Cast Iron

I love cast iron cooking. 

We have a friend that writes cookbooks for cast iron cooking.  She and her mom wrote

 

 "The Cast Iron Skillet Cookbook: Recipes for the Best Pan in Your Kitchen" ,

 "The Dutch Oven Cookbook: Recipes for the Best Pot in Your Kitchen"

 and

 "Cast Iron Skillet Big Flavors". 

 

She often donates a cookbook and cooking pot/pan to the elementary school auction.  I bought the Big Flavors book and 12" skillet this year.  I have since acquired a dutch oven,

 

 

 small fry pan

 

 and a mini pan with lid that is perfect for making eggs to go on an English muffin. 

 

 

 I love them. 

And I have discovered a love for anything cooked in the skillet with bacon grease. 

So Good! 

Spinach... yes, Green beans... yes,  Potatoes... yes. 

 

 One of my go to meals lately is onions, red pepper and spinach sautéed in a little bacon grease (it doesn't take more than a few grams to give it the flavor), then scramble an egg and add a little feta cheese and salt and pepper.  Yum! 

 

I have also discovered baking in the cast iron skillet, thanks to Julie's book.  Coffee cake, birthday cake, baked waffles, it can do it all. 

 

Before re-seasoning my own cast iron, I didn't really know how to take care of it.  Since acquiring  more, I have learned how and it is really easy.  After using the pan, I wash it with water and a brush or scraper, then heat to dry and rub with oil.  Or if something is baked on or really stuck, I don't try to clean it with water, I put oil in the pan and heat it then the gunk loosens and I can wipe it off.  If I need to, I use a little salt with the oil and scrub it around then wipe the pan out.  It is so easy and

I am convinced that food tastes better cooked in Cast Iron. 

 

Family Fun

A couple of weekends ago we went camping at Deception Pass with some of my siblings and their families.  We had a fun time and the air force planes flying over head were really cool, the first few hours.  They were so close and loud.  After they flew through most of the night the first night it wasn't so cool.  The rest of the time it wasn't so bad.

We took everyone on a hike to lighthouse point.

On the way back, we all got separated into 2 groups.  Our group of Trip, Lilly, Rez, Ocean, Daphne, Harvey, Zelda and Indie, was last.  We took a wrong turn somewhere and got lost.  After getting a hold of my sister and confirming that Mo and Julius were with them, we enjoyed trying to find our way back.  We were out on a little peninsula, so we couldn't get that lost.   As we hiked along the bluff, we could see where we needed to get to, it just happened to be about 30 feet below us.  We ended up picking our way (and sliding) down the bluff to the beach below.   It was all very exciting.