Making Old New Again; Iron Skillet Refurbishing

  All my life I've been a huge cornbread fan. My Mom's is hands down the BEST! She always made it in a cast iron skillet. Cast iron has been a balm that's united an entire country for centuries, only we didn't realize it. Think about it, your parents, grand parents, and great grand parents all owned at least one cast iron skillet. It doesn't matter where you grew up either. It's not just a Southern item. Cooks nationwide have used, currently use, and will continue to use these amazing heat conductors, that last lifetimes, to feed their families. I was given my first piece in my early twenties, by my Memaw. It was a small, brand new Lodge skillet, she picked up at the local Fred's dollar store. From that, my collection has grown and grown. I began really using and collecting cast iron, or C.I., around 2011 when my family started camping regularly. Nothing cooks better over a campfire than C.I. On a trip to Kentucky to visit friends, I had a few lessons on usage and care. I learned you can cook just about anything in C.I. Little did I know then, that trip would change how I cook.

 In the late 1800's there were many, nationwide, cast iron foundries. The top dogs were Wagner, Griswold, and Lodge. They were from Pennsylvania to Ohio to Tennessee. There were smaller foundries too that make great products still in use, but not manufacturing. The only company to survive it all is Lodge. It's still made right here in Tennessee. Most of my collection is a combination of old and new Lodge. By new, I mean post 1960. In 1960 we started importing cast iron from Asia. If you have an old piece marked Made in the U.S.A., its post 1960. Lodge still makes an excellent product, but the process has changed. No longer will you find smooth cast iron. It's now made by sand blast casting. Thankfully, it's still very budget friendly too. You can purchase a 10.5 inch, brand new, Lodge at your local Walmart for under twenty dollars. It will outlive all of us reading this, with proper care.  This is my personal collection, minus a few pieces.

 Griswold and Wagner are the most sought after for collectors. I have seven pieces of those brands. It's expensive, if the seller knows what they have. However, I've found pieces for pretty cheap at thrift stores. They will need some help adding life back into them, but it's worth the elbow grease.

 Today, I'm going to walk you through the refurbishing process of a vintage Griswold skillet. I was able to purchase this on eBay from a lovely seller who's from Erie, P.A. I inquired about the age of the skillet and maybe if they used it regularly. They were very kind in replying that they are downsizing their collectibles, and selling off duplicate pieces that have gotten too heavy to use.  A great website to check the age of your old iron is www.castironcollector.com. I've been able to learn so very much from that site. My skillet was made between 1937- 1955. That's all I really know for sure about it's age. I do know it's a great skillet, just needed sixty years of seasoning, rust, and crust removed. It was an all day process, but I was happy with the finished product.

This is what I started with. It had rust, crust, and looked like someone had taken a sander to it. A sander will help remove a ton of gunk. I went with vinegar, salt, and heat.

I started by scrubbing with hot soapy water. I then added it to my kitchen sink with about 1/2 a gallon of white vinegar and hot tap water. I soaked it 2 hours. Periodically scrubbing, with a steel scrubber to check how the de-funk process was coming along. Vinegar will rust cast iron, at a point. I suggest checking at 1 hour intervals, but soaking no longer than overnight. 

It was hard, baked on, old seasoning. After about 2 hours, I flat gave up! I placed it in my oven on 500 degrees for 1 hour. I then, cracked my oven open to start cooling it faster. If you remove a blazing hot piece of cast iron to a cooler room, you run the risk of warping it. Once it cooled enough to handle, I scrubbed with hot water. Then, I added kosher salt. The salt is a natural abrasive. I used the steel scrubber. I even tried a potato, as one website suggested. Just don't. It's a waste of potato. I put every bit of my large self into scrubbing this sucker. I focused mostly on the inside. No offense to previous owners, but I have no clue what was previously poured into it. 

So I scrubbed, and scrubbed some more. I noticed all the rust was gone. Rust is cast iron's worst enemy. The bottom was beginning to get smooth. After about 20 minutes of giving it all I had, I was happy with what little season was left. I deemed it safe for us to use.

Then I rinsed several times. Placed it on the stove, on medium heat, and began drying. I started with a dish towel, to absorb the first layer of water. Then finished with a paper towel. Now, it was time to season.

Seasoning choices are very individual. I've successfully used lard, Crisco shortening, grape seed oil, and coconut oil. I chose lard for this skillet. I figured its what my fore mothers would have originally used, so I went with a classic. Lard can be purchased for under two dollars at the grocery store. 

Just do NOT set the plastic tub directly ON the warm skillet! I did, and that was an idiot move on my part. I snapped this picture before doing that. I had to scrub more and that's when the skillet ended up in the oven. Plastic on bare iron is NOT good. 

When rubbing in the lard, you have to be sure to get every nook and cranny of your skillet. The inside, outside, handle and under the handle. Rub and wipe, using a paper towel or coffee filter several times. You want it looking dry before baking it on, in the oven. If you have it too thick, you will have spots, like I did. It won't hurt your skillet, but just learn from me.  After it's thoroughly coated, place inverted, in a 450 degree oven, for one hour. Turn the oven off, and leave it to cool. You can do this before bed, and leave it overnight. When you get up, you'll have a perfectly seasoned skillet. 

After all my hard labor yesterday, I HAD to bake something in it. I chose brownies over my usual cornbread. To add another layer of seasoning, I used coconut oil, in a cold skillet. I ran it around just the inside this time. 

 Thank the Lord, they didn't stick! In fact, I was able to flip the whole pan out, onto a plate! I then rinsed in hot water, gave it a quick scrub with my kitchen brush to remove any chocolaty bits. Added some more coconut oil and placed it back in the still warm oven. This morning it was dry and slippery. 

I needed to add a coat of seasoning to some other skillets, so I lubed them all with a thin coat of lard, cooked on 450 an hour, and smoked up my whole house by seven a.m.

One last note. If you purchase new Lodge, it comes pre seasoned. The seasoning does work, because I used a brand new skillet Santa brought me to cook Christmas dinner. However, when I get new skillets, I always do my own coat of seasoning. Following the above process. 

For daily maintenance, until your skillet is good and black, I use Crisco or  regular cooking oil to oil after using. Then you can use Pam. Be sure to only use soap if the skillet is really gross. Always oil after using. Your skillet, old or new will last lifetimes. You can pass these down through generations. I know this, because my greatest treasure, in skillet form, belonged to my great grandmother. 

I know this is a very long post, but I've been waiting a while to share it, and I hope you learned something! I've learned from many, from trial and error, and the fun of every day use.

Easiest Ever Chicken Pot Pie

Everybody has that go to casserole they make for life events. In the South, you take food for everything; new babies, sickness, and funerals. That's just what we do down here, we cook and we eat. Most of us have good intentions of bringing something tasty to the table for others. For me, that's my super easy and budget friendly chicken pot pie. Its a casserole I tend to keep ingredients on hand for, because they have practical purposes in daily cooking too.

You'll need:
2-4 cups chopped chicken
2-4 cans of mixed vegetables, any brand, well drained
1/2 to 1 cup thawed frozen peas, optional
1 can cream chicken soup
1 can cream celery, if making a large batch
1 cup of sour cream, or 16 oz if making a double batch
1 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper,1/2 tsp parsley, dash of onion & garlic powder, dash of poultry seasoning
1-2 tubes buttery crackers
1-2 tbsp butter
Broth or milk, optional if needed

 To roast bone in, skin on chicken breast; drizzle both sides with olive oil. Liberally season both sides with a mix of salt, pepper, garlic & onion powder, and dried parsley. I mix my seasoning blend in a small bowl, to avoid touching all my containers with raw chicken hands. Bake on 375 for about 30 minutes on a cookie sheet. I roast a few meals worth, and refrigerate.

 Heat oven to 375. Mix soup, sour cream, & seasonings. Add a splash of liquid if you'd like. It will thin up as it cooks. Add vegetables and chicken. Mix well.

 Pour into a prepared dish. I used a 10.5 inch Lodge cast iron skillet. A 3 quart baking dish will work, or for larger casseroles use a 9 x 13 baking dish sprayed with Pam. Top with crushed butter crackers, dot with butter.

Bake, uncovered,  for about 20-30 minutes until it's browned to your liking.  Remove and let stand about 5-10 minutes before serving. My son added the flag, because America, that's why. 

Chicken pot pie is one of my family's ultimate favorites. I made this one small, but I won't do that again. My family of 4 ate the entire pot pie for supper. If you'd like a larger one, add another chicken breast and can of vegetables. 

It's so versitle and easy to make to suit your own taste. You can use carrots,celery, and onion. Make a gravy with flour, chicken broth, and milk. Top it with a pie crust, crackers, or even leftover dressing from the hoildays. Turkey is great in this as well. I shared this particular recipe, because it can be an easy quick week night meal. Mix everything up before you go to work. then top it when you get home and pop it in the oven. You'll have a home made meal on the table in under an hour. Even if you wait to put it together when you get home. 

I hope you will enjoy one of our favorites!

Real Men DO Eat Quiche

      Despite it being winter, my flock of about twenty-five chickens and ducks are keeping us in fresh eggs. They thrive on a diet  lay ration, corn, and leftovers from the kitchen. Winter, because of less sunshine, tends to lessen egg production, so I'm grateful my flock is steady laying. Right now, I've got a bucket full of hen and duck eggs. I've grown to love the richness and creaminess of duck eggs. I use them like chicken eggs, but you can use less, as they are much larger. Today, for this recipe, I used all chicken eggs. They range between standard large and medium sizes.

      We love quiche here. It's a great way to use not only surplus eggs, but those odds and ends you have sitting in your fridge. Got a few tomatoes leftover from making tacos? Throw them in. That end of a chunk of cheese, shred it up. Use up those straggler pieces of ham you have. There's no right or wrong ingredient to add in your quiche. If you make your egg and milk base, the possibilities are only limited to what you have in stock and your own taste buds.

Today I used:

9 fresh eggs
1 cup whole milk
1/4 cup non fat plain yogurt
1/2 cup Swiss cheese
1/2 cup sharp white cheddar
1/3 cup a.p. flour
1/4 cup real bacon bits
1 handful of raw kale, I chopped.
1 tbsp green onion
1 heaping tsp salt
1/2 tsp white pepper
dash nutmeg, dash mustard powder
6 grape tomatoes, sliced longways and drained on a paper towel
1 Pillsbury pie crust, room temp.

Prep all your ingredients first. Always bring eggs to room temp. before baking anything. Chop veggies, shred cheeses, and prepare your pie plate. My tip on not having a soggy crust is to add a tbsp or so of ap flour to the bottom of your pie crust. 

Into a deep bowl, crack your eggs. Cracking them on a flat surface makes for a more even crack and less mess if you do it on a paper towel. Add your milk and yogurt. Add salt, pepper, nutmeg, and mustard powder. Mix well.

Add your bacon, kale, onions, and cheeses. My tip for your cheese, so it doesn't sink, is to toss it in flour before adding to your egg mixture. You can do this right on your prep board or in a bowl.

Pour into pie crust. Arange tomatoes on top.

Place in a 425 degree oven, uncovered for 15 minutes. At the 15 minute mark, cover loosely with foil, and lower oven temp to 350, bake for 30 minutes covered. Remove foil and let brown for about 10-20 minutes, depending on your oven. The center will be set, and continue to cook once its removed to a cooling rack. If you over bake, it will be like rubber. Don't do that.  Its similar to baking  pumpkin pie. you can water bath it, if you'd like, but I don't because I'm too lazy to take that step.

Here's your finished product. Let stand about 10 minutes before serving. You can make this breakfast, brunch, lunch, or supper. Add fruit as a side for breakfast or a salad and crusty bread for supper. 

I hope you enjoy this! I only used yogurt today because I didn't have any heavy cream. If you use cream, use 1/4 to 1/2 cup.  It's all about your own personal taste and in stock supplies. 

Balsamic Bacon Jam

Over the holidays, my pallet had the wonderful experience of tasting bacon jam. At first bite, my senses were in overload! Where had this wonderful, salty, sweet, bacony concoction been all my life? My mother in law made it following a Martha Stewart recipe. I wanted to tweak the recipe a bit, to make it my own, based on my own taste. The following post is about my venture into making this glorious spread!

To make bacon jam you need a few things:
A deep, heavy bottomed pot. I used my cast iron Dutch Oven.
2 lbs of good thick bacon, like Wrights
2/3 cup Balsamic vinegar
2 medium onions, chopped fine
2 or 3 tbsp minced garlic
2/3  cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sorghum or molasses, or combo of both
1/2 to 1 cup liquid, such as water or leftover coffee
dash salt, few red pepper flakes, optional

Pot Roast ; Cold Weather Comfort Food

Good Morning. We've had quite the cold snap in West Tennessee. I've been wanting to use my new solid cast iron Dutch Oven. I also have an enamel coated Dutch Oven. Thanks to my Mom, we received a 5 quart, Lodge, cast iron Dutch Oven for Christmas.

I made a slow roasted pot roast yesterday in it. Pot roast are super comfort food for many. It's become expensive. There's a few varieties to choose from. Rump roast, chuck roast, eye of round and a few others. My local stores carry mostly chuck or rump roast. Chuck has more marbling and a rump roast is mostly a solid chunk of tough beef. I normally cook a chuck roast in the crock pot. After 8 hours on low, with out prior searing, it turns into fork tender butter.

Yesterday, I got more bang for my buck with a rump roast. They are ideal for slow roasting and braising in my new Dutch Oven. Braising is, by definition, slightly frying then cook slowly in liquid in a closed container. I've never had success in a tender crock pot cooked rump roast, but the Dutch oven and braising seemed like a good idea.

I kept the ingredients simple yesterday. I used all natural ingredients, we're trying to use less processed foods and a pot roast is a great start.

For this roast I used 

1 tbsp salt,  1 tsp pepper, garlic power, dried parsley,2 tsp  of grated horseradish 1/2 tsp oregano  , and 1 tbsp Worcestershire. 1/3 cup flour

Seasoning is all up to you. I always say to kids getting their own places is you can make anything taste great with a few basics. Salt, pepper, garlic, onion, & chili powder. Amounts you use are up to you too.

Start by heating your oven to 325 degrees. Remove your roast about 30 minutes before you plan to cook, room temp meat always sears better.
Prepare your vegetables. I washed and chopped 2 celery stalks, peeled and chopped 4 carrots, and 1 med. onion. You can add 3 potatoes, but we prefer creamed with pot roast.
Begin heating Dutch Oven on medium heat, with a tbsp cooking oil on the stove.
Remove roast from package, sprinkle some seasonings directly on the beef. Add a little flour to coat the roast.
Place in Dutch oven and sear a few minutes on all sides.

I'm still learning this particular Dutch oven, I had my heat too high at first. Don't worry if you over brown. It will be just fine.
Add onions and start caramelizing them. Add carrots and celery. Season again. Add 2 or 3 cups of hot tap water. Set a few onions on top of your roast.
Cover.
Place in the center of your oven. Roast an hour. To speed up cooking and to help maybe get more tender roast, I cut it in 3 pieces at that point. My theory is, a smaller cooking surface, will yield more tender roast. So far so good on that theory.

I check my roast about every hour, to make sure the water level stays right. The dry heat of an oven will make the water evaporate, so add more as needed.

I put this in the oven about 9 a.m. It was fully cooked in a few hours, but still stringy. I cooked it for about 7 hours. It turned out tender and full of flavor. This is honestly my first rump roast that has been tender. Braising is for sure the way to go, at least in my house.

Home cooking doesn't have to be complicated or full of expensive ingredients.I use mostly store brand herbs and spices.  We have a tight budget, that's becoming tighter. I buy whole carrots, and peel and chop myself. I can afford organic that way. Celery, buy whole too. The tops and leaves are full of flavor. Store onions away from potatoes. Their gasses don't mesh well. You'll have potatoes turning green and onions starting to sprout. 

I hope you will enjoy this pretty easy pot roast. Its great for those lazy days at home, when its cold and keeping the oven on all day will help you lower the thermostat. 

Thanks for reading, Sarah

Aprons and Iron Skillets

   I've decided to start a new blog to talk about what I know. What I know is food, Southern Food, to be exact. I love to cook and bake. I grew up on the heels of my Memaw's apron strings and cook similar to her. I've had other great influences, my parents, friends Mom's, and various grandmothers. I didn't realize my childhood was training for what would become my passion as an adult. This blog will focus primarily on food.There will be some travel shares, budget friendly tips, frugal shopping ideas, but very little crafting. I'm best in the kitchen. I'm not sure where this blog sharing will take me, but combining my loves of cooking and writing will give me a much needed outlet.

   I'm a housewife to a great guy, mother to sons, have a flock of chickens and ducks, and a Rottweiler named Axel. I'm based in western Tennessee, near Memphis,but will always be a Mississippi girl at heart. I love to write, travel, bake, cook, can my own jams, and love my quiet country life. I hope you enjoy what you will read, and maybe learn a few things.

 Thank you for reading,
 Sarah Brown Forbess