A kitchen argument that I didn't win. And a Corn Bread recipe.

      A few years ago my husband purchased a Lodge Cast-Iron Skillet and a silicone handle holder. The skillet only cost $15 and he was really excited to start using it. His instructions to me were to never clean it with soap, just use a stiff brush and a little bit of water.  Then dry it and coat it with a little bit of oil. Immediately, I scoffed at the idea of using a pan that sounded so "fussy," to clean. No soap? No way! Why on earth would I want to cook with that something that couldn't be thrown into the dishwasher like my Teflon? (I probably shouldn't put that in the dishwasher either...) 

     But then I started to cook with it, and I really liked it. Food wasn't getting caked on and burned, cleaning it took less time than washing it with soap, and the food just tasted better. Immediately I started using the cast-iron skillet exclusively, and I had to admit to my husband that he was right. Now I only use my teflon pans if I have to because I am cooking multiple things at once. Really I would like to throw them away and only keep two pans in my kitchen, the cast iron skillet and an Enamel Coated cast-iron dutch oven pot. They are pricey though so it is currently on my wish list. Also owning one in a large size, and one in a smaller size wouldn't be worst thing in the world. Green, Blue, or Aqua would be my preference. 

     I should note that since we picked up the original skillet, we added a mini-sized skillet to our collection that we picked up at a second-hand shop in Carson City, NV. Cast-iron has been used for cooking for 1,000s of years so obviously I was late to the bandwagon, but some of my favorite parts about using our cast-iron skillet are: that I don't have to use as much oil because food generally doesn't stick, the iron content in my food is increased from cooking with cast-iron, I don't accidentally swallow chemicals that start to chip off of the Teflon, it is very durable, and I can use it on the stove and in the oven which is awesome! Especially when I am cooking a Dutch Baby, or something else that has to stay warm. Actually funny story about cooking a Dutch Baby in the wrong kind of pan. I originally tried a 9x13 glass dish but it ended up too dense. Then I thought it might be a good idea to use a cheapo wok from Ikea. The only problem was that the wok had a wooden handle. When the oven started to smoke, I knew there was a problem. Cast-iron to the rescue! 
     And  since I pretty much use my cast-iron skillet for everything, here is one of my favorite recipes that tastes 100 times better when cooked in a cast-iron skillet--my favorite Corn Bread recipe. I usually just use my Better Homes and Garden cookbook, I have the 12th edition but the link that I included will take you to the online version of the recipe. It is delicious and so easy to make! I always have the ingredients on hand which makes it easy to whip some up as a last minute side dish. The best part about it is that the recipe takes less than five minutes to mix, and fifteen minutes to bake, so it can really be last minute!