Saturday, February 8, 2014

My New Pot

Hi everyone, here I am months later again. Sorry I cannot seem to keep up with my blog but I get up, do chores, practice my tin whistle, take Michelle to school, practice my violin and go to work. Pretty boring. Today when we went shopping, however, we noticed a new place open in one of the shopping centers. Kind of like a junk shop/thrift store. A bunch of the older men and women at the flea market got together and opened their own (inside) flea market. It is a good sized store and they have a decent amount of stuff in it that will make it worth stopping at every weekend.  I really wanted to make sure that we bought something this weekend though, so that we could support their efforts and keep such a good place open. It wasn't hard. They happened to have a table of cast iron. Old cast iron; pots, sausage stuffers, and other things I didn't even know what they were. There were three large pots though and I really wanted one. Two seemed newer than the other though, not quite as heavy, and the one also had a really heavy lid. I got the one with a lid.



I have several cast iron frying pans but have never had a pot, let alone one with a lid. I'm quite pleased with it (there is a handle that goes over the top but it is hanging in the back in this picture). I think I might have gotten a good deal at $25 and felt good that I got to support such a nice small business in our town.

I don't buy things just to say I have them though. They have to be usable and this certainly is being used today. I have a nice pot of chili cooking on the stove.

I am hoping I will get a chance to do some more posts soon. I have taken over the garden beds at work. If you all have been following you will know I work at the Boys and Girls Club here and several years ago we had 9 nice large raised beds put in that have basically gone to waste. A few of the staff have taken the kids out to plant things but they never actually have taught them how to do it right (maybe because they don't know themselves). Last year they planted turnip seeds in little circles in one of the beds (sigh). Anyway, as I am the Membership Clerk there it is not really my job to do classes with the kids but I asked if I could do a real garden class with them this year and my wish was granted.  I plan to do a real class and teach them how to plant things the right way, with the right spacing. I also want to teach them about fertilizer, what organic and inorganic means, what companion planting is....etc. I have about 8 weeks worth of lessons planned so far. But I can only do so much and I have my own job too plus we have yet another new Unit Director who has a lot of other commitments so I am left in charge more and more so I have decided to only take out 9 children. Each will have their own raised bed to take care of.  I think the kids will like that. Later I hope to add in a few cooking classes with what we produce as well (we have a large full kitchen-seldom used as well). I have been spending what little spare time at work out there trying to clean out the beds which have for the most part just been totally neglected. They are covered in grass and weeds and I had fun digging out several small cedar trees that had taken root in the back beds. I'll start the class with the kids next week and I am excited about it. I will have to take pictures for work anyway, so will copy them and show you all what we are doing.

22 comments:

  1. I'm looking forward to your gardening posts. The children are going to learn so much from you.

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    1. The class may change a bit when we get to Summer Camp because we may not have some of my gardening kids through the summer but we will put other kids in and that will just mean more children get to benefit :)

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  2. What a great idea!

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  3. Gosh, now I have cast-iron envy! Good luck with the classes; it sounds like a good idea.

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    1. Me too, lol! I will just have to go back and keep buying pieces they have there I guess.

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  4. Love the garden class idea, can't wait to hear all about it. And, I just love your pot! I think you got a good bargain.

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    1. Yeah, I think the garden class is going to go pretty well and I will be happy to get out from behind that desk and back to working with the children again, even if it is only 9 of them.

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  5. That does look like a very usable pot. The chilli looked pretty good too. Best wishes with your gardening.

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    1. I am thinking I may have to re-season the top. Looks like it might have a little rust on the underside of the top but the bottom is great.

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  6. Love the shape and style of the pot. Great find. Just so you know, you are missed in blog land but we understand. Glad all is well.

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    1. Thanks. I am trying to be here more often, just no time and I am not really don't much that is interesting. I basically did shopping and slept the rest of the day yesterday (possibly a little wore out and lacking sleep?).

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  7. I just got back from a holiday in South Africa where they make a dish called a "potjie" in a cast iron pot. Their pots have three legs and they stand them on a fire, but I have a flat bottom one like yours. we made a lamb potjie last weekend - it was superb. I think the iron gives whatever you cook in it a lovely flavour.

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    1. I would love to find some of the ones with the legs too. Maybe next week I will get cast iron sausage stuffer to show you all.

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  8. Teaching the kids about growing (and cooking) veg is bound to be a challenge, but hopefully will be really rewarding too. I hope you will post lots of photos of how things go. You should get the kids to see who can grow the biggest pumpkin!
    That pot looks like what I'd call a Dutch Oven ("Dutchie") - great for long slow cooking. Is it big enough to hold a whole chicken?

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    1. It might hold a small whole chicken (which is all we have in the stores now anyway). The kids won't be growing pumpkins. Each raised bed has three sections so I thought they should grow their vegetables in 3 different colors. Most of these kids haven't ever tasted a tomato that wasn't red or had a purple bush bean. We will have one bed that will be flowers and one that will be strawberries and blueberries but then there will be three different colored beans, three different squash, 3 onions, 3 peppers etc. The cucumbers will only be lemon and a green one though because the middle bed for that one will be herbs.

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  9. Becky,

    Love the pot, talk about a deal!!!

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  10. Love the pot - so useful, and I think that's a great price!

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  11. Hi Becky! What a nice pot! You did get a good deal, especially since it has a lid. That's great you have an antique store that carries such items. Our seem to lean more towards furniture and shabby chic stuff.
    What a fun project! Teaching the kids about true gardening, then showing them how to actually cook and eat the food grown! I don't know who's more fortunate, you or the kids!
    We were under a winter storm warning, but mostly got rain with a little sleet and snow. It never happens the way they predict! I'm glad it didn't get bad this time!
    Stay warm and keep posting to let us know how things are going! Have a great week! Blessings from Bama!

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  12. Hi Becky, nice score on the pot and the chili looks real tasty. The gardening classes are a great idea for kids. I know what you mean about blogging. I am a bit slow at times.

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