view sourceprint? 01 Ramblings from a Ranch Wife: 5 Things Every Cowgirl Needs in the Kitchen

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"The darkest nights produce the brightest stars"
~


Friday, April 18, 2014

5 Things Every Cowgirl Needs in the Kitchen

When the Cowboss and I were first married, we had a camp job.  I spent 9 months of the year in remote cow camps, and it was heaven.  Some months we lived in cabins, but a lot of the time we lived in a camper. Not a very nice camper, but camp was way better than the company house we had to live in.  I could put my arms out and touch both walls, but I didn't complain.

Since we moved about 8 times a year, we packed pretty light.  Not having electricity and packing water, we didn't have much use for a lot of kitchen gadgets either.  This is my list of 5 kitchen items I think every cowgirl needs.  They are the 5 I couldn't live without.

1.  Cast Iron Skillet.


Cast iron is awesome!  You can use it on the stove, in the oven, or even the campfire.  It is easy to clean and helps prevent anemia.  You can use a skillet to fry and egg, bake biscuits, cook a steak, or bake a cake.  It is super versatile.  Have I mentioned they make a great tool for self defense?  Or attitude adjustments?*

2.  Cast Iron Dutch Oven.


Like a cast iron skillet, it can be used anywhere.  I used mine much as a crockpot.  I can adapt any crockpot recipe to cook in a dutch oven in my oven.  The biggest obstacle I had was getting it to fit in a camper oven!

3.  Mixing Bowl.


Mixing up biscuits, pancake batter, or scrambling eggs is definitely easier if you have a decent bowl to do it in.

4.  Wooden Spoon.


You have to have something to stir with.  The nice thing about a wooden spoon is it won't melt, so it can be used on the stove top, and if you don't have a potholder, you can use it to lift the lid off a dutch oven.  They are also pretty cheap, so you can replace them very easily.

5.  Spatula.


Comes in handy flipping pancakes and eggs, or serving dinner.

What are 5 kitchen tools you can't live without?

*The Rambling Ranch Wife does not condone adjusting spouse's attitude with a cast iron skillet.  The threat alone of using said skillet should do the trick!  ;)





7 comments:

  1. I would add a sharp knife. I can't stand when my kitchen knives get dull!

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  2. I would add, a full time ranch cook.

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  3. You're pretty tough to stick with your husband through a camp job. So many people won't/can't do it. My husband will go out for a few weeks at a time, but even with the nicest trailer I go home (and back to work) every few days after helping him. I don't like not having a lot of space and I really struggle without unlimited supplies of water!!!!!

    I agree with these 5 things being essential. It's amazing how you can get along with so few kitchen items at camp...then when I get home I use all the pans, mixers, choppers, in the world! I guess that's probably also because I have a dishwasher at home and, it again comes back to the unlimited supply of water!

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    1. Camp living definitely isn't for the weak of heart! When you are young and kid free it is one thing, but not sure I could do it now with little kids. I was pretty claustrophobic in the camper, so I didn't do much in it other than sleep. I was on the payroll, so I was horseback all day every day.
      My boys are 4 and 6 and I couldn't do camp now. Not enough water, and they are too little to be horseback all day everyday! =)

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