Today, Don seasoned a cast iron pot given to us by my dad. After removing rust from the inside and outside of the pot, he washed it in hot, soapy water, thoroughly dried it, smeared it with lard, then baked it in the oven for one hour at 250 degrees and one half hour at 350 degrees. It is now ready to receive the fixings for beef stew.

We really like the versatility and durability of cast iron. The same skillet can be used to fry food, stir up a variety of soups, bake cakes and breads or make meal-in-one recipes.