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How to Fix Your Cast Iron Skillet

Follow these simple steps to restore your iron skillet:

Iron Skillet
Credit: Tsuji/Getty

1. Remove all the rust (duh)

Use fine steel wool to remove the rust. Don’t stop until the skillet returns to raw cast iron.

2. Wash the skillet

Wash the cast iron with warm water and dish soap. Scrub with bristle brush, or mesh sponge.

3. Dry the skillet

Dry the cast iron with a clean towel or paper towels.

4. Cover the pan with a coating of oil

Apply a small amount of cooking oil of your choice to the entire pan, handle included.

5. Bake in the oven at 350°F

Place the cast iron on the top rack of your oven, upside down. Place a sheet of aluminum foil, a pan, or baking sheet on the bottom rack to catch any oil. Bake the pan for one hour.

6. Let the pan cool off

Let cast iron cool before taking it for a spin.

And that is all! You are ready to use your brand new cast iron skillet!

Good luck.

Three Reasons Why You Aren’t Losing Weight

Recently I had to evaluate my eating habits to figure out what is happening with my weight fluctuations. While working out is a very important part of your health and might be essential for achieving a specific physique, it simply isn’t the most important thing for your weight loss. I’m not going to list what you should eat and how many calories, there’s tons of great articles already written about that very thing.

Here are the top 3 reasons you aren’t losing the weight:

1. You aren’t buying food in bulk

I used to go to the grocery store about the time I was hungry and would only purchase food for that day and maybe the next, giving no thought to what I should eat that week.

The key is to make a list of food you will eat for the next 7 days and buy all the items you need. I mean ALL of your breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snacks for the next 7 days.

2. You aren’t planning your meals

For those working a normal 9-5 job it’s simply essential to plan what you’re going to eat and when as you have less free time during the day. Waiting to decide what to eat while you’re starving is bound to get you in real trouble over the long run as you find yourself frequently sitting in the fast food drive thru.

You might need to cook all your meals for the week or at least lunches to take to work. Keep them in food containers, freezing the ones you don’t plan to eat for the next two days.

3. You’re not weighing your food

Did you eat 4oz of chicken or 6oz? How can you be sure? Use a modern scale. It’s super quick and easy. Using a modern digital scale is much easier than anything our parents or grandparents used.

It’s near impossible for humans to tell the difference between 150 calories of peanut butter from 300 calories when it’s spread on some bread or for eyeballing what a serving size of soup looks like in a bowl. Same goes for many other common foods we consume; such as oats, nuts, seeds, oils, cheese, dressings, dips, and many others.

The number one reason for people saying they are following their diet but it isn’t working is because they aren’t weighing their food and are simply assuming they are eating the correct servings.

After a few months of practice with the scale you will get much better at guesstimating what a normal portion size of what ever you’re eating is.

4. (Optional for the diehards) You aren’t keeping a food diary and logging your weight

Keeping a food diary of everything you consume is proven to help you with weight management as it makes you more mindful about what you’re eating, while keeping a log of your weight will keep your mind on your goals.

There you have it. Hope that works for you. Cheers.