I hard boil a lot of eggs – for egg salad, deviled eggs, for snacks, for chicken and tuna salad, and my go-to method has been to steam them for 15 minutes on the stove top. Steaming makes for easy peeling, even on fresher eggs. But there is an easier way. I saw in one of the recipes I was using, a way to hard boil eggs quickly and easily in an air fryer. I decided to try it, figuring the worst … [Read more...]
Cast Iron Seasoning
We were at the Crozet Arts and Crafts Show recently and ran across an interesting product – a Cast Iron Seasoning Compound made by BCW. Everybody knows you’re supposed to “season” cast iron cookware, but few know exactly how. This 100% natural product is made from grapeseed oil, sunflower oil, and natural beeswax, Simply apply a thin layer to the entire skillet, then wipe off the excess. Put … [Read more...]
Neat Stuff: Patio Fans
Nancy and I are blessed with a sprawling, tree-shaded patio in our backyard. Since the grass wouldn’t grow among all the tree roots, we poured concrete and created a nice outdoor room, which we thoroughly enjoy. But! It’s summer with 90-degree-plus weather, which makes sitting outside – even in the shade – not so enjoyable. Nancy, however, had the good sense to put an outdoor fan on a … [Read more...]
Bacon Up
I don’t know what a kitchen is like without a tub of bacon grease beside the stove. When I was a boy, it was either lard or bacon grease for almost every meal. When we cooked bacon, we poured off the excess into a pot and seasoned with it. I keep a container of bacon grease even today. But for Father’s Day, knowing my passion for cooking, my son gave me a tub of rendered bacon grease called … [Read more...]
Non-Stick Stainless Pans?
One of my kids gave me a very nice and a very expensive stainless-steel pan one year. I ended up donating it to Good Will. Everything I put in it stuck like Brer Rabbit to the Tar Baby. However, I just read an article that makes me wish I had kept the pan. The Well-Equipped Cook’s website says there is a sure fire way to make stainless stickless. Here’s what they say. Put the pan on the … [Read more...]
Poison Ivy Soap
Late at Night while you’re sleeping, poison ivy comes a creeping all around-ound-ound-ound. Poison ivy, Lawd, will make you itch. Thanks, Coasters, for that classic song reminding us of the evils of poison ivy, a plant so vile as to send shivers up the spines of those who are extremely allergic – like half of my family. Fortunately, when I accidently bump into the noxious plant, … [Read more...]
(Almost as Good) State Fair Corn Dogs
Anytime I’m at a fair or a carnival, the first thing I do is check out the stands with Corn Dogs. I ate my first one at the West Virginia State Fair in August 1955 and I’ve been hooked ever since. The sweet cornbread crust, the juicy hot dog inside and slathered in mustard? I could eat a half dozen. Recently, at Aldi’s - where I practically camp out these days - I saw a package of Bremer Corn … [Read more...]
Jiffy Seed Starting Mix
I usually start a few plants for my garden indoors and from seeds, even though I have better luck with mature plants from a quality greenhouse. But I am going to try spaghetti squash this year which you usually don’t see in pots, and I bought some seeds. I also generally use plain old potting mix for my base, but I saw an interesting product at Lowe’s – Jiffy Seed Starting Mix. What caught my … [Read more...]
Johnsen’s De-Icer
Mostly, we’ve avoided a brutal winter, but there have been a few frosty mornings with ice clinging to the windshield at 8:30 am. That means turning the car on early and get out the ice scraper - unless you have a can of Johnsen’s De-Icer handy. This stuff is amazing. Nancy bought a can early this winter and uses it every frosty morning. You just spray the windshield, and the frost disappears. … [Read more...]
A Hefty Item for the Kitchen
A friend - knowing I spend much of my time tinkering around in the kitchen - gave me a bag of Hefty Half-Gallon Storage Slider bags as a Christmas stocking stuffer. The bags are terrific, first because they are a unique size. Often, I get out a gallon Zip-Lock that’s way too big but the closest size to what I need. These half-gallon sizes are perfect for things like a leftover meat loaf, half of a … [Read more...]
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