Uses for a Cast Iron Skillet

Hi there! 

I was rummaging through my kitchen cupboards and found this: 

It's a tiny cast iron skillet. It was a holiday gift, a set that included a bag of cookie mix. I find it so cute! I can use it to serve "dessert for two" or a "dish for one" like a small pizza.  

In many families, cast iron skillets are treasured and passed down from generation to generation. They only get better with age and are a very good investment. These can easily be purchased in home stores and flea markets. For them to last many lifetimes, they have to be cared for: they have to be seasoned to achieve a non-stick surface and cleaned properly to avoid rust. 

I want to use my mini cast iron skillet as often as I can to maintain its condition. Here are some of the things I made:

Chocolate chip cookie a la mode - when I make cookies, I scoop them into balls. Half I bake and the other half I freeze. That way we don't eat too many cookies in one sitting, and if I need something sweet later on, I know there's some in the freezer. All I do is take what I need (in this case, one cookie), thaw it and bake it directly on the cast iron skillet. Then I serve it in the same skillet still warm (placed on a trivet so it doesn't burn the dining table) with a scoop of ice cream. And maybe sprinkles. And chocolate sauce. TADA! 

Dutch Baby Pancake - A Dutch Baby is crepe/pancake baked in the oven so that it puffs up into a cloud but deflates when it reaches room temperature. It makes a delightful breakfast and I like eating it with a squeeze of lemon and maple syrup. TADA!

Pumpkin Pie - the recipe I used yielded extra pie filling which allowed me to make this personal pie...TADA!

Corn Bread - this recipe for corny corn bread are baked in muffin pans. There was some extra batter left so I baked the rest in this skillet.

It's a perfect side to a bowl of chili that we love to make during the winter months. 

These are just some of the ways I turn a forgotten cast iron skillet from blah to TADA!

Please share more suggestions on what I can make with this cast iron skillet and if you'd like to be part of my mailing list, please subscribe here. 

Leaf Embroidery

Thank you for dropping by!

Today I am inspired by leaves. I stumbled upon the work of Hillary Waters Fayle, an artist who uses leaves as her canvas that she then embroiders to make "Botanical Stitchwork." Here are samples of her creations:

via Colossal

via Colossal

via Colossal

I am fascinated by how she makes beautiful things out of very simple materials and how delicate her process is. You can see more of Hillary's work on Instagram.

*****

Suddenly I am reminded of my "leaf stash." In the spring and summer, I collect flowers, press them, and use them for crafts. In the fall, I collect leaves:

I can't help but pick these up from the ground. I am attracted to their deep colors and graceful shapes.

I put them inside an old book to press them flat.

I keep them with no project in mind, just as a souvenir of the fleeting seasons and the passage of time. But Hillary Waters Fayle has changed that. It's time to try my hand at leaf embroidery:

This was a fun way to use my found leaves and thread remnants from previous embroidery projects. The leaves that were extra dry were challenging to sew because they would crack when the needle went through. But I liked the graphic element that the embroidery added.

The embroidered leaves can be framed and be turned into inexpensive art work...TADA! It's also a memorable keepsake when using leaves collected from travels.

That is how I turned some plain leaves from "blah to TADA!"

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Apple-picking to Welcome Autumn

The air is crisp and cool, a sign that Autumn has arrived!

Decorations start to appear on lawns and door steps.

And a visit to the farm cannot be missed!

Being close to nature can be reviving and the kids can feed the animals.

There are corn mazes...

There's pumpkin picking...

And pumpkin decorating.

But my favorite activity is apple picking!

We ride horse-drawn wagons to get to the apple trees...

And get an extensive tour of the grounds.

Then we arrive at the orchard and disembark from the wagon.

We scout the trees...

And find the ripe ones...

Then fill our bags with what we found.

Back on the wagon after a fun afternoon of apple picking...TADA! 

Our bags were weighed, we paid, and brought our apples home.

I just had to paint this still life...TADA!

I loved the coloring of this leaf, I painted a version of it, too.

And after the watercolor session, it was time to eat the apples:

These are caramelized apples on French toast...

And this is an apple carrot quick bread...TADA!

The new season reminds us of life cycles and how we must embrace change. Here's wishing that these changes will turn our lives from "blah" to "TADA!"

What to Do with those fortunes in Fortune Cookies

Hey, hey, I'm excited to see you today!

Maybe you've had your share of fortune cookies, free on nights we depend on Chinese take-out or delivery?

I do love to snack on them.

And I can't resist the fortune inside.

Sometimes it provides wisdom.

Or a prophecy.

Or even an affirmation.

And some will make you wonder..."Ummm...what?"

I don't know if I'm being superstitious, but I've saved all my fortunes.

Here are a few ways to turn these paper fortunes from blah to TADA!:

Let's say we're wrapping a present like this pretty pearl bangle. It's tucked inside a mesh pouch but I want to protect it a little bit more, both to cushion it and to add a layer of surprise. We can wrap it in paper...

Or we can use the fortunes to do that job. It's like sharing your "good fortune" to your friend...TADA!

Here is another idea if you're into paper crafts:

With stickers and ephemera, use the fortunes to decorate handmade cards or scrapbook pages.

If it's a good reminder for you, it's a good reminder for others, too.

Let the fortune do the talking...TADA!

That is how I turned ordinary fortune sheets from blah to TADA!

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Tin Transformations Part 2

Howdy everyone!

I have a thing for tin containers. I've talked about it last week and transformed many others in the past (you can read about them here, here, and here).

What's not to love? They're sturdy, provide an air tight-seal, and are very useful for storage. 

This particular one was once filled with yummy baked goods. It's now empty and I've cleaned it up with a dry cloth.

Then I painted it with several coats of acrylic, letting the tin dry in between coats.

Here is my tin in mysterious matte black. But it still looks a little blah.

I saw this mural on the door of a restaurant's ladies room. I found it so cheerful! I think it reminded me of a sunny place like California, Florida or maybe even Spain.  

Inspired by these oranges, I painted some on the lid of my tin. 

Because pencil is invisible on blank paint, I sketched using white acrylic paint.

Then I added color -- this watercolor palette worked quite well.

I added some shading and detail with more paint.

Just a hint of an orange orchard.

Designate it for crafting supplies. Make it into a sewing kit. Or use it to wrap gifts instead of the traditional box and wrapping paper.

And that is how I turned a tin container from blah to TADA!

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