One of my Nephews suggested that I write a piece on the proper way to season cast iron cookware. We do alot of camping and I am fanatic about my Dutch Oven and skillets. I love the way the food taste and the simple cleanup of these. So, here it is. In addition, if you run across some cast iron frying pans (skillet) at a flea market and its rusted up, what I do is build a fire and set it in the coals. After about 15 minutes I pull it out, scrub it down with steel wool (careful not to burn my hands) and then rub it down with fat or raw bacon to season it as below. It will smoke up a kitchen.
This is how to season a dutch oven:
1. Preheat your grill or oven to 350 degrees.
2. If you are using your kitchen oven, wrap a large cookie sheet with a raised edge in aluminum foil and place it on the lowest possible shelf of the oven. This cookie sheet catchs oil that drips from the dutch oven so make sure it is bigger than the diameter of your dutch oven.
3. This will be only time you will ever use soap on your dutch oven! After this, never use soap unless you are stripping your oven to perform a completely new Initial Seasoning. Wash your cookware in soapy hot water. Use a scouring pad or steel wool to scrub away all coatings down to the metal. Remember, after this you don't use soap to clean up.
4. Thoroughly dry the dutch oven and lid with a cotton towel or paper towels. Place it in the grill for a minute or two to really dry it and heat it up a bit. Use an oven mitt to remove the dutch oven from the grill and let it cool just enough so you can touch it.
5. Rub vegetable shortening all over the inside and outside of your dutch oven and its lid. Use plain Crisco or Wesson - do not use butter or butter flavored shortening. Using a paper towel or cotton rag, rub the shortening into all the pockmarks, holes, and dimples in the metal surface.
6. Place the dutch oven upside down in the grill or kitchen oven and close the door or grill lid. By being upside down, the melted shortening will drain out of the dutch oven leaving an even coating rather than a pool in the bottom.
7. Place the lid in the grill also so it bakes along with the dutch oven.
8. Bake the dutch oven for 45 to 60 minutes. Remember to open windows and temporarily disconnect your smoke alarm while doing this. (I open the door and place a fan there)
9. Turn off the grill and leave the dutch oven inside to cool for 15 minutes.
10. Using an oven mitt and paper towels, remove the cookware from the grill.
11. Use paper towels to wipe off excess oil from the inside and outside of the dutch oven and lid.
12. Repeat steps 5 through 9.
13. Allow the cookware to cool until you can pick it up.
14. Wipe off all excess oil with paper or cotton towels and you're ready to go!
Periodic Seasoning:
As you use your dutch oven, the grease, oil, and fat from the food you cook will continue to season the cookware. Some acidic foods such as beans and tomatoes can remove some of the coating. So, frying bacon, deep-frying fish, making doughnuts, or cooking fatty foods will improve the protective layer while acidic foods will harm it. Once seasoned, your dutch oven will most likely not need to be seasoned again (as long as you use it often and clean it correctly). It never hurts to reseason it and some folks like to do that at the start of a cooking season. It also may be necessary to reseason if food seems to be sticking too much or your cookware has been abused or stored incorrectly. If there is rust or the oven just doesn't look well coated, it's a good idea to season it again.
Periodic Seasoning is just like the Initial Seasoning except that you don't wash with soapy water. If there is rust present then you may want to strip down everything and do a complete Initial Seasoning. Otherwise, clean your cookware normally and follow the steps above except for using soap.
The finish on your dutch oven should be dark brown or black, the darker the better. It should be glossy, but not sticky. If it is sticky, you left too much oil on and you'll need to heat it more. Over time, with proper cleaning, this glossy coating will become thicker and stronger. You should notice that foods are easy to remove and clean up is simple.
If we do encounter a SHTF scenerio, cooking outdoors (or over a fire) is easier with cast iron. I use a 12 inch Dutch Oven and can feed 12 people out of it easily.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Friday, March 27, 2009
Tax Protest
By now, everyone should be aware that a protest is brewing. This is not just about taxes to me, this is also about the way the goverment is forcing everything down our throats. Even France and czechoslovakia is telling the obamamites to pull his horns in, We are getting to Socialist for the Socialist. Our Dollar is becoming worthless, other Countries have quit buying our Treasury Notes. No one trusts the USA anymore.
This isn't just all about the obamamites, I blame the Republican Party for letting it happen also. Both Georgia Senators (Isakson and Chambliss) voted in favor to increase the americorps...5.6 billion dollars worth of volunteers. This will be to form another group similar to acorn. Another faction to garnish support for the democrat party, at our expense.
We can't sit back and wait on a 3rd Party to emerge. I love Ron Paul's way of thinking but, as usual, he'll wait until the last minute to jump on board. This only divides the Republician ticket and waste votes. No 3rd Party group will be on all 50 states ballots. We need to organize and refuse to vote for any sitting member of Congress. Lets clean house. If they are opposed by anyone, vote for the new guy. If no one runs against them, don't vote for them. Something needs to be done to wake them up. Hopefully this TeaParty will do so.
http://taxdayteaparty.com/teaparty/georgia/ ( For all Georgia locations)
http://taxdayteaparty.com/ ( For locations in other States)
This isn't just all about the obamamites, I blame the Republican Party for letting it happen also. Both Georgia Senators (Isakson and Chambliss) voted in favor to increase the americorps...5.6 billion dollars worth of volunteers. This will be to form another group similar to acorn. Another faction to garnish support for the democrat party, at our expense.
We can't sit back and wait on a 3rd Party to emerge. I love Ron Paul's way of thinking but, as usual, he'll wait until the last minute to jump on board. This only divides the Republician ticket and waste votes. No 3rd Party group will be on all 50 states ballots. We need to organize and refuse to vote for any sitting member of Congress. Lets clean house. If they are opposed by anyone, vote for the new guy. If no one runs against them, don't vote for them. Something needs to be done to wake them up. Hopefully this TeaParty will do so.
http://taxdayteaparty.com/teaparty/georgia/ ( For all Georgia locations)
http://taxdayteaparty.com/ ( For locations in other States)
Monday, March 23, 2009
We Owe Them More Than What We Have Given
When I think about the birth of our nation, and the men who sacrificed so much to see it born, I feel sick to my stomach. Not because of anything they did…our forefathers gave more than we could ask for, setting a foundation for a nation like the world had never seen. No, I feel sick because of what came after, because of how this current brand of Americans has let them down in every way. Each generation that followed the creation of America in 1776 had a simple responsibility- to protect and defend our rights as citizens, and to better our nation for the men and women that follow. Sometime during the past few decades, we have failed our mission completely.
The American citizen is not supposed to be a delightful pawn of the government. We were not destined to sit in silence with our hands held meekly out, waiting for those in government to provide us with basic essentials. We were not meant to never question but blindly obey; we were not meant to care more about feelings than about what is right and decent; we were not meant to accept and even protect the guilty while ignoring the cries of the innocent.
The American citizen was born as a pain in the ass to its government. We are supposed to question every decision; we are supposed to demand honest answers even if the answer is ‘hell if I know’; we were meant to sit in the yard with a loaded shotgun, daring our government to screw us over. American citizens are supposed to be full of piss and vinegar, supposed to be hellraisers who refuse to simply settle. We are supposed to expect and demand the very best of our nation’s leaders, and even more so every person who resides in our great land. Where is our frontier spirit when we need it the most?
Instead thousands of us sit on welfare, bitching about how we can’t get a job. We sit there and turn the other way when we watch the common man get trampled into the ground again and again. Organizations abound to ‘protect’ the rights of any and every group of people imaginable, but when I say protect the rights I really mean watch out for the feelings. Lord forbid we offend a pedophile, a rapist, or an illegal immigrant. Hell, we're even afraid to offend terrorists for crying out loud. We have become so damn politically correct that we have lost our identity, our moral compass, and essentially everything that made Americans great.
Our politicans do whatever they want with little regard to what is best for the country. The current Congress has done absolutely nothing, fullfilled none of their promises, but they aren’t dragged out of the hall and horsewhipped. No, we sit in silence as our economy fails, as our people struggle to make ends meet, and Congress bumps up its salary just a tad bit more. We have paperwork circulating declaring any defender of the Constitution (that document that was the birth of our nation) to be a domestic terrorist, and still we say nothing.
America has been falling for a long time, longer than eight damn years, and I don’t know if we can ever get her back. We have become fat and lazy, and we lack the initiative, heart, and kiss my ass attitude that made our country stand tall when others faltered. I hope I’m wrong. I hope that America can shake off this pathetic apathy we have, and reclaim our right. We owe our forefathers that. We’re supposed to have the right to pursue life, liberty, and happiness but nobody gives a damn about anything but happiness. Liberty is gone. Freedom is gone. The American spirit has withered away, but the fault is not that of our government.
The fault belongs to each and every one of us. We did it to ourselves every time we settled, every time we shut up, every time we looked the other way instead of pulling up our bootstraps and kicking the damn door open. We have lost everything that our forefathers gave us, and we have no one to blame but ourselves.
If we never regain our destiny it is no more than we deserve. Because the government has not failed us. We have failed us.
The American citizen is not supposed to be a delightful pawn of the government. We were not destined to sit in silence with our hands held meekly out, waiting for those in government to provide us with basic essentials. We were not meant to never question but blindly obey; we were not meant to care more about feelings than about what is right and decent; we were not meant to accept and even protect the guilty while ignoring the cries of the innocent.
The American citizen was born as a pain in the ass to its government. We are supposed to question every decision; we are supposed to demand honest answers even if the answer is ‘hell if I know’; we were meant to sit in the yard with a loaded shotgun, daring our government to screw us over. American citizens are supposed to be full of piss and vinegar, supposed to be hellraisers who refuse to simply settle. We are supposed to expect and demand the very best of our nation’s leaders, and even more so every person who resides in our great land. Where is our frontier spirit when we need it the most?
Instead thousands of us sit on welfare, bitching about how we can’t get a job. We sit there and turn the other way when we watch the common man get trampled into the ground again and again. Organizations abound to ‘protect’ the rights of any and every group of people imaginable, but when I say protect the rights I really mean watch out for the feelings. Lord forbid we offend a pedophile, a rapist, or an illegal immigrant. Hell, we're even afraid to offend terrorists for crying out loud. We have become so damn politically correct that we have lost our identity, our moral compass, and essentially everything that made Americans great.
Our politicans do whatever they want with little regard to what is best for the country. The current Congress has done absolutely nothing, fullfilled none of their promises, but they aren’t dragged out of the hall and horsewhipped. No, we sit in silence as our economy fails, as our people struggle to make ends meet, and Congress bumps up its salary just a tad bit more. We have paperwork circulating declaring any defender of the Constitution (that document that was the birth of our nation) to be a domestic terrorist, and still we say nothing.
America has been falling for a long time, longer than eight damn years, and I don’t know if we can ever get her back. We have become fat and lazy, and we lack the initiative, heart, and kiss my ass attitude that made our country stand tall when others faltered. I hope I’m wrong. I hope that America can shake off this pathetic apathy we have, and reclaim our right. We owe our forefathers that. We’re supposed to have the right to pursue life, liberty, and happiness but nobody gives a damn about anything but happiness. Liberty is gone. Freedom is gone. The American spirit has withered away, but the fault is not that of our government.
The fault belongs to each and every one of us. We did it to ourselves every time we settled, every time we shut up, every time we looked the other way instead of pulling up our bootstraps and kicking the damn door open. We have lost everything that our forefathers gave us, and we have no one to blame but ourselves.
If we never regain our destiny it is no more than we deserve. Because the government has not failed us. We have failed us.
Introduction
I just wanted to stop by and introduce myself before getting to work on this blog. I'm still a novice when it comes to survival, but I am an expert at looking at our world, our country, and our government and wondering what the hell happened. I go by the name JessiB, and reside in a wonderfully small town in southeast Georgia. I'll pitch in survival ideas once I get my feet wet a bit, but for now I'll probably be tackling news issues, and basically just things that should piss off every red-blooded American. I look forward to getting to know y'all!
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Where did America go?
After listening and reading all I can about the shape our Country is in, I am really disgusted with the Republican Party and the Republican leadership. I have always voted Republican and encouraged others to do so because this was the Party that was closest to my values. No more! I just watched obamasan explain how he was going to save the American People $40 Billion a year by cracking down on wasteful goverment contracts. Standing to his left was John McCain. I almost puked.
The chairman of the RNP is in a scrap with Rush Limbaugh because he was honest in his opinion of obamasan's policies. IMO, This kind of in-fighting is the major reason the Republicans are sitting in the cornor while our Country is going down the socialist drain. UNITE, dummies. Stand together for a change. The demo's were able to join arms with a sleezy group (acorn) and get crackheads, wino's, street people in general to step up with the liberals and get this garbage elected. The Republicans that side with these idiots should be shunned by the RNP, they should be made to forfeit the Party name and be run out of office. I am sick of seeing McCain hold onto obamasans coat tail. I used to have the upmost respect for McCain, just because of his Military record. I'm a vet also. I honor all Military members but McCain is wearing thin. If he is going to be a Liberal, then so be it. Drop the Republican title and go lick boots.
I want the "old school" back. I can't have Reagan again (God Bless him) but I can't believe someone close to him don't exist. Right is Right - Wrong is Wrong, period! I have worked hard for what I have, its mine. It doesn't belong to some lazy, mal-content that blames the white man for all his troubles. $200,000 for tattoo removal in California, What? You want it off? Get a hot Iron and remove it. Next time you want to draw on something, get paper. You want health care? Get a job. I pay too much for my health plan but I do it. I have to do without buying something so my family is covered but I do it. Others can too.
America ( on whole) has gotten fat and lazy. There is no more accountability, no one is is responsible for their own actions. Its time to trim the fat. All we have is career politicans that worry about themselves and their friends. To hell with the rest of us. Who speaks for us anymore? No one. For too long People like us have been silent. We worked, went home and took care of our families the best we could. Most of us have watched the loonies on TV and just shook our heads. We have voted for the Party relying on them to look out for our interest. What did we get for being "good citizens"? We have been screwed by the very same People we elected to speak for us.
I'm sick of it. I don't know where it will end but my garden will be ready, my smokehouse prepared and my guns oiled.
The chairman of the RNP is in a scrap with Rush Limbaugh because he was honest in his opinion of obamasan's policies. IMO, This kind of in-fighting is the major reason the Republicans are sitting in the cornor while our Country is going down the socialist drain. UNITE, dummies. Stand together for a change. The demo's were able to join arms with a sleezy group (acorn) and get crackheads, wino's, street people in general to step up with the liberals and get this garbage elected. The Republicans that side with these idiots should be shunned by the RNP, they should be made to forfeit the Party name and be run out of office. I am sick of seeing McCain hold onto obamasans coat tail. I used to have the upmost respect for McCain, just because of his Military record. I'm a vet also. I honor all Military members but McCain is wearing thin. If he is going to be a Liberal, then so be it. Drop the Republican title and go lick boots.
I want the "old school" back. I can't have Reagan again (God Bless him) but I can't believe someone close to him don't exist. Right is Right - Wrong is Wrong, period! I have worked hard for what I have, its mine. It doesn't belong to some lazy, mal-content that blames the white man for all his troubles. $200,000 for tattoo removal in California, What? You want it off? Get a hot Iron and remove it. Next time you want to draw on something, get paper. You want health care? Get a job. I pay too much for my health plan but I do it. I have to do without buying something so my family is covered but I do it. Others can too.
America ( on whole) has gotten fat and lazy. There is no more accountability, no one is is responsible for their own actions. Its time to trim the fat. All we have is career politicans that worry about themselves and their friends. To hell with the rest of us. Who speaks for us anymore? No one. For too long People like us have been silent. We worked, went home and took care of our families the best we could. Most of us have watched the loonies on TV and just shook our heads. We have voted for the Party relying on them to look out for our interest. What did we get for being "good citizens"? We have been screwed by the very same People we elected to speak for us.
I'm sick of it. I don't know where it will end but my garden will be ready, my smokehouse prepared and my guns oiled.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Apology
I want everyone, that follows this blog, to know that I have been under the weather. I thought I would be up to commenting on the CPAC but I just ain't up to it. I will be back in a day or so.
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