Mother’s Day

  We had a wonderful Mother’s Day on Sunday. We were blessed to be able  to spend it with both moms at the same time and all of the extended family. My parents hosted a crawfish boil Sunday evening and family and in-laws on both sides came in for it. We have been so blessed that all of the in-laws on all sides get along and enjoy being together. It makes things so much easier and so much fun.

  Sunday morning we surprised Mama by showing up to go to church with her. She thought we were going to be at our church and drive out as service was over. That was very fun surprising her and it was so good to see everyone at my home church.

My Dad preached an awesome lesson from Proverbs 31. I enjoyed it so and was fed by it.

Here are a few photos from our day. Hope you enjoy!

Me and my wonderful Superwoman Mama.

Daddy, Lydia and Jacob starting to set things up. Lyddie couldn’t find her shoes so she just grabbed Wendi’s.

Almost time to put the crawfish in!

 

My grandparents and a little cousin. He’s going to be a big brother in a few weeks. We are all so excited.

We have always used this huge cast iron pot for crawfish. It was my great-grandmother’s wash pot. It is so heavy it takes two men to move it.

Time to eat!

Later that evening Jacob, Faith and I went to check our cows. One of our heifers had a calf the night before and I wanted to see it. Faith loves to see the cows. She usually falls asleep before sh gets back home. Sunday evening was no different.

Cooking with Cast Iron

I love cooking with my cast iron skillets. I use them almost everyday. They are very dear heirlooms from my great grandmother. I grew up using cast iron and was so happy to have my own for my new home.

Cast iron is, in my opinion and that of many others, one of the best options for cookware. Cast iron ware is heavy and heat is evenly held and distributed which makes it ideal for everything from frying to searing to baking.
 Food prepared in cast iron tastes better :) That's what I think and my family concurs. Cast iron also adds iron to foods, which is very beneficial in a time when many people--especially ladies-- are anemic or border-line anemic.
If seasoned correctly cast iron becomes non-stick, therefore replacing Teflon, which is wonderful if you are concerned health-wise about different types of cookware. I try to use only stainless steel and cast iron cookware, and avoid aluminum if possible.
  Cast iron is easy to find new in stores, but if you don't want to pay full price they are easily found at resale and antique shops and yard sales. New skillets and pans usually aren't the signature black color--they are grey and will turn black when seasoned and used a few times. I would recommend re-seasoning second-hand skillets bought at yard sales and resale shops, not just washing them.
 Below are some things my mom has taught me  about cast iron. I hope you find them helpful. Enjoy!

Care of Cast Iron:

• Never, ever use a steel or rough scratcher on a seasoned skillet. It will remove the "season" an the skillet will no longer be non-stick and may cause it to rust. Treat it like you a non-stick skillet.
• Never, ever put cast iron in the dishwasher. This will make it rust and it will be need to be re-seasoned.
• Wash with mild soapy water and dry thoroughly. Wipe down inside of cookware lightly with oil and it's ready to use again.

Seasoning Cast Iron:

• Wash with mild soapy water and dry thoroughly.
• Coat entire surface with oil (I use vegetable oil), including outside and handles.
• Place in a 250 degrees F oven for 2 hours. Let cool slightly and remove from oven. Wipe down with paper towels.
• Wash with mild soapy water and it's ready to use.

   ( You can use this method to season a new skillet or to re-season an old one.)