg Lady, Loudermilk let them know the presentation was going to be fun.

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen Tori Jakeman, 6, gives the egg pizza made by Jennifer Loudermilk, an egg promotion specialist with the Iowa Egg Council, a two thumbs up review Tuesday afternoon during a presentation at Butler Elementary School.

“I’ve been known to get eggcited,” she said.

Of course, to teach about eggs, you have to break a few. Loudermilk did just that and used the opportunity to teach about numbers.

“What do you call 12 of something?” she asked.

Those eggs she was breaking into a bowl would become part of an egg bake pizza treat with slices of pepperoni, pizza sauce and cheese. One of the eggs, a bit stronger than the others, prompted an audience question when it didn’t break easily.

“Is that egg fake?” a student asked.

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen Emersyn Lara, 6, gets to help make the center filling for deviled eggs during a presentation by Jennifer Loudermilk, an egg promotion specialist with the Iowa Egg Council, Tuesday afternoon at Butler Elementary School. Each student gave the hard boiled yolks a few squeezes.

In addition to the raw eggs that would go into the pizza bake, she also brought along some that had been hard-boiled, whose immediate future would involve becoming deviled egg after being sliced in half.

Isaiah Taylor, 5, offered an explanation of how to produce a hard-boiled egg.

“If you put them in hot water then you get the hardness off then you can cut them with a knife,” he said.

Loudermilk talked about what each part of an egg is and does, including the chalaza, a white stringy membrane that holds the yolk suspended.

“It helps anchor the yolk right in the middle of the egg,” she said.

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen Jennifer Loudermilk, an egg promotion specialist with the Iowa Egg Council, shows a group of kindergarten students at Butler Elementary School how to crack 10 eggs for an egg pizza recipe.

Then there’s the mystery of why some eggs are white and some are brown.

“When we buy a dozen what color eggs shells do we expect to see?” she asked.

One student had apparently been helping open cartons of eggs at home.

“White,” he said. “But sometimes they’re brown.”

The reason is all about the hen’s feathers.

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen Jennifer Loudermilk, an egg promotion specialist with the Iowa Egg Council, sprinkles cheese on an egg pizza she was preparing for a group of kindergarten students at Butler Elementary School Tuesday afternoon.

“If she has all white feathers she’ll lay a white egg,” Loudermilk said.

The students seemed to be a group of quick studies. They learned that the yolk contains vitamins, minerals and protein; the egg whites are mostly protein; and the shells are either brown or white and that, regardless, their insides are the same.

“You guys are getting to be eggsperts,” she told them.

Both the egg bake pizza and the deviled eggs were a hit with almost all of the students. After tasting them, most gave both recipes a two thumbs up. The children were sent home with a copy of each recipe and an egg-themed drawing to color.

Loudermilk left them with one final sentiment.

“I hope everybody has an eggcelent afternoon,” she said.