Old Timey Cookware
Over the years I have collected some unique antiques. Most of us country folk know and love our cast iron.
Anyone with cast iron experience knows washing with soap and water is a no-no. There are times when a pan is gets so bad, it’s time to start over. The pan it the picture is one such example. When I got this cast frying pan, there was more than a quarter inch of crud on the outside. The only way I could get it clean was scraping, heating and washing. Then I coated the pan with lard and threw it in a 500 degree oven for an hour. After a few rounds of bacon and sausage, it was as good as new. Sometimes on old piece of cookware needs more than a cleaning.
Enter the Presto 606 Meat Master! I got this pressure cooker at an auction for a couple bucks. I brought it home, tried it out, and found all the seals, indicators, and safety devices were shot.
These cookers haven’t been in production for years. Parts are hard to find, but one feature caused me to save this old pot from the scrap bin. The regulator on top isn’t the old jiggler type. It has a rod that rises with the pressure. Marked for 5-10-15 pounds, it’s definitely unique. After a few days searching I found a new seal, pressure relief valve, and yes, a new pressure indicator. I tested it and it is good to go. I will fill you in with my first cooking attempt with it.
Spoonbill Snaggin’ In Stereo
Missouri Paddlefish season starts March 15th. Don’t miss out! This year, get a good start on the season. Tune in to Salt Creek Radio this Wednesday, the 3rd of March at 7 P.M. Central. My guest will be Anthony Ford, an expert in the ways of the elusive spoonie! Author of all that is fishy, Anthony is giving us an interview before his Bass Pro seminar. Don’t blow your chance to call in and get some tips!
Fair Weather
The temps are finally getting above freezing during the day. This is the first weekend in about 6 weeks that didn’t start with a big snow. The combination of these 2 events has me ready to get back on the roof today.
When last we checked in, the roof was incomplete. (my theory on salt creek elves has been debunked. I will have to do it myself!) The rafters, plywood, and felt are covering most of the addition. I have yet to cut into the existing cabin roof to join it all together. The thought of snow melting and water dripping down through the existing woodwork has been a good deterrent.
Before it thaws this morning, I am gonna pull my trailer alongside the addition. This gives me a sort of 3′ tall scaffold to lift materials from. The trick is going to be cutting the existing tin, building the rafters, covering with plywood and felt, and at least get the flashing on before the next precipitation.
Scout and I are heading out to move the trailer. He is gonna spot me and help me get close to the house. I don’t know if I should trust him. The last time he directed me, I backed over the dog pen. I think he did that on purpose!
Why Am I Sore This Morning?
Have you ever had one of those dreams? One so realistic, it takes a while to realize it didn’t happen when you wake up? I was having one last night. Here is what I remember…
OK you cows! Sortin’ time is comin’, and I don’t want a repeat of last year! We are gonna do a practice run, and we will ALL stay calm and relaxed! If you look straight ahead, you will see a gate. When I walk behind you, you will not jump the fence, you will not bend the corral gates, and you definitely will not chase me over the fence! You will proceed in an orderly fashion through the gate into the sorting pen. Once there, you will remain calm, but alert. If you feel anxious or bored while in the sorting pen, cud chewing is allowed.
You calves pay attention! You are part of this process too! Watch your mama’s and follow them. Do not watch me. Every year some of you calves stare at me and when you turn around your mom’s are gone. This is usually followed by a chase over 80 acres as you try to find them. They are in the sorting pen. Stay with your mamas!
Now! You two bulls! I know you don’t get along. I know you don’t like being in confined spaces. This year I will not wait for you to reconcile your differences. I will not speak in soothing voices as you tear down the corral. I will not coddle you, or call Dr. Phil. I have new batteries in the Hot Shot, and you will behave yourselves!
As for you Honey Bunches! When I say shut the gate, I mean shut the… then I remember a loud WHACK!
That’s where I woke up. I guess I talk in my sleep.
Sunday Goin’s On
It’s Sunday morning and winter weather has moved back in.
Poor Scout can’t find his buried treasures with the new snow. At least we are warm and cozy here at the cabin. Blueberry muffins and some good thick bacon help warm the inside!
While the snow blows outside, I have been adding some short videos to the Salt Creek Life page. See Videos up there at the top of the page? Meanwhile, Honey Bunches is preparing to head to her mom’s house. Her Mom is about 75 miles south of here, but if the snow keeps coming, she can make it to work from there.
I am preparing to bundle up and go feed the cows. They will be glad to see me coming with the bad weather. Once they are fed, I need to stop off and see my 5 year old niece. She is hoping I bring her a birthday present. We don’t need a disappointed little girl running around here!
Later on, I will be on the Renegade Farmer radio show with Zan Asha. You can find those links in the post below. Tune in at 5 P.M. Central to hear the show.
That sounds like enough for a Sunday. It’s supposed to be a day of rest ya know! Everybody stay warm, and I’ll be talking at ya later!
Renegade Radio
Many of you have heard my Blog Talk Radio interviews. This week, we are doing something different. Zan Asha from The Renegade Farmer will be interviewing me this time! To hear the show, please go to The Renegade Farmer Radio Show.
Tune in Sunday the 21st at 5 PM central time. Call-ins are welcome. There may even be a giveaway! Make sure to tune us in, or see some of my posts at Zan’s site at The Renegade Farmer.
A Great Loss
One of the original wood stoves in Aunt Dorothy's house
After the passing of a close relative, some reflection is always in order. My Great Aunt Dorothy lived for more than 94 years. I am not sure I have ever known a happier or more frugal woman. The fact that she kept her mind, hearing, and sense of humor until the end, just seems to make it more abrupt. Although she and Uncle Mart never had children, the house always seemed to be full of friends. The jokes and laughter will never leave my memory.
As we cleaned out her house this last weekend, the memories were quite clear… The “kids” table, the yellow toy pistol, and most of all the bathroom door “dinger”. The small wooden plaque with a bell on it had suggestions or how many dings you should make depending on how bad you needed to get in there! All of us kids had been threatened with a beating for “dinging” that thing one to many times!
My cousin reminded me, sometimes even us kids got a little wine passed under the table. If Aunt Dorothy caught on, she would shoot a glance at Uncle Mart. He would get a sheepish look on his face and then defend himself. “Now Mama! I reckon if Paully didn’t like it, he wouldn’t have drunk it!”
Married in 1944, Mart and Dorothy worked hard. She attended college and taught school. Together they raised potatoes, tobacco, cows, and pigs on the steepest ground in the county. I keep thinking, “She lived on that hill for 70 plus years with nothing but memories”, but Aunt Dorothy had always felt the Lord deserved more attention then she did.
She out-lived Uncle Mart by 15 years, filling her time with quilting, dominoes, and playing cards with friends. She also listened to every baseball game she could get on the radio. Her fondness for baseball always seemed to reach a high point when she bested me on sports knowledge!
While it is a sad event, her passing reminds me of the really important things in life. You can live a full life with only family, friends, and laughter.
Coming Soon To A Computer Near You
Check that out! Now we are getting somewhere! I may have over done it a little (eat your heart out Tim Allen) but our recent internet troubles required serious action. The air card (basically a cell phone antenna) just wasn’t fast enough to do the audio required for our little radio show. This bad boy should do the trick! How did I come across such a fine piece of hardware?
Recently I made a post called, “State Of The Blog Address”, spoofing President Obama’s speech. I forgot Barack is one of my biggest Twitter followers! Within a week there was a nighttime space shuttle launch. Next, a van with “Your Tax Dollars At Work” emblazoned on the side showed up at the cabin with a bunch of high tech gear! Obama must have called in some favors. Marvin the Martion even showed up and installed the Illudium Q-36 Explosive Space Modulator! Once it was all connected, I fired up the computer and promptly burned a hole through the addition! After pointing the apperatus little higher, a new internet connection was made.
We now have enough power to do the radio shows, transmit Honey Bunches’ lesson plans, and (as I found out by accident) manipulate the weather. Sorry about that DC!
All I need now is the next victim volunteer for the radio show. Anybody got a subject they would like to hear about?
Sunday Treasure Hunt 02/07/10
This Teasure Hunt will be all about my home state of Missouri. If you win, you will receive my brand new, shiny, deck of Farmall playing cards! The winner will be the FIRST on to put ALL the correct answers in ONE comment. If you think you missed one, put them ALL in another comment. I will announce the winner in a few days. One note, you will not be able to see anyone elses comments. So, eyes on your own paper and here we go!
- The Lyceum Theatre in Arrow Rock just released the 2010 schedule. What date will “Red, White, and Tuna” begin.
- According to Roadside America; What town in Missouri claims to be the home of sliced bread?
- The Pony Express started in St Joseph, Missouri and traveled to Sacramento, California. What anniversary does the Pony Express celebrate this year?
- By law, no building in downtown St. Louis may exceed the height of the Gateway Arch. How many feet is that?
- The 33rd President of the United States was a Missouri native. Name him, and the town he was born in.
- Mark Twain, from Hannibal Missouri, died a century ago this year. If he were still alive, how old would he be?
- When prohibition hit St. Louis, Budweiser beer production ceased. The company stayed afloat making bus bodies, refrigerated trucks, and a non-alcoholic beverage called____.
- List the state Insect, Animal, and Musical Instrument.
- Missouri is neighborly! How many states does Missouri border?
- The most powerful earthquake to hit the U.S. was in 1811 and was centered in what Missouri town?
Spot’s On My Windows
So far 2010 has been a real pain. Slick roads, broken tractors, and frozen waterers were just the start. If you add in the transmission going out of my wife’s car it gets worse. If you then figure in the loss 2 computers in a week, it starts to get a little frustrating!
The computer used for the radio shows and most of the blogging around here was slowing down. Since we were offered a free upgrade to Windows 7, we took it. A little word of advice… Do not load Windows 7 and then allow Norton Utilities to clean the registry. It comes out a little too clean! After a few trips to the computer store, a couple downloads, and some dents in the credit card, we finally had the required software to reload windows.
I have been too busy working to fix it myself. Lucky for us, Scout is a computer geek, and got the whole thing going again. I was quite impressed with his skills until I found he had deleted all audio, video, and photos from the last year. If he were working at a professional company, he would have been fired! I guess we can’t really fire him since he is just a dog. Besides, I have to admit, the Milk Bone screen saver he downloaded is pretty cool.
