Great Find

  My next adventure has been exploring the use of the old fashion cast iron skillets.  I have never used one before and actually was really kind of scared of them.  It was when I had lunch over at my neighbors and watched her cooking in her skillet that I saw how easy they are to take care of and the food tasted really good.  I thought that I would take the plunge and try one out.  Usually I would head over to William Sonoma's and take a look, but I thought that maybe I would look for one second hand.  Thinking the eco way, off to the the second hand shops in Ventura I went.  And there it was, the skillet I was looking for without a trace of rust.
Not only did I find the perfect skillet but I saved money as well. With the skillet home - seasoned and ready for cooking I am ready to put it to the test.
Since I am new to the whole cast iron thing I would love for any advice on working with this type of skillet or any recipes that you would love to share.
Happy Cooking, Courtney

Books

So I am one of those that never hesitates to buy my kids a book if they want one. We have so many books about Thomas, Trucks, Disney and the occasional Ballet book for Skye. But there are these wonderful books that we discovered that my kids absolutely love and keep wanting me to read. They are the Green Start books. They are easy to read and cover great topics from baby animals to the five senses and also about being little helpers. They also have wooden puzzles and cute storybooks and plush box sets. It is always fun to find books and games Search Amazon.com Books for green start books that are made from recycled materials and also teach about about being environmentally conscious.

No more Ziplocs!

Search Amazon.com for lunchskins® sandwich bagLunchSkins Reusable Sandwich and Snack Bags Set - 3 Pack - Red Apple, Navy Shark, Green Dots
I am a user of plastic sandwich bags and have been trying to eliminate them from the house. Even though we reuse our bags after a good wash, we still find ourselves throwing them away! My girlfriend gave me some of these adorable reusable snack bags as a gift and I absolutely love them. They come in different sizes and patterns and can be used for almost anything. They are called Lunchskins and I think you should check them out at www.lunchskins.com