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Farm Kitchen: What's your favorite pot or pan?  |
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Ninibini
True Blue Farmgirl
    
7577 Posts
Nini
Pennsylvania
USA
7577 Posts |
Posted - Sep 09 2011 : 5:21:52 PM
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Hi Girls -
'Just wondering what's your favorite pot or pan? Mine is my grandmother's old cast iron frying pan. It actually belonged to my great-grandmother, which makes it extra special. Somehow I can feel their love surrounding me every time I use it, which is just about every day. I remember learning to cook my grandfather's meat sauce in it when I was a little girl. He had received the recipe from a French man who let him and my grandmother stay with them while they were traveling through Maine on his honeymoon (back then, I guess this kind of hospitality was quite common). I remember how Grandpa would set me at the stove in my yellow wooden booster chair. He'd have me slowly saute the onions, brown the beef... My mother would scoop the tomato paste out of the little can for me and help me slowly stir it into the meat, "frying" it for a minute or two before adding the spices... Next, Grandma would come with the open cans of tomato sauce and slowly pour them in as I twirled the spoon round and round in the pan. Soon, the sauce would be bubbling, and Grandpa would come over, with a sparkle in his eye, his favorite wooden spoon in hand, and sneak a sample our family masterpiece. He'd always smile, look slyly from side to side, and let me sneak a taste, too. It was our little thing. Oh how I miss him! To this day, I can't make spaghetti without getting teary-eyed. What a blessing to have such a memory!
So - tell me about your favorite one, and any special memories from the kitchen that you'd like to share!
Hugs -
Nini
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
www.papercraftingwithnini.myctmh.com
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Edited by - Ninibini on Sep 09 2011 5:25:47 PM |
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dragonflyhoneybee
Farmgirl in Training
 
40 Posts

Melissa Carr
Concrete
WA
USA
40 Posts |
Posted - Sep 09 2011 : 5:30:37 PM
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Mine is my 1st cast iron pan I bought when I was 16. I remember getting it at the dollar store & it was shiny silver colored. I was stocking my hope chest to move out of my parents home! I couldnt wait! So when I finally moved inmy 1st house I was 17 going on 18. High school graduation was in 1 week and I wanted to cook in my very own kitchen for the first time! How excited I was! At the time I didnt know anything about seasoning it, so I tried to use it! LOL! Everything stuck no matter how much oil I put in it! I soon discovered, after talking with my Grandma, that you oil it & bake it etc. to season it! I still have it now 15 years later! It is well seasoned now with so many meals under the layers of memories it holds#9786; It is my go to pan for EVERYTHING! I love my 1st pan I bought back then!
Visit www.honeybeeholistics.com for Organic Handmade Items for Bath, Body & Home!
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Debbie Apple
Farmgirl at Heart

7 Posts
Debbie
Rockfield
kentucky
USA
7 Posts |
Posted - Sep 09 2011 : 6:50:39 PM
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I posted an entire blog on my collection of pots and pans which I added below. Funny, I didn't think anyone else would be interested in such a topic, Oh ye of little faith!
I love my cast iron and even though I own some stunning French copper pans as well as a full line of All Clad pans and skillets, I grab for the cast iron more often than any other pan. The copper is the best for omelets though and I have two sizes for cooking breakfast. The Le Creuset skillet is great because it is so deep but it's not great for browning meats. There is something very special about the hand hammered copper pots from France with the beautiful brass acorn handle and every time I grab it I remember my trip to Italy where I first saw the full line. So the bottom line is obvious, I just can pick a favorite!
http://www.hearthtoharvest.com/2011/05/pots-and-pans.html
Debbie www.hearthtoharvest.com www.rivercottagefarm.net
Wherever I am, the world comes after me. It offers me its busyness. It does not believe that I do not want it...
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Ninibini
True Blue Farmgirl
    
7577 Posts
Nini
Pennsylvania
USA
7577 Posts |
Posted - Sep 10 2011 : 07:50:09 AM
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Melissa! I love your story! I can feel the excitement you must've felt back then. How wonderful to have a Grandma who knew just what to do! Isn't that the way, though? I love the stories that come along with our cherished possessions - what a great story to be able to share! Thank you! May you and your loved ones enjoy your pan for many, many, many years to come!!!
Debbie - I loved reading your blog! What an awesome collection of cookware you have! I haven't had the pleasure of using French copper pans yet, but ever since I was a young girl, I've dreamed of owning one someday... I love how you describe them - the acorn accent must be such an elegant touch! I had never even heard of All Clad before moving here to PA. My husband's family all use nothing but All Clad, and attend some big manufacturer's sale every year - it's a big event for them! :) I am just wondering - I just purchased a Le Creuset French Oven... Is there anything special I should know about using it? I'm so excited because I have a Le Creuset 9 x 13 pans that I purchased YEARS ago - probably while I was in college, and it's one of my favorites to bake with! But I've never used it on the stove top, obviously... Is there anything special you think I should know about it? Also, if - Heaven forbid - the enamel comes off at any point, is that something covered by their warranty, OR is there any way to send it in to have the enamel replaced on my pan? It's just so so so ungodly expensive (a 23rd anniversary gift, though!), and it would kill me if anything happens to it! I want it to last a lifetime, and hope to pass it down in the family one day! :)
I hope more farmgirls will share their pot and pan passions and the memories that surround them - this is so great!!! I love it!!!
Have a great weekend -
Nini
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
www.papercraftingwithnini.myctmh.com
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Merry
True Blue Farmgirl
    
765 Posts
Merry
Ankeny
Iowa
USA
765 Posts |
Posted - Sep 10 2011 : 1:11:57 PM
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I love my cast iron skillet, but I have to say my La Creuset dutch oven is my very favorite!
Merry Farmgirl #536
http://afarminmyheart.blogspot.com/
Your life is an occasion, rise to it. Mr. Magorium |
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Catherine
True Blue Farmgirl
  
166 Posts
Catherine Ann
Temple
TX
USA
166 Posts |
Posted - Sep 10 2011 : 3:12:57 PM
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My favorite is a cast iron skillet that my grandmother gave me many years ago when I first moved to a home of my own. It gets daily use around here, and is also a sweet reminder of my Grandma :) . Blessings, Catherine
http://stillroomherbs.blogspot.com http://lovelivingsimply.blogspot.com/
Farmgirl Sister #1801
Judge each day not by the harvest you reap but by the seeds you plant. ~Robert Louis Stevenson
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CurlysQuilts
True Blue Farmgirl
    
569 Posts
Sarah
Northeast Kingdom
VT
USA
569 Posts |
Posted - Sep 10 2011 : 6:03:32 PM
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I love my huge 12" cast iron that took me a few years of using before I got used to it's weight. :) Every time I struggle to lift it, I think of our ancestors and how strong the must have been. They didn't have super sweet hubby nearby who could help lift the thing when it was full of food. How did they do it?!
Curly's Quilts www.curlysquilts.etsy.com
I am a recyclin, cloth-diapering, home grown, hand sewn kinda farmgirl! |
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Ingrid
True Blue Farmgirl
   
432 Posts
Ingrid
BC
Canada
432 Posts |
Posted - Sep 11 2011 : 08:32:37 AM
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I have four cast iron frying pans in different sizes and I think they are my favourites. The other day I was at the thrift store and found a cast iron crepe pan that I can't wait to try. Could also make tortillas or flatbread on it as well.
Give thanks to yourself everyday for all the wonderful things you do! |
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melody
True Blue Farmgirl
    
3335 Posts
Melody
The Great North Woods in the Land of Hiawatha
USA
3335 Posts |
Posted - Sep 11 2011 : 09:58:54 AM
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Mine is a very old cast iron dutch oven DH found at a rummage sale. It's deep and squat with dimpled casting and weighs a ton! It is seasoned to a "T"...I cook everything from pot roasts to pineapple upside down cakes in it.
Melody Farmgirl #525 |
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jclambert
True Blue Farmgirl
  
149 Posts
Judy
Stringtown
Oklahoma
USA
149 Posts |
Posted - Sep 11 2011 : 11:49:32 AM
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I have an old cast aluminum pot that was my grandmothers. The handle has been missing for years but this is the only pot I use to make pie filling. I also have a cast iron skillet and dutch oven that have been passed down 3 generations.
Judy
"Courage is when you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what". Atticus Finch - To Kill a Mockingbird |
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prariehawk
True Blue Farmgirl
    
2914 Posts
Cindy
2914 Posts |
Posted - Sep 11 2011 : 4:51:34 PM
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I have a pot that must be at least fifty years old--I got it from my mom when I moved out--I remember my dad using it to pop popcorn when I was growing up. It came from Sears. Cindy
"Vast floods can't quench love, no matter what love did/ Rivers can't drown love, no matter where love's hid"--Sinead O'Connor "In many ways, you don't just live in the country, it lives inside you"--Ellen Eilers
Visit my blog at http://www.farmerinthebelle.blogspot.com/ |
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Ninibini
True Blue Farmgirl
    
7577 Posts
Nini
Pennsylvania
USA
7577 Posts |
Posted - Sep 12 2011 : 1:52:04 PM
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I think the older and handed down pots and pans are the best, don't you?! :)
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
www.papercraftingwithnini.myctmh.com
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FebruaryViolet
True Blue Farmgirl
    
4810 Posts
Jonni
Elsmere
Kentucky
USA
4810 Posts |
Posted - Sep 12 2011 : 1:56:14 PM
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It's a toss up. I have this awesome Le Creuset Pumpkin-shaped dutch oven that I love, it's an amazing chili maker! But, oddly enough, it's this newer pan that I love the most that my mom bought me from QVC. Made by Technique, you can use any sort of utensil (even metal, though I don't) and it's a large, deep skillet with a tight fitting lid that has double handles, and a side spout for pouring. It goes from range top to oven up to 500 degrees and I use it for almost everything. I'd like to have one in a few different sizes it's so versatile!!!
Musings from our family in the Bluegrass http://sweetvioletmae.blogspot.com/ |
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Amie C.
True Blue Farmgirl
    
2099 Posts
Finger Lakes Region
NY
2099 Posts |
Posted - Sep 12 2011 : 2:40:29 PM
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Sadly, my go-to cooking pot is the biggest one from the non-stick, made in China set my mom gave me when I got married 10 years ago. I know I've got to replace it with something better and safer, but it's just so perfect. I'm not sure what you call this type, but it's about 6 inches tall, 10 inches in diameter, and has two handles. I've got an enamel stockpot, but this other pot heats faster, is more stable on the burner, and is easier to serve from. I just can't give it up. |
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Dorinda
True Blue Farmgirl
    
1023 Posts
Dorinda
St. Cloud
Florida
USA
1023 Posts |
Posted - Sep 12 2011 : 2:58:11 PM
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My cast iron skillet is my favorite pan!!
Seize The Day! Dorinda |
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HollyG
True Blue Farmgirl
   
214 Posts

Holly
Hamburg
Arkansas
USA
214 Posts |
Posted - Sep 12 2011 : 5:02:26 PM
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My cast-iron skillet...I use it every day.
HollyG Farmgirl #2513 www.mydeepwoodslife.com |
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Roseann
Farmgirl in Training
 
17 Posts
Roseann
Pittsgrove
NJ
USA
17 Posts |
Posted - Sep 12 2011 : 5:19:27 PM
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Cast iron.......my big frying pan one.....hands down!
- Roseann Farm girl Sister #3382 |
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Okie Farm Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
    
1674 Posts
Mary Beth
McLoud
Oklahoma
USA
1674 Posts |
Posted - Sep 13 2011 : 06:59:20 AM
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I guess I have two favorite pans - one is my medium sized cast iron skillet that is one of a set that was my grandmother's and the other is my Tramontina medium stock pot. Wow. I can cook anything in those two pieces!!! :-)
Mary Beth
www.OklahomaPastryCloth.com www.Oklahomapastrycloth.com/blog The Sovereign Lord is my strength - Habakkuk 3:19 |
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GrammyGoose
True Blue Farmgirl
  
163 Posts
Sue
Liverpool
PA
USA
163 Posts |
Posted - Sep 13 2011 : 07:39:26 AM
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My cast iron skillet is number one, my dutch oven would be number two, but sneaking up the ladder is my 7 quart electronic pressure cooker. That thing rocks. I use it on a daily basis here at work. I feed a bunch of hungry people lunch every day. It's quick and easy and doesn't require defrosting meat or poultry before cooking. I love this thing so much I bought one for each of my kids, my mother and one of my friends who is recovering from cancer surgery and going through chemo. They are also very easy to clean. I can make anything from soup to rice to pot roast in a very short time. (sorry, I sound like an infomercial!)
Great topic, by the way! Loved reading your answers! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sue, Farmgirl #656 |
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Annika
True Blue Farmgirl
    
5602 Posts

Annika
USA
5602 Posts |
Posted - Sep 13 2011 : 08:40:42 AM
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About 20 odd years ago, I worked as a sometimes house cleaner, and in one house to be cleaned they had a HUGE pile of stuff to be thrown away. Well I never threw it out, I called a thrift shop to come and get the whole mess...except for this big cast iron skillet. Being a thrifty girl, I took the thing home, cleaned the heck out of it and have been cooking in it ever since....without hesitation, this is my favorite pan!
Annika Farmgirl & sister #13
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. ~Leonardo DaVinci
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ceejay48
Farmgirl Legend/Schoolmarm/Sharpshooter
    
13763 Posts

CeeJay (CJ)
Dolores
Colorado
USA
13763 Posts |
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blackantsnpeonys
True Blue Farmgirl
  
151 Posts
Denise
Hinckley
Illinois
USA
151 Posts |
Posted - Sep 25 2011 : 7:51:21 PM
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My iron Skillet comes first, then my saute pan, then All-Clad large pan with handle and lid for oven and stove top use.
Appreciate the little things, for they are not really that little. |
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Marcia30
True Blue Farmgirl
  
159 Posts
Marcia
Mt. Carmel
IL
USA
159 Posts |
Posted - Oct 10 2011 : 08:57:36 AM
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Mine is my cast iron skillets. I use them for everything. Especially my 12 and 14 inch ones they come in handy so much. I just love them.
I am loving fall and all the wonderful colors and of course my Hot Tub!!!!!
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naturemaiden
True Blue Farmgirl
    
2569 Posts
Connie - Farmgirl #673
Hoosick Falls
NY
USA
2569 Posts |
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queenmushroom
True Blue Farmgirl
    
985 Posts
Lorena
Centerville
Me
USA
985 Posts |
Posted - Oct 10 2011 : 1:09:09 PM
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Love my cast iron skillet. Would be lost with out it. would love to have my great grandmother's after my mom is done with it. Hate anything remotely close to teflon.
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hummingbirdjoy
True Blue Farmgirl
    
1217 Posts
Linda
Washington State
USA
1217 Posts |
Posted - Oct 10 2011 : 1:40:05 PM
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My cast iron dutch oven. Use it all the time and I'd be ever so lost without it. We call it the "stewpot" but it's really used for so much more than that.
What I make with my hands, I give with my heart .... |
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Farm Kitchen: What's your favorite pot or pan?  |
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