I spent more time in the kitchen this week, and if you know me, you know that could be scary. In my mind I thought I would post a recipe of the week, but I’m not sure I can make that kind of commitment. (For time reasons and because I really do not have that many recipes.) You do however get one this week. Anyway, I made Bryson’s grandma’s chicken pie recipe and needed some cornbread with that, obviously. In my personal opinion cornbread should be cooked in cast iron, so my trusty, rusty skillet had to come out of retirement. 

Actually, it is not rusty. This time. I used to only cook with cast iron and then we took the skillet on a really cold camping trip where it may not have gotten cleaned properly after use. Then it sat in our old shop for a while. Gross. I wish I had a picture to show you how awful it was, but honestly, I’m glad I don’t because you might judge me. Anyway, I have a teacher friend who really enjoys restoring old cast iron, and while I was convinced there was no hope, he returned it in no time looking good as new! It needed to be re-seasoned before cornbread this week, so here is what I did.

I am no expert on this and of course I googled everything, but this is what I did and what worked. First it had to be cleaned. The number one rule of cast iron is no soap, so of course I used an SOS pad (It totally has soap in it. It is what I had on hand. They survive). Then I dried it completely. I used a paper towel but a dry cloth would probably be more conducive.

Then I covered the entire skillet, inside and out, with oil. I used olive oil because again, it is what I had on hand, but any oil you have would be good. Oils with a high smoke point such as avocado oil would be ideal. I also made sure the coat the handles, but lightly so they would not be too sticky. Then the whole thing goes into the oven upside down. Why? I did not know. It is so no oil pools in the bottom of your skillet. Pro tip: place foil underneath to catch any drips. 

When I looked up temperatures and times there was a wide range, so in my mind it cannot matter that much. I went with 400° F for 45 minutes. And then I let it stay in the oven while the oven cooled down, because, why not. Things seemed to work out well. Something to note: I put the skillet in the oven while I worked. It started to smell unpleasant (like oil burning) and when I checked it was smoking slightly. In my initial “how-to” searches, there was nothing mentioned about this, but when I searched for this specifically it sounds like it is not that uncommon. I kept an eye on it and would not have let the smoke get heavy. 

Caring for your skillet:

Once your skillet is usable again, you do need to keep it in good working order. After use, do not use soap (for real this time, because you will not be baking it after each use). I have a chain mail scrubber that works great for getting things unstuck, but you could also use a metal sponge or Scotch Brite (or similar) sponge without soap in it. Once my pan is clean, I dry it well. Cast iron is very prone to surface rust so you want to make sure there is no water left. You can dry it with a cloth or even turn a burner on and let it sit until dry. Once dry, I put a drop of oil in the pan and wipe it all over with a paper towel. I store mine on my stovetop which would drive some people crazy, but it is not in my way when I cook because I am using it. If you decide to store your skillet in a cabinet, make sure you do not get oil all over everything. 

Here is where you thought you were getting a cornbread or chicken pie recipe. Nope. Totally going for my current obsession: a veggie omelet. Here is also where I should tell you I am not a food blogger and my recipe skills are highly lacking in the measurement department. If you are really into food blogs this will make you cringe, but you may get some comic relief from my poor photo quality at least. And a delicious omelet if you go for the recipe. 

The ingredients minus cheese. Of course there was cheese. And I get pre-cut veggies any time I can because my mornings are hectic. Thank you Food Lion. You could literally put anything you wanted in the omelet, but my go-tos are bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, and cheese. If I make an omelet for Bryson, it is strictly meat and cheese. 

Step 1: Saute your veggies. Or cook your meat if that is your jam. Set to the side. 

Step 2: Crack two eggs in a bowl and add milk. This is where my not having measurements is a problem. I just pour until it looks right. It is not much at all. Less than ¼ cup. Add salt and pepper to taste and whisk together. 

Step 3: Add a small amount of butter to your hot skillet or pan and make sure it covers the bottom once it melts. Pour in eggs and leave it alone! The edges start to cook first and the inside will still jiggle. Leave it. Once the inside looks like most of the jiggle is gone, I use my spatula to go around the edges to make sure nothing is sticking. Once the edges are loose I can check the middle. I like mine pretty well-done, but cook it to your preference.

Step 4: Add cheese and veggies (or meat) to one side. Fold the other side over. Serve! Top with anything that tickles your fancy. My favorites are sour cream and avocado. Bryson likes hot sauce. You could top with salsa too. Get creative! 

Updates on the farm: As with everywhere else it seems, the Three 10s is flooded and gross. The mud has taken on a special stink and we are supposed to get more rain at the end of this week. The animals are ready for some dry footing, but the garden is loving the rain! My broody chicken is still broody. My sourdough starter is still living in peril. It will truly be a miracle if this thing survives. I did make tasty pancakes with some discard this week and another yummy loaf of bread. So I guess it is worth it. Oh! Is anyone else obsessed with setting goals??? I challenged my bestie to run 100 miles in May. And now it has rained forever. I have 25 miles to go this week and I might be getting wet to do it. Whew! Follow us on social to see if I make it. (I’m going to make it.) Thanks for joining us for another great week of learning to homestead on the side!

“And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.” 1 Peter 5:10