I added a little local color to the neighborhood this afternoon. With the gorgeous weather, I changed out of my gym clothes and into a skirt and t-shirt and Kenny hat and decided to go walking around the neighborhood. I brought my little walking purse with my phone, 2 index cards and a Uniball pen ( in case I got an idea for a story) and five bucks (in case I remembered an ingredient that would help for dinner).
I walked up to the Kroger and Goodwill and decided to look for a shirt for Kenny, in case there was an amazing find. Nothing awesome. One last thing… housewares… and there it was: a badly treated but otherwise glorious old skillet- you can’t hurt a skillet for long, even if you try! And it was 3.99- amazing. I’ve been looking for another old skillet for months. They cost $20-30 at some thrift stores- they know what they’ve got. There’s no sense in buying a new one if you can find an old one- the old ones are way better. They’ve changed the metal content nowadays, as I understand. Look up some blogs, ask your grandma.
The mile of walking home was lots of fun. I walked along with the skillet, wondering what people hypothesized. Is she carrying it for security? Instead of a dog? Because of dogs? On her way to do somebody in? I ran into my friends Beth and Jodi on the way home, and a little story came full circle. I’d started to search for a second skillet when Jodi and her husband Felix came over for breakfast, and I asked them to bring their own skillet. We like to make this wonderful pancake in a pan that our friend Louise Tucker first made for us on Orcas Island. I’ve blogged about it before. One pan makes enough for two people. We needed two so we can share this favorite with friends!
Here I am with my prize. And if you’d like to learn more about Dutch Babies, head back here!
how i wish i had wandered onto Gallatin Rd earlier when i was in the neighborhood just in hopes of catching a glimpse of that :o)
I just realized that “Score on Gallatin Road” would have been a more fun title… Wish I’d seen you!
TOTAL score! Way to go Katy! Love picturing you walking down the street in a skirt with a skillet in your hand
Hey Katy
As a blacksmith I am very versed in cleaning those things up… Wet sand works good to get rid of a lot of things that seem to get on skillets, and boiling the inside using baking soda, the other thing is after you get it cleaned out season it with pure beeswax instead of olive or veggy oil… Beeswax does a better job of sealing the iron and making a better looking finish to the outside and even inside of the pan
If you feel comfortable using wire brushes you can really make these things shine, but getting too heavy handed can loosen up a lot of that old metal and get filings in the food later as they come loose with heat and water… Steel wool works good too but be sure to wash things and maybe even boil it out before using wax to coat things…
For putting the wax on just get the pan hot and smear it in!
Woman, that’s so awesome! (excuse “a” word, plz) Wish I’d been there. I love ours. When not using them to cook they can easily be used for self defense. Am planning a L’Abri workshop on Cooking with Cast Iron. Wouldn’t it be fun to do one together?
What a marvelous bit of help, Caleb- thanks for sharing! I looked all over the world wide web, and that’s better info than I found.
Margie, it would be fun indeed.
Sweet! I confess - once I went running and found one setting beside someone’s garbage, and I claimed it as my own. Isn’t that gross? But I figured - disinfecting it couldn’t be easier - just stick it in the oven!
Oh, I witnessed it first hand. That was one of the best sights of the day -seeing a Katy in a Kenny-hat with a big ol’ iron skillet in hand walking up my front stairs. There are so many reasons that I think that your neighbors (me included) call you “Crazy Katy” and have no choice but to love you for it!
Superb. I’ve recently gained an appreciation for cast-iron cookware — probably about the same time I realized what fun it is to cook over fire — and it’s good to know I’m not alone!
Like many others, I do wish I could have seen your pan-walk firsthand.
Also, you need to write more for the Rabbit Room.
LOL for about three minutes! Wow, you crack me up! Suddenly I feel like grabbing a skillet and going for a walk…
A mate recommended me to read this post, brill post, fascinating read… keep up the good work!