pickles

My vote is for a 10-12" traditional cast iron pan. I've used every type of pan out there, and the one I leave sitting out on my stove is my trusty cast iron skillet that was my great great grandparents'. It will oulive me too!

Buying:

I would recommend to not buy new. Buy an old used one that ideally has a smooth surface, not a rough one. (The newer ones have a dimpled surface due to how they're molded and they take longer to season up in my opinion.) Check the old pan for bulges, cracks, and extreme rust (like the whole thing is orange). If there's a few rust spots, that can be fixed with a good scrub, a thin coating of oil, and an hour in a 400 degree oven. That's it! If you are cooking with the same pan a lot, you don't need to worry about it rusting ever again. Just always coat it in a thin layer of high heat oil. (I prefer avocado or safflower.)

Cooking:

Never put food in a cold pan! Let it warm up first. Put a bead of water in to check if it's ready, it will sizzle when the pan is hot. If food sticks, add liquid or oil and scrape the bottom good with a metal spatula. You don't have to be gentle with cast iron!

Cleaning:

After cooking, turn off your burner and immediately remove all the food (do not leave it in the pan to cool! Harder to clean) and run it under blazing HOT tap water (I wear kitchen gloves for this step!) The temp change won't be high enough to damage your pan. Scrub it out with a copper chore boy or very stiff brush all over, then put back on the still warm burner (if you use electric) or turn the burner on low and wait for the water to evaporate off, it'll only take a minute or two. Then rub the pan lightly ALL OVER, every bit, with a high heat cooking oil. I keep a small rag in some oil for this purpose. Done! It takes me like 3 min to clean the pan, tops.

This cleaning method is sooo much easier than having to deal with any of my other pans. If you wash it hot and keep it seasoned, nothing will stick and it'll last forever!

Tonka beans are illegal to sell in food, but you can get them shipped online and use them in your home kitchen. I'm in the US and I have some in my pantry right now. I've tried them in cookies but I'll try them in ice cream too, thanks for the tip!

Ahhhh nothing is better than a cute dog who feels safe and loved enough to ask for belly rubs. 💜💜💜💜

That's a possibility...I am disappoint 🥲

I and my lil dog would also like to know! I would love to be able to snug her on the flight.

A few extra tips: don't put any cruciferous veg into your stock bag, like broccoli, cauliflower, brussels, etc. They will make your stock smell sulfurous. Bread pudding is another great use for stale bread and dairy.

My newest scrap discovery is using the liquid from canned fruit and leftover yogurt to make homemade popsicles.

Historically antique pockets are very similar to this, tied around the waist instead though. So modern pockets are 'pockets with extra steps' not the other way around.

Baby's first loaf

My brain:

• I want to eat cheese.

• Shit, I accidentally made eye contact!!

• When I make my stuffie chair/coat/abomination, precious blahaj will be prominently featured.

• etc.

How much is it, if you don't mind sharing?

I hope you feel up to rocking that satchel sometime! It's unfair that a lot of masc folks can feel limited in how they dress/accessorize.

Yes, the needle and thread has come in handy twice, once a button popped off, and a friend's skirt seam started splitting in the back. I actually need to reload some black thread.

Wow I've never heard of these types of toys!! I just went down a rabbit hole looking at people playing with them. They look very elegant. Do you have a fave?