Cooking with Cast Iron

I am in love. Although I do dearly love my husband (a lot) this is what he does to me: He listens to me secretly drop hints about something I really really want and then POW! he comes home with it. He brings me the shiny new toy and I become obsessed with using it every day. It comes dangerously close to love. He keeps on creating competition for himself. He should probably rethink his strategy, but I'm not complaining.

His latest gift was an enameled cast iron pot that also doubles for weight lifting if you can't get to the gym. I love this pan. Since I love to make soups, it has really come in handy the last few weeks since everything we've eaten is liquid these days. You can also make a huge batch of super secret recipe caramels in it:

And I even made a roast with vegetables in it the other day. Nothing conducts heat quite like cast iron. And the enameled surface makes it a cinch to clean up. This pot is one of my very favorite kitchen items. If you don't have one, get one. Rachael Ray, my favorite queen of spunk, has a very affordable cast iron cookware line available at http://www.cookware.com/ And this week only you can save up to 60% on Rachael Ray cookware and even get free shipping on select items. I know you are all shopping online already this week, so just pop over there and check it out. The best gift you buy this week could be the one you buy for yourself!

But if your wallet is shrinking and your husband is mad at you for doing too much shopping (what? me? nooo...) and since Christmas is coming, I have just the gift for you: You can win your very own enameled cast iron pan from the Rachael Ray cookware courtesy of Cookware.com! Did you hear me? Your very own true love pot to play with every day forever and ever. Cookware.com is graciously giving away your choice of a 3.5 quart round or oval cast iron soup pot valued at $57.95 in your choice of three colors: green, orange, or blue. Check out the specs at the Rachael Ray Cast Iron Collection. I love the 11" round grill pan in orange for $49.95, by the way, if anyone needs to do some last minute shopping...husband, maybe?

All you have to do is leave a comment in the comments section and tell me what you would cook in your Rachael Ray pot and you will be entered into the giveaway! That is relatively painless, I think. The winner will be announced on Friday, December 17 at 5 p.m. MST, so check back then to see if you've won! Christmas truly is the season of giving, so why not give something to yourself? I can't wait to read about all your secret recipes you'll be making in one of Rachael's pots!

Happy winning!