my first homemade yogurt!

I made my first homemade yogurt!  

I was nervous about how it would turn out, but indeed, it is bona fide yogurt.

Yogurt is not made in cast iron.

Most of the time, you heat the milk on the stove, and if you're using cast iron, the seasoning will dissolve into the milk.  

But believe it or not, I did not heat the milk on the stove.  How was that possible?

I used a unique yogurt making machine, called the miracle yogurt maker.

With this machine, you don't have to heat the milk on the stove, or measure the temperature.

You take a quart carton of whole milk -- make sure it's whole milk!

Let the milk get to room temperature.  If it's too cold, it won't work.

You need a "starter".  There are powdered starter cultures, but I used a container of Activia brand yogurt.

The yogurt also needs to be at room temperature when you mix it in the milk.

Plain yogurt is preferred, but I couldn't find any plain Activia, so I used a random flavor.  

I chose Activia because it has good active cultures.  You can use any yogurt you want, but be sure it has active cultures.

Mix in some powdered milk if you want thicker yogurt.

Put the carton inside the machine, plug it in, and leave it for 24 hours.

The instructions say 12, but that was not long enough.

If you like more tart yogurt, you can leave it for 48 hours.

Refrigerate overnight before eating.  The yogurt will thicken in the refrigerator.

I had it with blueberries!  

You might want to add sugar if you're used to sweeter yogurt.

my first homemade peanut butter

I made my first homemade peanut butter!

You don't use cast iron to make peanut butter, of course.  

All you need is a food processor, no cooking required.

Unless, of course, you want to roast your own peanuts.  But mine were already roasted.

I used Planter's roasted peanuts, and peanut oil.  Added a tiny bit of sugar.

At first I put in too much peanut oil, so had to add more peanuts to compensate.

It wasn't as "smooth" as store bought peanut butter, although I'm sure it would have been smoother if I'd whipped it more in the food processor.

It was grainy, but I've always liked extra crunchy peanut butter, so that wasn't a problem.

It tasted like... Planter's roasted peanuts that had been ground up in peanut oil.  

Actually, I really like Planter's peanuts, so I found it to taste great.

Finally, I'm publicly coming forward on this:

I realize this blog is "ramblings on cast iron" and not "ramblings on bullying awareness." 

But because this is National Bullying Awareness month, I am publicly coming forward with my stance on the weightism issue, for the first time.

I posted the following article on my personal Facebook page, and decided I wanted it to have a bigger audience.

For those who are actually teachable:  What is appropriate, and what is NOT appropriate.

I live with the fact that every day, I will be subject to bigotry and discrimination, because I am overweight. 

I recognize "the look", and know immediately that I will not be taken seriously. 

And I was always afraid to publicly speak up about it, because I figured that people would tell me I "brought it on myself" and I "deserved" it.

No one deserves to be bullied, for any reason.  

Whether you think a person's weight is a "choice" or not, the debate will go on forever.  But there will NEVER be any question, that being a jerk is a choice.

At my husband's former job, his regional manager had never met me, and knew NOTHING about me.  

He saw me through his office window, and proceeded to laugh and make derogatory comments.  

He asked my husband "How can you stand to be married to a fat pig woman?"  He eventually fired him, and cited that as one of the reasons.

We had no recourse whatsoever.  There is no law prohibiting employment discrimination based on weight.  Had he made a racial slur, for example, we could have taken legal action.

What a shame, that this man has two children, who are being taught that this behavior is appropriate and acceptable.  And what an even bigger shame that he professes to be a "christian."

I'm all too aware of the severe health risks associated with being overweight.  I'm not at all offended when a doctor tells me about it, because he is a doctor, and that is his job.

Just for the record, a few days ago I finally started taking steps to take care of it, on my own-- But, I'm being fairly quiet about it, because this is for ME, and not for anyone else.

I am absolutely not doing this to become more "acceptable" to those have already rejected me.  

I don't want them around me even after I have lost some weight, because they've already shown me what kind of people they are.

 I do NOT owe anybody an apology, or an explanation, for my weight.  Especially not to anybody who demands one.

I don't mind when someone is genuinely concerned and wants to offer support to me.  But more often than not, that isn't the case at all.  

There are appropriate things to say to me, but most have taken it upon themselves to say things to me that are NOT appropriate.

So perhaps you have a friend or family member that you're concerned about, and you really do want to know how to help them.  The purpose of this writing is for those people, who are actually teachable. 

The weightist bigots, obviously, will not be. 

And just so we're clear, as soon as I figure out that a person is so shallow, to tie the worth of a person directly to a number on a scale... my relationship with that person is done. 

So, I'll start with what you CAN say to me, provided that I KNOW you, and you genuinely want to offer support:

1.  You know, I found this recipe the other day for grilled fish with fresh herbs, and it was wonderful.  Here's the recipe.  I think you'll like it.

2.  Have you ever tried swimming?  It's great because it works out your whole body and it doesn't wear you out or hurt your joints.  I think you'll enjoy it.

3.  Did you know that massage therapy can help you?  That alone won't help you lose, but it will make you feel better and you'll be more likely to exercise.

4.  Have you ever tried walnuts and sliced peaches?  It's a great snack, I think you'll like it.

5.  I know the first time you exercise is the hardest, because you're so tired.  But I promise, once you start, you won't be so tired anymore, and you won't be so stiff, and you'll sleep better. 

6.  I found that playing the wii is a lot of fun, and makes the time go by a lot faster than walking on a treadmill-- I know that's a bore.

It's a short list; sadly, the supportive comments are much fewer and farther between.

There are also many comments that are NOT appropriate.  

Many people think that comments such as this will "motivate" the person to lose weight by shaming them.  It does NOT work-- and that's not their real motive anyway.

These comments are NOT a product of genuine concern, but of hateful intolerance:

1.  YOU haven't had BREAKFAST?  (in a catty, condescending tone)

First of all, I know you would never ask that question to someone of a normal weight.  

Second of all, it is NONE of your business what time of the day I eat breakfast.

2.  YOU already HAD breakfast!  (in a disgusted tone)

OK, since what I eat and when is obviously very important to you, I'll bother to educate you: 

 I cannot eat a lot of food in one sitting.  So, instead of three regular sized meals a day, I break up my meals into several small ones, about every three hours.  That's what I do; That is what works for me. 

So, yes, I did have a small bowl of cheerios three hours ago, and yes, now I'm having a half of a breakfast burrito.  

My eating schedule is not dictated by you, and neither is anybody else's.  Get over it.

3.  In a big hurry to get something to eat, huh?

Yes, as a matter of fact; I am on my way to WORK.  I will be driving an hour, to work a 16 hour shift.  When was the last time YOU did that on a Saturday? 

4.  You know, you COULD DO SOMETHING about it.

First of all, how do you know I'm not?  You assumed. 

Second of all, you COULD DO SOMETHING about being a shallow, bigoted jerk.  

The rest don't even deserve a response:

5.  There is NO WAY YOU could possibly be hungry.

6.  YOU could go a WHOLE YEAR without food and be just fine.

7.  Are you ready to eat?  I bet YOU ARE!  

8.  Hey, you didn't take ALL the donuts, did you?  

(Spoken to me by a man about 3 times my size).

9.  Not that you're THAT LITTLE!  (ha, ha)

10.  I don't want my tax dollars paying for your (fill in the blank) !!

Several people have told me this; one was a 15 year old, because "his tax dollars pay for it, it IS his business!"  Everyone knows how many thousands of dollars 15 year olds pay in taxes every year.

11.  Why don't you (fill in the blank) ??

Why don't YOU (fill in the blank)??

12.  You can't eat that!  That has FAT in it!  or, That has SUGAR in it! 

what doesn't?

13.  I would kill myself if I looked like you!  

Oh really?  Do us all a favor.

14.  You know, if you REALLY want to kill yourself (by being fat), I have a gun you can use... save yourself the trouble.

15.  Food is REALLY important to you, isn't it?  I can tell!

16.  Wow, you really can EAT!  

(Spoken as I was eating GRILLED FISH, of all things-- after I had been sick for two days!)

17.  Jesus was very bony and he didn't eat much.  You'll never be a REAL christian until you can go without food for a long time, like Jesus did.

(No, I'm not making that up.  Someone claimed it was a "word from God for me.") 

18.  Your therapist must not be doing her job, because you still have a weight problem.  If I was your therapist, I'd be focusing on that!

19.  I'm going to leave my McDonald's bag out and see if you dig in it!

(Spoken by a woman twice my size).

20.  You look like a (fill in the blank).

  

As a general rule, if you wouldn't say it to someone of a normal weight, you shouldn't say it to someone who is overweight. 

And I realize I'm preaching to the choir; The people who really need to be told this, will never learn. 

I guess I'm just hoping that I will help someone out, who honestly doesn't know what they should and should not say.

Lodge mini servers in a toaster oven?

Someone asked on the Lodge facebook page, "Will the mini servers fit in a toaster oven?"

Lodge's answer was, it depends on the size of your toaster oven.

And it does... but from my observation, most of the time, they will.  Unless your toaster oven is very small.

I have a medium to large sized one, that can fit a 12 inch pizza.

I don't see why the mini servers would not fit even a small to medium oven.  

My advice would be to measure the inside of your oven, and then check the size of the piece before you order it.

Lodge also sells "serving griddles" without handles, which I would think would be perfect.  

There is a 7 inch handleless griddle, for example.

Scampi Splash Salmon

I'm always looking for different ways to make salmon.

So in the grocery store, I found an ingredient called "scampi splash", and it was right by the fish department.

If your store doesn't sell it, you could almost certainly make your own.

The ingredients were olive oil, garlic, parmesan cheese, lemon juice, salt, pepper, basil, and crushed red peppers.

Come to think of it, that's similar to italian dressing.

Anyway, pour the "scampi splash" over the salmon and bake in the oven at 350 until done.

It was that easy!

"on the fly" rib recipe

This labor day rib recipe was made up "on the fly", using ingredients I had on hand and wanted to use up.

Slab of baby back ribs in a cast iron pot.

Add beer, honey, soy sauce, and barbecue sauce.

Cover the pot.  Into the oven at 300, for a couple of hours.

Then remove the ribs, and "reduce" the liquid on the stovetop until it thickens into a sauce.  

Pour the sauce over the ribs.

I also steamed some fresh corn on the cob in beer.  I thought it added a neat flavor!

Ribs are very easy.

Can you put a potjie pot in a volcano?

I don't have a potjie pot, so I wouldn't have been able to tell you if you could use a potjie pot in a volcano or not.

But I am on the yahoo group volcanostoveusersofaustralia, and someone posted the above photo, indicating that yes, you can!

The pot is a Best Duty brand, #3 flat bottomed potjie.  

#3 refers to its size.  A #2 potjie would also work, but it doesn't look like a #4 or larger would.

The pot is sitting on the center grill, with the coals on the bottom.

Remember, if you are using a pot with legs*, then you need to put the coals ON the center plate; Otherwise, it will not get hot enough.

*I'm not sure if a potjie with legs would work on a volcano or not.  I've only used American style camp ovens.

Would I ever get a potjie?  Possibly, but I have enough American style camp ovens that I don't need one.

Now, I realize that I have quite a few readers in Australia, so if any of you can tell me a specific benefit to using a potjie over a camp oven, please do.

According to potjiepotusa, the main difference is that a potjie has longer legs and can stand directly in the firepit.  

Whereas an American camp oven has shorter legs and must be hung over a fire with a tripod.

So I guess the real determiner is whether or not you plan on cooking over an open fire, and want the convenience of not having to use a tripod.

I don't have a firepit, as there is a "burn ban" where I live.  I just use coals on my concrete table.

Pork chops and applesauce!

I've always been a fan of the Brady Bunch, and that's where I first heard of "Pork chops and applesauce."

And I thought that was the strangest thing; Pork chops and applesauce?

Evidently, it's a common dish in the midwest, which is not where I am from.  

Twenty five years later, I still had never made nor tried "pork chops and applesauce."

So I decided to try it!  And it was very easy.

Center cut pork chops.  Season with black pepper.

Lay out on a cast iron skillet, and pour applesauce on top.

The chops will take longer to cook due to the applesauce.

Into the oven at 400, and cook until the internal temp of the chops measure 160 degrees.

The applesauce will caramelize in the oven of course.  Yum.

I believe on the show, they had plain pork chops, with applesauce on the side.  

But I loved the applesauce cooked on top of them.

My first fish tacos

When I first heard of fish tacos, I thought, yuck, fish tacos?

Because after all, tacos are made with beef, right?  I've always had tacos made with beef.

But I decided to try making them for the first time.

There are several different varieties of fish tacos.

Some are made with fried fish, and some are made with grilled fish.

Almost any white fish will do, but I decided on grilled tilapia fillets.

And, some are made with soft flour tortillas, some with corn tortillas.

I like crunchy taco shells, so that's what I used.

And then the toppings can also vary.

Some like them with shredded cabbage or cole slaw.

I used chopped tomatoes, chopped fresh cilantro, and shredded mexican cheese mix.

The sauce is usually a lime sauce.  I made my lime sauce by mixing sour cream and fresh lime juice.

Some like their fish tacos with tartar sauce, but I loved the lime sauce.

So to summarize how I made my first fish tacos:

Grill some tilapia fillets.  

Warm some crunchy taco shells in the oven; Be sure to watch them so they don't burn!

Have some chopped tomatoes, chopped fresh cilantro and shredded mexican cheese handy.

Make the lime sauce by mixing sour cream with fresh lime juice.

Assemble the fish tacos and eat!

They were good, but I still can't wrap my brain around the idea of tacos made with anything other than beef.

Although I've been told that shrimp tacos are delicious, too.

my first grilled bananas!

I had my first grilled bananas!


They're very easy.


Just put the unpeeled, whole bananas on the grill.


Grill until they're dark.  


You need a spoon to eat them.  They're great with ice cream!

"shake and bake" chicken cordon bleu

I recently made my first chicken cordon bleu.

The other night I made it again, but differently.

This time I cut the chicken breasts in half before flattening them, as I realized I should have done last time.

Then, instead of stuffing them first, and then coating with parmesan bread crumbs, I shook the unstuffed breasts in shake and bake first.

I used classic chicken shake and bake.  Actually, the generic store brand version.

Then on top of the coated chicken, I put a slice of provolone cheese and a thin slice of black forest ham.

I think it needed more cheese, so I would most definitely add more cheese next time.  At least two or three slices instead of one.

And possibly add Brie cheese as well as provolone.  Brie is delicious too.

Into the oven at 350 until done.

I liked the "cut in half" chicken breasts better than the whole chicken breasts, as it gave a more even balance of chicken to ham/cheese.  

But, it still needed more cheese.  I like a lot of cheese.

Now it's honey mustard BBQ ribs!

In my previous post, I made honey mustard BBQ chicken.


I decided that the same recipe could be applied to ribs!


See, I had this bottle of French's honey mustard that I've been wanting to get rid of.  So instead of just throwing it away, I decided to use it up by cooking with it.


Strange as it may sound, that bottle of honey mustard was a gift.  And it was fine, but it was sitting in my pantry for way too long!


Anyway, I got some "pork finger ribs", which I'd never had before.  I usually get baby back ribs.


They were OK, but not as meaty and flavorful as baby back ribs.  So from now on, I'll continue to stick to baby backs.


I coated them with French's honey mustard, and KC Masterpiece BBQ sauce.  Also added some black pepper.


Slow roasted in the oven in a covered cast iron pot, at 250.


The sauce mixture was excellent, and I'm sure on baby back ribs, would have been great!

honey mustard BBQ chicken

So I saw a recipe on the back label of my bottle of French's honey mustard.


It was actually for chicken stir fry, but it called for marinating the chicken in a mixture of the honey mustard and BBQ sauce.


So, that inspired me to make honey mustard BBQ chicken drumsticks.


I marinated the drumsticks in a mixture of French's honey mustard and BBQ sauce.


Laid them out on a cast iron skillet.  Into the oven at 350 until done.


It was quite good, and very easy!

A revised recipe for hot artichoke dip

I previously posted in this article, my recipe for hot artichoke dip.


This past Friday night, I was at a party and someone brought in this amazing hot artichoke dip, and told me what she had put in it.


I combined her recipe and mine, to make a revised version of  that amazing hot artichoke dip!


Two cans of whole artichoke hearts, drained.  One block of cream cheese.  8 oz sour cream.  


Blend in a chopper.  Then pour the mixture in a cast iron skillet.


Add paprika, then add shredded mixed italian cheese.*


*This particular mix contained parmesan, romano, asiago, provolone and mozzarella.  But you can use any shredded italian cheese.


Also add some grated parmesan cheese (which is different from shredded).


Bake in the oven at 350.

I really tried to make bacon donuts

I really tried to make bacon donuts.  I really, really did.


While I'm sure they could be made from scratch by mixing bacon bits into the dough before frying, I went the quick and simple way and bought some donuts, with every intention of making bacon donuts.


Then I fried up some bacon.  Laid the donuts out on a cast iron griddle, and placed the bacon strips on top.


Warmed in the oven at 250.


They would have been great bacon donuts, I'm sure.


But when I took them out of the oven, I ate up all of the bacon.  


So then I had just regular donuts again.  Not bacon donuts.


Oh well.  Better luck next time... maybe.

It's the baked beans challenge!

I discovered earlier today, that I had LOST my recipe for baked beans.  Pff!


So I had to come up with a new one, and fast.


I decided to try making it two different ways, to see which one I liked better.


One was made with REGULAR mustard, and one was made with French's HONEY mustard.


I was betting on the one with the REGULAR mustard being better.  But actually, I found them both to be equally good.


The rest of the ingredients were exactly the same:  Pinto beans, brown sugar, ketchup, garlic powder, onion powder, dried minced garlic, dried onion flakes, bacon bits.


And then the mustard.  Regular or Honey mustard.


Bake in the oven at 350.

Eleventh recipe created by me: onion garlic salmon

This recipe was created by accident.  


I planned to make salmon and noticed that I had an onion that needed to be used before it went bad.


So I sauteed the sliced onion in butter in a cast iron skillet.


Added a fillet of salmon to the same pan with the sauteed onions.  


On the salmon I put McCormick garlic bread sprinkle, dried onion flakes, and dried minced garlic.


Then put the same pan in the oven, and baked at 350.


If you have fresh garlic cloves, feel free to add those while sauteing the onions.

my first chicken fried chicken!

No, that wasn't a typo.  I meant to say "chicken fried chicken!"


Chicken fried chicken has been my favorite at Cracker Barrel, for over 15 years.


Which says a lot, because I'm really not a big fan of chicken.  


Chicken fried chicken is a chicken breast fillet, that is cooked and served just like chicken fried steak.


It occurred to me the other day, that it would be very easy to make.  After all, I make chicken fried steak.


Cut some boneless, skinless chicken breast fillets in half.


If you want to save money, you can buy bone-in breasts and cut off the bone.


Flatten the halves with a mallet.


Mix two eggs with milk in a bowl.  Soak each half in the mixture.


Mix some regular flour with seasoned salt.  Coat each piece in the flour.


Fry in crisco until done.


For the gravy, use 1 tbsp butter, 1 tbsp flour, 1/2 cup chicken stock, 1/2 cup milk.  Double or triple if you want more.   


Whisk into gravy.  Add seasoned salt.

Dr Pepper marinade ribs?

I made baby back ribs the other day, with Dr Pepper marinade.


It literally was a bottled marinade I bought from the store, called Dr Pepper marinade.


It sure looked like barbecue sauce to me, so I imagine you can probably make your own, from Dr Pepper and barbecue sauce.


I took a slab of baby back ribs, and cut it in half so it would fit in my Lodge 7 quart dutch oven.


I put it in the pot, and poured the whole bottle of marinade over the ribs.


I covered the pot and put it in the oven at 300 degrees.


Roasted until done.


It was delicious.  


I'm sure it would have been just as delicious if you used canned Dr Pepper and BBQ sauce.

My first s'mores

This was my first time making s'mores, and actually my first time eating s'mores.


They're supposed to be done over an open fire, but I used my propane grill, and a pie iron.


You could also do this in a pie iron over your stove.


The recipe is very simple:  Graham crackers, marshmallows and hershey chocolate bar.


Break the graham cracker in half.  Put a piece of hershey chocolate on one half.


Then add a large marshmallow and then the other half of the graham cracker to make a sandwich.


Put it in the pie iron and toast.


You definitely want a serving spatula to remove the s'mores from the very hot pie iron.


S'mores are very messy.


You could also make them in the oven on a cast iron wonder skillet.

Found a recipe for bacon gravy, suggested alternative

Today I found a recipe for "bacon gravy" which I would like to share.


The drawback, while I'm sure it's very tasty, is that it's made with bacon fat.  


And I can't eat bacon fat.  It makes me sick.  


When I use bacon, I take the fat off, or I use Hormel real bacon bits.


So first I'll tell you the recipe, then I'll suggest an alternative way to make bacon gravy.


Cut up some pieces of bacon.  Fry in a cast iron skillet until crisp.


Remove the bacon pieces.  Add some chopped onions to the bacon grease, and cook until browned.  Remove.


Take 1 tbsp of the bacon fat and put in another cast iron skillet.  Add 1 tbsp of flour.


The ratio is 1 tbsp of fat to 1 tbsp of flour, so if you want more, use equal portions of fat and flour.


For every tbsp of fat/flour, add 1 cup of milk.  Whisk into gravy.


Add the bacon pieces and chopped onions.  Bacon gravy!


Now, for people like me who can't eat bacon fat:


What I would do is make a basic gravy with 1 tbsp butter to 1 tbsp flour to 1 cup milk.


Or, 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 cup stock.


Add bouillon or beef base if you want to.


Add Hormel bacon bits and chopped cooked onions.  

ground chuck for spaghetti sauce

For the past several years, I've always made my spaghetti sauce with 93% lean ground beef.

I use 93% lean, because I don't like greasy ground beef, at all!  

Which is why I never order a "ground beef" based dish at a mexican restaurant.

But today I decided to try ground chuck, because it was a lot cheaper.

I had to drain the beef after cooking; With 93% lean, you don't have to drain.

I noticed, though, that the ground chuck made the spaghetti sauce more flavorful.

A butcher once told me that ground chuck is best for spaghetti sauce-- and now I know he was right.

Ground chuck isn't as lean, but it's not very greasy either.

My recipe for spaghetti sauce is:

Brown ground chuck, chopped onions, minced garlic, and fresh mushrooms (or sliced zucchini) all together in a cast iron skillet.  Add italian seasonings, onion powder, garlic powder.

Drain.  Return to the skillet.

Add canned diced tomatoes, and your sauce of choice  (whether it's a jar, or homemade sauce).

Add italian seasonings (or oregano and basil), garlic powder, onion powder.

Simmer the sauce until it's ready.

tenth recipe created by me: bacon bratwurst

Actually, this recipe was going to be called "beef bacon bratwurst", since I used beef bacon to make it.


Did you know there was such a thing as beef bacon?  I did not, until I saw it in the grocery store, in the same section as the regular bacon.


Evidently, it's an alternative bacon for people who do not eat pork, for cultural or religious reasons.


This was my first time trying beef bacon.  


Frankly, I did not like the beef bacon, and it's more expensive than regular bacon.


So I'm going to call this recipe "bacon bratwurst", since I think regular bacon would be better.


It's very simple.  Grill some bratwurst.  Fry some bacon in a pan.


Serve the bacon on the bratwurst.


Alternatively, you can wrap the bacon around the bratwurst before you grill.


Finish in the oven at 250, to make sure it's cooked all the way through, without charring the outside.

bacon blueberry muffins?

Yes, my recent experience with bacon brownies inspired me to try bacon blueberry muffins.


It wasn't hard:  A box of Jiffy blueberry muffin mix and some bacon bits.


Most unusual, but good.


I will say that I liked the "bacon brownies" better than the bacon blueberry muffins. 


Must be something about chocolate and pork blending well together. 


They were still good, though.


Apparently there are also bacon chocolate chip cookies.  Which I do intend to try at some point.

Cast iron skillets in the shape of your state

Pictured above is a cast iron griddle in the shape of Louisiana.


Yes, apparently, you can buy cast iron griddles in the shape of your state.


But before you get too happy too soon... They cost between 500 and 2500 dollars.


They are crafted by hand in the USA.


I don't have one of course, and no plans to get one.


I mean, I love cast iron and all, but... 


Anyway, if you're interested in looking at them, you can browse this website.


Looking at the diameter of most of them, depending on the state, you can't cook much on them.  Maybe an egg or a pancake.


The Texas skillet, of course, has more cooking room.


They are mostly a novelty item, for decoration.

An unusual way to reheat your pizza

This photo was not taken by me, although it sure does look like my kitchen!


This was posted to the Lodge facebook page by Daniel E. Johnson, who has a most unusual way to reheat his leftover pizza.


He doesn't use the microwave; he doesn't even HAVE a microwave.  (And frankly, I rarely use mine, except for popcorn and hot water).


What he does, is invert the lid of his Lodge cast iron pot, on his gas stove burner.  (You couldn't do this on an electric stove).


Be sure it's a lid that has the "basting spikes" to allow for air circulation, so it doesn't scorch.


He uses a VERY LOW flame.  I would personally recommend a diffuser, which is a small metal plate you put on gas stove burners for simmering purposes*.


*You know, I take that back.  A diffuser is usually flat, and the lid has a handle.  That won't work.  Sorry.


He then covers it with a glass lid so he can watch it, and it takes about 15 minutes.


Sometimes he sprays a little water around the edges as it's cooking, which causes a "steam" effect, and believe it or not helps the crust crisp up.


That was a bit of a surprise to me-- I wouldn't assume that moisture would help for a crisp crust, but I guess I'll have to try it to find out!


I'd like to try this, since I do have a Lodge lid with basting spikes-- but, I'm not sure I have a glass lid!


I'll have to go looking through my cabinets, or perhaps use my crock pot lid, if it will fit.


It's a neat idea that I'd try at least once.  


Alternatively, you can just do what I've usually done for the past 3 years, and reheat your pizza on your trusty Lodge griddle, in the oven at 250.  


Yes, it takes longer than a microwave, but very worth it.  I always reheat leftovers in the oven now.


He went on to say that last night, he tried drizzling a small amount of olive oil on the crust, about 5 minutes before it was done, and it added some flavor.


He wants to try it with a little garlic butter next time.

Bacon Brownies?

Yes, I got an email advertisement recently, for bacon brownies.  


And I figured, instead of buying them, they would be very easy to make.


I would just take my usual boxed brownie mix, and throw bacon bits in it!


At my husband's request, I divided the brownie mix, so I would have one batch with bacon bits, and one without.  


I find the brownies with bacon bits, to be quite good!


My only regret is that I didn't put enough bacon bits.  Next time I'll add more.

Yes, there is an app for dutch oven cooking!

In my last post, I mentioned using a phone app to calculate the number of coals I needed.

Yes, there is an app for that!

For Android phones, there are two, called "dutch oven calculator" or "dutch oven gourmet."

Either app will help you calculate the number of coals, based on the size of your pot and what temperature you want.

I'm pretty sure there's one for the iphone too, but, I don't have an iphone.

There are as many different opinions on "the best apps to have" and "apps you can't do without", as there are people with phones.

And I realize this blog is "ramblings on cast iron" and not "ramblings on android apps", but for what it's worth, here is my opinion of really good apps to have.

Besides the dutch oven calculator, of course!

1. AM/FM find radio stations. This app will find the local radio stations, wherever you happen to be. It's handy when traveling, or just moving to a new place. Note it doesn't PLAY the radio, just tells you what the local stations are.

2. Flixster. If you like to go to the movies, then you need this app. It lists the local theaters and tells you what is currently playing, showtimes and all.

3. GD Mate. It opens and closes your garage door. Of course it requires a device to attach to your overhead garage door opener, which costs around $50.

4. Note everything. I use this all the time to make lists and notes to myself.

5. Ringdroid. Take a clip out of any stored mp3 file and make a ringtone out of it.

6. Soundhound. It tells you the name and artist of the song you're currently hearing.

7. Google maps, with navigator. Your phone should already have this.

8. Mr. Number. It is a free caller ID app, and you can block calls from specific numbers.

9. App2SD. This transfers some of your apps to your SD card to make more room on your internal memory.

10. Wifi File Explorer. It allows you to transfer files between your computer and your phone, over your wifi network.

11. Fresh Network. It refreshes your network connection if your data is stuck.

12. Spare Phone. This requires a google voice account, and allows you to make free calls to any number, over wifi. Why would you need this? If you're in a place with no reception, but you have a wifi connection, you can still make a call! Also handy for saving your minutes. This app does NOT require the other caller to also have the app, as many others do.

13. TextPlus. This allows you to send and receive free texts to any number, whether they have the app or not. You can also use it for calls over wifi, but you have to buy the minutes. The app assigns you a separate phone number for free texting.

14. Gas Buddy. It locates the cheapest gas near you.

15. Road Ninja. It tells you what services are available at each exit on whatever interstate you're traveling on.

16. Any Yellow Pages type app. There are too many to list here. Yellow Pages type apps help you find services near you. Other similar apps are called "Places", "Where", and "Poynt."

17. Latitude, Now, and Life360. I have all three, but they all do the same thing. You can find your spouse or children on a map, and know where they are. Since my husband works in the oil field, he could be anywhere within a 200 mile radius; These apps give me peace of mind, since I can know where he is, and whether or not he's headed home yet.

18. PDANet: This allows you to use your phone's internet connection to access the internet on your laptop. Requires the PDANet software installed on your computer, and a USB cable.

19.  Weatherbug.  It shows the current local weather, wherever you are, at your fingertips.

20.  Cam Scanner.  It basically turns your phone into a scanner / photocopier.  You take a picture of a document, which you can save either as a JPG or a PDF file.  Then you can email it, or transfer to your computer and print.

21.  WavPlayer.  My phone was not able to play WAV files, and if you get your home phone voice mail messages emailed to you, well, you need something to play WAV files so you can play the messages on your phone.  So, there you go.

Of course there are many other very useful apps. These are just my "top picks", my favorites.

Roasting a turkey outdoors using coals

Hey, not bad! This was my first time cooking a turkey outdoors using a camp oven with coals.

The charred spots are pieces of skin that were touching the lid. The rest of it is golden brown!

I was told later, that I could have put aluminum foil on top, to keep those spots from charring.

I used a Lodge 14 inch deep camp oven. I had to remove the breastbone so it would fit.

This was a 14 pound turkey, although I would have preferred a 12 pound turkey.

But as it's not thanksgiving, I didn't have a very wide selection to choose from.

Would I do this again? Probably not, but it was a great experience.

It's a lot harder to regulate the temperature using coals, than in a regular oven.

I used an app on my phone, called dutch oven calculator, to calculate how many coals I would need.

Using a 14 inch oven, you need 26 coals to make 325 degrees.

I'm wondering if, because it was hot outside, that made the temperature of the oven hotter.

I used 18 on top and 8 on bottom, although maybe I should have used half on top and half on bottom.

I'm still fairly new to the use of coals. The turkey turned out good, though.

I seasoned my turkey the usual way, with poultry seasoning, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, butter, and "better than bouillon" chicken base.

I made my cornbread dressing, and gravy, the traditional way-- indoors!