calamity jane

These days I mostly try not to write. My life is so full of work and family and weeding. But every now and then, my brain starts to itch and the only way to scratch that itch is writing. This is where you will find my most recent scratchings.

  • Cast Iron for the Rest of Us

    Let’s get one thing outa the way. There are some Cast Iron Fundamentalists in the world (it takes all kinds), and I am not one of them. I take decent care of my pans, and they serve me decently. With a fundamentalist approach you can reach amazing heights with cast iron. You can slide a frying egg around in it before you’ve even looked at the spatula. I’ve seen these feats with mine own eyes. My pans are good. In their best times, you can easily loosen and flip a fried egg. But ain’t no sliding goes on in my…

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    Calamity Jane

  • Rescuing and Seasoning Cast Iron

    So I’ve lit your fire for cast iron, and you’re wondering where to start? Cast iron care and cookery is very simple and forgiving. That’s why I love it. It’s really all about one thing, the seasoning. Cast iron “seasoning” is just a fancy term for a build up of oil on the surface of the iron. It’s the ultimate DIY non-stick coating that doesn’t flake off into your food and cause Alzheimers! In general, if you use and care for your pan right, this build up is maintained on it’s own. Which is what makes it all so brilliant.…

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    Calamity Jane

  • Cast Iron Cookery

    I found an old cast iron skillet at a junk shop the other day. Brought her home, cleaned her up and seasoned her, and she’s a beaut. It’s inspired me to do a small series on cast iron– how to cook in it, and how to take care of it– so that you never have to buy another damn teflon pan again. Anyone interested? I am a huge fan of cast iron. I’ve been cooking in it for 15 years. I love the fact of it’s permanence. You can get an old cast iron from your grandmother, and pass it…

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    Calamity Jane

  • Chewy Granola Bars

    To me, chewy granola bars are the Holy Grail of ‘making at home what other people buy at the store.’ I’ve tried a lot of granola bar recipes that are basically just bar cookies, and they’re good. But they’re not granola bars… And they fall into a crumble if you ever try to pack them anywhere. Which is the point of granola bars, right? I thought it just wasn’t possible. Until a few years ago, a friend told me a secret. It went something like this. Marshmallows. If you follow a recipe for rice krispie bars, melting butter and marshmallows,…

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    Calamity Jane

  • Ode to realBooks

    I love books. And by “book,” I don’t mean iBook, or kindle, or anything having to with a screen. I mean real, live books, with smooth pages, crinkly spines, and that ethereal smell. Something to curl up with. I love reading a good book. Almost nothing sweeter. But even beyond reading, I just love books. This is something My Man and I have always bonded on. You can never have too many books. A sprawling bookshelf makes a perfectly sumptuous wall covering. We aspire to having a library when we’re old. His side will cover environmental and social politics, anarchist…

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    Calamity Jane