TAN #195 ExTANt Reality. (Page 41)

Oh please, you live in Florida. 

Hey we get ice here!!  Well OK it's inside the freezer but still!!

And I have only lived in FL for about 6 years so :p

Lisa,

Also, i dont think that placing water outside when it below freezing temps is a good idea.  water on top of ice typically creates an ice rink.  Yep, its what a zamboni does

First things first though; what is actually frozen the tires or the driveway?  If the tires are frozen to the driveway, we have a whole different problem and much easier to fix.

Denver used construction sand/gravel for when it snowed.  That's the ONE thing I didn't like about Denver.  It chipped up your paint and windows (lots of cars got the bras for the front), it was dusty and dirty...  It beat up the roads.

For some reason they thought that was better than some of the chemical treatments like salt?

That only works if you want a new car and bracelets. 

Yes *hangs head and pouts*  But it was still a good idea!   

New Mexico it was a mixture of red rock pumice and salt.  Worked pretty nicely.

If you really want to deal with white stuff covering things...  I can help out...

ZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, hopefully the lack of an update means that she got it unstuck.

Super quiet last couple of days in TAN.  Is everyone already gone for the weekend?

Well, noooooo. But I have so little to add to a snow/ice chat, except I've seen it and touched it... and it feels cold. 

Afternoon late TANners

My in-laws returned to KS just in time for 14" of snow to trap them inside for at least two days.

But MIL left a fantastic new skillet in my kitchen. OrGREENiC. Any of you chefs heard of or use?

Nope.  But that's not saying much.  I'm old school and switched (and LOVE LOVE LOVE) back to my cast iron skillets.  There are many reasons they are superior to modern stuff... (and only two small downfalls)

Just watched the "info-mercial"  on it.  Looks interesting.  So non stick you don't have to use butter or oil?  That nice, but butter and oil adds flavor too.  I would take it if the MIL left it!

I love my cast iron as well, and the stainless steel. I won't use aluminum pans.  For Christmas a couple of years back I begged and pleaded for nothing but cast iron stuff, so now I've got oodles.

I *think* I've seen a commercial for those Green pans before - they sounded good.  

By far, my favorite cooking vessel is my World Market 6-1/2 qt dutch oven.  It was only like $35 and is every bit as good as anything from Le Crueset, Mauviel, or any of those other "premier" brands.

Don't let her fool you.  It is as likely to be used as a cymbal or as part of a toddler drum set as for cooking! 

Happy Friday TAN!

I use my cast iron pans, then standard stainless pots for that sauces/pasta.  I want to get a nice cast iron dutch oven, BUT we bought a handmade terracotta dutch oven in Mexico for a couple bucks that does an amazing job for my dutch oven needs!

The only problems with the cast iron is they are HEAVY and since they hold onto heat so well, you can sear your hand pretty fast on the handle after only a couple minutes.

I'm aware not to touch it without a mitt after using it for a while and can handle the weight.  But the wife forgot and burned herself and it's tough for her to lift the 12" pan.

*note to self - search my collection in storage for smaller pans for the wife*

Is it funny that the main reason she bought it is that she has single forkedly destroyed my other pots/pans? I've had to remind her innumerable times to use the non-scratch cooking utensils.  These are supposed to be scratch-proof and indestructible. Made it through a month of her cooking (with knives and forks), so must have some merit.

I think it says butter "isn't necessary". Pshhhaaw! Especially on veggies. Last night was yellow squash with lemon pepper, just browned with butter. Yum.

Of course...

I actually went back to real butter years ago and usually don't do the margarine.  Since I limit it's use, I might as well use the real thing.  I know some margarines are "better" for you - in other words, a little less bad.  So if I'm going to be bad...  go for the good stuff!

Nice thought, if she likes to cook.  If not, she might be happy to use it as an excuse to let you be her dearest chef.

Yeah, my dad loved his cast irons, but my mom had a hard time using them. And I don't know if I'm ready to have super heavy/hot pans in the kitchen til the kids are out from underfoot.

I have Bourgeat stainless clad copper.  It is so heavy that I call it my combination cooking/weight lifting equipment.  The thing it does well is distribute the heat evenly.  Stuff sticks on the hot spots so nothing ever seems to stick to it.  The handles are cast iron so you can brown stuff on the range and finish in the oven.  

I also have my mother's complete set of Martin cast iron.  This used to be the premier iron cookware.  My uncle was one of the Martin brothers.  The Dutch oven has a lid that you can use as a frying pan. It is a really great pot.  The frying pans are all perfectly flat.  There are about 5 sizes.  We even have the tiny 3 1/2 skillet.  We also have all the cornbread molds for stick and round cornbread.  JWKMH won't eat any bread or cornbread so I never make it anymore.  Such a pity.  I used to make cornbread like my mother's using bacon drippings in the mold.  It was soooo good.

TW

haha...That applies to most things in life.

I grew up on mostly margarine. It was "the thing". Now that I use butter almost exclusively, I wonder what the heck my parents were thinking!!! Butter tastes better and is supposed to be easier for your body to process. Oh well, at least I figured it out before mid-life...might have put me over the edge in a few years

I figure it was a marketing campaign?  Plus it does have that whole unsaturated vs saturated thing.  But I think we just know more now.