Spices and Herbs as Food Enhancements - Day 3, UBC

Time is zipping by already in the February 2021 Ultimate Blog Challenge (UBC). Can you believe we are already on day 3? I can't. Time needs to sit still for a bit and just chill. Are you sitting still today? Are you breathing? I sure hope so...anyway. 

Have you enjoyed the last two days of my UBC blogs? Have you figured out my theme yet? Today's topic might give you another clue. Remember, these were random statements I posted on my Facebook wall a month or so ago to engage others in dialogue and conversation. Not only do these random questions cause a grown person to think and reflect on what they have daily at their disposal, but sometimes we also take the small things we have for granted. What happens if these small things are no longer accessible? Would you survive without them? Could you survive without them? Would you be able to adjust to survive? These adjustments might impact, eating, shelter, transportation, survival, employment, and anything else we humans need to survive this thing we call LIFE. 

The random statements I posted could easily become assignments for people who homeschool their children. After all, they are the future generations. Would they know how to cook in a cast-iron skillet? Pre-season it, clean it, and store it? If not, check out my day one post called, Cast Iron Skillet/Dutch Oven Cooking. What about survival? Would they know how to provide shelter or food in the event they needed to adjust a few things? If not, check out my day two post called, Eating or Having a Roof Over Your Head. 

Without further ado, let's talk about today's random statement.

"I am cooking, there are no spices in our cabinets for food enhancements, what could I use"?

 

How many of you cook daily? I'm sure there are a few chefs among us, right? When you are cooking, tasting, and preparing your food - do you keep it bland, or do you throw a pinch of this in there and a pinch of that? What does the pinch of this and the pinch of that consist of? 

The comments and dialog that many were engaged with on this random question were remarkably interesting. One of my friends mentioned, "collecting salt from the rocks and that local plants could be used. Knowing which plants are edible versus poisonous would be vital". 

Have you ever tasted a rock by chance? Did you know salt came from rocks? I vaguely recall as a little girl tasting rocks. I don't know why I tasted rocks, but I do have that memory. We also made mud pies back in the day. Thinking back to those memories grosses me out today, just knowing what happens in our yards and such with the nightly varmints that troll the streets, i.e., skunks, possums, rabbits, dogs peeing, etc. or even the pesticides used to kill the weeds and makes our grass grow. Mud Pies...yum, yum! NOT!!!  I think I will pass on the mud pies today. LOL

I have always wanted to visit a salt mine. Have you ever been to one? One of my friends and cousins (still trying to figure out how we connect with my 3rd great grandfather) posted photos of a trip they took recently. Can you guess where they went? You got it. They visited a Salt Cave. It was called Sol Himalayan Salt Cave and Spa.  When I saw the pictures she shared, I had to check out the website. I always thought salt was just for seasoning and food enhancements. I didn't realize it was therapeutic for our bodies...

I use Himalayan Salt in one of my grinders!  Do you use Himalayan Salt in your cooking? Have you ever been to a salt cave or spa? If you have been following my blogs for any length of time, you will know, I enjoy road trips, weekend adventures, and getaways. I have made note of the Himalayan Salt Cave and Spa for a future trip. 

There are many types of salt products available to use in food preparation, canning, preserving, and now I suppose therapy, according to the previous website I mentioned above. 

When mom and dad made homemade ice cream, they would use rock salt. I used to snag little chunks of that and put it in my mouth. I miss the days of making homemade ice cream.  Rock Salt is not much different than iodized salt. Rock salt has more minerals compared to table salt. That's because, during the refining process of table salt, it loses calcium, potassium, etc. Table Salt comes from Rock Salt. It could also have more iodine in it than Rock Salt. 

There are so many different varieties of Rock Salt. Pink, Himalayan, Sea Salt, Himalayan Black Salt, and, Ice cream Salt, just to name a few. What is your favorite to use? I've used a variety of different salts in the past. Salt is one way to enhance our food. Please use it in moderation though. A lot of salt is not good for our health. Choose wisely...

Do you know which plants are edible versus poisonous out in the timber or walking along the street?

Another memory I have as a little girl is traveling to visit my great grandparents in Mineral Wells, Texas. Down the street from my great grannie's house, was an old Cemetery. There were trees there too. High up in the trees, was Mistletoe. If we ever visited during the holidays, mom would always send dad over to snip her some fresh Mistletoe to take home with us. 

Did you know Mistletoe can cause blurriness, drowsiness, vomiting, and even seizures?  I didn't. I always thought it was poisonous, but not necessarily for humans. To animals, yes. When I see trees that have Mistletoe in them, I always smile and think about the memories of mom taking some home with us from great grannie's house. I did see her and dad kiss under it a few times, too!   What I'm saying here...do not eat Mistletoe. It wouldn't be one of my choices of plants to cook with...

One of my followers asked my friend who posted the statement about collecting salt from rocks and using local plants 'how they would know what to look for'? A suggestion given was to find a book on Herbs and research your yard and the around where you live to see what is available. I thought that was a good idea. My dad used to have all sorts of books. He liked to read. I'm sure he had books on Herbs...now whatever happened to them, I couldn't tell you. I do, however, have his books on Roses. :-)

Some of the dialog and conversations to the prompt I gave brought many chuckles to those who were engaged. Someone said, "be my luck I'd find poison ivy". Another comment made was, "my yard is full of weeds and stickers” which brings me to my next thought. Do you know the difference between Poison Ivy? My husband is a hunter...I cannot tell you the number of times he has come home covered in Poison Ivy. He always says', "if it has leaves of three, let it be...". 

If you are going to venture out into the wilderness or the timber, one needs to know what they are looking at and what to look for. Here is a picture of Poison Ivy. 

I don't want any Poison Ivy to cook with...and I'm sure you don't either. That's why it is important to know your plants and Herbs. Many are extremely useful and have many wonderful attributes, but many are harmful. There are many wonderful books available to learn about the different plants and Herbs. 

Thinking about the leaves, the plants, and such, we need to also keep in mind the textures of each one we see. Some might be very hairy. Some may be bitter and like I mentioned before, some might even be poisonous. Know your plants...

This brings me to my next thought...how many of you have bought a bunch of Cilantro only to get home and realize it's Parsley? I cannot tell you how many times I have sent my husband to the store to purchase ingredients for homemade salsa, only to find instead of Cilantro he has mistakingly brought home a bunch of Parsley. 

I did this very same thing on Tuesday when I went to the store for a few items. I saw the sign, I reached for the container, dropped it in my basket, and went on my merry way.  When I began preparing the egg omelets for breakfast later in the day, I reached for the container I had picked up earlier in the day...oh my gosh! Fresh Oregano instead of Basil....guess what, I used it anyway in our omelets and it actually tasted pretty good. Although I still wanted the basil, I had to adjust my thinking and my taste buds. Anyway, I'm sure none of you have had any little snafus like this, have you? If you have, tell me about them...I'd love to hear your stories. 

One Herb I enjoy cooking with is Rosemary. My husband always calls them sticks. I like to grind my own, use it in the original form, and the powder form as well. He doesn't like me using Rosemary much, especially in the stick form as he calls it! 

Have you ever seen a Rosemary bush? If you have, did you rub your hand across it? The aroma it lets off is tantalizing. When I worked at Terrell State Hospital here in Texas, just outside of the main door to the building I worked in, were two exceptionally large Rosemary bushes. They smelled so good, especially when I would stroke my hand through the tops of them on my way in the door. Did you know that Rosemary is also used to repel insects? Just another little tidbit I have learned through the years. That's why these two large Rosemary bushes were planted outside of the entryway...to help deter insects. 

I always have a Rosemary bush at our house throughout the summer. I have thought about planting a large one like the ones I walked past every day for eight years straight...maybe I will this year. 

Rosemary in any form is another great Herb to enhance food. 

Getting back to our yards...how many of you have Dandelions growing? You know, those little yellow flowers we see from time to time in our yards. Did you know that these weeds as I call them are edible? They can be used to make herbs and tea.  The entire plant is edible, but you would want to avoid the stem if possible as there is latex in it. This could result in having a 'laxative' effect on you. I have read that Dandelions resemble a spicey Arugula. I love eating Spring mix greens. I'm sure at one time or another I have eaten a Dandelion. 

If you like drinking tea, here is a recipe for you to try using Dandelions. 

1. place about two cups of clean dandelion in a saucepan.
2. cover with 4 cups of water.
3. bring water to a boil.
4. strain out the dandelion and reserve the liquid for your tea.
5. dilute the tea with water if the flavor is too strong.

You can add honey, lemons, limes, etc. if you need to enhance the flavor of your tea. 

Another comment I received with regards to food enhancements was, "I grew wild garlic". When Ronnie and I lived in Illinois, we also had wild garlic. The aroma they put out was strong at times. I always had him cut me a few stalks (if that's what it is called) everyone few days. 

Today, where we live, our neighbor has wild garlic growing in the back of his place. From time to time if the wind is blowing right, I get a whiff of it blowing across my face. I smile...

Something else I use to enhance the flavor of food is lemons and limes. I also use jalapeno's, sweet peppers, and other Herbs such as garlic cloves, oregano, basil, and mint. Did you know you can make a tea out of mint, too? In fact, one of my dad's sister had a mint bush in front of her yard...when I would visit her, she would always pinch off a piece and stick it in her mouth. She would tell me it was good for the soul. This same aunt always had clove in her mouth too. I remember as a small girl, her breath smelling so good. I guess it was from the mint and cloves she would swish around in her mouth. 

Here's a quick recipe for Mint Tea - the mint can be crumbled by hand or through a screen when it's dry. The leaves can also be left whole, too. Steep about one tsp of dried mint leaves in hot water for three minutes to make a soothing mug of Mint tea. Enjoy! 

Something else I do is keep the peels of oranges after I eat the insides. I make tea out of them, too. Have you ever made yourself a cup of Orange tea? If not, try the same steps as making the Mint tea, only there won't be any leaves, but peels instead. Bring your water to a boil, add the peels and let them seep for a few minutes. Once you have seeped them to your liking, add a splash of milk, or honey and enjoy. Be careful though, as it will be hot!

I haven't even begun to scratch the surface of the different things we can use for spices to enhance our foods. What are some of the items you use? 

Until tomorrow, 

Heart to Heart Soul Creations
H2hsc2020

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Eating or a Having a Roof Over Your Head

It's day 2 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge (UBC). Woo-hoo, this is my 3rd time participating in this challenge over the course of the last 13 months. 

I'm going to take up where I left on day 1. Do you remember what the content was? If not, that's okay...I'll remind you. The title of my post was, "Cast Iron Skillets/Dutch Oven Cooking". Many of you commented that you too, enjoy cooking with your cast irons. Thank you. I always enjoy reading your comments. 

When I posted these random statements and questions on my Facebook wall - the conversations were rich. They were meant to create thinking out loud moments, conversational dialogues, and solutions. I don't know about you, but I don't always know a solution to a problem until I'm faced with the issue. Just like the comments left on my Cast Iron Skillet post, the responses were rich and full of knowledge. In many instances, I had people say...I hadn't thought about that, thank you! 

I started out with the Cast Iron Skillet statement, once I received several comments - I posted another random statement/question. Here was the second statement I posted. "If you had to choose eating or having a roof over your head, which would you choose and why? You can ONLY choose one".  Once I typed that, I hit enter and waited for the dialog to begin...it didn't take long before I started receiving comments. Follow along to see where the dialog went. 

Much of the consensus was, they would prefer a roof over their head because one can/could always hunt for food. Do you know how to hunt, fish, or eat off the land? Our family hunts and we fish, so I could concur with the majority. But realistically - is hunting abundant in our area? With more and more concrete construction in and around our metroplex, timber and wildlife are being threatened each day. The wildlife is being forced from their habitats and pushed further away. This makes me sad on many levels...not because I want to hunt them, but because we are invading the livelihood of these creatures and destroying their landscape environments. 

Fishing on the other hand is abundant. There is a pond, a lake, or rivers all around where we live. If one owns a boat (which we do not) ...fishing comes easy. If one is fishing from the bank like we do most of the time, we must contend with others who are also trying to snag a fish or two. 

One of the comments was directed towards eating wild hog. This wildlife is one I refuse to allow my husband to bring home. I have had it many years ago and did not care for it...not then, not today. Wild hogs are abundant here in Texas. They cause a great deal of damage to landscapes and property. We had a friend several years ago who was tracking one, set out a trap, and thought it was dead. When he walked up closer to it, he quickly realized that it was still very much alive. I will leave it there...but will say, after many stitches and a lengthy hospital stay, he is lucky to be alive today. I don't do wild hogs in any way, shape, or form. I've heard that wild hog is an acquired taste. Have you eaten wild hog before? Did you like it? If so, how do you cook it? 

Another comment I received was, "they prefer a roof because they could hunt for food. But at times, survival might be difficult because of extreme weather". I pondered this statement for a little bit...' extreme weather'...I just received another statement for another time. 

If one has a roof over their head, but no food in the pantry - how would they survive? Have you ever been in a position like this? I have and I didn't like it. A memory that comes to mind many times is something my mom always said when she lived with us. She would tell me, "Nan - the refrigerator is looking a bit sparse, when will you be grocery shopping?" or she would say, "Nan- the pantry is bare, I don't want to starve, will you be buying groceries soon"? Never once did my mom ever starve while living with us...we always had food, but maybe we didn't have the specific thing she wanted to eat, and she began to stress over it.

When I asked her why seeing the refrigerator or the pantry a little bit empty bothered her so much, she told me that when she was a little girl, many times they would not have food in their house, and she would be very hungry. She was always afraid she would starve to death. My heart broke when I heard mom's memory of her childhood and I assured her she would not starve on my watch. 

How many times have you walked into the kitchen looking for something to eat, but couldn't find anything even though the refrigerator and the pantry were full? My daughter tells me that all the time even still today...' mom, you don't have anything to eat in your kitchen', yet my fridge AND pantry both ARE  full. The problem is, I don't have anything she WANTS to eat. Kids are so funny...young and old alike! 

One of the comments I received to my statement "eating or a roof over your head"  indicated a roof would be easier to maintain and they went on to say, that in winter - it is harder to survive without secure shelter. It would be easier to cook or griddle outside. Hunting is an option, but so is food pantries or asking friends for scratch cook ingredients. That is more time-intensive but simple meals with a roof over their head. In her comment, she dropped something that I hadn't thought about before...scratch cook ingredients. How many of you know what this is? 

Scratch Cooking - means to cook a meal without using readymade ingredients. I remember my granny and my mom cooking from scratch. In fact, I have cooked from scratch a few times. Have any of you ever made biscuits, loaves of bread, a spice mixture, or soup from scratch? If so, you could say you have scratched cooked!  

Let's go a step further, what would scratch food ingredients be? What do you think they are? The first thing that comes to mind would be a mixture of fresh herbs or even fresh vegetables. I can't wait to see what your thoughts on this subject are. What do you have in your kitchens today that could be considered "scratch cooking ingredients"? 

Do you see how my random statements and questions created a dialog that got people thinking about everyday things we take for granted? For instance, another one of the comments left was, 'this is a catch 20/20. If you expend energy building and maintaining a shelter, you must replace it with food. But then you must expend further energy hunting/scavenging and if you don't come up with much, you end up worse off. In the best-case scenario, you have a partner who can split the energy cost with you'. 

The comments to my posted statements were interesting. It gave me an insight of how different people view choices, solutions, and the opportunity of coming up with a plan of action in the event one was needed. 

One of my friends posted "always find shelter first. Then build a fire and find a water source. Now, you can find food. One should know good berries from the bad, protein sources like snails and learn how to set traps. Maybe fish, too". Okay...this is a great comment. How many of you know how to build a fire without a firepit or a grill outside? What would you use? Do you know what the good berries are from the bad ones? Protein source? What does that look like? In her original comment, she left the word, 'YUCK' behind the snail comment. I think I would have to agree with her. I'm sure many have eaten Escargot though...that's snails, right?  I can't see myself eating snails, cockroaches, or anything else along these lines. But in many cultures, these are considered delicacies. I suppose though, if push came to shove, I would do what I had to do to survive. 

This brings me to a memory I have of my dad many years ago. He and his mother got this bright idea they were going to get rich from raising 'earthworms/nightcrawlers'. We had a three-car garage and only had a small path we could walk through to get back to the washer and dryer. This garage was detached from the house. Our dad was a hoarder...you know that show that plays on tv? Yea, that was my dad through and through...The things he had in that garage and in his other sheds made my skin crawl, literally. 

Okay, back to the earthworms. Dad built these wooden boxes, filled them with compost (using many different things), and then buried the earthworms/nightcrawlers deep into the mixture. Some of these worms were 12-15" long. I remember one time, he had cookies made with the worms. I did not try any of them. It grossed me out thinking about it then and it still grosses me out thinking about it now. The worm boxes as he called them, were in the smallest stall of the garage. Back in the day, the people who owned the property before mom and dad bought it, had a mechanic shop out there. It even had a bathroom in it. (that garage creeped me out on so many levels...and I don't have many good memories of it at all). I HATED going out to the garage to retrieve the laundry or jars of vegetables mom had canned from the garden. But none the less, we had these worm boxes. Not much came from the earthworms because they ended up freezing during a hard winter. Money down the drain...not to mention the mess left behind. So much for dad's dreams of becoming wealthy. We MUST have dreams, right!? 

The closest I get to an earthworm or nightcrawler today is if I'm putting a piece of one on my fishing pole. Even then, they still gross me out and my husband will more than likely be the one to thread my hook. Memories...they are so powerful. Whether good or bad. How many of you have ever eaten one of these worms? Do they gross you out? Have you ever held one? 

A roof or eating...that is the topic at hand today. One of the comments left made me laugh. They chose a roof, but then added, "why do I feel like you are testing me to see if I have watched the movie Castaway"? I laughed so hard when I read her comment. I immediately thought to myself, she is right. 

I have watched that movie. Have you? I suppose this is what Tom Hanks was having to do being a castaway on that island after a tragic and horrific ordeal. He had to learn how to survive from the land and even figure out shelter. It made me think about our current day in America. Could I survive if the things I take for granted daily were stripped away? Would I be able to survive? Would I be able to keep shelter and food in place if it all was to vanish for whatever reason? Could you? What does that look like in your mind? Would you be able to feed your family? 

These statements and questions I pose are not to bring fear, but to get you to think about the 'what if's'. Because honestly, these could become a reality very easily. I mean think about it. How many people have lost their homes to fires, tornadoes, hurricanes, or other natural disasters? They have even lost their means of food. It all must be replaced, but how? Shelters, friends, families, food pantries, or other forms of handouts? 

I'm reminded of a time I went to the grocery store after the COVID Pandemic hit. I needed to purchase something specific. No, it wasn't toilet paper...when I walked down the aisle where the item was normally shelved, it was empty. There was a sign that said, 'this product will no longer be available'. I thought to myself, why is that, because of the Pandemic? Now, what am I going to do. I need that item for what I'm cooking...I had to come up with another plan of action. I had to completely rethink what it was I wanted to do with the food preparation I was going to cook that night. I had to think on my feet and come up with a different solution. 

How many of you have ever had to come up with a different solution to a problem where the obvious answer was quite easy, but then suddenly became quite difficult? This reminds me of the times we are living in today. Everyone everywhere has had to adjust. We have had to change the way our normal is. What if this came down to choosing a roof over your head or putting food in your stomach. What would you choose? How would you bring it to fruition? Do you have a game plan that your family is aware of just in case? We do. I have frozen water in the freezer, and we have ice chests in the shed (in the event we needed to move food around). I also have bottled water set aside, along with batteries and flashlights. We have several means of cooking methods outside, a grill and a fire pit where we can easily use our cast irons. We have a pantry full of items that include staples such as flour, spices, beans, rice, canned vegetables, cold brew tea just to name a few. We even own a tent and a portable commode. We are eventually going to invest in a generator. I've also thought about investing in a portable shower in the event we needed to figure out a way to stay clean. We have fishing poles and other means to hunt off the land IF push came to shove. 

These are realistic times and these random statements of mine created amazing dialog and engaged conversation. In fact, they made some people think about what they would do and how they would achieve the task at hand. Have you thought about any of this recently? Let me hear from you. Drop me a comment below. 

Until tomorrow...Have a GREAT day! 

Heart to Heart Soul Creations
H2hsc2020

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Cast Iron Skillet/Dutch Oven Cooking

Today marks the start of the new Ultimate Blog Challenge (UBC). I am excited to join in the fun this month. I skipped out on the last two times due to other commitments and health issues. Hopefully, I can make it for the next twenty-eight days! 

Sometimes, I wish I were up to speed like so many other bloggers who have content sitting and waiting to pull from. Since I am a newbie - (been at this now for about a year), I don't have much prepared in advance. That is on my 'to-do list' for 2021 though. Wish me luck! 

Anyway...I'm sure some of my readers might cringe at the content of my post today because I am going to talk about cooking with Cast Iron Skillets, pots, and Dutch ovens. Healthy, Unhealthy, Indifferent?

  

While waiting on my husband to get off work a few weeks back, I posted a random question to my Facebook wall. This wasn't prepared or thought out in advance...it was very random and spontaneous. 

My statement went like this: 

"We love cooking meals in our cast iron skillets and Dutch ovens.

 How many of you own any and know how to use them, clean them and preserve them"? 

I received many amazing comments to my statement and posed questions. I even learned the recipe of how to make Dump Cakes in them. Do you know how to make a Dump Cake in a Cast Iron skillet? If not, continue to read as I will share the recipe with you at the end. 

One of my friends indicated they learned how to cook with cast iron skillets during Boy Scouts. They went on to say, they enjoy cooking biscuits, gravy, baked beans, Tater tot Casserole, and Chili in theirs.

Thinking about their comment, I recall mom and dad making biscuits in the Dutch Oven we had. We were camping in Eagles Nest with several other couples from church and mom would make biscuits daily. They also cooked fresh fish and a hearty pot of chili, too. Such memories...I wish I had photos of those days...but I don't. 

Eagles Nest was so pretty from what I remember. We were camping right off the bank and the men were fishing daily. My son was only 6 months old when we went camping there. He is now 38 years old! I would hope the area is much of the same, but these days...one never knows. If I had my druthers, I would be living in the mountains. I love the mountains. 

We cook in our cast irons regularly. My husband loves cooking Fried Chicken in ours. I like to cook Bagna Cauda when I cook in them. My only wish is, wishing we could do all our cooking over an open campfire. Gone are those days for me because of my Environmental Asthma. (the smell of campfires and wood-burning triggers me faster than fast). Nevertheless, we own several different sizes of cast iron skillets and Dutch ovens. 

We cook everything in our cast irons from breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I think our favorite meal to cook in them is Farmer's Breakfast. (I will share that recipe at the end, too). 

Other comments to my random statement were, "We use our set up too". They had several images of assorted sized cast iron pots in a photo they posted. They also indicated they loved cooking in their Dutch oven, too.

Another comment was "I brought all of my dad's home that he had when he was a child". This person indicated they wanted to display them but first, was going to make Fried Potatoes and Chicken Fried Steak in them! 

I wondered to myself 'how' they wanted to display them? Would they be set out on the countertop, or up on top of the refrigerator? Would they be on a shelf of some kind? We store ours either in the oven or in the cabinet until it's time to use them. Where do you store yours? 

Another friend of mine wrote, "I love my cast iron skillets and pots! They cook like nothing else! Lastly, another comment received was, "we rarely use any other skillet than our cast irons. We have three different sizes. They just need to be seasoned if they are brand new. Follow the instructions. After every use, I wait until the skillet has cooled, then I rub coconut oil on them".  

I have purchased cast irons that needed to be seasoned before using and I have bought pre-seasoned ones. I don't know which I prefer as either way...the result is the same. I will say this though. In my opinion, the longer you have your cast irons, the more seasoned they become and the better the food tastes. What are your thoughts on the taste of your food from cooking in cast irons? Better, not so much or about the same? 

How many of you know how to preseason a cast iron skillet? The process is simple and doesn't take long. 

How to Preseason Your Cast Iron Skillets: 

1. Scrub skillet well in hot soapy water. 

2. Dry thoroughly (I always dry my cast irons on a burner on top of the stove). 

3. Spread a thin layer of melted shortening or vegetable oil over the skillet. 

4. Place it upside down on a middle oven rack at 375 degrees. (Place a piece of foil on the lower rack to catch the drips.)

5. Bake 1 hour: let cool in the oven. 

Most of our cast iron skillets are pre-seasoned already. After each use and once I have cleaned them and allowed them to dry thoroughly, I rub Cast Iron Conditioner on them, then put them away. 

 

Now you may be asking, 'how do you clean them"? Great question...You will want to avoid using the dishwasher for your cast iron cleaning. Don't use soap or steel wool, as these may strip the pan's seasoning. I use a small little plastic scraper to remove stuck-on food. I've also heard that you can use coarse kosher salt and water to clean hard stuck on food from your cast irons as well. Once you have cleaned the cooking area of your skillets, pots/pans, and/or Dutch ovens, rinse them and dry them thoroughly. If you are trying to remove stubborn cooked food, you might try boiling water in the pan for a few minutes, then try cleaning them up again. 

Our family enjoys cooking in our cast iron pans so much that our son-in-law asked for a set of his own this last Christmas. When I asked him if he had tried them out, his reply was, "YES, I love them". I smiled because I thought to myself, keeping past generations' way of cooking at the forefront of the 21st Century is exciting. 

As promised, here are the recipes- enjoy!

DUMP CAKE

(cooked in a Cast Iron Dutch Oven)

2 cans of Fruit filling (used for pie baking)

Cherry, Apple, Peach, Blackberry, etc.

Yellow Cake mix 

1 stick of butter (cut into small squares)

12 oz. Lemon-Lime Soda

Cinnamon

 The first layer consists of the fruit filling placed in the Cast Iron Dutch Oven. 

The second layer is the cake mix. Sprinkle the cake mix directly over the fruit filling (dry). 

Pour the Lemon Lime soda over the mixture. 

Place the small squares of butter on top of the mixture in random areas. 

Sprinkle Cinnamon lightly on top. 

If you are cooking this over an open fire, you will want to place 15 hot coals on the bottom, then place the Dutch Oven directly on top of the coals, then place the lid on top and cover it with another 15 hot coals and cook until the cake mix is cooked through. (About 45 minutes to an hour). 

 If you are cooking in the oven, cook at 350 degrees. Same steps as above except for the coals. THEY WILL NOT BE USED in the kitchen oven. 

In both instances, if the cake isn't quite done - you can always cook it a little bit longer. Once completed, remove carefully using oven mittens or cast-iron gloves to prevent burns. Serve immediately. 

 (there are many variations of Dump Cake recipes- this is just the one that was shared with me). She even went on to say, she has tried Chocolate Cherry! oh my...That sounds good for Valentine's Day...! 

FARMERS BREAKFAST

 (this is one of our favs any day of the week. Camping out or even at home)

Eggs 

(quantity will depend on the number of people you are feeding)

Bacon cut into small pieces.

Pork Sausage

Onion chopped up.

 Milk, optional

Potatoes 

(quantity will depend on the number of people you are feeding)

 Grated Cheese

 (we use Monterey Jack, Cheddar, Colby)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Vegetable or Canola Oil

 (we always use Canola)

Wash and clean potatoes thoroughly. Cube or dice them. 

Begin cooking potatoes in oil. Add salt and pepper. 

When about halfway done, add bacon. Continue cooking. 

 When bacon is almost finished, carefully drain the oil from the pan. Add sausage and chopped onion.  Continue cooking thoroughly until the potatoes, bacon, and sausage is completely cooked. 

 Once again, drain the excess oil from the pan, leaving just a little bit so the eggs will cook without sticking. 

 Crack and add the eggs one by one.

 (you can also crack these into a bowl, add milk, salt, and pepper, and slightly beat milk and eggs together. Set them aside). 

 Gently stir until the eggs are cooked and mixed into the potatoes, bacon, and sausage mixture. 

Top off with the cheese and enjoy! 

You can add slices of avocado, tomatoes, salsa, jalapeno peppers, too! 

This makes a great breakfast burrito, too. Heat up flour or corn tortillas, add some mixture and eat up. 

 

BAGNA CAUDA

Serves 6

 3 sticks of softened butter

6 cloves of whole garlic

2 cans of Anchovies

1 pint of Whipping Cream

1 pint of Half and Half

Package of French Bread, a loaf of bread or Texas Toast, cooked

 OPTIONAL:

 Assorted fresh vegetables (cabbage, celery, broccoli) cut into bite-sized pieces.

DIRECTIONS:

 Using a Cast Iron skillet, heat butter until completely melted on low. 

Once melted completely, add garlic cloves, one by one. (you can chop these up as well). FRESH garlic is much better, but jarred garlic will work. 

 Cook the garlic with the melted butter, constantly stirring on low. Once the garlic begins to stick, add the anchovies. Continue stirring constantly on low heat until they have completely dissolved. 

 Add the Half and Half, Whipping Cream - stirring constantly on low. Be sure to scrape the sides while you are stirring the mixture. Scrape the bottom of the skillet from time to time as well. 

A crust will begin to form on the top and then you will know the Bagna is done. 

 (I normally cook mine for about 2 hours or so...low and slow). The longer it cooks, the better! 

You can transfer this to a crockpot on low to serve at a party or family gathering. You can even place it into a fondue pot or other flameproof casserole dish. Keep on low heat to keep warm. 

 Serve with bread and vegetables. 

 What's left can be frozen for up to six months. 

 ENJOY! 

Day 1 of the UBC is underway...I can't wait to see where this month takes us. 

Are you ready to cook with a cast-iron skillet now? Drop me a comment below and let me know what your favorite thing is to cook in a cast-iron skillet.

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day 30 Color of the Day Challenge - Pick Your Own

We made it! How did you fare in the Color of the Day Challenge? Were you able to post pictures of the colors each day? I think I missed one of the glitters and a couple of the neon days myself. Never-the-less - here we are on day 30. The last day of the Challenge.

The Color of the Day Challenge was hosted by The Mommies Review. It came about as a school assignment for C. His name is Charley.

We went all over the color spectrum in this challenge. From Red, Green, Orange, Blue, and Yellow to colors like Turquoise, Cream, Magenta, Periwinkle, and Fuchsia. We also had Purple, Black, Pink, White, Brown, and, Emerald too. Taking us to the last week and a half - we hit Copper, Teal, Grey, Lime, and Gold. On the weekends, the colors were your favorite Glitter and then Neon. Bringing us to today where we can pick our favorite color.

I honestly do not have a favorite color anymore. When I was a teenager, I liked blue. I wore blue every single day...as a young adult, I shifted to the earth tone colors. Browns, Tans, Cream, and Black. I remember my mom asking me one day why I wore such dull colors. Laughing out loud. I honestly do not know why I liked those colors so much, but I did.

I had my house decorated in Burgundy, Hunter Greens, and Creams. I liked those colors too. But now, I lean more to the Orange. No, not Dream cycle Orange, but more of a rustic Orange if there is even a color like this.

Since I am a crafter, I have colors all over my room. There is not one wall that does not have color.

.

Colors...yes, I like them all. Even the Washi Tapes. At one time, I had these organized by color scheme, but once I moved - there was no room for such organization, so they found their way into a tote. I must admit, it does make it difficult to sort through when I am looking for a color thought. 

I like the colors of the flowers. My flower garden that we planted in memory of my mom was gorgeous. We are going to plant more flowers this upcoming weekend and clean it up some. I may just paint the tree stump Red, White and, Blue too... (that was suggested to me). I like the idea. 

Today's color of the day is pick your own. What color or colors do you like? Are they represented in your home? The clothes that you wear. Drop your comments below...

Heart to Heart Soul Creations

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