What did you do in the garden today?

[CapricornFarm]

GUUUUUUYS.
This is a little off topic, but I have been gifted something really cool and just wanted to share.
My sister received some cast iron cookware from her MIL, who was cleaning out her attic. She doesn't have time to properly care for cast iron, so she handed them off to me. The seasoning is not great, they were clearly in storage, but they're also not rusty.
But I was curious about them because I was looking into cast iron frying pans to ask for, for xmas and didn't recognize the branding on one of them so I did some looking into it.
Best I can tell, I have an extremely rare Erie marked Griswold pan from 1905. It's got three holes in it's handle (which is very unusual) and sloped sides. It's the biggest one they ever manufactured that I can find documentation of. Similar pans in more common sizes run $150-$300 online. Not that I intend to sell it at all, I have been wanting more cast iron for a long time, but it's such an INCREDIBLE piece of history and it's collectors value is extremely intriguing. I'm so excited to have it!
The other is less exciting, a common, small model of Wagner Ware pan from early 1920's. But also a very solid piece of antique cast iron that I am very happy to have.

What an awesome present to have gotten! This was already my favorite sister. She will definitely be getting something very nice this holiday season.

How awesome! I was excited to get an old copper pot that belonged to my grandma and leaks. We use it to hold kindling in the house.

 

[GardenTillers44]

Best I can tell, I have an extremely rare Erie marked Griswold pan from 1905. It's got three holes in it's handle (which is very unusual) and sloped sides. It's the biggest one they ever manufactured that I can find documentation of.

Holy cow, that's awesome! I'm excited for you because I am an avid nut case of a collector of Griswold cast iron cookware. I have picked, collected and sold a couple thousand pieces of cast iron cookware over the years. That 3-hole handle Erie shallow skillet is part of a set of 4 sizes they made: 7, 8, 9 & 10. The 10 is the largest and rarest and the 7 is not far behind. They are among my favorite to hang and display or cook with. That old pure black iron from the late 19th and early 20th century is unsurpassed for holding even heat and cooking. There is a lot that goes into the value for collectors, and typically condition is king. If you want to send me a couple pics I'll be glad to give you a good idea of the history and value. Congratulations on a great get!
BTW, not so off topic as you can use it to cook your garden's bounty!

 

[igorsMistress]

GUUUUUUYS.
This is a little off topic, but I have been gifted something really cool and just wanted to share.
My sister received some cast iron cookware from her MIL, who was cleaning out her attic. She doesn't have time to properly care for cast iron, so she handed them off to me. The seasoning is not great, they were clearly in storage, but they're also not rusty.
But I was curious about them because I was looking into cast iron frying pans to ask for, for xmas and didn't recognize the branding on one of them so I did some looking into it.
Best I can tell, I have an extremely rare Erie marked Griswold pan from 1905. It's got three holes in it's handle (which is very unusual) and sloped sides. It's the biggest one they ever manufactured that I can find documentation of. Similar pans in more common sizes run $150-$300 online. Not that I intend to sell it at all, I have been wanting more cast iron for a long time, but it's such an INCREDIBLE piece of history and it's collectors value is extremely intriguing. I'm so excited to have it!
The other is less exciting, a common, small model of Wagner Ware pan from early 1920's. But also a very solid piece of antique cast iron that I am very happy to have.

What an awesome present to have gotten! This was already my favorite sister. She will definitely be getting something very nice this holiday season.

So cool! I love old stuff and cast iron I'm jealous
I threw out some high quality skillets and bought myself two cast iron skillets about 20 years ago. I'll never use anything else. I don't understand the not enough time argument

 

[GardenTillers44]

I'll never use anything else.

Using a #9 Griswold Deep Skillet and lid right now to make braised chicken for lunch. Old cast iron makes the best biscuits, cobblers & chicken fried steak (and chicken fried chicken). We have a little #6 Griswold dutch oven perfefect for chile for 2. Once it's seasoned well it is low maintenance. It's a fun thing to look for at flea markets too!

 

[igorsMistress]

Using a #9 Griswold Deep Skillet and lid right now to make braised chicken for lunch. Old cast iron makes the best biscuits, cobblers & chicken fried steak (and chicken fried chicken). We have a little #6 Griswold dutch oven perfefect for chile for 2. Once it's seasoned well it is low maintenance. It's a fun thing to look for at flea markets too!
View attachment 1200539

My daughter and I traded dutch ovens, I needed something small like that. These are enameled, my other isn't but it's just too large for 2 people.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Igor, my sister works, goes to school full time, and has arthritis at 30. :T She doesn't have the time, or even really the joint strength (her arthritis is extremely bad), to hand-wash and maintain cast iron skillets. She needs dishes that will go into the dish washer.

Gardentillers, I will send you a picture once I spend a little time cleaning it and re seasoning it. No rust though! That's a biggie I figure. The markings on the bottom are a little worn, just enough that the pan number is a bit hard to read and the quotes around the word "ERIE" are barely visible. The A10 and ERIE itself are both very clear. It's got the reinforced edge on the top of the pan.

I'm so pleased to have it.

Hopefully I can get a lil more garden work done today. I wanna square up the edges of the bed I built (it curves a little) and apply compost to it, then pull the dead plants and weeds out of the beds from this year, put compost in them, till them a little, then mulch over them.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Igor, my sister works, goes to school full time, and has arthritis at 30. :T She doesn't have the time, or even really the joint strength (her arthritis is extremely bad), to hand-wash and maintain cast iron skillets. She needs dishes that will go into the dish washer.

Gardentillers, I will send you a picture once I spend a little time cleaning it and re seasoning it. No rust though! That's a biggie I figure. The markings on the bottom are a little worn, just enough that the pan number is a bit hard to read and the quotes around the word "ERIE" are barely visible. The A10 and ERIE itself are both very clear. It's got the reinforced edge on the top of the pan.

I'm so pleased to have it.

Hopefully I can get a lil more garden work done today. I wanna square up the edges of the bed I built (it curves a little) and apply compost to it, then pull the dead plants and weeds out of the beds from this year, put compost in them, till them a little, then mulch over them.

I can understand yes i have the cast iron from Ma's yes it was grandmas
and her mothers only my big 12 has a glass lid still on coffee iv here

 

[lazy gardener]

CM, congrats on getting a wonderful cast iron pan. The antiques are definitely of much greater quality. I can understand how your sister is unable to manage such a pan. Before I had shoulder surgery, I had to pack away all of my cast iron. I hated to see it go, b/c I loved using it. My shoulder simply couldn't handle it. within the last year or so, I got my 2 cast iron pans, and my CI griddle back out, and use them often.

 

[CapricornFarm]

I have been working on the raised beds in front of the house today. One more load of dirt is needed. I poured the concrete around the uprights for the porch where the Slacker workers didn't do it yet.

i need to buy more blocks, put in the rest of the bulbs and get more mulch. But it looks better than it did.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Thanks LG. Yeah, there's a medication that could help her, her doctors want her to take it, but it's 20K a year(!?!?!) so she has NO way to afford it. Instead she has to just manage her condition with lifestyle changes. And that means no cast iron. :T Which I guess means neat pans for me? I still feel bad for her.

Cap, that's great! It looks so nice! Were it that my lawns looked so pretty. XD Nice work!

Today I did nothing. Nothing at all in the garden. I'm not feeling well today so I stayed in and worked on a holiday card to print and send to friends/family/etc.