Le Creuset Haul with Pumpkin Casserole!

Hello people! Check out this trunk shot from a recent haul of Le Creuset I made off with...! Pardon the messy trunk - there is road salt, a pair of clippers, and some boxes to pad my new pretties.

I have longed for this pumpkin casserole for quite some time. I noticed that it can be crazy expensive to buy (secondhand) around October, when the crisp autumn air reminds everyone of pumpkin spice this-and-that. It also coincides with the time when everyone is thinking of comfort meals in cast iron casseroles and Halloween!

This pic is from the ad that I happened to see shortly after it was posted.

The seller was also looking to get rid of a large flame coloured dutch oven as well, and even though I didn't need it, it was well priced enough that I knew I could resell it quickly to help pay off my new pumpkin purchase.

The seller also had a couple of Le Creuset accessories to round out the dutch ovens: a cast iron trivet, and a rubber spatula. I have heard this similar tale before, that the cooks love these pieces, and often received them as gifts, but find them too heavy to carry as the cooks get older.

I'm still getting used to the idea of cooking something up in an irregular shape as this pumpkin casserole is in. Do you think people mostly use these for serving rather than stirring?

Do Backyard Chickens Eat Polenta??

I've suddenly found myself as an urban homesteader! Yes, that's right folks, meet Shake and Bake, my two backyard chickens. They are the Buff Orpington breed, and have a nice comfy coop to live in.

They really enjoy grazing in the yard, picking at grasses and weeds, and of course any grubs that are unfortunate enough to come up above the surface. I offered the girls some leftover cooked polenta, or savory grits, made of cornmeal, and they loved it! They are usually a really picky duo. They also occasionally get bread and oyster shells for the calcium and grit. Chickens love corn! They couldn't get enough of this stuff.

I am quite excited to open up the coop every day and be greeted by these beautiful, fresh chicken eggs. I'm not sure if you can tell, but one of these is a fake ceramic painted egg. This encourages the chickens to lay in their proper nesting box area.

One noticeable thing about the eggs from my little "farm" is that the yolks are very large and rich. They make a great sunny side up egg! Especially when fried up in duck fat in my vintage cast iron skillet.

You may have noticed that there is a beehive in the rear as well!

I have really missed writing on the blog! I thrift less, but still pick up a lot of beautiful finds. I love using the pieces I have too, so hope to photograph those and write more about how I use them.

I am starting to get active on instagram, and will work on a button so you can follow me there @sixballoons!