Reconditioning a Cast Iron Skillet

When we built our home eleven years ago, we bought a ceramic cooktop stove. I love it! No more messy burners or having to buy new drip pans. However, you can't use cast iron on it. Knowing this, when we moved in, I just left all my cast iron on the bottom shelf in the garage. Fast forward nearly a dozen years...

Gerald and I had both inherited several pieces from both our grandmothers. Unfortunately, several pieces were the same, so I no longer know which came from who. I do remember the corn-shaped muffin pan came from my greatgrandmother for whom Jewell is named!

Between the dust and the rust, these skillets were in pretty rough shape. I wanted to use one for a recipe I made for my Mixing Bowls Cookbook Club last week, so I endeavored to clean it up. I'd read about it, but never done it myself. Would it work? Let's see... 

I began by washing it in hot, soapy water. I scrubbed it good with steel wool. Once it is seasoned, you're never supposed to use soap, but since it probably would have given us some sort of lead poison as it was, I had to risk it!

Looking better already! But it was still dried out and unseasoned.

I added about a teaspoon and a half of canola oil to the clean and dry skillet. I used a paper towel to rub it in - really well - all over the inside, outside and handle.

I wiped out the excess.

I put it in a 350 degree oven for right at an hour. I placed it upside down over a foil-lined pan to catch any drips. After an hour, I brought it out to cool. Remember - it's screaming hot, but there's nothing inside to remind you! Cover it with a towel and place it out of the way of little hands.

Later on, I buttered it, and made this...

Goat Cheese and Cauliflower Gratin. Delicious, and the skillet was perfect for it!

I plan to keep this one good and clean for cornbread and other casseroles. I also plan to clean the rest when I get time. Maybe display them somehow?

Check back tomorrow for the recipe for the creamy casserole above.

I'm so glad you stopped by my neck of the woods!

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Country Crudite Tray

A while back, Gerald and I attended a barbecue, and I was asked to bring a crudite tray. Sounded simple enough! 

I looked for a variety of colors to add to my tray. I had eight different vegetables in all: Green onions, carrots, cauliflower, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, summer squash, cucumbers and celery.

I washed, dried, and cut up all my veggies, then set them aside. I pulled out a galvanized metal tray and began to arrange everything. I tried to mix up the colors. I left the celery leaves on the tops of a few stalks. I love the texture it added, and they're full of flavor!

I scored my cucumbers with a fork before cutting them into thin slices. I kept the bottom of my bunch of celery...I thought it was so pretty and looked like a flower! I just rinsed it well to get rid of any sand and grit.

I made a double recipe of ranch dressing using the packet seasonings and served it in a mason jar. A veggie tray doesn't have to be boring. I thought it looked pretty enough to eat!

I'm so glad you stopped by my neck of the woods!

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Basil Plant Hostess Gift

So it's been three weeks since my last blog post. Let's see... What have I done? Well, I threw Brack a birthday party, attended a cooking demo, hosted my Stampin' Club, hosted five other families for a day at the lake, finished homeschooling for the year, decorated tables for a luncheon for 30, built a craft closet, and organized an end of the year homeschool co-op party. And I somehow found time to keep up with laundry, housework (OK, some of it!) and fed my family throughout it all! Obviously, I've got a lot to catch you up on! 

Today I want to show you a cute little hostess gift idea. My last post was about the prenuptial meat patties I made for our last Mixing Bowls Cookbook Club. You must read this post, but more importantly, you must MAKE these meatballs. They're awesome.

I throw a lot of parties, so I know what's involved. Whether it's an event for 75 or just the family next door, it takes a lot to prepare for company. I understand that. Maybe that's why people don't entertain much these days. I hate that. Having others into your home is a wonderful way to get to know people.

I always try to take a little something to the hostess to say "thank you" for having us. Since our theme was Italian, I took Jana a basil plant. I picked it up at Walmart while shopping for the ingredients for my dishes. It will do great either planted or you can just sit it in the kitchen window.

I had used two cans of these Cento San Marzano tomatoes. (If you haven't tried these, you must. They are amazing and way better than Hunt's.) I rinsed out one of the cans and dropped the plant inside. I didn't have any green ribbon, so I tore a strip of green cloth to tie around the top to hide the pot. Pretty cute, huh?

Money shot of the meatballs I made. Yes, they taste as good as they look!

My plate. No shame. I actually went back for seconds. We're supposed to be tasting and testing new recipes, right? See the casserole just right of middle? Gnocchi with sausage and spinach. One of the best things I've ever tried!

Creamy roasted bell pepper soup.

Dessert. I really don't need to say anything, do I? However, see the creamy stuff with chocolate chips in it and the broken ice cream waffle cones? Deconstructed cannoli. Oh.My.Word.

Our fearless leader and cookbook club organizer, Kimberly, taught us to make homemade pasta.

She got us all involved. This is me kneading dough.

Watchin' and learnin'...

I love spending time with these great ladies. The food is just an extra bonus!

I'm so glad you stopped by my neck of the woods!

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Holiday Hostess Gift Ideas

I know Christmas is over, but New Year's Eve is just around the corner. Here is an idea for a thoughtful, yet inexpensive hostess gift.

I really believe in taking a hostess gift when I visit someone's home. It just shows them that you are aware of their time and expense and, most importantly, that you appreciate the invitation. Plus, it's just plain nice!

Often I'll take a jar of Daddy's honey or jam that I make during the summer. Sometimes I'll bake something, especially during the holidays.

This year, I had too much going on to spend a day in the kitchen baking, so I picked up several coffee cups from The Pioneer Woman's new collection at Walmart. They're just about $5 each and are absolutely beautiful. They say on the bottom that they're hand-painted.

I placed them in a cellophane treat bag with some pretty shredded paper and tied with a gold ribbon. Who wouldn't enjoy drinking her morning coffee from such a pretty cup?

I picked up the red cow coffee creamer for my friend that recently hosted our new cookbook club where we cooked Pioneer Woman recipes. She was so excited to get it! She has a white one that looks almost exactly like it. She said she has had it for over thirty years, and it's very sentimental to her. She's been afraid to use it in case it was broken. Now she can display that one and use this one!

Each gift was accompanied by one of my hand-made cards. But don't worry if you aren't into paper crafting or don't make your own cards. A simple hand-written note on stationary is always appreciated.

It's a great idea to keep little things like this on hand to use when you're invited to dinner or a party. If you keep a few things put back, you'll never show up empty handed! 

I'm so glad you stopped by my neck of the woods!

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I HEART...Farmhouse Paint!

Everybody loves Wednesday, right?

The week's half over.  The weekend is on the way.

What's not to love?

Each Wednesday, I want to share something with you

that I absolutely love and can't live without! 

 

Hey!  Remember me?  It's been a couple of weeks since my last post.  We recently finished our first year of homeschooling and then immediately began our busy summer swim team schedule.  Add to that all the minutiae of everyday life, and well, things have been really busy lately in our neck of the woods!

 

Summer is my time to tackle big projects around the house.  Gerald would disagree.  Ask him and he would say that I assign him the big (outdoor) projects whenever we are getting ready to host a party. True enough.  But as far as the indoor jobs go, I prefer to wait until summer when it's too hot to go outside anyway.  And believe me, I have a list of UFO's (unfinished objects) as long as my arm!

 

Jewell is at camp this week, so I decided to tackle her room first.  I am nearly done and plan on sharing the finished redo soon, but today, I want to tell you about a product that I ABSOLUTELY love!

 

Many of you have heard of Annie Sloan chalk paint.  I've seen it around for a number of years.  I also know that it is sometimes difficult to find and can be expensive.  A friend of mine recently opened a store in Montgomery with her daughter.  It's called Quite the Pair.  Owners Adrienne Bell and Rebecca Jo Hall have put together a beautiful showroom full of jewelry, clothing and home interiors. It has a decisively Southern flair which fits nicely in the old storefront of the McLemore Plantation. They discovered an alternative to Annie Sloan paint and I've been seeing numerous posts on their Facebook page showing their before and after projects, as well as those of their customers. So I decided to try it for myself.

 

Jewell's room contains the furniture I got when I was about ten years old.  I used it until I went to college, and then my mother loaned it to Nancy Itson for her daughter, Haley, to use.  Nancy returned it to Mama when Haley went to college and it sat in my parent's basement for a number of years. When we built our home in 2005, it came back to live with us.  It had a pretty yellow finish with pink and green flowers...at least it was pretty 35 years ago.  Over time it has aged, but not in a good way.  Plus, the yellow was restrictive when trying to decorate.  So I asked permission to paint it.  Mama was a little hesitant, but said OK.  (Yes, I still ask my mother's permission on things from time to time!)

 

You can see that several drawer pulls have broken and it is looking a little tired.

It was very pretty in it's day, and I knew that with a little TLC, it would be beautiful again!

 

I picked up the paint last week and got a quick tutorial from Adrienne on how to use it.  I will admit that I was not looking forward to the process.  I do not enjoy painting.  Sewing, yes.  Painting...not on your life.  Until now!  I started Sunday night thinking that I would do one coat, let it dry overnight and add another the next day.  I hoped to be able to add the tea stain Monday night and then begin the next piece on Tuesday.  Adrienne had told me the paint dried really fast, but I didn't want to rush it. Well, guess what?  By the time I got the first coat finished, it was ready for the second!  It dries that fast.  So what should have taken a week to finish, took me two days.  TWO DAYS, people!

 

I bought two quarts of the paint ($32 each) and one quart of the tea stain (also $32) just to be sure I had enough.  I did.  And then some.  I painted two coats and tea stained the following pieces...one large dresser with mirror, three-drawer chest and a full-sized headboard.  I had barely put a dent in the tea stain and still had over a half a quart of paint left in the FIRST can, so I painted two 24x30 picture frames and Jewell's wooden trash can.  I still had paint left, so I grabbed the two oval mirrors from above the kids' bathroom sinks and slapped some paint on them.  Then the mirrors from my bathroom were next.  I still have about an inch of paint in the can!  I think I'm gonna ask Adrienne to swap the unopened can for a different color.  (I want to paint my kitchen table chairs black...)  This stuff is amazing!  Drumroll, please...

 

Isn't she beautiful?

I found the hardware half price at Hobby Lobby last week (whoot, whoot!),

and I think it looks incredible!

 

As I said, I still have a few projects to finish before I show you her completed room redo, but I wanted to give you a little taste to tide you over.  Or maybe it's more of a tease.  Regardless, I wanted to share this incredible product with you because I HEART...Farmhouse Paint!

 

I need a few more days to complete the room.  I still have to make the curtains and a cornice board.  I have also bought crown molding to add and I need to paint and install closet doors.  (Long story.  I'll share this story when you get the final pictures.)  It's raining here... a lot...so I'm not sure if I'll get the molding and doors painted and done before Jewell gets back from camp, but I'm heading right now to the sewing machine to start on the curtains.  Stay tuned...

  

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I'm so glad you stopped by my neck of the woods!

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Ya' know what I mean, Fern?

As I was watering the plants on my front porch this morning, I thought I'd share with you a little gardening tip. 

 

Ferns on the front porch is a requirement in the South.  If you live below the Mason-Dixon line and don't have at least one, get in your car and drive to your local nursery now.  If not, you are in danger of losing your Southern Belle card.  Don't say I didn't warn you...

 

That being said, ferns are temperamental.  They need sun, but not the hard, late day sun.  They like to be root-bound, but a pot full of roots makes it hard to hold water.  They look best when hanging, but it's difficult (and often self-soaking) to water a plant above your head.  And finally, they are a favorite spot for birds, lizards and snakes. 

 

(Side note: My mama read somewhere that you should put rubber snakes in your ferns and plants to keep birds from nesting in them.  That's all well and good until a real, live snake decides to work for free.  Be sure to check your plants well before bringing them inside.  My parents have found at least three snakes IN their house in the last couple of years.)

 

So how do you take care of such a picky but ubiquitous Southern staple?  Well, I'm sure I didn't invent this technique, but here's what I do.

 

 

 

We have several five gallon paint buckets around the house.  The kids have one attached to a rope on the tree house for hauling things up and down.  Each kid has their very own to use when we pick up pine cones each weekend.  (Their absolutely favorite thing to do.  Not!)  And I keep one on the front porch to use to water my ferns.  I keep it about 3/4 full and about once a week, I drop in a handful of Epsom salt.  (I read somewhere that it helps to keep your ferns green.)  Change your water before adding more salt, so it doesn't get too saline.

 

Then I simply set the fern in the bucket for at least half a day.  This gives the roots time to absorb the water as opposed to top watering where the water just runs right through.  Brilliant, huh?  Thank you very much!  If I think about them, I swap them out middle of the day.  If not, it's OK if they sit overnight.  This way, each plant is in the water about every other day.  And we all know that ferns have to have lots of water to survive the Southern heat and sun.  Well, at least now we all know that!

 

 

 

And, look!  You can't even see the fern in the bucket behind my little wicker settee, although I will move it when we are having company.

 

So, now you know how to keep your ferns beautiful and healthy all summer long.  So head right out and buy you some ferns and a paint bucket.  Ya' know what I mean, Fern?

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I'm so glad you stopped by my neck of the woods!

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Ancient Chinese secret...

Remember the commercial for Whisk way back in the 70's?  The wife picks up her husband's shirts at the local dry cleaner and is a amazed at how clean they are.  "Ancient Chinese secret", the shop owner answers, while his wife hides the bottle of detergent in the back.

 

My blog post yesterday was about homeschooling.  Last Friday I shared a party I hosted and before that, it was genealogy.  Sometimes I think I suffer from a lack of focus, but then I think...  Wait.  Where was I? 

 

Oh, yeah.  Laundry.  Anyway, I was doing Gerald's shirts yesterday and realized that I have developed a pretty cool system that is probably worth sharing.  So here's my "ancient Chinese secret", although now, I guess it's not a secret any more!  Oh, well. 

 

For years, I sent Gerald's dress shirts to the dry cleaners.  He loved them so stiff that he had to force his arms through the sleeves.  Well, that's all well and good.  Until the price went up to about $2.25 a shirt.  He wears them six days a week.  You do the math.  (No, really.  You do it.  Brack and I worked on Roman numerals yesterday, and I just can't handle any more math!) 

 

Add to that the fact that often, as he was getting dressed for work, he would find a broken button, which meant that shirt came off for me to repair while he used another clean one.  Then the one I fixed the button on was all wrinkly.  Back to the cleaners it went.  He would also complain that the cleaners were shrinking them.  (The sleeves were getting shorter.  I don't think his arms were getting longer.  Now as for the neck, that's another story!  But I digress...)

 

So a couple of years ago, I decided to start doing them myself.  I developed this process and it works great.  No busted buttons, no shrinkage, and most importantly, no weekly laundry bill!

 

I wash his shirts on delicate and in cool water.  As soon as they are done in the spin cycle, I immediately get them out, shake them several times and hang them.  You have to get them out as soon as they finish spinning in order for this to work.  If they sit in the washer, they wrinkle.  (I stick them on the hooks that hold my ironing board until I have them starched, at which point I put them on hangers.  Duh.)   

 

 

While they are still wet, I starch them heavily, and I mean heavily.  I get between four and five shirts starched per bottle.  That's less than a quarter a shirt!  Woo Hoo!

 

Once they are starched, I hang them to dry.  I have a neat little rack in my laundry room, but you could hang them on a shower rod, as well.

 

 

See my little laundry assistant in the bottom right corner?  He works cheap.  A few scratches behind the ears and under the neck, and he's good to go. 

 

I usually do all this in the afternoon after we are finished with school.  It takes about 3 minutes to starch each shirt.  I let them dry over night.  (I have learned to put a beach towel underneath to catch any starch that drips.)  The next morning, they are stiff as a board and ready to be ironed!  I will admit, I don't do all my ironing at once.  It would just get smuched in the closet, and seriously, who has the time?  I pull out a shirt each morning, fill my iron with water, turn that puppy on high, and I can iron his shirt perfectly in less than five minutes.

 

 

I know.  Amazing, right?  Martha Stewart would be soooo impressed.

 

Couple of quick notes.  Once you finish, take a towel and wipe down the top of the ironing board so you don't have a build-up of starch that will dry and burn later on.  Trust me on this.  I speak from experience.  Also be sure that you don't need to iron anything else that day, 'cause your ironing board top is now sopping wet.  But that's ok!  Leave it up overnight and it will be dry and waiting for you the next day. 

 

If you do your shirts at home, you should give it a try!  Just be sure to help me keep it our little secret.  OK?  Yeah, my blog may be a little unfocused, but so is my life!  What about yours?!

P.S.  Ok.  So I just watched the old commercial on Youtube, and guess what?  It was Calgon, not Whisk!  I thought it was "Calgon, take me away."  I'm so confused.  No wonder I can't focus.  Anyway, whatever detergent you use, my "starch them while they're wet" trick really works! 

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I'm so glad you stopped by my neck of the woods!

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I wouldn't want you to miss one crazy thing...