Happy Friday everybody! We've finally reached a steady Spring here in Chicagoland and I couldn't be happier! Garage sales are popping up, lawns are being mowed, my hostas are coming back beautifully, and the skies are blue and full of sunshine! It feels like I've been wearing a winter coat for the past 7 months (oh wait, I have!) so this is a welcome change!
My first for this week is using a new pot! A couple weeks ago I got a green enameled cast iron pot from the Rachael Ray collection. This baby is huge- 5 1/4 quarts and weighs 17 pounds! I chose this particular item because I do not have any enameled cast iron cookware, and I don't have any dishes that can go from stove top to oven.
This holds heat well! The rest of our cookware is lighter nonstick stuff, so cooking with in this new pot, you could notice a difference right away. I really liked the even temperature and that the ingredients stuck a bit to the bottom! I've never really had a need to deglaze before with the nonstick, but I was able to in this pot! And of course I love that it is green and comes in a variety of brilliant, bright colors!I made pasta sauce in it and later added some meatballs to simmer away. There are no complaints with the stove top cooking so far! The only thing I could see being a problem down the road is a design flaw. The pot itself is oven safe up to 500°, but for some reason they chose to put a plastic and silicone handle on the lid that is only safe up to 350°! It is recommended handwash, which I don't really mind because I have to handwash all of the non-stick cookware too. Even the sauce that had dried around the edges rinsed off cleanly after a quick soak and was a breeze after that- no scrubbing necessary!
Now it's your turn to tell me about your first! To participate in Friday Firsts create a blog post featuring a "first" of yours. It could be the first time you've eaten a new fruit or the first visit to a new restaurant in town! Next, link that blog post below and tell us about it! If you don't have a blog or a specific post to link to please tell us about your first in the comment section! Any and all participation is welcome!
Thank you for helping me spread the word each week, I'm excited to see Friday Firsts growing! If you would like to display the Friday Firsts button as a badge in your post or on your side bar, you can copy and paste the following code:
The Rachael Ray enameled cast iron pot featured in this post was received courtesy of CSN Stores. The review is my honest opinion based on my experiences in using this product.
I love cast iron pots - they are wonderful to cook in and Rachael Ray's are gorgeous too! That is a beautiful shade of green. Thanks for hosting Friday Firsts.
ReplyDeleteWe have a pot like that, too. Scott removes the handle when he needs to cook at a higher temp. :)
ReplyDeleteoh that pot looks so fun to cook in!
ReplyDeleteLove the pot!! As always you rocketh!! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you April and your dish is BEAUTIFUL!!! That is on the mental "must make" list! The non-seafood liking Johnny will just have to deal with it!!! ;)
ReplyDeleteSarah I saw that tip about taking off the handle, but sheesh why would they do that?! Maybe I'll try to find a better handle and swap them out altogether. I think it's such a crappy design to do that to the customers!
Thank you to the rest of the linkers!! I really appreciate your guys' support ea. week! :)
I love cast-iron, but am too cheap to go with enameled, use the good ol' Lodge stuff.
ReplyDeleteI need to put a reminder by my computer - "don't forget Friday Firsts!"
ReplyDeleteYou will be shocked with my BSI recipe - beet and cauliflower hummus! I am making it tonight to set up in the fridge - I'll let you know how it turns out!
Happy Friday Christina!
Can you please make beef bourguignon next? I've ALWAYS wanted to try that. Or coq au vin! :D
ReplyDeleteWow that's a pretty big request Sophia!!! haha I'll see what I can do! :P
ReplyDeleteThe TJ Maxx near me always has these Rachel Ray pots for sale...I should pick one up. (And coq au vin is AMAZING. My neighbor has made it twice and I absolutely love it because it tastes a lot like pot roast, which was a favorite meal when I ate beef.)
ReplyDeleteYay for enameled cast iron! Those posts cook so well, and your pasta sauce looks delicious! I can't wait to see what you make next! :)
ReplyDeleteHello!! Very interesting site you have here.Would you like to exchange link with me? I already put your site in my blog list.Add me if you interested.Thank you.
ReplyDeleteChristina - I just made the beet hummus and guess what?? It's amazing! And I hate beets! I am posting the recipe tomorrow, but I thought I would quick tell you how it turned out!
ReplyDeleteHope you are enjoying your Saturday!