It seems like 'back in the day', we were taught to break our eggs into a separate bowl as well. We got our eggs from the grocery store and once cracked one open to find a partially developed chick. Now that was probably before today's current regulations regarding 'egg houses', for lack of better words. It was also taught to us so as to avoid any small pieces of shell getting into the cake mix/cookie mix/biscuit mix on accident. I have continued that teaching to my son and daughter and granddaughter also. No shells in our food.