Fireplace Cookin'

[tbird]

  I just pulled my 20 qt. cast iron "Fireplace" Dutch Oven out of the shop. I haven't used it in a few years so I decided tomorrow I'll do a Fireplace Stew!  Gonna do the ole sit by the fire and stir routine!  

  Gonna use home canned stew meat, home canned veggies and home canned stock. Also a couple of home grown spices!  It should be a tasty morsel!  Also I may make fireplace cornbread!  Ummmmmm....Ummmmmmm....  Good!    

[Sam72]

Should have been a good day for it Tbird. My Mom looks for any excuse to cook in the fireplace. I don't have one myself but I do enjoy cooking over an open fire outside.

[NorteK J]

tbird,
 What I am going to type here  will make youwant to yank your hair out by handfulls.
  The wife of my buddy had an aunt die, she was 97 yrs old and a hoarder, she had things that belonged to her Mother-in-law of who used to run a General store on Little Neebish Island  near Sault Ste Marie Michigan. After the aunt of the buddy's wife passed away, she inherited everything that old woman had including her property on that island.  The buddy, his wife and I went there to clean the place up as it had sit empty for almost10 yrs prior to her death. We got there, and our first reaction was "Sheesh@ What have we gotten ourselves into?" The place was packed with nothing but ANTIQUES! You name it and it was in that house or the other 5 outbuildings on the place, 2 buildings were as big as the house if not bigger. Anyway to make this short, I discovered  hidden under a staircase, a whole set of those 3 legged cast iron pots that reminds you of a witches caldiron, al had the bails and each had their own lid the kind that you could pile hot ashes on top to make them into dutch ovens, they all stacked inside of each other, the largest as big as a wash tub, the smallest about the size of a gallon container AND there was the swing away arm that mounted in the fireplace to hang them on  when cooking with either of them. I offered to buy the set from the buddy's wife, she declined saying that she was going to keep them. I found out later that she sold the complete set at her yard sale for 25 bucks. I never named a price to her when I offered to buy them, but after I found out that she sold them, I told her that I would have paid 10 times that amount if she was willing to sell them then. I bet the person that bought them laughed all the way home at her stupidity.

[NorteK J]

Oh  I forgot to mention that the set was casted in 1847, never had been used, a little rusty from dampness from the house sitting empty all those years and condensation causing the rust.

[NorteK J]

Crazy,
 you wouldn't believe the antiques that that old woman had ad  the buddy's wife either "gave away" or tossed into the burning pit to be burned up, there was full sets of (Autographed to that old woman's Mother in law), books written by James Fenamore Cooper, and a few more writers of that era 1880's to 1910. She tossed them into the burning pit because they hada musty odor to them. Everything in that house had a MUSTY ODOR, being that it had sit empty for almost 20 years before she died, plus one corner of the roof developed a leak and one room where all the books were got wet or damp. I told her before she decided to burn the books that all she had to do was set them outside in the sun for a day or two and the odor would go away, either do that or donate them to the local library, she said Nope, not gonna do it I'd rather see them burn.  Such a waste!

[NorteK J]

  when I found out that she did in fact burn them, I told her that she was dumber than owl crap. The Buddy just sat there shaking his head and muttering "I don't believe you said that to her, you are in for it now" LOL . I was staying there for a couple weeks to help him with a building project, after I told her that, she didn't or wouldnn't cook anything for that whole two weeks, just sat in the house and each time I would step into her "flower garden" that she couldn't wait to plant the bulbs (Day Lily, the kind you see growing wild on sides of roads near water) the same day while we went for the lumber to start on that project ( putting an addition on their house), she would yell" Get out of my flower garden" She knew that to build this addition would require one of us, whoever was on the ground, in handing up the boards would have to step in that area. Finally after about 10 times of her yelling that, I yelled back, "What's more important, your house or these creek weeds?"  Needless to say that created more tension, but it did stop that nonsense of her yelling each time someone step inside the rock border, she left the place didn't come back til way after dark ROFLOL

[Texan]

Nortek, I was reading your post about the lady burning the books and selling the old womans stuff for nothing. Some people have no knowledge of history or respect for antiques. She may have been sitting on thousands of dollars for herself and enriched someone's life by selling them a book or antique.

My dad's older sister lost her husband when I was a young teenager. She lived in a rural area on limited income. To help her out I used to go down and mow and rake her yard and do needed repairs on her house.
 
Her husband had been a carpenter by trade and had an old foot locker full of old hand tools, like brace and bits, hand planes, saws, all kinds of stuff like that to do carpentry finish work. When I was about 18 I was down there working one day and asked her if she would sell me those things. She said no, she was going to keep them.
 
After a few years and I had started working full time and did not have time to go help her every time it needed mowing, she gave those tools to a fellow for mowing her yard (1 time). At that time, she could have had her yard mowed for $10.00 bucks. I got plum sick thinking about her letting all those tools go for $10.00. Especially after I had mowed her yard for years and never asked for any pay. The antique value of those tools alone would have been at least $500 bucks.

[ColeAnthony]

Cant beat any old cast-iron cookware. Lodge is the last American company to make cast-iron pans, and pots. I have a hard time buying things that say "MADE IN CHINA" printed boldly on the side, and i still take a large bit of pride in what the American working man(not the automated machines) can manufacture and produce.

[countryboy]

Well, my wife is Hungarian, and they are world renowned for cooking outdoors over fire in their hungarian pots.  Here's her favorite style pot. Called a "Hungarian Bogracs"  Lots of paprika !!

[ColeAnthony]

you could make some Jambalaya in that! Didnt the Hungarians invent Paprika??

[NorteK J]

Texan
  There was also 3 of those hard leather bound "steamer trunks"  with all brass corners and locking mechanisms, (WITH the keys)  They were the type that you could hang clothes in one half the other half had drawers and a place to put shoes at the bottm  portion that contained the drawers, ALL were in perfect condition. Each one was about 4 foot high and 3 foot square had rollers on the bottom to make moving them easier. Being that they had a musty odor to them, they went into the fire pit too. I would have liked to have one of them more or less as a keepsake in rememberance of the old lady as I have had spent many hours in conversations with her while she was still alive. Her niece  (buddy's wife) told me after the old woman had died  and had been asking her when I was coming back again,(which I did arrive about an hour after she had passed) that she really enjoyed the conversations her and I had, mainly because I was the only person that never disagreed with her on anything even though I knew that some of the things she had said was hard to believe, but it was before my time so who was I to say she was wrong?  But any way just about everything we had loaded onto the truck in Michigan and transported to Alabama was either sold VERY CHEAPLY or was burned in the fire pit. What a waste! About the only thing that was actually kept was old pictures of the family. I would like to know what the actual value of everything that old woman owned was actually worth that was sold cheaply or burned.  Old hand tools, some I have never seen or heard of, a cider press, a lard press when rendering hog fat, pike pole used to manuver logs, old home made snow shoes, all kinds of items used to gather maple sap, wooden block planes weird looking saws, complete set of brace and bits,( hand powered drill), a set of homemade wooden snowskis, and an old Maytag gasoline engine powered washing machine/with wringers that still ran and worked, that in itself was worth a small fortune, she gave it to a neighbor up there. My buddy and his wife are book smart both graduated from college, but are dumber than owl crap when it comes to having common sense.

[Texan]

Thanks for the reply.

Talk about talking with the old folks. I have a neighbor who is 80 and still has the best looking gardens around. His wife passed away last year and I stop to see him as often as I can. Only problem is getting away if you stop. He is lonesome and will talk as long as you will sit and listen.
I have learned a lot from him through the years and try to stop at least once a week to check on him. He is always out doing something in his yard. I can only hope I get around that well when I am 80.

[TheCutNShootTiredGuy]

Texan...I dought that you knew my uncle W. R. (Robert) Berry-Lufkin,Texas but you may have heard about him from kinfolk. His place in Lufkin ( approx. 20 + arces ) was covered with GOOD Stuff. The house had 10' ceilins and was full of antiques. Not because they liked antiques, it was GOOD STUFF passed down.

    Fireplace Cookin... OK, My uncle Robert was my Dad's half brother. He named my Dad. NEVER do I ever remember uncle Robert givin my Dad anything, except once. Several times my dad had asked him to sell him a tool or two. Uncle Robert would say; Son, I wouldn't think of takin money from ya, I'll just give it to ya, but not today. Uncle Robert had a Big Cast Iron combination Wood Burnin stove/fireplace, well over a 100 years old then (1966).. That thing was something to see with all that Brass on the front. That had belonged to his wife's parents, came out of their old farmhouse. My dad had asked uncle Robert to sell him that fireplace, "No, couldn't take money from ya, I'll just give it to ya, but not today. Shortly before he passed, we had gone up to Lufkin to check on and visit him. He told my dad, I think I'll give ya that old fireplace today.

    When uncle Robert's wife aunt Corra passed, his health started going down hill. He had tried to get my Dad to come live with him until he passed. He said; " Son, come and stay with me till I'm gone and I'll leave everything I got, to ya". Dad had his obligations, so he told uncle Robert to get one of the sisters to come stay with him. Finally one of them was able to, and he left everything to her. The day of the funeral, my aunt told Dad;" Now Son, if there is anything you want, you take it. My Dad told her that he would call her later, wanting to give everyone time to get over the sad time. A week later Dad called my aunt to let her know that we would be coming up on the weekend to collect a few things. Quote; " Walter, I done PAID a guy to come and clean all that stuff out of the house and off of all the property".
My Dad was just sick. The only thing uncle Robert had ever give him, and he let it get away.

    Just a few things I remember;
The Cast Iron fireplace/stove with cast iron cookware, house full of antique furniture ( tables w/claw on ball legs) matchin chairs-hutch, two working woodin standup radios ( furniture), China doll collection, 1955 2dr hartop Cady with clear vinyl protector covers over original seats in the garage, 14' fiberglass boat w/ motor, International Cub tractor w/ all implements, School Bus motorhome, 1966 Ford F 150, 1956 4 dr Cady ( everyday driver), Old City bus in the back ( full of antique furniture ), Toolssssssssss. Like I say, what I remember.

   Uncle Roberts was always one of my most favorite places to go. I might be The Tired Guy now, but I never got tired of lookin and investigatin all the cool things and stuff Him and My aunt had. Twenty + acres of any and everything. Might be why The Tired Guy likes Stuff.

                                              Couldn't forget the pond out back with all the fish. :

[southernstyle]

I thought I was the only one who cooked on the FP.  In my old house I welded up A rod from the log holder to hang my pot from.

Bet thing I ever cooked though was A pizza!  I just got some coals built up and set the pan right on two logs! Crushed tomatoes, Squash, sausage and plenty of cheese and the smoke from the oak made it the best pizza I have had.

Next house I build I plan on having the living room and kitchen back to back so I can have an open rack above the fireplace in the kitchen. I can picture it in my head but cant draw it!

[reartinetiller]

Tbird, I've got all of the Lodge Dutch Ovens from 2qt to a 12qt deep DO and I use them.  I love DO cookin.  But a 20qt would feed an army!  Roy

[Sheila]

There is one good thing about people not knowing what something is worth!

I had been looking for a particular watch for a few years, (I'm a vintage Pocket Watch Collector) and one day, I came across the watch in an auction that was marked wrong. I held my breath and saved it, to bid on later. My son came over at the time of the auction and I missed it. OUCH! BUT............ they relisted it, and I thought for sure someone would find it like I did. I had to wait 7 days with it saved again, and held my breath all that time.

On the last day at the last minute I bid the highest I could possibly bid, and I was the only one to bid, and WON THE WATCH!!!!

I paid $43.00 for a watch worth, what I thought was $3,000.00. HOWEVER, it turned out to be worth a bit more. Try $10,000.00.

The watch is a Seth Thomas, Maiden Lane. There were few of these made, and depending on the jewel count, and a few other items, determines the value. Mine turned out to be one of the ones at the top.

This is a really bad ebay photo but it's all I have right now.

[Sheila]

Oh! and I also cooked my my stove and loved it.