My newest favorite thing.

I'm going to quit the vet school idea.

No, really!

Actually I'm kidding.

BUT... I have found something to take up my time, and it's right up my alley.

My mom's good friend gave me two old, crusty, rusty, flaky, icky, grungy cast iron skillets. In short, they were pretty gross.

No biggy, you just use them, right?

WRONG.

Anyone who knows me knows that I love SHINY things. And OLD things that look PERFECTLY NEW.

So I found out about this little technique...

Put the skillets in the oven, set the self-cleaning to go, and leave it.

Oh, open all the windows. Turn on some fans. Have a fire extinguisher, just in case... and don't really leave.

In a couple of hours (more or less), turn off the oven and let it cool.

Open the oven door and voila!!! A rusty, ashy, terrible-looking skillet!!! It's like magic!

Then, with piping -hot water, and a good plastic scrubby, and a COOL skillet, scrubby all that ash away!

Now you have a grey skillet- but not for long! It's rusting as we speak!

You can take a bit of vinegar and wipe any stubborn rust away, but that bronzy color is fine.

Now, with olive oil, bacon grease, Crisco, whatever, wipe that baby down.

Then wipe it all off.

Bake at 500 or so for an hour or so, with the pan facing upside down.

Let 'er cool.

Do it again (Just the from the Crisco step forward... any farther back then that and you are UN-seasoning it).

Over and over and over and over and over until the pan is black and shiny and smooth like glass.

Then fry some bacon (Anyone who knows me knows I LOVE BACON).

And then USE it!! For everything! Except boiling water. But seriously, use it for everything else! Browning hamburger, baking cornbread, fighting off intruders! Cast iron is versatile!
And this, ladies and gentlemen, is all I have done today. With the exception of walking the dogs.

Cheerio.