Northwest Edible Life

urban homesteading in the pacific northwest

1Recent Posts by

{Giveaway} Five Piece Lodge Cast Iron Cookware Set

You know what’s blacker than Black Friday? Beautiful, glistening, well seasoned cast iron cookware.

Oh, yeah, baby. Screw waiting in line for some discount plastic crap or overpumped electronica that’ll be in a landfill in 6 months anyway. If you must shop, shop for something hewn from the living, molten rock of Earth. Something hefty enough to stop a bullet. Something that holds heat so well a steak will tremble and bow down before it. Something you can pass down to your grandbabies. Something strong and heavy and black enough to rival Black Friday itself.

Shop for cast iron. Something like this Lodge Five Piece Cast Iron Cookware Set. Or better yet, don’t shop at all. Enter to win this set without even having to even put on your pants. Hey, I have a three-year-old. I am well aware of how overblown pants are as a “thing” in our society.

Lodge Cast Iron Giveaway

Thankful, Joyful, Turkeyful, etc.

You may remember this set from the recent post on Skillet Brussels Sprouts. I couldn’t get it out of my head, but I couldn’t justify buying it for myself, given that I really do have quite enough cast iron, thank you very much.

Solution: Giveaway!

You see, as I type this post it’s Thanksgiving evening and I’ve had a few glasses of my husband’s excellent homebrew, so I’m feeling all “I love you, man!” towards my readers (except for the douche-waffles, but we are ignoring them). It is a screaming blessing to be the girl behind the keyboard of this blog, to be able to connect with, and inspire, and be inspired by other gardeners and productive homemakers. It is an honor to learn from you and to share what I’ve learned, and to help connect questions to answers.

So, this Thanksgiving I thought I’d give thanks for my readers by giving cast iron, which is – as we all know – the heaviest way to give thanks.

Enter To Win

Update: This contest is now over. Congratulations to winner Benita, who is “thankful that my 28 yr old niece was able to come home for Thanksgiving. She recently finished up radiation from her 3rd major diagnose of cancer since she was 23.”

To win this five piece set of Lodge cast iron, simply leave a comment on this post telling me what you are thankful for this holiday season.

This set includes a 10-inch griddle (excellent for pancakes, crepes, etc.), an 8-inch and 10-inch skillet (excellent for, well, everything) and a 5-Quart Dutch oven with lid (necessary for No Knead Bread). It’s a pretty awesome starter set of cast iron. There is very, very little you couldn’t cook on these pieces, and I say this as someone who cooks on cast iron about three times a day.

And look, I know I don’t have to convince you guys – you already know this – but nonstick is bullshit, ok? It’s not good for you or the people you feed (kids? grandma?). It turns out inferior food, and it scratches if you glare at it strongly enough. And according to the Environmental Working Group, “Toxic fumes from the Teflon chemical released from pots and pans at high temperatures may kill pet birds and cause people to develop flu-like symptoms (called “Teflon Flu” or, as scientists describe it, “Polymer fume fever”).”

Cast iron when well seasoned is also pretty dang nonstick but it doesn’t give you flu-like symptons. It just slightly boosts the iron content of your food which is, unless you are very atypical and drink liver smoothies for breakfast, a very good thing. It also goes from stove to oven to table without missing a beat and will help you cook like you really mean it.

So leave a comment and enter to win. I want to buy someone these cast iron pans.

Fine Print Stuff

This giveaway is for the cookware set described here. Contest entirely self-sponsored by Northwest Edible Life (that’s me!). Contest open until Thursday, December 5th 8 PM PST. Winner will be contacted by email. Contest open to residents of the US only, due to shipping costs. Sorry international readers. I still love you, but cast iron is really, really heavy. Fulfillment of prize via Amazon.com. One entry per person. Multiple entries will be disqualified. Void where prohibited by law, blah blah blah. Best of luck everyone!

Happy Thanksgiving, all y’all. Thanks for being the best readers a blogger could hope for.

1

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. I am thankful for my family and for the new job my husband will start on Monday after a long year and a half of being unemployed!

  2. Dang, look at all of the people here who have found so many reasons to be thankful! I’m in good company. Well, I love to cook in cast iron, and I already have most of these, so if I win I will find someone who could use good cookware, and is willing to learn to use cast iron correctly, and I will give the set to them.

    And thanks to you, Erica, and to your family, for continuing to make this blog an informative and interesting place to learn.

  3. I am thankful that my 28 yr old niece was able to come home for Thanksgiving. She recently finished up radiation from her 3rd major diagnose of cancer since she was 23.

  4. I’m thankful that I have the internet so that I can connect with other foodies and get a chance to win this awesome set!

  8. So thankful for all of my needs being met. I don’t “need” anything more and although I may “want” some things, all of my needs are met. I’m so thankful for a home to call my own, a loving supportive family, a pantry filled with home made goodies to last over a year and a fulfilling job!

  9. I am thankful this year, and every hereon, for the human touch. The smile of the baby waking from her slumber. The bear hug from the preschooler before bed. The cuddle by the too-cool-for-Mom 1st grader when snuggled in bed reading a book together. The gabby conversation by the third grader showing off her newest gymnastics feat. The belly laugh and eye twinkle from the 5th grade boy who slowly is becoming a gentleman. The tenderness and caring from the preteen swaddling her siblings to tell them a story. The giving of the teenager in making treats for others. The smile and love from my mother. The trembling warmth in the hug from my grandmother. The kindness and providing from my spouse. The giving of strangers. The connectedness and helpfulness of neighbors. The hope and mercy from above. In all, this Black Friday, everything we need can’t be sold. Blessings to all.

  10. I’m thankful for my sister Mary, who made all of Thanksgiving dinner in her amazing cast iron. Much of it is antique, and has been passed down through the years. Her cast iron cooking is amazing!

  11. I am thankful for the first Thanksgiving of my son this year. After battling infertility, having him here is the best thing ever.

  13. Susan Coolidge wrote this wonderful poem that I think about from time to time, after a day when I could have been a better mother. It is called “New Every Morning” and it goes like this:

    Every Day is a fresh beginning,
    Listen my soul to the glad refrain.
    And, spite of old sorrows
    And older sinning,
    Troubles forecasted
    And possible pain,
    Take heart with the day and begin again.

    I am thankful that there is – until I expire – a new every morning. Every day is a fresh beginning and I wish everyday to not only do well for my family, but all others in need.

  15. I am grateful to have been born in a time after indoor plumbing, but before we were constantly being bombarded with information. I remember life before I had an electronic leash. As convenient as it sometimes is, there are times when I would dearly love to, (as Amy always says I should, anyway) chuck my phone into the ocean…

    I am grateful to have been born into a country where I have the freedom to stand at the top of the highest mountain and shout “ALL of the people that we pay to govern this country, on BOTH sides of the aisle, are self-involved eggheads, who have no interest in the actual needs of the American people, that need to be FIRED…”

    I am also extremely grateful for the men and women, in our armed forces, to fought to gain, and keep, this freedom for us…

    I am grateful to have found a place to work where they a) all like each other and b) all really seem to appreciate me, warts and all, (as my mother would say.) I am grateful for the roof that this puts over my head and the food I enjoy each day…

    I am grateful for my repressively good health. I am also grateful for the knowledge I have gained over the years that, God willing and the creek don’t rise, will keep it that way…

    I am grateful for all of my friends, near and far, who love me and who and are such an amazing support system when my own family is so far away…

    I am grateful for my parents, who have always showed me the right way and what it means to be a decent, giving person. I am grateful for my brothers, who never fail to keep me humble, and their families, who are just plain awesome.

    I am grateful for the love of a good man, who gives me so much every single day. In his eyes I will always be young and beautiful (and THIN! LOL.) He very often asks how he got so lucky… If he ever figures out that it’s ME who’s the lucky one, I could be in trouble!

    I am grateful for his family, who has accepted me into the herd and makes me feel as if I have always been there. They are such a fine example of what it means to be a loving family, who always support each other… even if it’s sometimes it gets a little loud 😉

    Whew! I about wore myself out with those last bits! But what can I say? I have a great life, a wonderful family, the best friends a girl could ask for… I just wanted to take a minute to share… I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

  16. I am grateful for a wonderful family – hardworking, loving hubby, and two of the best daughters anyone could wish for- one a senior in high school, one a senior in college. Oh, and a lovable hound called Stella. Though our jobs sometime gives us cause to gripe, we are blessed to be working. We are grateful for a secure house, and food to eat. With so many people in need of so much, we feel truly blessed with all we could need.

  17. Thankful for the reunion of my family. Although we lost 5 of our member. The 3 remaining is stronger now then we ever bee thanks to living in the same city again. Thankful for the world strongest mother. We love you and all your good eats.

  18. What a wonderful giveaway. I’ve just started reading your blog and Facebook page, and feel like I’ve come home…what a wonderful community you’ve created here.

    I am most thankful for my life. After a few health setbacks over the last couple years, a year of positive results is a big blessing indeed. Now I can focus on the blessing that our new home on a little farm near Enumclaw is.

    Happy holidays everyone!

  20. I am thankful for my family, my friends, my job, my health, and so much more. I am truly blessed! Wishing you a wonderful holiday season!

  21. I am thankful that my husband is still here with me today. I almost lost him last month due to unexpected internal bleeding. I am also thankful for the life we have together.

  23. I’m celebrating health. Just recently had a hospitalization, so happy to be with family and able to eat real food that is good.

  24. I’m deeply thankful that my children and I are healthy, well, working and playing (which sometimes are the same thing) through our lives. I’m grateful for long sustaining friendships, good neighbors, and new friends in an urban homesteading group.

    Certain animals… and they know who they are…. who know perfect cuddle moments , are heartmelting.

  25. I am thankful for the wonderful bounty of delicious and nutritious food that grows in the Pacific NW. The soil in the Cascadia region is rich with minerals and helps to grow some of the best tasting food in the world! I am thankful to live in Oregon with a wonderful family.

  26. I am so very thankful for community and family dialogue. Conversation with toddlers in my life on through centarians is just something I cherish….and sharing a meal together just makes it that much better.

  27. I am thankful for my healthy, growing family; for productive and joyful work to do; for a wonderful home in a beautiful setting; for the farms that cover my town and supply my family with healthy food; for the magic and information of the internet; for kind and knowledgeable midwives…

  28. This holiday season I am thankful to spread the news with family and friends that my husband and I are expecting our first child. I love being able to share such joyous news when the family is all gathered together for a holiday meal. I’ve wanted cast iron for a long time but starting a family pushes it up even higher on my priority list. I look forward to preparing many yummy home grown meals for my husband and child-to-be!

  29. I am thankful for the opportunity we have to choose our lifestyle to the degree that we do. If we want more information and are willing to work for it, we can find it. I’m grateful to live in a diverse area full of respect and intelligence. And maybe most of all that down-to-your gut satisfaction from working so hard and seeing something change.

  30. I’m very grateful that one dear friend is helping us buy food this winter and another dear friend is helping us buy firewood this winter! Together they’re helping us survive, and there are no words good enough for the amount of gratitude I have <3

  32. I’m grateful for my health and my family. I’m grateful for a warm home and some amount of financial stability!

  33. I am thankful for a healthy, complete family, and thankful for how lucky my life has been. I rarely get the short end of the stick, it seems, and for that i am thankful.

  34. I am thankful for my wonderful family: a husband that loves me no matter what, and two beautiful children that amaze me every day.

  35. It goes without saying that I am thankful for my family and friends. I am very thankful that I live in a country where I have the freedom to explore so many amazing things and meet so many wonderful people.

  36. I am thankful for wonderful family and friends. I’m thankful for the means and passion for travel and growing my own food. And I am thankful for the means to communicate and share with loved ones from across the world.

  37. I am so thankful this year for having a bed to sleep on after years of not tolerating any mattresses or bedding due to severe environmental illness. I am so thankful for being able to tolerate a sofa in my home after years of sitting on hard metal or plastic surfaces without cushioning. I am so thankful for having my own safe place to live in. I am thankful for living in a spiritually stunning town with amazing rock formations all around me. I am thankful for surviving this far and having a second chance at life.

  38. I’m thankful I get to be a local Buy Nothing Project admin. I’m shooting for a Buy Nothing Christmas… excited to see how it goes!

  39. I am very thankful for the bounty of rewards the earth provides to life. There are so many beautiful lessons to be earned daily.

  40. I am thankful for my life. It is something many people take for granted. Without the blessing of life I couldn’t teach my children about being stewards of the earth and to appreciate all the little and subtle things around them.

  42. I’m thankful for Northwest Edibles posts! Thanks for the great information you share. It’s invaluable!

  43. I am thankful that I have an amazing family. I am also thankful that at 9 months pregnant, I still have the energy and verve to cook a full blown thanksgiving dinner for my family. This cast iron set looks amazing!

  44. I am thankful for the new job I just got – it’s taken me over a year to get that far! It’s part time, but it’s a fun place with terrific co-workers 🙂

  45. I am thankful for people who show kindness toward others. Kindness and empathy can take form in the smallest of gestures, yet will move mountains and change worlds.

  48. Grateful to have spent Thanksgiving with my 75 year old mother who flew in from Texas, my brother and his family who drove in from Nevada and my nephew who recently returned from his 3 year assignment in Germany and serving in Afghanistan. I was able to see my mother and all my siblings who are spread all over the country from Chicago Illinois to Oahu Hawaii. Not all at once, but in the same year!

  50. I am so thankful for my salvation in Jesus Christ. I am nothing and nobody without Him. I did nothing to deserve it, as I am just a sinner saved by Grace. Thanks so much for the opportunity to enter.