15 years ago I married a wonderful woman who's family is straight out of the hills of Kentucky, literally, her Mom was one of 18 kids of a Coal Miner. If you wanna eat well, marry a Hillbilly. Trust me, will make you throw rocks at Cracker Barrel!
When we were wed, she brought to our home two old CI pieces, a large skillet and a deep chicken fryer. While she was working one evening I thought I would do her a favor and clean those nasty old things up... and hour with an SOS pad and I had them nice and shiny. Needless to say she was not impressed! A pound of bacon and several hours in the oven, I was let out of the dog-house.
Fast forward a decade + we start Camping. I now know how to care for CI and want to cook over an open fire. We take the one Skillet in the old Pop-up and keep the Chicken fryer in the house for Sausage Gravy (see above statement on Hillbilly cooking). My Mom brings us a Lodge DO she found NEW at an auction for $10. I get out the Crisco and seasoned it, built a tripod out of some steel I had and we have been using those 2 every since.
Then the addiction really started I guess...I began really watching for CI to be had cheap. Along came the hand-me downs from the MIL who had gotten to be of the age where she wasn't cooking anymore with the onset of her dementia. These are TREASURED! They probably came from HER mom since they were dirt poor but we will never know for sure.
Found a couple of "Made in USA" sauce pans at a garage sale for $3. Then a Skillet or two here and there, lead to more pieces.
But we all have our favorites right? These are better than any Teflon coated aluminum crap out there and LIVE in our TT camper.
A while back I had picked up another Chicken Fryer. This one for the TT since the original is for the Sausage Gravy from Heaven and must NEVER leave the house after my near escape from death with it. While searching here yesterday, I found Stacie Tamaki post on using one for a DO with Bobhenry's reply on http://www.buygoodwill.com and was searching for a lid when the Wifey came up and said "Don't you think you have enough?"
Hmmm I dunno, never really thought about it that way. So I gathered up all my pieces in one spot for a photo shoot.....
All are vintage CI with either Griswald or Wagner stampings except for the two wooden handled pieces on the right, they are from Taiwan and are to be used on the Camper stove top only. We got them for a buck each at a thrift shop.
Well, NOPE! They are all different shapes / sizes, each have their own personality, and some have yet to be seasoned "properly".
I still need a lid for that Chicken Fryer. I'd like to find an interlocking lid for it and I'm tired of sharing a lid with the original Lodge DO because what if I want to use them BOTH.
And I want a small DO for deserts.
And I'd like a DO with legs to set in the coals.
And maybe a kettle for water.
And...
On another note, If I ever want to adjust the tongue weight all I have to do is move some cooking utensils!
