A Gift to Cherish

My Grandma Emma has been on my mind a lot lately. I lost her in February 2007, right after my daughter was born.  I received a phone call from my daddy in the middle of the night. Daddy couldn't talk. I knew immediately my grandma, who had been sick for a while, was gone.  Grandma Emma had several loves that she passed on to me: singing, sewing and cooking. No, I am not going to break into song singing her favorite, Swing Low Sweet Chariot for you. Nor will I break into a quilting session for you, but I am going to share with you the last gift I remember her giving me. It was a gift that I am sure every REAL HOUSEWIFE OF OKLAHOMA has or at least after this post, will have.... a set of cast iron skillets.

I cook with my 12 inch skillet quite often. My favorite dish being a pan of cornbread. I just love how it browns the corners perfectly. I'm not a big "fryer" around my house so neither pan gets used daily. Sadly, my six inch skillet never gets touched. Since I have been thinking about Grandma Emma so much I am getting my pans out and getting them "seasoned" and trying to look for healthier recipes that don't involve frying that can actually be made in skillets, wish me luck. Now you see the smaller pan, it is in sad shape. See the rust? A little steel wool and canola oil should do the trick.  I ran across an Oklahoma blog today called Dishin and Dishes where Katie specifically tells you how to season your cast iron skillets!

I also own a cast iron griddle- somehow inherited this from my first marriage- I love this thing for grilled cheese and it keeps my stove top clean in between uses! I am sure Grandma Emma would be green with envy over this stovetop decoration, that's way too heavy to move anywhere else. It also has grooves on the other side, I think to make burgers. Haven't tried that though!

One thing about it, cooking in the 21st Century, certainly has changed since my grandma was alive. There wasn't a meal she didn't cook in her cast iron skillet: biscuits, gravy, fried potatoes, fried chicken, okra, squash, eggs, and cornbread to name a few. Oh, the sweet memories of those Sunday dinners, singing, sewing and cooking. Thank you Grandma Emma- I will cherish these gifts forever!

♥Mrs. Hart♥