More Cast Iron Cookware

Those of you who've been following my blog for a while already know how much I love my cast iron cookware.  I've written about it here.  In short, it's a healthier alternative to other types of cookware, it's far less expensive than many brands and it's easier to care for than most people realize.

Yesterday, I added another pan to my collection.

As much as I love my big double-sided griddle, it's sometimes too large for my needs.  I wanted something smaller.  So I went to Wal-Mart and picked up the little 10 1/2 inch round Lodge griddle pictured above.

It's the perfect size for a bunch of dollar-sized pancakes -- or two grilled cheese sandwiches (my boys' lunch today):

10 Ways to Reuse and Reduce

The Three R's: REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE

I've written many times before about recycling (you can see my many posts here), but I think not enough attention is paid to the topics of reduce and reuse.  So expect more posts from me on these two topics.

To kick things off, let me give you some ideas on ways you can reuse and reduce:

REUSE

1. If you've got things you don't need or want, you can pass them along to other people who might be able to use them instead.  Do not underestimate others' abilities to reuse things you think are worthless.  You can sell things through eBay, craigslist or yard sales (see my tutorial on yard sales here).  Or you can give them away through Freecycle, Goodwill or any number of other local programs.  Subscribing to your local freecycle email list can also be a great source of entertainment.  It's pretty funny to see what some people list.  For example, one request was recently posted to my local group for a male peacock to join a female peacock someone had living wild in their backyard.
2. Source or buy items used via the vehicles I mentioned above, or via pawn shops, antique shops, second hand stores or flea markets (what an awful name for something so fun).    For instance, my husband mentioned to me the other day that he saw a whole lot of great garden tools at a second hand store near us.  Why buy brand new tools when you can buy gently used ones cheaper?  They're going to get dirty and dinged up by you anyway!

REDUCE

1. Use cloth instead of paper towels.  In my house, we use cheap bar towels I picked up in bulk at Costco.  I have one bunch of them dedicated to cleaning my house.  I have another bunch dedicated to my kitchen.  I also cut up old bath towels and use them for cleaning.
2. Choose cast iron.  Did your Teflon pans get scratched and you need to buy new ones?  Cast iron cookware is healthier, cheaper and far more durable, and it's easier to care for than you imagine.
3. Make your own household cleaners.  The end product is cheaper and reduces the world's production of plastic in the process.  See my recipes and tips here.
4. Cook.  This seems like a simple idea but it's one people forget about.  If you enjoy store bought hummus, lemonade, muffins, pizza, ice cream, steak marinade, you can make your own, often healthier, versions, and save the world some plastic, paper or glass.  You can save time by preparing more than you need and freezing some for another day.  See my recipes here.
5. Make your own makeup and reuse those old containers.  It's really not hard. As an added benefit, you know exactly what you're putting on your skin.  See my recipes here.  Check back, as I plan to write about a few more very soon.
6. Save water in your garden. You can reduce the amount of water you need to effectively hydrate your lawn and flower beds by a) watering at night and b) scheduling your sprinkler heads to run through several five-minute cycles instead of just one long one (helps the water sink in better so you have less running down the street).
7. Compost.  This qualifies as both Reuse and Reduce.  Reuse kitchen and garden scraps and reduce the amount of fertilizer you need to buy for your garden.  See my postings on composting here.
8. Use your freezer and learn how to properly store things in it to save leftovers and reduce spoilage - it also enables you to take advantage of good prices on your favorite organic foods.  See my tutorial here.

25 Great Green Ideas

There are so many great things I'd love to do to make my home greener.  For a variety of reasons, I haven't done them all yet, but they remain on my list and I hope to get to them eventually.

Here are 25 Green Ideas you might also consider:

1. Composting - this is the next thing I'll do.  A composter tumbler is a must for easy composting.
   
2. Tubular skylights - I can think of at least 5 places I'd put one of these in my home.  Seriously awesome idea.
3. See if radiant barrier foil makes sense - we installed this in the Summer of 2008 and our house was noticeably more comfortable this past summer.  We also get an annual tax credit for the enhancement.
4. Solar landscape lighting - I bought a bunch of solar lights this past Spring for our front yard.  While they are not as powerful as corded lights, they enhance the evening appearance of our home and provide critical path lighting.
   
5. Explore solar roof panels.
6. Consider a wind turbine - we live in a very windy part of the country.  Right now, our city doesn't allow them, but I can hope!
7. Install a programmable thermostat - we've got one and it's really useful  Along those same lines, try to tolerate warmer in-home temps in the summer and colder temps in the winter.  This saves energy and might even be better for our health.
8. Collect rainwater from our roof in rain barrels and use it to water our lawn later.  This might be our second project, after the composter.
   
9. Bathe the kids together to save hot water.  I've got two small boys so it works for now. 
10. When doing dishes, scrape pans and scrub dishes with the water faucet turned off, rather than letting it run.
11. Grow organic fruits and vegetables in the backyard.  It saves money, provides fresher produce, and reduces environmental impact.
12. Install energy-efficient motion-sensor floodlights above your garage and in your backyard.  They use less power (you don't leave them on for any longer than you need them) and they might scare off intruders.
13. Use homemade non-toxic household cleaners.  I've been doing this for a while and love it.
14. As old light bulbs burn out, replace them with more energy efficient ones.
15. Get rid of plastic food storage containers in the kitchen.  Plastic leaches toxins into food.  Replace plastic with stainless steel or Pyrex.
16. Cook with cast iron, not non-stick pots and pans. 
    
17. Get rid of plastic in kids' meals.  Use stainless steel whenever possible.  Need ideas? Click here and here.
18. Maintain the lawn and garden organically to keep kids, pets, wildlife and beneficial insects safe.
    
19. Have a bug problem?  Deal with it organically.  Don't want to make your own solutions?  Here's an online guide to organic products you can buy.
    
20. Recycle when you can.  
21. Sell or give away things you don't want - post them on freecycle.org or craigslist, or give them to Goodwill.
22. Avoid some of those dry cleaning chemicals by learning how to wash dry-clean-only clothes.  Better yet, vow to buy fewer dry-clean-only clothes.
23. Drink tap water rather than bottled water, but make sure your tap water is healthy.  If it is not what you would like it to be or you worry about it, consider installing water filtration.
    
24. Use less paper.  Remove yourself from mailing lists - click here to do that.
25. Don't just clean the home - keep it tidy and organized.  This facilitates figuring out what can be discarded (see #21) and using possessions more efficiently (thereby avoiding unnecessary purchases).  Green living and good organization go hand-in-hand.

One of My Favorite Kitchen Items: Cast Iron Cookware

First of all: why cast iron? Simple. It’s healthier than non-stick coated pans, incredibly sturdy and can be heated safely above 400F without unhealthy metals leaching into food.

It took me a while to come around to the idea of cast iron cookware, despite the health benefits. I imagined that everything would stick to it and that cleaning it would be impossible. But my brother told me how much he likes the old cast iron pan he bought at a yard sale, so I took the plunge.

The first cast iron piece I bought was a Lodge griddle. One side is smooth, perfect for pancakes, bacon, grilled cheese sandwiches, burgers and eggs. The other side is ridged, perfect for steaks and grilled vegetables. It was pre-seasoned (i.e., oiled) so I just needed to rinse it with hot water and dry it thoroughly before using it.

The first day, I cooked breakfast and lunch on it without any problem. If you are careful with the temperature and use a bit of olive or canola oil (or butter), you won’t have any meaningful sticking. Cleaning it is easy – I just use hot water and a strong scrub brush to remove the food, then wipe it dry with a paper towel and rub in a bit of olive oil to keep it seasoned. On my brother’s recommendation, I store my cast iron in my oven when not in use.

I love it so much that I also bought a Lodge skillet, which I now use almost every day. The neat thing about this pan is the way I can sear beef to seal in the juices, then put the whole thing in the oven to finish cooking.

Oh, and did I mention that beyond the health benefits and sturdiness of cast iron, these items are far cheaper than much of the other cookware out there?

Win, win, win!