My Favorite Cookware - Lodge Cast Iron!

      Lodge Cast Iron is my all-time favorite cookware. Cast iron is the most durable pans and dutch ovens. I can cook a meal in a dutch oven over the campfire and do not have to worry about damaging the pot.  It can go from the oven, to the stove top to outdoor cooking, to heating up food over the fireplace. I prefer Lodge brand cast iron because they are pre-seasoned. I have purchased cheap cast iron pans before and had to heat them in the oven first because they were coated in wax. This process stunk up the entire house. Afterward I followed directions to season the pan with vegetable shortening. It was messy and as soon as I used it it still did not perform right. I just couldn't get it seasoned right. It was way to much work. It is well worth paying more for Lodge Cast Iron. 

     Lodge has a wonderful selection of products.  I have a dutch oven that is a must whenever we go camping. Especially camping in the cool fall, nothing beats cooking a pot of chili over the fire with the crisp smell of autumn leaves all around. We also use the griddle for the morning breakfast. Our favorite breakfast is the simple bacon and eggs. But I must say, for some reason, they never taste better than while camping.  The bacon must be cooked first. After the bacon is ready, remove the bacon from the griddle but leave some of the bacon grease. Cook the eggs directly in the bacon grease. The secret to cooking the perfect bacon and eggs over a fire is controlling the temperature of the griddle. Heat the griddle slowly over hot coals not the fire itself. If you place the griddle over hot flames it has a tendency to get too hot and will burn the bacon edges while other parts of the bacon will remain raw. Get the pan hot enough that the bacon will cook but more slowly.  After the bacon is done. Cast iron retains heat more than any other cookware. The griddle can actually be removed from the heat source and still adequately cook the eggs. When the breakfast is prepared, sit around the fire and enjoy. The blended smell of bacon and a campfire will make this a breakfast you will never forget.

     Lodge had a great catalog of products. I must admit some of them are on my Christmas wish list!  I am excited to try other products and let you know how they perform.