my first salisbury steak

I used to love TV dinners, and one of my favorite varieties was salisbury steak.

Mind you, frozen salisbury steak doesn't hold a candle to homemade!

I got this recipe off the internet and it was indeed awesome.

If I were to do this again, I would add a chopped onion and mix it in with the meat, like I do with my burgers and meatloaf.

I used the Lodge 13 1/4 inch skillet with lid for this!  

I have a gas stove; that skillet should not be used on an electric stove because the burners are too small.

Crumble two pounds of ground chuck in a bowl.  Mix in an egg, minced garlic, plain bread crumbs, worcestershire sauce, black pepper, and 1/3 cup of Campbell's condensed French Onion soup*.

*You don't need to add salt or other seasonings, because the French Onion soup is plenty seasoned. 

Form into patties.

In another bowl, mix the rest of the can of Campbell's condensed French Onion soup with 1 tbsp of flour.  

Then add more worcestershire sauce, ketchup, black pepper, and mustard powder.

Heat up the cast iron skillet, then brown the patties on both sides.  

Add the mixed sauce to the skillet, cover, and continue cooking for about 20 minutes.

Serve with mashed potatoes.

grilled dinner!

This is not really called "grilled dinner."  

And I haven't actually made it yet; I had it last night, at a midnight barbecue.

But it's so easy to make, and so good, that I had to post it!  And it's all made on the grill!

The main dish is grilled chicken tenders.  You can buy boneless chicken breast and cut it into strips for this purpose.

I would hammer down the chicken strips to make them flat, so they will cook quicker.  Then marinate in Italian salad dressing; Add onion powder, garlic powder, and Tony Chacherie's Creole Seasoning.

If you don't have Tony Chacherie's, you can add any type of cajun seasoning, or none at all.

Then put them in a cast iron grill pan, on the BBQ grill.  You COULD put them directly on the grill, but because they are chicken strips, a grill pan is probably better.  Grill until done.

The first side dish was grilled corn on the cob.  Take the husks off the corn, spread butter on them, wrap in aluminum foil, and grill.

The second side dish was baked beans.  This was made with canned Bush's grilling beans, with added butter and chopped onions.  Put in a cast iron pot, and heat it up on the grill.

The garlic bread was also grilled; Slice a loaf of french bread, and butter each slice.  Add onion powder, garlic powder, McCormick's garlic bread seasoning, and some dried minced garlic.  Wrap the whole sliced loaf in aluminum foil, and put it on the grill.

There was also homemade potato salad that was not grilled, but very good.  

This potato salad was seasoned with Tony Chacherie's instead of paprika.

I realize that I broke normal protocol by posting a recipe before I actually make it.

But I will!  Soon!

Cooking beans in a bean pot

Pictured above is a Lodge 6 quart flat bottomed straight kettle, which took me two years to find.

It's also known as a "bean pot"; Due to it's shape, which is taller and more narrow than a regular pot, it's more fuel efficient for foods that require long cooking times.

If you don't have one, don't worry; You can cook beans in any pot!

This was my first time cooking dried beans on the stovetop; I usually use a crock pot.

I read somewhere that you can't beat beans cooked over an open fire.

Well, this wasn't an open fire, it was a gas stove.  But I have to admit, these beans were VERY good!

I just cooked them; I didn't add any seasoning or flavoring.  Perhaps I should have, but they were still good!

They were pinto beans.

I soaked them overnight in water, drained, put them in the pot with enough water to cover them.

Brought to a boil, then reduced to medium heat and left them on the stove until done.

I noticed that I did not have to add water while cooking, like I usually do when cooking beans in a crock pot.

I had so many of them that I ended up making baked beans.

Baked dinner!

OK, it's not really called "baked dinner."  But, it was baked, and it was dinner!

I went to a friend's house for dinner recently, and liked it so much that I copied what she did the next day.

She got all her recipe ideas from pinterest.  Which I have not yet become involved with.

The main course was baked shrimp:

Lay out pieces of uncooked shrimp on a cast iron pizza pan. Pour on some olive oil, and add rosemary, oregano, tarragon and thyme.  Into the oven at 350.

The first side dish was smashed red potatoes:

Boil red potatoes, whole.  After boiling, smash them with a potato masher so they're flat.  Lay them out in a cast iron pan.  Pour on some olive oil, add a little bit of grated white cheese*, and add rosemary, oregano, tarragon, and thyme.

*White cheese could be any white cheese you like, whether it's mozzarella, parmesan, provolone, or white american.

Into the oven at 350 at the same time you're baking the shrimp.

Depending on how much room you have in your oven, you may need to bake the second side dish separately:

Slice some red tomatoes.  Lay out on a cast iron pan.  Add a slice of provolone (or any white cheese).  Pour on some olive oil, and add rosemary, oregano, tarragon, and thyme.


This is a very easy and VERY GOOD dinner!

And nothing is better for baked dinner, than cast iron.

Bacon is not politically correct?

First, let me say that there are many different ways to "season" cast iron, in order to make it non-stick.

In fact, there are as many different ways to season cast iron, as there are people who use cast iron.

And while everyone has their own preferred method, it's also a well known fact that some methods are more effective than others.

One quick, easy, tried and true method to seasoning your cast iron pan, is to fry bacon in the pan a few times.  

What I do is, after frying the bacon, put the pan in the oven at 250 degrees for an hour or two; The bacon grease "bakes into" the pan and makes a great non-stick surface.

Since this is my preferred (and very effective) method, that's the one I usually suggest.

Well yesterday I came to find out, bacon is not politically correct!

Bacon is a (gasp!) animal product, you see.  

And bacon has (gasp!) fat in it, you see.

You think I'm joking?  This is what I was told:  

"We are receiving complaints on your referencing bacon for the remedy to many problems.  Many folks on our site are vegetarians, or do not use bacon or other animal fat for any of their cooking needs."

Well for pete's sake!  You don't use olive oil to season a cast iron pan!

Just because the celebrity chefs on TV use extra virgin olive oil in every recipe, and just because extra virgin olive oil is indeed VERY good to cook with, doesn't mean it's any good for seasoning cast iron!

In all seriousness, animal based fats are much more effective for seasoning cast iron, than vegetable based oils.

If you do not use pork for religious reasons, use butter.

If you don't want to handle fat because it's messy, use butter (or lard, which can be purchased on the bakery aisle).

If you are a vegetarian, use butter.  

If you are vegan, coconut oil, or peanut oil, are the best "non animal" products to use.

I simply cannot, with a clear conscience, suggest olive oil, or vegetable oil, as an effective seasoning agent for cast iron -- no matter how popular, trendy, or politically correct it is.

Olive oil is wonderful to cook with, but because it has a low smoking point, it cannot get hot enough to effectively season cast iron.

Vegetable oil, when used for seasoning cast iron, leaves a very sticky residue that must be removed before the pan can be used again.

Here's what I think is going on:

Cast iron is much more than a cookware:  It's a lifestyle.

Vegetarians and vegans traditionally have not used cast iron.  

After all, there's little point to using cast iron to make steamed vegetables; All you need for that, is a plastic bowl and a microwave.

Young urban professionals traditionally have not used cast iron, because they are obsessed with dieting, and want to copy the celebrity chefs they watch on TV.

Lodge wants to market their product to populations that traditionally have not used cast iron.

Suggesting bacon is not "trendy"; It puts off people who are obsessed with dieting and refuse to use animal products.

So, suggesting bacon is contrary to their current marketing efforts.  

Suggesting olive oil "looks better", and makes their product more appealing to those people.

It's like trying to market leather gun holsters to residents of New York City; You wouldn't dare suggest it be used to hold your gun, but rather to hold your cell phone.

And you wouldn't dare suggest conditioning it with saddle soap-- how countrified!  

This blog is not, has never been intended to be, and never will be, an advertising or marketing blog.

I only endorse Lodge products on my blog because they are indeed the best quality cast iron currently in production.

Believe me, it's not because they are my friends-- in fact, I'm sure they would love to see me go away.

So again I say, the fastest and easiest way to season your pans, is to fry bacon in them, and then stick them in the oven for an hour at 250.

It's obviously not "popular", but then again, neither am I.

not only have I HAD boiled dinner, I've MADE boiled dinner!

So I decided that I wanted to try "boiled dinner", thinking that I'd never tried it before.

Until I did a search for the recipe.  And I discovered that not only have I HAD boiled dinner before, I've MADE boiled dinner before!

It's corned beef and cabbage.  And I could have sworn I've posted the recipe on this blog before, but I can't find it.

I just always thought it was corned beef and cabbage.  I figured boiled dinner was something different.

You can use a camp oven, crock pot, or a cast iron pot in the oven or on the stove.

Take corned beef brisket, put it in the pot with the seasoning packet it comes with, and add beef broth.  I also add chopped onions and minced garlic.

Simmer until done.

Remove the corned beef, but leave the liquid in the pot.  

Add your cabbage, RED potatoes, and carrots.  Add some black pepper.

The recipe doesn't call for onion powder and garlic powder, but I add some anyway.

Simmer in the liquid until done.

Then add the corned beef back in with the vegetables.

Serve with mustard and malt vinegar.

Why not cook them all together?

Well, first of all, it wouldn't all fit in the pot at once.

Second of all, it historically was not considered "proper" to cook the veggies and the meat in the same pot.

To save time, you can use two separate pots; Just have some extra beef broth to use in the veggie pot.

Whoops I made a mistake! I was talking about my birthday cake!

Last year I made my first cake, and it was my own birthday cake.

That was using a cake mix.  This year I made my first "from scratch" cake, and it was also my birthday cake.

I tell you what:  While I was making the cake, I was lamenting that it was more effort to make a cake from scratch, and that from then on, I would use a mix.

Until I actually tried the cake.  And it was incredible!  It was the best cake I ever had!

The actual recipe I used was to the letter from the smitten kitchen website.

Instead of using two round cake pans and making it into layers, I just baked it all in a 12 inch cast iron skillet.

I'll retype the ingredients and method here:

4 cups plus 2 tablespoons of CAKE flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp table salt
2 sticks softened butter
2 cups sugar
2 tsp pure vanilla extract (I actually used 3)
4 large eggs at room temperature
2 cups buttermilk

On the ingredients:  

1.  Yes, I used cake flour.  Cake flour is flour specially formulated for cake.  A few friends told me that all purpose flour would have been fine.  I'm sure it would have been, but I used cake flour, and the results were amazing.

2.  Yes, I used pure vanilla.  A few friends also told me that imitation would have been fine, but it's my birthday; I used pure vanilla!  I added an extra teaspoon to give it more zing.

3.  Be sure you take the butter and eggs out of the refrigerator for about an hour before you start making the cake.  I didn't do this, so I was delayed an hour because the butter had to be softened and the eggs had to be room temperature.

4.  Absolutely do not substitute self rising flour.  I realize that self rising flour is flour with baking powder and salt already in it, but this is cake, not biscuits, pancakes or cornbread!  

Now for the method:

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Use a cake mixer!  It will make the job a lot easier!

In a separate bowl, beat butter and sugar until fluffy, then beat in the vanilla.  Add eggs one at a time and continue to beat.  Then beat in the buttermilk.

Then add the flour mixture in small amounts until it's all mixed.

I poured it all in the cast iron skillet and baked at 350 degrees until done.

The recipe also calls for a scratch made frosting, but I used store bought.

pork tenderloin roast in a pot

This is actually a crock pot recipe, but can be slow cooked in a cast iron pot, in the oven or over coals.

First, brown the pork roast on all sides.

Then, in the pot, season with salt and pepper, onion powder and garlic powder, rosemary.

Then throw in some applesauce, dijon mustard, and honey.

Roast in the pot until the pork roast is done, as indicated by a meat thermometer.

Bacon Crispy Bake chicken

Tonight I made baked chicken using JD's Bacon Crispy Bake.

It's essentially, bacon flavored shake and bake.  If your grocery store doesn't carry it, you can order it online.

It doesn't come with a shaking bag, so you have to use a ziploc bag.

Just coat the pieces of chicken in the bag with the seasoning, lay the pieces on a cast iron pan, and bake at 350 until done.

You could make your own, with plain bread crumbs and bacon salt.  Or perhaps bacon bits.

tried to roast a boneless ham

When I roasted this bone in ham for Christmas, it was a very delicious ham!

So I decided to try the exact same recipe on a boneless ham.

The recipe was a boneless ham, a can of pineapple with the juice, some brown sugar, some dry mustard and some ground cloves.

Unfortunately, the same recipe on a boneless ham, wasn't anywhere near as good.

Roasting a bone-in ham had the advantage of both the bone and some fat, which enhanced its flavor.

I will definitely be using a bone-in ham from now on.  It's not only much cheaper per pound, but much better!

Good Afternoon, Rotisserie Chicken Salad!!!

At the grocery store near my house, they sell fresh rotisserie chickens.  (Most grocery stores do, these days).

And whatever chickens were not sold that day, are used to make chicken salad the following day.

And every time I exit the bakery toward the deli, the very nice lady calls out, "Good Afternoon!  Rotisserie Chicken Salad!",  as she hands out samples of it on crackers.

I always get a sample, of course, because it's so good.

So today I had some leftover rotisserie chicken, and decided to make chicken salad out of it.

I ground up the chicken in the blender.  Don't put it all in at once; Put in small batches at a time.

Put the ground chicken in a bowl, and mixed it with hard boiled eggs, 4 parts olive oil mayonnaise to one part mustard, dill pickle relish, sliced green olives, and paprika.

Probably not the exact same recipe as the grocery stores, but it was still very good!

boiled eggs

So why am I writing an article about boiling eggs?  Everybody knows how to do that, right?

Well, sort of.  See, I so seldom boil eggs, that I forget the right way to do it.

And part of the reason I keep this blog, is so I can type my recipes and cooking tips, so I'll remember them!

This morning, I boiled the water first and dropped the eggs in to boil.  Much to my dismay, they cracked!

So I was told by friends that I did it backwards.  You put the eggs in the cold water, and THEN boil them.

Thankfully they were going to be used in chicken salad and chopped up anyway, so it was OK that they cracked.

Personally, I prefer my eggs medium boiled.  (Not hard, not soft).

wings for the superbowl

I don't watch football, but I do have a "tradition" of making wings on superbowl sunday.

But I'm not really a fan of buffalo wings anymore.  So I decided this year to make BBQ and Parmesan Garlic wings!

I used two cast iron pizza pans to make one batch of BBQ and one batch of parmesan garlic.

First I boiled the wings to get the fat out of them.  This is an optional step.

For the BBQ wings, I put some KC Masterpiece BBQ sauce in a bowl, and added brown sugar, soy sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, mustard, and black pepper.

I brushed the wings with the sauce before baking in the oven at 350, and then brushed them again afterwards.  This resulted in a "double layer" of sauce.

For the parmesan garlic wings, I baked them "nude" in the oven at 350.

Then I melted some butter in a bowl*.  Added minced garlic, parmesan cheese, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder.

*I think next time I'm going to clarify the butter instead.

Brushed the butter sauce on the wings after taking them out of the oven, and added more parmesan cheese on top.

I really liked them both!

My first million dollar casserole

Million dollar casserole?  I have no idea why it's called that.  It certainly didn't cost a million dollars to make.

It's essentially, lasagna, except made with macaroni instead of lasagna noodles.

First you boil your noodles in a pot, of course.

Then you make your sauce.  Tomato sauce, with or without meat.  I made my usual spaghetti sauce.

Then you make your cheese mixture.  I normally use ricotta cheese when I make lasagna, but the recipe I was using said to mix the following:

1/4 cup sour cream, 1 cup cottage cheese, 4 oz cream cheese (half a block), 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, garlic salt, pepper.

Personally I would also add some italian seasonings to the cheese mixture (or oregano and basil).

Then assemble the casserole in a 12 inch cast iron deep skillet.  If you don't have a deep skillet, then two regular skillets will work.

Macaroni on the bottom, then cheese mixture, then sauce, then shredded mozzarella cheese.  

If I were to do this again, I'd add another layer of mozzarella cheese in there.

Into the oven at 375 until done.

I'll be eating this for 3 days, I'm sure!

On Pizza Delivery

I realize this blog is "ramblings on cast iron" and not "ramblings on pizza delivery".

In fact, I've written about making your own pizza instead of delivery-- it's so much better!

But I was a pizza delivery driver myself, for two years, so I often find myself in heated discussions with people who have absolutely no clue about the realities of the job.

First, let me say that I try not to order delivery if I can help it. Only if I'm in a hotel in a strange town, and that's the only way I can get dinner.

If I don't have time to make my own, I pick it up.  It's cheaper, it's faster, and the pizza is hotter that way.  But also, based on principle.

The most important thing I can stress to you people is, TIP THE DRIVER.  

Regardless of whatever reason you think you shouldn't, and I've heard them all; I don't want to hear your excuses.  Just, take it from me:  Tip the driver.  Why?

If for no other reason, we always remember who tips and who doesn't.  

And while I had more class than to tamper with anybody's food, it DOES happen.  

Some drivers are even more unethical than that; They do, after all, know where you live.  So, tip the driver.

Even though I never went to those extremes, I often worked a 12 hour shift without a lunch break.  So if I knew I wasn't getting a tip, I took a lunch break.  I'd stop for lunch, stop for gas, and THEN deliver the pizza.

They ALL do that.  If they have multiple deliveries-- tippers get theirs first, non tippers get theirs last.  It's a fact.

So, why else should you tip the driver?  

Because it's simply the right thing to do.  

Let me clarify some common misconceptions:

That "delivery charge" tacked on by the company, does NOT go to the driver at all.  The company charges you for the delivery, and pockets the money.  

Pizza drivers are NOT paid minimum wage anymore.  Companies now pay them "tipped employee" wage, as low as $2.13 an hour.

Pizza drivers do NOT drive company cars.  They drive their own cars, and they are NOT reimbursed for mileage.  

They get a small "per delivery" stipend, usually less than a dollar, regardless of how far they had to drive. That doesn't even cover gas, let alone the oil change they have to get every month, the brakes, tires, etc.

Pizza drivers are NOT insured by the company; They have to buy their own commercial auto insurance, which is very expensive.  Personal auto insurance does NOT cover anything, if the car is being used for company business.

Pizza drivers do NOT just deliver pizzas.  They also answer the phones, make the pizzas, package the pizzas, and wash dishes. 

Pizza drivers do NOT "just take the pizza out of the bag and hand it do you."  They fight traffic and bad weather, risk getting mugged and attacked by dogs, to bring you your food.

And to address the most pathetic excuse of all:  "If they don't like it, they can go find them another job!"  

Have you ever called for a pizza delivery, only to be told that they could not deliver that night because they had no drivers?  I have.  That's because they took your advice!  

If you don't want to tip the driver, then go pick it up yourself.

If you can't afford to tip, then you can't afford to order pizza. Make it yourself.

One time, I was told that I was getting no tip because it was her child buying it with her allowance money, "sorry".  

I was also sorry, that she was not teaching her child to do the right thing.

Tipping the driver is simply the right thing to do.  There is absolutely no excuse for not tipping.

I decided to stop ordering delivery unless it's a last resort, because I object to the companies' exploitation of their drivers.  

They charge a delivery fee that does NOT go to the driver; They refuse to properly reimburse for the cost of using their own vehicles; They refuse to properly insure their drivers; And now they refuse to pay the federal minimum wage!

But when I do order delivery, I tip the driver.  

Not only is it the right thing to do, but believe me, you're better off if you do.

My first german dish

When I was a kid, I tried some German food, and said "If I lived in Germany, I'd starve to death!"

Tonight I made my first German dish-- unless bratwurst and sauerkraut counts as a German dish; I've made that before.

It was very easy, and probably "Americanized".

It consisted of sliced smoked bratwurst, canned German potato salad, and BBQ sauce.

In fact, the recipe was on the can of German potato salad.

Make sure the bratwurst is precooked.  Don't use raw bratwurst.

Just slice up the smoked bratwurst, mix it with the canned German potato salad, and BBQ sauce.

Into the oven at 350 for 45 minutes.

If I didn't know any better, I'd think it was franks and beans, except it was potatoes instead of beans.

It was pretty darn good!

the new Lodge mini cocotte set

This is the new Lodge enameled mini cocotte set.

They are both the same size, even though the picture makes one look bigger than the other.

They are very small pots, at 10 ounces each.  

They're meant for single serving hot desserts or soups.

Personally, I would use them for french onion soup, if it were bigger.  

I like larger portions, myself.  These pots are just over 1 cup in volume.

They come in black or red, and in round or oval.

They're cute and I'm sure they're useful, just more expensive than I'd want to pay, at $49.95 a set.

The Lodge enameled roaster - discontinued

This was the Lodge enameled rectangular roasting pan.  It was part of the Lodge Color series.

It was discontinued due to lack of sales.

I personally would love to see Lodge make a regular cast iron rectangular pan, but I don't think it's going to happen.

In fact, they used to have one, but it was a lot bigger, about 13 quarts.

However, a 12 inch skillet has a similar volume to a 13 x 9 rectangular cake pan.

So you can still make cakes in a skillet.  You can also make lasagna in a skillet.

I never got an enameled roasting pan, because the price was higher than I wanted to pay.

I guess that's why they didn't sell.  Enameled is more expensive.

Lodge temporarily suspended the signature series and L series cookware

So I read today that Lodge has temporarily suspended production of it's signature series and L series cookware.

I didn't have any pieces from either series; They were their most expensive product lines.

They aren't permanently discontinued; Just for 2013.

The reason given, is that sales have been booming for their other products, such as the regular pre-seasoned cast iron, and the Lodge Color series. 

So, they want to focus on production of those products this year.

I never imagined the L series and signature series sold very well.  They were targeted for a different kind of people.

Cast iron is so much more than just cookware; It's a culture, a way of life.

Most people who enjoy cast iron cooking, aren't interested in  the "foo foo", elegant lifestyle... and the people who ARE into that lifestyle, aren't into rugged cast iron cooking!

But in any case, they're not discontinued forever.  Some pieces are still being sold while supplies last.  Otherwise, you'll have to wait until next year.

My "wonderful enchiladas" that aren't really enchiladas

Before I started really cooking, there were a select few things I knew how to make.  

One was what I called "wonderful enchiladas".

Except there was only one problem:  They weren't enchiladas, because they were made with flour tortillas instead of corn, and with salsa instead of enchilada sauce.

I didn't care though; They were good.  

Well, over the years since I've started really cooking, I've improved on the recipe, so now they're even better!

The first recipe was very simple:  Flour tortillas, refried beans, velveeta cheese, and salsa.  Into the oven at 300.

And the first recipe was indeed good.

But you want to make THIS recipe, because it's even better:

First you make what I call a "mexican base."  

You brown some ground round, chopped onions, and minced garlic, in a cast iron skillet, until they are cooked.

Add some onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, cumin, and coriander.  You can also add chili powder if you want to make it spicy.

Then add some pinto beans*, drained, and a can of diced tomatoes, drained.

*Canned or cooked dry beans, doesn't matter.

Cook a little while longer until it's blended.

Then you take another cast iron pan, and lay out the flour tortillas.

Spoon the mixture in each tortilla.  Add some cheese; I use half white american cheese*, and half monterey jack.

*I now use white american cheese instead of velveeta; It tastes fresher and less "processed".  Some might prefer cheddar, but I don't like the way cheddar melts.

Then pour on some red enchilada sauce.  Or homemade salsa, if I have some.

Top with shredded Mexican cheese blend.

Into the oven at 300.  Or 325, if you want the tortillas more crisp.

Serve with sour cream.

They.  are.  awesome!

my first rice pilaf

I've loved rice-a-roni all my life.  I still love it.

I never realized that it was, essentially, rice pilaf.

I made my first "from scratch" rice pilaf today.  

There are many different recipes for rice pilaf, but I just made the basic recipe.

Melt some butter in a cast iron pot.  Pour in the dry, uncooked rice.

Saute the uncooked rice until brown.

Pour in some chicken broth at a 2:1 ratio; In other words, if you have 1 cup of rice, pour in 2 cups of broth.

Heat to boiling, which won't take long, then reduce heat to low and cover.

Simmer on low until the rice is fully cooked.

It was quite tasty.

If you break up raw spaghetti and saute it along with the uncooked rice, you'll have homemade rice-a-roni.

my first roasted ham!

I made my first roasted ham today!

I could have got one of those boneless spiral cut hams, with the package of glaze included.

But I decided that I've never roasted a ham before, and I wanted to do it "old school!"

I didn't really have a recipe.  I used a half a "bone in"  ham.

I just threw it in a covered cast iron pot, with the fat side up.

I added a can of sliced pineapple with the juice, some brown sugar, some dry mustard and some ground cloves.

Next time I'll add less ground cloves, and more dry mustard and brown sugar.

It was also suggested to me that I could have added some coca cola!

I roasted it in the oven, covered, at 325 degrees.

It was delicious!  I'll remember to increase the brown sugar and dry mustard for next time.

There was a considerable amount of liquid in the pot, which I reduced on the stove to make it thicker.

Be sure you use a "bone in" ham for this recipe.  I tried it on a boneless ham and it wasn't anywhere near as good!

Practical use of the cast iron waffle maker

I got a cast iron waffle maker two years ago, and never used it until just now.

In fact, the only reason I used it today, was just to say I used it at least once, because I'm planning on selling it, since I never used it.

Cast iron waffle makers are meant to be used on the stove.  Preheat the waffle maker on both sides, and be sure you're wearing oven gloves when you flip it!

I used the recipe for waffle batter on the bisquick box.  

You might think that waffle batter is the same as pancake batter, but it's not!  It's different.

Waffle batter contains cooking oil, in order to make it crispier.

Historically, waffle batter has also called for separating the egg whites from the yolks before mixing, but I didn't do that.

I initially sprayed the waffle maker with baker's joy, which kept it from sticking.

I made the mistake of not spraying baker's joy again before adding the 2nd batch of waffle batter, and it stuck.  You have to spray every single time!

I was concerned about the waffle batter oozing out of the sides, but that didn't happen, because I didn't put too much batter.

It did make good waffles.  I enjoyed my first cast iron cooked waffles.

I still plan to sell it though, since I don't make waffles often enough to justify keeping it.*

*UPDATE:  Unfortunately, according to WAGS, I wouldn't be able to sell it for much.  

So, I might as well keep it, and continue to enjoy cast iron cooked waffles.

The stainless steel enameled cookware knob

This is a stainless steel replacement knob for Lodge Color enameled dutch ovens.

Why should you care?

Well, of course, if you need a replacement knob for your Lodge color enameled dutch oven.

But I have a different reason:  My current knob on my enameled dutch oven is perfectly fine, but it's the old style knob.

The old style knobs were made of black phenolic plastic; As a result, the enameled dutch ovens were only oven safe to 400 degrees.

Two years ago, they switched to the stainless steel knobs, making the enameled dutch ovens oven safe to 500 degrees.

Personally, I'd rather have a pot that's oven safe to 500 degrees.  

So I was happy to learn that I would not have to buy a new enameled dutch oven, in order to improve it's oven safe temperature.  I can just get a replacement knob.

Granted, I'd prefer another color, but the red one was on sale, and I care more about the food, than the color of the pot.

In addition to improving their knob, they came out with two additional colors for their 6 quart pots.

So, if you have a Lodge Color enameled dutch oven, check the knob.  

If the knob is black, it's only oven safe to 400 degrees.  If it's stainless steel, it's oven safe to 500 degrees.

twelfth recipe created by me: ground round stew, or yum yum stew?

This is the twelfth recipe created by me, and I can't decide whether to call it ground round stew, or yum yum stew.

It's a stew made from ground round.  

And actually, I was reluctant to try it because I wasn't sure it would be good.  

But when I did try it, I said "yum yum."  Hence, the inability to decide on a name!

I'm not a big fan of stew meat because it's so tough that I don't want to eat it.

So I tried making stew with ground round instead.

Browned the ground round in a cast iron skillet; Added worcestershire sauce, onion powder, and garlic powder.

Added the drained beef to the pot, along with cut up carrots, onions, and whole mushrooms.

I had planned to add potatoes too, but there wasn't enough room in the pot.  Potatoes would have been great though.

Added two cans of cream of chicken soup, mixed with milk, and a packet of Lipton onion soup mix.

Let it cook on low for several hours.  

It was, well, yum yum.

This would make a great outdoor camp oven meal, over coals.

my first green bean casserole!

For thanksgiving this year, I made my very first green bean casserole.

That may sound surprising to you, but, I never liked green bean casserole until this year... for some reason, now I all of a sudden like it.

I used the Lodge 3 quart chicken fryer, which doubles as a casserole dish.

I used the exact recipe found on a can of Campbell's cream of mushroom soup, plus I added some bread crumbs, because I like them.

You need green beans, of course.  Fresh is best; Approximately four pounds of cooked fresh green beans.

Or the same amount in frozen or canned is fine, too.

You also need two cans of campbell's cream of mushroom soup, mixed with milk. 

Add some French's fried onions, bread crumbs, black pepper, and soy sauce.

Into the oven at 350 for 30 minutes.  Top with some more onions and bread crumbs and let the top brown.