Cast Iron Cookware Makes It Easier To Go Green In Your Kitchen

Posted by Doyle Bailey for Cast Iron Cookware Shop

Cast Iron Cookware Clearly Makes Good Sense for Kitchen or Camping

Tips for Greener Living

“Green Home Checklist: Room-by-Room Steps We Can Take, Starting Right Now,” by a writer named Crissy Trask. Trask offers useful advice on how to green up the kitchen. Trask describes the kitchen as “a hot-spot for waste“. A typical household discards an estimated 474 pounds of food waste each year.

University of Arizona research suggests:

• Buying more fresh food than we can eat before the expiration date is up and allowing leftovers to expire in the fridge are culprits.

• Solutions? Make menus, avoid impulse buying and compost your food scraps.

Other good advice for the kitchen:

• Replace disposables such as paper napkins and plastic wrap with cloth napkins and glass food-storage containers

• Get rid of Teflon-coated cookware, which can give off toxins when overheated or damaged, and replace with cast iron(“properly seasoned cast iron…is naturally nonstick”).
  

  Cast Iron Skillets, Green, Healthy, Non-Stick When Seasoned Properly

• Buy high-quality reusable [shopping] bags that will give years of use instead of plastic shopping bags.
  

  Lodge 6 Quart Camp Dutch Oven

Even Kermit Will Find It Easy To Be Green

Can You Guess the Password for Healthy, Non-Stick and Economical Cookware?

Posted by Doyle Bailey for The Cast Iron Cookware Shop 

What are passwords? A password is a phrase in a string of characters that is used to authenticate and prove identity in order to gain access to a resource. 

What do good passwords do?

• they can keep girls out of a boys club since they will never know it (works for girl’s clubs too)
• “Open Sesame” opened a rock cave loaded with treasure for Ali Baba.
• give you access to your sites on the web.
• deny access to a person or group you do now wish to allow to enter.

How Your Weak Passwords Get Hacked

• some people use the same password to access all their sites. If one gets hacked, access to all is gained.
• using the name of your child, pet, possibly followed by a “0″ or “1″ (since you often must use a number).
• use of your city, college, football team, date of birth, “god” , “let me in”, “money”, “love”, etc…
• there is free software available to hackers and they are people who want to log in to your sites using your credentials.

What can you do to select stronger passwords?

• randomly substitute numbers for letters that look similar (eg. the letter “o” becomes the number “0″.
• randomly throw in capital letters
• think of a favorite place or quote and combine the first letter, alternating upper and lower case letters mixed with numbers and characters.
• Roboform, for Windows users will store your passwords in an encrypted foremat. Mac users can use 1Password, which also has an I Phone application.
• once you have selected a password, use “password strength tester” to discover how secure it is.

What Is the Passord to Unexcelled Savoury and Healthy Cooking?

Here is is for you: “cast iron cookware”.

Cast Iron Cookware Clearly Makes Good Sense and is your password for Kitchen or Camping

cast iron fry pans, dutch oven, griddle

ROME CS5-A FIREPIT COOKOUT SET with TOTE

Click to enlarge image

This Rome Cookout Set includes one square cast iron Pie Iron, one round cast iron Pie Iron, one S’more Maker and eight hot dog and marshmallow picnic forks. Also includes a thirty inch by 10 inch canvas storage bag for your pieirons and forks. Enjoy these cast iron cookware accessories with your cast iron camp cooking. Along with your cast iron  camp dutch oven and your Sportsman”s Grill, include this camping accessory to complement your cast iron camp cookware.

How To Care For Your Cast Iron Cookware

Posted by Doyle Bailey for Cast Iron Cookware Shop

Cookware You Will Pass On To Future Generations

The use and care of cast iron cookware is not really rocket science. Good thing or I would not be posting this. However, as a daily user of cast iron cookware in our kitchen, I think I may have a few things to share and am open to learning a lot more from you. At the conclusion of this post is a photo of  some of the pieces we cook with. Almost a dozen more have been added since this picture was taken. We like to use the products we sell. If we do not like it, it comes off our inventory and we do not offer it for sale.

Now to our subject: HOW TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR CAST IRON COOKWARE:

Just in case you do not own these priceless pieces of cookware, am I right in assuming that you would not be reading this unless you are considering purchasing your first piece of cast iron cookware? I thought so! You might want to get started with a 12 ” fry pan or a cast iron dutch oven.  When you get your cookware, you are ready for the first tip.

Tip # 1:  Use your cast iron cookware daily or frequently. Nothing will help more to keep your cookware in A-1 condition like frequent use. You will see it develop a patina and beautiful sheen with use. It is also the real non-stick cookware and will not flake chemical coating into your food. You will also experience the health benefits of “slow food” by cooking your meat and veggies in cast iron cookware.

Pre-Seasoned Lodge Fry Pan with Meat and Veggies

Tip # 2:  After, you use your castiron cookware, you can wash using a plastic “scrubbie”  and rinse your cookware until  it is completely dry. Always  keep your cast iron pots and pans, grills dry. Sometimes I will put the cookware on a burner for just a minute to help it dry completely. Even a minute amount of moisture can allow rust to develop. Be even should a small amount of rust appear, it is easily removed, even without using chemical rust removers. Even badly rusted cast iron can be brought back to life with a bit of scouring and re-seasoning in the oven. I have “rescued” several rust covered pieces from flea markets. It is surprisingly easy.

Tip # 3:  Revise your will so your children will know who gets the cast iron cookware. The easiest and safest thing to do would be to have enough to go around for your children and grandchildren.  Martha Washington included her cast iron cook ware in her will, along with her jewelry and other valuables. Cast iron cooks beautifully, will last for generations and can go from oven to stove top to your table. It is inexpensive as an added value. It is not just a purchase, it is an investment. We love it.  So, no doubt, will your children and grandchildren.

Throw a steak on your cast iron grill tonight

Lodge 12 ” cast iron skillet.

Lodge Cast Iron Dutch Oven

TASTE THE FOOD NOT THE COOKWARE WITH CAST IRON COOKWARE

Some of Our "Family" of Cast Iron Cookware

Before You Head Out Camping, Head In to Cast Iron Cookware Shop

Posted by Doyle Bailey for Cast Iron Cookware Shop

Before you head out to your camp site, head in to the Cast Iron Cookware Shop. Let me introduce you to a product that you, and your cast iron dutch oven, may wonder how you have done without.

Dutch Oven Not Included

Natchitoches Meat Pies In Cast Iron Cookware

Posted by Doyle Bailey for Cast Iron Cookware Shop

Natchitoches Meat Pies

Natchitoches meat pies in cast iron cookware is one title with two of my passions included.

Let’s look at the tasty little meat pies first. My mother was an incredible cook who made delightful fruit pies (fried in a large cast iron skillet). I had never heard of “meat pies” until I moved to Argentina and was introduced to “empanadas”, which are meat pies, with other ingredients added. In fact, you can tell where a cook is from by the ingredients in her meat pies. Each area of the country has its unique recipe.

When we came back to Louisiana and moved to Natchitoches, I discoved Natchitoches meat pies.  They are not dissimilar. The main feature they have in common is their incredible flavor. Natchitoches is a French Colonial City with not only French but Spanish cultural influences.  The tasty meat pies are celebrated in September.

If you visit Natchitoches in September, you can experience the Meat Pie Festival, and relish the historical sites of the oldest permanent settlement in the Louisiana Purchase Territory. If September is not clear for you, come at any time. Tour Natchitoches with Barbara will help you plan an itinerary that will fit your schedule for your group or family.

Oakland Plantation/Main House

MEAT PIE RECIPE

Filling:  1 teaspoon shortening, 1 pound ground meat, 1 pound ground pork meat,1 bunch green onions (chopped), i pod garlic (minced), 1 bell pepper (chopped), 1 medium onion (chopped), salt, black pepper and red pepper to taste, 1 tablespoon flour

Melt shortening in heavy pot ( a cast iron dutch oven works great). Add meat and your seasonings. When meat is completely done but not dry, remove from heat and drain excess liquid. Mix in 1 tablespoon of flour. Let the mixture cool completely before attempting to make the meat pies.

MEAT PIE CRUST

1 cup plain flour,2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 2 eggs, 1 cup shortening, 1 cup milk

Sift dry ingredients together. Cut in shortening. Beat eggs and add to milk. Work gradually into dry ingredients until proper consistency to roll. Break into small pieces and roll very thin and cut into rounds using a saucer as a guide.
TO ASSEMBLE:

Place a large tablespoon of cooked meat along the edge and halfway in the center of round dough. Fold the other half over, making edges meet and seal with water. Forn edges with fork. Drop in deep fat and cook until golden brown. Drain and serve hot. Makes approximately 18.

Recipe courtesy of Mrs. L. J. Melder

NOTE: At our house we bake the meat pies rather than to fry them. They are still very good and are healthier. We also enjoy crawfish pies, but that is the subject of another blog post.

Lodge Cast Iron Dutch Oven

Make some meat pies in a dutch oven at your house.Come to Natchitoches to dine, tour and enjoy the culture of a 300 year old French Colonial City.

THE FRENCH CAME IN 1714. NOW IT’S YOUR TURN.

A Great Way To Steam Your Vegetables, Fish And Meat

Posted by Doyle Bailey for Cast Iron Cookware Shop

There are better ways to “steam” your veggies than to shout insults at them. Consider the better option of a

Rome # 63 Grill Basket. You will be pleased and your vegetables will remain happy.

Rome # 63 Grill Basket

Rome Industries has offered quality cast iron cookware and accessories since 1964. The “queen of the fleet”, when you camp or cookout,  is a cast iron camping dutch oven. There is no other piece of camping cookware more versatile. Granted it is heavy but will allow you to leave other pots at home so you still come out ahead.

Lodge 6 Quart Camp Dutch Oven

However, imagine the uses for a quality chrome plated steel grill basket designed to cook vegetables, fish and meats. For cooking a healthy meal quickly and easily Rome’s # 63 Grill Basket is a clear choice.

The Grill Basket:

• measures 8″ x 11″ (cooking area)
• overall length is 29″ to keep you safe from your campfire
• the tight wire spacing is ideal for grilling veggies and grilling your fish is a snap

CAST IRON COOKWARE ALLOWS YOU TO TASTE THE FOOD NOT THE COOKWARE

Cast Iron Cookware As Family Mementos

Posted by Doyle Bailey for The Cast Iron Cookware Shop

Lodge Cast Iron Cookware

Family stories are vital for passing the memories and experiences of a family from one generation to the next. Family mementos are also important. Cherished items include jewelry, photos and cookware. Pots and pans as cherished family mementos? Absolutely.

You may be using  some your grandmother’s cookware passed down to her by her mother. But in most cases these aren’t just any pots and pans. They are cast iron cookware.

My mother always cooked with cast iron pots and pans. My grandmother tried to cook but could not cook in any pot or pan.

No childhood memory is more vivid for me than that of delicious cooking
smells from the kitchen. Therefore the pots and pans that were handed down to us are precious family mementos. We have pieces that are several generations old and will pass them on to our children and grandchildren. They just get better with age.

Perhaps you do not own any cast iron cookware. Remember that there was a first day for every pot and pan in your kitchen. Start a legend, create a family legacy and a family memento today with your purchase of a cast iron dutch oven or fry pan. You will be glad today. Your family will be glad every day. Your heirs will be glad someday.

Lodge Cast Iron Dutch Oven

Pre-Seasoned Lodge Fry Pan with Veggies

Some of Our "Family" of Cast Iron Cookware

CAST IRON COOKWARE ALLOWS YOU TO TASTE THE FOOD NOT THE COOKWARE

Potjie Pots and Cast Iron Camp Dutch Ovens

Posted by Doyle Bailey for Cast iron Cookware Shop

What is a potjie pot? I had no idea beyond the obvious resemblance to a cast iron camping dutch oven. A little research produced the following results:

• Potjie pots (pronounced poi-key) are handsome, three-legged cast iron cauldrons used to make a traditional South African stew called potjiekos, which literally means “small pot food.”

Potjie Pot at Ft. St. Jean Baptiste, Natchitoches, Louisiana

• Potjiekos began with the Dutch settlers of South Africa. It was traditionally made with venison and vegetables and could be easily transported by the settlers as they traveled.
• These pilgrim folk were called Voortrekkers.  The Voortrekkers (Africaans and Dutch for pioneers) were literally “those who trek ahead”.
  
• These “fore-trekkers” were emigrants during the 1830s and 1840s who left Cape Colony (British at the time, but founded by the Dutch) and moved  into the interior of what is now South Africa.
• Every night they would add any game they had killed during the day to the pot and replace the old meat and bones with fresh ones.

Follow in the great tradition of pioneers on the African and American continents and cook in a cast iron camping dutch oven.

Click to enlarge image

12 3/8″ x 12 3/4″ x 6 3/4″
Camping Dutch Oven by Universal, a 5 quart Camping Classic. It’s feet will sit safely in the campfire or coals and it’s Stay Cool Handle makes it sturdy, easy to manage and perfect to hang over your campfire if you prefer. The Cast iron oven stays hot; the Handle stays cool. The lid, with it’s own feet, is Reversible and can be used as a Griddle for those early morning camp pancakes. Just right for your  family outings.

Cast Iron Lodge Six Quart Camp Dutch Oven

Click to enlarge image

This cast iron camping dutch oven is small enough to pack easily and large enough to feed a family or group. The flanged lid will hold hot coals to facilitate cooking and to keep ashes out of the pot. The cast iron camp lid can be turned upside down for use as a griddle. The dutch oven legs provide stability and safety for use over your campfire or fireplace. This camp dutch oven is a skillet, saute pan, casserole cooker and fry pan all in one. A castiron pot is a lifetime investment. In our family cast iron cookware is passed down from one generation to the next. The cast iron dutch oven was originated for outdoor cooking and for centuries has done it’s job as has the potjie pot.

TASTE THE FOOD NOT THE COOKWARE WITH CAST IRON COOKWARE

Cast Iron Cookware Clearly Makes Good Sense

Light Up the Holidays with Red Enamel Cast Iron Cookware

Posted by Doyle Bailey for Cast Iron Cookware Shop

Cheer up your holiday table by preparing tasty meals with your red enamel cast iron cookware:
Here are some serious advantages of and reasons for your investment in Red Enamel Cast Iron Cookware:

1.  With proper seasoning these pieces are your best non-stick cookware on the market.
2.  They are so attractive that you can cook a wonderfully tasty meal and serve your family or guests directly
from your enamel cookware. The festive red enamel will enhance the holiday decor of your table.
3.  Cast Iron is noted for its even heat distribution and heat retention. You food will stay warm right on your table.
4.  Cast Iron Cookware is an investment that will last for generations. You children and grandchildren will use
this cookware with warm and fond memories.
5.  Notice that the Red Enamel Casserole and the Red Enamel Roaster both come with a grill pan lid. In effect
you get two pieces of cookware for the price of one. This is a true value

Click }{here}{ to visit Cast Iron Cookware Shop or on any product in the list or the images below.

Cast Iron red Enamel Casserole with Grill Pan Lid

Casserole with Grill Pan Lid

Cast Iron Enamel Red Oval Roaster

Cast Iron Enamel Red Roaster with Grill Pan Lid

Cast Iron Red Enamel Casserole with Basting Lid

Lodge Enamel Oval Casserole

Lodge 3 Quart Red Enamel Dutch Oven

Lodge Red Enamel Dutch Oven

Lodge Red Enamel Casserole

Cast Iron Red Enamel Roaster by Kinetic

Eat to Help Protect Against Cancer. Cast Iron Cookware Can Help

Posted by Doyle Bailey, Natchitoches, Louisiana for

Cast Iron Cookware Shop

Some helpful research tells us that there are a number of foods that can help protect us from the risk of cancer. (See Dave Grotto, RD, LDN, author of 101 Foods that Could Save Your Life). Here are 9.

Four of the nine are best prepared in your cast iron skillet, dutch oven or casserole.

Lodge Cast Iron Cookware

1. Beans. Use a cast iron dutch oven for the best and most delicious results. Canned beans are usually loaded with sodium. Use dried, frozen or visit your local farmer’s market. They are loaded with fiber, which helps to protect against colon and stomach cancer.
2. Broccoli. Use a a cast iron skillet, or casserole. It is high in a phytochchemical called sulforaphane, which can help fight carcinogens, and is rich in the antioxidant indole-3-carbinol, which has proven to reduce the risk of breast cancer.
3. Carrots. This veggie is high in antioxidants that have been associated with lowering the risk of bladder, cervix, prostate, colon, larynx and esophageal cancer, as well as postmenopausal breast cancer.  It is better if you will cook them in your cast iron pot or skillet and not raw. It seems that being cooked may allow for better absorption.
   

   Eat veggies for good health

4. Coffee. You may have a cast iron coffee pot for camping but your coffee maker at home will do just fine. Some studies suggest that one cup a day of coffee may help protect you from liver cancer.
5. Red or Purple Grapes. They are totally full of resveratrol, also an antioxidant that has show a capacity to inhibit the growth of cancer cells (specifically breast, stomach, colon and leukemia).
6. Yogurt. For a really tasty dish, dessert or snack, add your red grapes to plain non-fat yogurt and top with flax seed meal or Grape Nuts cereal. The yogurt will provide you with a rich source of probiotics, the “good bacteria” in your intestines that help to keep the “bad” bacteria in check, especially H pylori, which has been linked to esophageal and stomach cancer.
7. Lemons. They contain a chemival group called limonoids, which have been shown to help protect against breast, lung, skin and colon cancer.
8. Mushrooms. Certain mushrooms such as shitake, are loaded with betaglucans which stimulate the body’s production of cancer-fighting natural killer cells. Use your  cast iron fry pan or casserole to saute the mushrooms.
9. Cranberries. They are high in an antioxidant that has been found to fight leukemia, breast, lung, and colon cancer cells.

Eat more plant based foods, no meat or less meat and discover how healthy and delicious your meals will be when prepared in these cast iron cookware products.

Lodge Skillet with Glass LidCasserole with Grill Pan Lid

Casserole with Grill Pan Lid