just knock the horns off and slide it on the table as far as I'm concerned... Actually I've been cutting back on the meat a little the holidays were too heavy

All this talk of dead animals is making me sad :(

Take a few deep breaths and try to think of it as a living experiment which demonstrates the food chain.

It's not our fault we're at the top. I, for one, like it that way.

Mmmmmm steak ... Although I could surely go for some venison about now ...

Whoa! I had one as a kid (late 60s early 70s) and it was so very cool. I remember this center metal cup you would pour in the sugar, fire it up and it would spin all the cotton out. Such a burn hazard for kids, but WE LEARNED. We learned to respect the spinning molten goo. And how to make some cash with an extension cord and sack of sugar.

I've tried to pare down my appliances to date- best tools: heavy roasting pan, iron frypan, grill pan (low tech foreman) and iron dutch oven. Good knives. Tongs. I loves my tongs. :)

i really need a decent dutch oven. one appliance that i forgot is my crock pot. god i love that thing. the best soups in the world are the ones that have been simmering and youve been smelling all day.

~james

I've got this rummeltoff that I use for slow cooking after the fires out in the Russian fireplace. Fantastic for bbq.

I've finally learned my lesson and obtained a set of thick-bottomed stainless cookware. Now, I can actually cook something that takes more than five minutes on the stove without burning the piss out of it.

The kids, however, are another matter...about once a month, I have to spend an hour with Comet and a steel wool pad to keep them looking at all respectable.

OK. What in the sam hill is a rummeltoff?

Romertopf
 

It the Sam Hill is a clay pot that you soak in water before slow cooking whatever you're into, that is next to impossible to spell.

Looks like Griff's been hitting that bottle again...

Ah! Chicky in Clay.

Ok, now. Your fireplace is Russian? What distinguishes a Russian fireplace? Sad eyes and facial hair?

You know, I could have sworn we discussed a Russian/Swedish/Griffish fireplace before...I'm too lazy to look for it though.

If its the fireplace that there are construction pictures of on griff's website, it looks awesomely nifty (notice how I avoid saying "cool" as it is clearly very cozy and warm).

Deja vu all over again. Thats the unit. Its Russian because it sits morose for long periods of time followed by short term spectacular destruction.

I bought the internal part of the unit from Tempcast. Its been single digit cold here for several days so its not quite keeping the house warm enough. I'm going to put a heated (maybe pellet stove)sunroom in the front of the house, eventually, which should remedy short term severe cold snaps. Normally, it doesn't even require a second fire every day.

So...ein romertoft in den kachelofen, eh?