Good afternoon everyone,
I just thought I would pop in and tell you all that, yes, we got a snow storm, a little wind, and about 9 inches of snow, BUT...it did not have the 35-45 mph winds behind it to give it the punch it needed to be a full blown blizzard. This was a baby storm compared to some I have been in, drove in, and lived through. I do know that Colorado got dumped on, and some parts of our area got over 15 inches, but here, it was a considerable baby storm, with a squeak instead of a roar.
Right now, its melting outside, about 32*F and probably by Monday, will be pretty much gone. It has been too warm here, to keep it on the ground, so its soaking into the ground, which my trees, and my garden need it so badly. So, I'm happy that it was the storm that wasn't.
So, I am ok, everything is as it should be. I am going to tackle my broth tomorrow (Sunday), and just kinda vegetate for a few days.
Everyone, take care and we will think of something to blog about next week.
Hugs to All
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Too much of a good thing or Be careful what you wish for
Very Good Morning Everyone,
Its a little early for me this morning, BUT, I needed to get up and start things early as we are in a BLIZZARD WARNING! Yep, first one this year, after all of the spring weather we had been getting, SEE, told ya so. I knew that we would pay for the nice weather.
Why a blizzard warning instead of a winter storm warning or an advisory, is because we are supposed to have 35-50 mph winds behind this snow, and with 8-12 inches like the weatherman is talking about, will make it worse than Saturday night at Dodge City. When you get sometimes gale force winds behind snow, you get a mess. So, guess what I;m doing this morning......
I am pretty much prepped anyway. As usual, I have pantry, fuel, and lamp oils etc. etc. stocked anyway, just because I do as part of my household anyway, nothing new in this. My snow removal guy is ready and will show up after all of this splats on the ground probably on Sunday, when this is supposed to quit and move out of the area.
I am just going out this morning to get some cat food, litter, and just a few items and I'm done and ready to hunker down for the long weekend. With the winds that they are talking about, I may lose power, so I may be down on the computer, but that is just part of living out here in hillbilly hell.
And for some of you who asked about if I am getting any quilting done. I am afraid that I need to start a stash. Money has been so tight, and I can't afford fabric at the fancy quilt shop we have here. Good grief, some her fabric is $12 a yard! I have been thinking that I may just start with a denim quilt, my name sake, which I love denim anyway, and just cut patches out of different colors of denim, which I have plenty of around here and do a bed quilt for D's bed. I need to haunt the second hand shops too, but I just cannot eake out money, even small amounts for cotton shirts. But I do have a small amount of shirts from my closet and I have been washing these and slicing them up and stacking them in a small plastic box with a lid and I'll work until I get something saved up to start something small, like a table runner or something. Thanks to all of you who sent links and ideas and suggestions, its just like everything else, you have to start out small and work up. This weekend would of been a wonderful time to quilt on something. Oh well.
If we keep the electricity up and going, I am going to just work in the kitchen and finish canning my chicken broth and chicken meat. When I started hearing about snow on Monday, I thought I'd just wait and then heat up the kitchen when its cold. So everything went in the freezer and I will pull it out probably tomorrow or Saturday and finish. I may also do another round of veggie broth. I use a lot of both in cooking. I won't be able to get to the store for beef shanks until after this storm so that's on the agenda next week. Also D and I are planning a trip to the small hometown meat processor about 50 miles from us so I can get some smoked sausage that they do and maybe a few other things.
Well, I had better get going. I am going to have a little breakfast, and then try to be out the door by 8:30 am and then get things done, as by the time the afternoon rolls around, people start getting off work, and decide that they had better get to the stores when its too late, and its a mad house around here when people are pushed. It amazes me, living around here that some people wait until its too late and then cry that there is nothing on the shelves when we have storms. Its usually very young people who are more worried about their smart phones working than keep their butts covered in a blizzard.
I will try to take some photos if I can. I never know about my little cheap camera.
I wish everyone a wonderful weekend.
Hugs
Its a little early for me this morning, BUT, I needed to get up and start things early as we are in a BLIZZARD WARNING! Yep, first one this year, after all of the spring weather we had been getting, SEE, told ya so. I knew that we would pay for the nice weather.
Why a blizzard warning instead of a winter storm warning or an advisory, is because we are supposed to have 35-50 mph winds behind this snow, and with 8-12 inches like the weatherman is talking about, will make it worse than Saturday night at Dodge City. When you get sometimes gale force winds behind snow, you get a mess. So, guess what I;m doing this morning......
I am pretty much prepped anyway. As usual, I have pantry, fuel, and lamp oils etc. etc. stocked anyway, just because I do as part of my household anyway, nothing new in this. My snow removal guy is ready and will show up after all of this splats on the ground probably on Sunday, when this is supposed to quit and move out of the area.
I am just going out this morning to get some cat food, litter, and just a few items and I'm done and ready to hunker down for the long weekend. With the winds that they are talking about, I may lose power, so I may be down on the computer, but that is just part of living out here in hillbilly hell.
And for some of you who asked about if I am getting any quilting done. I am afraid that I need to start a stash. Money has been so tight, and I can't afford fabric at the fancy quilt shop we have here. Good grief, some her fabric is $12 a yard! I have been thinking that I may just start with a denim quilt, my name sake, which I love denim anyway, and just cut patches out of different colors of denim, which I have plenty of around here and do a bed quilt for D's bed. I need to haunt the second hand shops too, but I just cannot eake out money, even small amounts for cotton shirts. But I do have a small amount of shirts from my closet and I have been washing these and slicing them up and stacking them in a small plastic box with a lid and I'll work until I get something saved up to start something small, like a table runner or something. Thanks to all of you who sent links and ideas and suggestions, its just like everything else, you have to start out small and work up. This weekend would of been a wonderful time to quilt on something. Oh well.
If we keep the electricity up and going, I am going to just work in the kitchen and finish canning my chicken broth and chicken meat. When I started hearing about snow on Monday, I thought I'd just wait and then heat up the kitchen when its cold. So everything went in the freezer and I will pull it out probably tomorrow or Saturday and finish. I may also do another round of veggie broth. I use a lot of both in cooking. I won't be able to get to the store for beef shanks until after this storm so that's on the agenda next week. Also D and I are planning a trip to the small hometown meat processor about 50 miles from us so I can get some smoked sausage that they do and maybe a few other things.
Well, I had better get going. I am going to have a little breakfast, and then try to be out the door by 8:30 am and then get things done, as by the time the afternoon rolls around, people start getting off work, and decide that they had better get to the stores when its too late, and its a mad house around here when people are pushed. It amazes me, living around here that some people wait until its too late and then cry that there is nothing on the shelves when we have storms. Its usually very young people who are more worried about their smart phones working than keep their butts covered in a blizzard.
I will try to take some photos if I can. I never know about my little cheap camera.
I wish everyone a wonderful weekend.
Hugs
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Here Chick, Chick....There Chick, Chick.....
Good Morning To All,
I am sorry for the gap in posting. It seems Blogger got its issues straightened out, and I can comment and read my favorites now. I am not sure at all what went on, but I am glad its figured out. I was afraid that I had issues with my blog from hackers or something. Also, remember, I'm a boring life entity, and right now, its cold here, even though we are having 50's and 60's here with an average of 40's on a daily basis, with very little snow. Its supposed to be close to 60* F today, for pity sakes! Where's winter? But I still cannot do anything in the garden, period, everything is frozen solid, and even though I love the fairly warm days, they are sure deceiving and all you want to do is start gardening. I can't even start some seeds yet, even though its starting to get a little warm. I am planning on bringing a couple of my ghetto buckets around to the south side to start warming up. It will take most of February to do this, and by then, in March, I can get my greens seeds in, and cover with my greenhouse plastic and just wait. Something that I haven't heard of is the fact we are getting Sand Hills cranes here now. They usually start showing up the end of February, but they are flying and some are gathering west of town along the North Platte river and out in the corn (maize) stubble the farmers leave for the cows to graze in. I have heard them overhead, way up high, but I have not seen them yet. I am sure, we get a few nice days I will start to see them fly closer down where you can see them.
Last weekend, I pressured canned the broth off of the turkey carcasses I had in the freezer along with the meat that was left on the bones. I was so proud of myself, Miss afraid of the pressure canner here. Today (Sunday, Jan 29th), I am having chicken dinner tonight, with the trimmings, and I am going to do chick broth and leftover meat and can that. I look back thinking how much of a wussy I was with pressure canners, and how much I have missed out on not being able to do what I wanted to do years ago, Funny how bad experiences with things alter your outlook, but then the need out ways the fear of getting things done if you have to provide food for your table, or need food for your health. Payday, I am hoping that I can spare a little extra so I can purchase a box of beef shanks so I can process the meat and broth. I need to purchase shanks here as when spring rolls around my part of the country, I can't get shanks anymore until next winter. My doctor wants me to get more beef broth, since I am showing signs of bone degeneration, since I do not have a thyroid, he urged me to take better care of myself, since I am caring for people, and I need to take time for me also. That's hard to, but I am taking his advice. Like he told me, sometimes the caregivers poop out before the people they care for by just being like a shrew, and burning your candle at both ends. Is that what it is? :-) I'm a shrew. I feel like a hamster, sometimes, in a wheel, but not a shrew.
I have retired my in home chef-ing for a while. A lot of my people are really cutting back on things, and expenses so all of us agreed upon stopping. My clients were struggling with coming up with money, I was struggling with trying to get them their meals, and yet providing for my parents and my charges here, including me. We all agreed that we were going to see what the spring brings and go from there. If there is improvement in the economy, I sure don't see it, at least here. I see so much poverty around me, funny that the rest of the community doesn't see it. But 90% of the poverty that is going on here in my community is the fact that it is brought on by people who are drug addicts and alcoholics and would prefer to buy their habits with money that should be used to provide for their families, which the families lose out, and then it falls upon the community food banks and churches to provide for these people who, by choice prefer their habits before their families. I shed tears for these kids and families who have parents or a parent who waste their life away with something so very fleeting. I sit here and thank each day I am able to wake up and be me, whether I feel good or not. What makes me angry is the fact that these parents make everyone else provide for them, just so they can have their habit, I am for giving a helping hand "up" but I do not like giving "hand-outs" to these people. I have had incidents here where I live where the renters wanted me to give them produce from my garden, which I would be so very glad to do, BUT, I had a stipulation that they come over to help me weed or water or trim in the garden for about an hour to help me out. The answer was always "no", and so I refused, simply on the fact that I feel you should work for your food, which I do as I have to provide as much as I can as I cannot go out and get help for my meals and no one is going to do it for me. I will assure you, I have made many enemies while the renters where living here. Oh well, off of my soap box.
Well, I need to get off of my fanny, and get my pans and chickens ready to start dinner for this afternoon. Then I will get my broth ready tonight, let it chill and then skim and can this tomorrow. I will have more time tomorrow to do it. I like quiet and peace when I do this.
Well, until I can come up with something else. I will leave all of you to have a wonderful, up coming week. Please take care all.
Hugs
I am sorry for the gap in posting. It seems Blogger got its issues straightened out, and I can comment and read my favorites now. I am not sure at all what went on, but I am glad its figured out. I was afraid that I had issues with my blog from hackers or something. Also, remember, I'm a boring life entity, and right now, its cold here, even though we are having 50's and 60's here with an average of 40's on a daily basis, with very little snow. Its supposed to be close to 60* F today, for pity sakes! Where's winter? But I still cannot do anything in the garden, period, everything is frozen solid, and even though I love the fairly warm days, they are sure deceiving and all you want to do is start gardening. I can't even start some seeds yet, even though its starting to get a little warm. I am planning on bringing a couple of my ghetto buckets around to the south side to start warming up. It will take most of February to do this, and by then, in March, I can get my greens seeds in, and cover with my greenhouse plastic and just wait. Something that I haven't heard of is the fact we are getting Sand Hills cranes here now. They usually start showing up the end of February, but they are flying and some are gathering west of town along the North Platte river and out in the corn (maize) stubble the farmers leave for the cows to graze in. I have heard them overhead, way up high, but I have not seen them yet. I am sure, we get a few nice days I will start to see them fly closer down where you can see them.
Last weekend, I pressured canned the broth off of the turkey carcasses I had in the freezer along with the meat that was left on the bones. I was so proud of myself, Miss afraid of the pressure canner here. Today (Sunday, Jan 29th), I am having chicken dinner tonight, with the trimmings, and I am going to do chick broth and leftover meat and can that. I look back thinking how much of a wussy I was with pressure canners, and how much I have missed out on not being able to do what I wanted to do years ago, Funny how bad experiences with things alter your outlook, but then the need out ways the fear of getting things done if you have to provide food for your table, or need food for your health. Payday, I am hoping that I can spare a little extra so I can purchase a box of beef shanks so I can process the meat and broth. I need to purchase shanks here as when spring rolls around my part of the country, I can't get shanks anymore until next winter. My doctor wants me to get more beef broth, since I am showing signs of bone degeneration, since I do not have a thyroid, he urged me to take better care of myself, since I am caring for people, and I need to take time for me also. That's hard to, but I am taking his advice. Like he told me, sometimes the caregivers poop out before the people they care for by just being like a shrew, and burning your candle at both ends. Is that what it is? :-) I'm a shrew. I feel like a hamster, sometimes, in a wheel, but not a shrew.
I have retired my in home chef-ing for a while. A lot of my people are really cutting back on things, and expenses so all of us agreed upon stopping. My clients were struggling with coming up with money, I was struggling with trying to get them their meals, and yet providing for my parents and my charges here, including me. We all agreed that we were going to see what the spring brings and go from there. If there is improvement in the economy, I sure don't see it, at least here. I see so much poverty around me, funny that the rest of the community doesn't see it. But 90% of the poverty that is going on here in my community is the fact that it is brought on by people who are drug addicts and alcoholics and would prefer to buy their habits with money that should be used to provide for their families, which the families lose out, and then it falls upon the community food banks and churches to provide for these people who, by choice prefer their habits before their families. I shed tears for these kids and families who have parents or a parent who waste their life away with something so very fleeting. I sit here and thank each day I am able to wake up and be me, whether I feel good or not. What makes me angry is the fact that these parents make everyone else provide for them, just so they can have their habit, I am for giving a helping hand "up" but I do not like giving "hand-outs" to these people. I have had incidents here where I live where the renters wanted me to give them produce from my garden, which I would be so very glad to do, BUT, I had a stipulation that they come over to help me weed or water or trim in the garden for about an hour to help me out. The answer was always "no", and so I refused, simply on the fact that I feel you should work for your food, which I do as I have to provide as much as I can as I cannot go out and get help for my meals and no one is going to do it for me. I will assure you, I have made many enemies while the renters where living here. Oh well, off of my soap box.
Well, I need to get off of my fanny, and get my pans and chickens ready to start dinner for this afternoon. Then I will get my broth ready tonight, let it chill and then skim and can this tomorrow. I will have more time tomorrow to do it. I like quiet and peace when I do this.
Well, until I can come up with something else. I will leave all of you to have a wonderful, up coming week. Please take care all.
Hugs
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Blogger issues
Just a quick note to some of you that I visit your blogs:
On some blogs I cannot comment or even come up with the blog, so I am not sure if is blogger or another hit I have taken from the blog vermin that are wanting to hack everybody's blogs again.
This just started over the weekend and so I am trying to figure it out. So If you do not hear from me, I am having issues again.
Please take care all.
On some blogs I cannot comment or even come up with the blog, so I am not sure if is blogger or another hit I have taken from the blog vermin that are wanting to hack everybody's blogs again.
This just started over the weekend and so I am trying to figure it out. So If you do not hear from me, I am having issues again.
Please take care all.
Good Morning, Good Morning
Good Morning Everyone,
I hope that everyone is doing well. Its has gotten cold here, just a little dusting of dry snow, but chilly, its not January like it was last year, I'll tell you that. I will tell you that I am happy as my natural gas bill is not bad at all, and I am quite happy about that.
Well, I am getting into my January blues bit. It just weather, and being cooped up. With the price of gasoline for the car, I just don't get in the car to just joy ride around, so I am trying to kick start myself and do some things around here. I have been sand bagging around some blogs and if you go to my blog list and go to Mornings Minion blog, you will see her quilt that she started working on some years back, and now its finished. and I think that it looks superb. I am somewhat getting into the mood to try a simple pattern utility bed quilt. Funny, my mother owned a quilt shop, she didn't work on too much quilts and neither did I. I was designing needlepoint, rug hooking patterns, and working on rodeo queen divas and personally I wished I would of dumped the rodeo queens, they were not worth the trouble that they gave me. I could of been working on learning some quilting. Now I am sorry I didn't learn. So, if anyone could suggest some beginner books, or web sites to go to, to pick up something, I would really appreciate it, and maybe a kick in the pants to get started.
Our weather here is deceiving, first its 69* the other day, now it got to -12*F a few morning ago, now its supposed to warm up to the upper 40's and 50's, then chilly again. Boy, the winter is worse than a woman's mind, I'll tell ya.
Well, I just wanted to jump in real quick to let you know I am still here in my very boring life. I sure want to garden, real bad. I may just be able to start some of my winter greens better this year, I am planning on one of these nice days, to bring a few buckets over to the south side, since I can, and cover them up with greenhouse plastic and let them start the warm up for February and March greens. I have been so hungry for greens and salads, but I do not buy them in the store, they look pretty sorry anyway and I not going to spend $3 on a head of lettuce. So I think that its time to get things rolling, and maybe me out of my slump.
Have a great rest of the week.
Hugs
I hope that everyone is doing well. Its has gotten cold here, just a little dusting of dry snow, but chilly, its not January like it was last year, I'll tell you that. I will tell you that I am happy as my natural gas bill is not bad at all, and I am quite happy about that.
Well, I am getting into my January blues bit. It just weather, and being cooped up. With the price of gasoline for the car, I just don't get in the car to just joy ride around, so I am trying to kick start myself and do some things around here. I have been sand bagging around some blogs and if you go to my blog list and go to Mornings Minion blog, you will see her quilt that she started working on some years back, and now its finished. and I think that it looks superb. I am somewhat getting into the mood to try a simple pattern utility bed quilt. Funny, my mother owned a quilt shop, she didn't work on too much quilts and neither did I. I was designing needlepoint, rug hooking patterns, and working on rodeo queen divas and personally I wished I would of dumped the rodeo queens, they were not worth the trouble that they gave me. I could of been working on learning some quilting. Now I am sorry I didn't learn. So, if anyone could suggest some beginner books, or web sites to go to, to pick up something, I would really appreciate it, and maybe a kick in the pants to get started.
Our weather here is deceiving, first its 69* the other day, now it got to -12*F a few morning ago, now its supposed to warm up to the upper 40's and 50's, then chilly again. Boy, the winter is worse than a woman's mind, I'll tell ya.
Well, I just wanted to jump in real quick to let you know I am still here in my very boring life. I sure want to garden, real bad. I may just be able to start some of my winter greens better this year, I am planning on one of these nice days, to bring a few buckets over to the south side, since I can, and cover them up with greenhouse plastic and let them start the warm up for February and March greens. I have been so hungry for greens and salads, but I do not buy them in the store, they look pretty sorry anyway and I not going to spend $3 on a head of lettuce. So I think that its time to get things rolling, and maybe me out of my slump.
Have a great rest of the week.
Hugs
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Add to the tutorial
Good Morning Everyone,
During the night, I was thinking, and I forgot to add some important suggestions to the cast iron care.
When you get done using your cast iron pans, wait until they cool down, then just wash/rinse in hot water only. The only time you use soap is when you are ready to re-season your pans again, and you want a clean surface for re-seasoning. Soap will remove the oil coating you have baked on. I sometimes have to soap mine up because of some burnt something on the pan, I sometimes use baking soda to soak burnt on food off, just use hot water, and put about a 1/4 cup of baking soda in the water, swish around and leave. You may have to use a brush or a scraper but it will come off. I also use baking soda in my stainless steel pans also. Also, do not add nasty chemical cleaners, first, some things will react to the metal and may do damage to the surface, cast iron is tough, but it is also vulnerable to things also. Like temperature, and chemicals. Thank you Glenda, for the reminder.
Also, the pans I am showing you are my collection, I have new, and newer Lodge and Wagner pans. I also have Wagner, Lodge pans that are over 100+ yrs old from a great grandmother, grandmother and mother.
Some of the pans you see in stores, and on line, are cheap imitations from China, or India. PLEASE, if you are going to spend some money, please buy only Lodge, and Wagner pans. These are original, and will say on the bottom of the pan, Lodge or Wagner. I bought two bread loaf pans directly from the Lodge company. www.Lodgemfg.com. Please, please do purchase good cookware, you will not be sorry. Just purchase one at a time, and this include stainless steel and enamel ware. I have several pieces of enamelware and porcelain. Something I want is a dutch oven ceramic on steel pot. Yes, these are expensive, but what good cookware isn't. They will last your lifetime, and your children and grandchildren. I have the proof in my collection. Chinese imports crap is just that...crap. It is made with inferior metals, and they do not season worth a shit, sorry, but that is what I feel about Chinese imports. Now, you can get french cookware that is good also, but please just look to see if you can find where it is made. I have a french pan, that is beautiful and seasons very well. It is a small saute pan, but is good metal and cooks well also. You just have to be careful, just like purchasing anything that you want to hold up well to everyday cooking.
I hope that I haven't left anything else out. That is part of my problem doing any teaching or tutorials. You do it everyday, and then put a pen or type written word to it, and you forget and miss steps.
Again, please if you have questions, please comment or email me and I will do my best to answer your questions.
Have a great rest of the week.
Hugs
During the night, I was thinking, and I forgot to add some important suggestions to the cast iron care.
When you get done using your cast iron pans, wait until they cool down, then just wash/rinse in hot water only. The only time you use soap is when you are ready to re-season your pans again, and you want a clean surface for re-seasoning. Soap will remove the oil coating you have baked on. I sometimes have to soap mine up because of some burnt something on the pan, I sometimes use baking soda to soak burnt on food off, just use hot water, and put about a 1/4 cup of baking soda in the water, swish around and leave. You may have to use a brush or a scraper but it will come off. I also use baking soda in my stainless steel pans also. Also, do not add nasty chemical cleaners, first, some things will react to the metal and may do damage to the surface, cast iron is tough, but it is also vulnerable to things also. Like temperature, and chemicals. Thank you Glenda, for the reminder.
Also, the pans I am showing you are my collection, I have new, and newer Lodge and Wagner pans. I also have Wagner, Lodge pans that are over 100+ yrs old from a great grandmother, grandmother and mother.
Some of the pans you see in stores, and on line, are cheap imitations from China, or India. PLEASE, if you are going to spend some money, please buy only Lodge, and Wagner pans. These are original, and will say on the bottom of the pan, Lodge or Wagner. I bought two bread loaf pans directly from the Lodge company. www.Lodgemfg.com. Please, please do purchase good cookware, you will not be sorry. Just purchase one at a time, and this include stainless steel and enamel ware. I have several pieces of enamelware and porcelain. Something I want is a dutch oven ceramic on steel pot. Yes, these are expensive, but what good cookware isn't. They will last your lifetime, and your children and grandchildren. I have the proof in my collection. Chinese imports crap is just that...crap. It is made with inferior metals, and they do not season worth a shit, sorry, but that is what I feel about Chinese imports. Now, you can get french cookware that is good also, but please just look to see if you can find where it is made. I have a french pan, that is beautiful and seasons very well. It is a small saute pan, but is good metal and cooks well also. You just have to be careful, just like purchasing anything that you want to hold up well to everyday cooking.
I hope that I haven't left anything else out. That is part of my problem doing any teaching or tutorials. You do it everyday, and then put a pen or type written word to it, and you forget and miss steps.
Again, please if you have questions, please comment or email me and I will do my best to answer your questions.
Have a great rest of the week.
Hugs
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Ta-Da Finally !!!! Cast Iron Tutorial
Good Afternoon Everyone,
Well I am trying to get the tutorial posted. I have been down on and off this last week, the cable company is having issues here. We have a something short somewhere around the neighborhood with cable, and the techs cannot find the problem. Thursday afternoon, I ended up with all new wiring for my cable phone, and Internet, but there is still a glitch somewhere, so I am hoping I can get everything posted before everything goes down and everything I post will be lost in Internet purgatory forever.
Update: Fixed, hopefully. The cable line way down on the main street that runs close to the park had two transmitters failing and was causing a whole lot of trouble clear over to the south side of town. Wow, now that's a problem and a couple of bad gremlins.
Update: Tutorial
Well here goes the tutorial. I hope that I don't mess it up.
Photos posted to the left of the post photos 1-3 show two pans, one is a newer Lodge pan, the other is a newer Wagner 1891 original, these were new ones that were on sale at a farm store that we had here at the time, called Wheelers. I had totally forgotten about these pans, and found them in the storage shed looking for something else. I bought them probably 25 yrs ago, when I first moved back from Denver CO, about summer of 1985. When I moved to the modular, I had put a lot of stuff into storage as I do not have garage here and little room. And then like usual, I forget things.
Well anyway, photos 1-3 show a lot of rust and moisture gunk on these pans, and they look like you should just toss them. If you have pans like these or worse, please do not chuck them, just clean them, and use a little elbow grease and they will come clean and beautiful.
Photos 4-5-6 show the Wagner pan needing a lot of help. Also shown are the tools I use. Now, some people use different tools, for me, this is what I had at hand at the time. I have small wire brushes, a larger wire brush (D's brush, borrowed) a pumice stone, like what you use to get lime deposits off in the commode and in sinks and some drywall sandpaper. Some people use a power sander, or a hand held grinder, but I don't have the nerve or the steady hand to run one. Now, all of this you can find at a good hardware store or Menard's, or Lowes or what ever hardware or man store you have around your area. Some farm goods store carry stuff, like a Tractor Supply. In photo 5, it shows the drywall sandpaper. I had 180 grit and 120 grit. Now, the higher the grit, (180) the finer the sanding, the 120 grit is a coarser paper. All this is, is sandpaper used on drywall to smooth it out before prepping. I am sure lumberyards carry this also. All you do is, take your brushes, and clean the surface of the pan, don't gouge into the pan, just scrape the bad spots, and rust off. I use the big wire brush first, to clean the majority of the rust and dirt off, then dump the gunk out, then take your small brushes, and clean rough spots off, getting into the rounded edges and handle. If you have some spots that the brush can't get, use your pumice stone, and lightly rub out the spots. Then take your grit paper, and rub the bottom, sides, and inside if needed until you have a clean surface, shown in photo 6. Remembering, not to gouge the surface. Cast iron is very durable, but you can gouge, and scratch too much getting stuff off. If it needs a little soaking, use HOT water, and dish soap, to soak it a little, and then brush out the gunk and crap out. It depends on how dirty your pan is. Photo 7 shows you the pan after the drywall paper has been used, and it cleaned up pretty good. Photo 8 just shows the Lodge pan is really rusty and rough, but you will see later, it is clean and comes out very nicely.
Photo 9 and 10 are a little mixed. 9 is the pan being washed in hot water and soap, and I use my little dish brush to scrub the surface and really get it clean. You may have to wash and soap up several times to get a clean surface and no rusty deposits on a clean towel or paper towel. You want it as clean as you can get it. Photo 10 is just the pan inside again, cleaned with the wire brush, and the pumice stone and the drywall paper. I think that I used 180 grit on this.
Photo 11 and 12 show the pan freshly washed. I washed this about 5 times, to make sure all grit and surface dirt is out of it. Photo 12 shows the application of a vegetable oil. Now, here is where there are differences with people. Now I use Crisco solid shortening. I take a blob on my fingers and just smear it all over the surface. Coat inside and outside, even handle. It helps also if the pan is warm from its bath in hot water. Make sure every inch is covered in shortening. Now my grandmother at the time used bacon grease. I find it leaves a rancid odor after a while, maybe its me, but it puts me off. I have always used shortening. I am going to experiment with using a liquid vegetable oil and see how it turns out. I have a few more pans to clean and season. I have found that liquid vegetable oil leaves a stickier bond than shortening, but that's me.
Photo 13 shows the pan in the oven with the shortening coating. Now I bake my pans at 350*F for several hours. Now, if you get more shortening in your pan, let it bake a little, then take a paper towel, make sure you have several layers, and be careful of burning yourself. Mop up some of the shortening that is pooling, what you want is a smooth surface, not globs of vegetable oil pooled on the surface, because, as the pan heats, the vegetable oil forms a bond somewhat like a polymer, and it bonds with the metal, so to speak, and as it bakes, it produces a smooth, lustrous surface, which forms the non stick surface that you want in cast iron. Throughout the baking, keep checking your pans and distribute the oil throughout the pan surface and the back also, use your hot pads and take it out, and coat spots that show less oil, you will see the spots that you have missed. As it bakes, it should not be sticky, but getting slick, again, sop up oil that is pooling. Now, new pans and older pans, as you use them more, and more, will produce a beautiful black, slick surface, and if you take care of them, and when you are done cooking with them, let them cool, and then just clean with hot water and a sink brush and you are good to go. Newer pans you have to use for a few times, then you need to re-season them to keep them in shape. But I assure you, as you use them more, they will turn black, and get better with use and age. Also, PLEASE, do not wash a hot pan right after cooking, it WILL warp the pan and sometimes break it, from a temperature fluctuation. So please do not wash a hot pan. It is also dangerous. Also, when you are baking these pans, it will give off an odor, and if you have fire alarms, sometimes, it will make them go off. I know some may complain of the odor, but this is the oil and the pan. As you get your pans in shape, you won't have to do too much if this. Just some normal common sense care. You may have complaining occupants in the house also, so open the windows, or run the vent fans or overhead fans.
Photo 14 and 15 show a finished pan. Photo 14 is right out of the oven, with a going over of a paper towel to catch some small spots of pooled oil. Photo 15 is the pan, cooled off for about an hour, and I buffed it with an old kitchen towel.
Now, I am using this pan, and I will have to re-season it, What you have to do is make sure that the oil penetrates the surface and forms the bond to the cast iron. It takes time, but it is so worth it.
Well, that is my tutorial. I am sorry that it may seem a little ADD, but I hope that it explains the steps. Please, if you have any questions, please email or make a comment, and I will get back to you to answer your questions.
Well, I am tired, and I have a new magazine to read, so I may get ready to head for the feathers and see what other problems I can come up with. I hope that you enjoy the tutorail.
Enjoy and hugs to all.
Well I am trying to get the tutorial posted. I have been down on and off this last week, the cable company is having issues here. We have a something short somewhere around the neighborhood with cable, and the techs cannot find the problem. Thursday afternoon, I ended up with all new wiring for my cable phone, and Internet, but there is still a glitch somewhere, so I am hoping I can get everything posted before everything goes down and everything I post will be lost in Internet purgatory forever.
Update: Fixed, hopefully. The cable line way down on the main street that runs close to the park had two transmitters failing and was causing a whole lot of trouble clear over to the south side of town. Wow, now that's a problem and a couple of bad gremlins.
Update: Tutorial
Well here goes the tutorial. I hope that I don't mess it up.
Photos posted to the left of the post photos 1-3 show two pans, one is a newer Lodge pan, the other is a newer Wagner 1891 original, these were new ones that were on sale at a farm store that we had here at the time, called Wheelers. I had totally forgotten about these pans, and found them in the storage shed looking for something else. I bought them probably 25 yrs ago, when I first moved back from Denver CO, about summer of 1985. When I moved to the modular, I had put a lot of stuff into storage as I do not have garage here and little room. And then like usual, I forget things.
Well anyway, photos 1-3 show a lot of rust and moisture gunk on these pans, and they look like you should just toss them. If you have pans like these or worse, please do not chuck them, just clean them, and use a little elbow grease and they will come clean and beautiful.
Photos 4-5-6 show the Wagner pan needing a lot of help. Also shown are the tools I use. Now, some people use different tools, for me, this is what I had at hand at the time. I have small wire brushes, a larger wire brush (D's brush, borrowed) a pumice stone, like what you use to get lime deposits off in the commode and in sinks and some drywall sandpaper. Some people use a power sander, or a hand held grinder, but I don't have the nerve or the steady hand to run one. Now, all of this you can find at a good hardware store or Menard's, or Lowes or what ever hardware or man store you have around your area. Some farm goods store carry stuff, like a Tractor Supply. In photo 5, it shows the drywall sandpaper. I had 180 grit and 120 grit. Now, the higher the grit, (180) the finer the sanding, the 120 grit is a coarser paper. All this is, is sandpaper used on drywall to smooth it out before prepping. I am sure lumberyards carry this also. All you do is, take your brushes, and clean the surface of the pan, don't gouge into the pan, just scrape the bad spots, and rust off. I use the big wire brush first, to clean the majority of the rust and dirt off, then dump the gunk out, then take your small brushes, and clean rough spots off, getting into the rounded edges and handle. If you have some spots that the brush can't get, use your pumice stone, and lightly rub out the spots. Then take your grit paper, and rub the bottom, sides, and inside if needed until you have a clean surface, shown in photo 6. Remembering, not to gouge the surface. Cast iron is very durable, but you can gouge, and scratch too much getting stuff off. If it needs a little soaking, use HOT water, and dish soap, to soak it a little, and then brush out the gunk and crap out. It depends on how dirty your pan is. Photo 7 shows you the pan after the drywall paper has been used, and it cleaned up pretty good. Photo 8 just shows the Lodge pan is really rusty and rough, but you will see later, it is clean and comes out very nicely.
Photo 9 and 10 are a little mixed. 9 is the pan being washed in hot water and soap, and I use my little dish brush to scrub the surface and really get it clean. You may have to wash and soap up several times to get a clean surface and no rusty deposits on a clean towel or paper towel. You want it as clean as you can get it. Photo 10 is just the pan inside again, cleaned with the wire brush, and the pumice stone and the drywall paper. I think that I used 180 grit on this.
Photo 11 and 12 show the pan freshly washed. I washed this about 5 times, to make sure all grit and surface dirt is out of it. Photo 12 shows the application of a vegetable oil. Now, here is where there are differences with people. Now I use Crisco solid shortening. I take a blob on my fingers and just smear it all over the surface. Coat inside and outside, even handle. It helps also if the pan is warm from its bath in hot water. Make sure every inch is covered in shortening. Now my grandmother at the time used bacon grease. I find it leaves a rancid odor after a while, maybe its me, but it puts me off. I have always used shortening. I am going to experiment with using a liquid vegetable oil and see how it turns out. I have a few more pans to clean and season. I have found that liquid vegetable oil leaves a stickier bond than shortening, but that's me.
Photo 13 shows the pan in the oven with the shortening coating. Now I bake my pans at 350*F for several hours. Now, if you get more shortening in your pan, let it bake a little, then take a paper towel, make sure you have several layers, and be careful of burning yourself. Mop up some of the shortening that is pooling, what you want is a smooth surface, not globs of vegetable oil pooled on the surface, because, as the pan heats, the vegetable oil forms a bond somewhat like a polymer, and it bonds with the metal, so to speak, and as it bakes, it produces a smooth, lustrous surface, which forms the non stick surface that you want in cast iron. Throughout the baking, keep checking your pans and distribute the oil throughout the pan surface and the back also, use your hot pads and take it out, and coat spots that show less oil, you will see the spots that you have missed. As it bakes, it should not be sticky, but getting slick, again, sop up oil that is pooling. Now, new pans and older pans, as you use them more, and more, will produce a beautiful black, slick surface, and if you take care of them, and when you are done cooking with them, let them cool, and then just clean with hot water and a sink brush and you are good to go. Newer pans you have to use for a few times, then you need to re-season them to keep them in shape. But I assure you, as you use them more, they will turn black, and get better with use and age. Also, PLEASE, do not wash a hot pan right after cooking, it WILL warp the pan and sometimes break it, from a temperature fluctuation. So please do not wash a hot pan. It is also dangerous. Also, when you are baking these pans, it will give off an odor, and if you have fire alarms, sometimes, it will make them go off. I know some may complain of the odor, but this is the oil and the pan. As you get your pans in shape, you won't have to do too much if this. Just some normal common sense care. You may have complaining occupants in the house also, so open the windows, or run the vent fans or overhead fans.
Photo 14 and 15 show a finished pan. Photo 14 is right out of the oven, with a going over of a paper towel to catch some small spots of pooled oil. Photo 15 is the pan, cooled off for about an hour, and I buffed it with an old kitchen towel.
Now, I am using this pan, and I will have to re-season it, What you have to do is make sure that the oil penetrates the surface and forms the bond to the cast iron. It takes time, but it is so worth it.
Well, that is my tutorial. I am sorry that it may seem a little ADD, but I hope that it explains the steps. Please, if you have any questions, please email or make a comment, and I will get back to you to answer your questions.
Well, I am tired, and I have a new magazine to read, so I may get ready to head for the feathers and see what other problems I can come up with. I hope that you enjoy the tutorail.
Enjoy and hugs to all.
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