yummy stock for freeeeee

Free, you say? Yes!

Here's how!

Ready?

Save your veggie ends in a ziploc bag in the freezer.

Yep. Stock from stuff you were going to throw away anyway. I first read about it on MDC and nearly kicked myself for not thinking about it before. I had never made stock before because I always thought it was such a waste to go out and buy vegetables just to boil them away.

also, always save bones and the little pieces you cut off when you are preparing meat to eat. the gelatin that is in bones is what makes for good thick stock.

here are the steps:
1.) dump everything in the pot
2.) boil/simmer alllllll day
3.) strain

1.) dump everything in the pot ~ yep. do just that. I had 2 gallon ziplocs worth of veggie ends and a quart size filled with chicken bones/fat. I spy some beet greens, celery, bok choy, carrots, onion skins/ends. all kinds of stuff.

Step 2: boil/simmer all day ~ I usually start first thing in the morning and finish in the afternoon. So like 8 hours, give or take. I put the stove on high until it boils then turn it back down to medium.

Steven's grandparents got us this great huge stock pot for christmas. I love it.

Step 3: Strain ~ Pick out all the big pieces and put them in a grocery bag. (*gasp* a grocery bag?? Yes. I have some. Trust me, it's way less mess.) I have a deep fry scooper that I use. A big slotted spoon/tongs would do too.

Strain it through a mesh strain. The one I use is from a juicer.

That's it. Now it's ready for soup or canning or whatever.

how to season a cast iron pan

I just got back from my visit home to PA. My mom loves her non-stick pans (ewwwww) so I needed to get one for myself. We were flea marketing and I found a great cast iron bacon and egg pan for $6. (I also got a somewhat operational antique toaster ($5), a fully operational 1941 waffle iron ($5), and 7 golden books some antique, some not ($4).) The pan was pretty rusty and in need of some tlc.

here's what I did:
1.) scrub it
2.) grease it
3.) bake it
4.) repeat 2-3
5.) repeat 2-3 again

1.) scrub it ~ I used regular steel wool and scrubbed the heck out of the pan. top, bottom, and handle. scrub it until there is no rust left.

then dry it off with a towel.

2.) grease it ~ use a paper towel and rub it down with crisco or equivalent. grease up the whole thing. you only need to do the handle and bottom once.

3.) bake it ~ 350* for 30 minutes. I got lucky and it fit in the toaster oven.

when it's done, dab up any pooling grease with a paper towel.

4.) repeat 2 + 3 ~ you only have to grease the inside cooking surface now. bake again, 350* for 30 minutes.

nice and pretty and non-sticky

in action!

totally easy!