Bangers!

First weekend of spring and I finally got my sausage and onions cooked in the new dutch oven.

One large onion, 1 package of Johnsonville Brats and two cans of beer.

Boil over an open fire, then crisp em up on the grill. If you do it right you can hear them crackle and pop on the grill, that's why the Brits call them "Bangers"

Then eat your fill and sleep it off.

Three cheers for Spring!

Create Your Own "Walden Space"

From the very beginning of my cabin building project the number one question people have asked me is ... "WHY?"

I found myself struggling to answering this question. 
"I have a lot of dead trees and it's getting dangerous to walk the property."
"I want somewhere to keep things handy for the cookouts we have in the summer."
"I'd like to have an option other than a tent for guests to stay in."
etc. etc. etc.

Truth is there are tons of good reasons for building an outbuilding but when the project is as (unique shall we say) as mine a lot of people think you're strange. Then finally one day I answered the question. Without thinking about it or falling back on my laundry list of practical uses for the cabin I simply said ... "No computer, no phone, no T.V., or any other source of tragedy, anxiety, or hysteria."

For the first time ever I got the feeling that the person I was talking to was completely satisfied with the answer.

Let There Be Light

The shutters on the window work fine to keep out gusts of wind but keeping them closed makes the cabin a dark place during the short winter days. Inspired by Russian John I decided to put glass in the window this weekend. My solution was made from a $2.00 furring strip from Lowe's and a few pieces of glass from some unused frames in the basement.

Two 8"x10"s and a 16"x20" did the trick.

It does not open and close but it can be removed easily and replaced with a screen when the weather warms back up.

Russian John

I know those of you who have enjoyed watching the House of Fallen Timbers grow will love Russian John's Summerhouse. I am in awe of the artistry and couldn't resist sharing the link to his photos of the construction. John was  kind enough to give me permission to post one of his images here to give you all an idea of what awaits you in his gallery. 

 Thanks John, WAY TO GO MAN!

Let it Snow

First "big" snow on the cabin. Only about four-five inches but thats big for this neck of the woods. I thought it made a nice picture. Just a little bit got in under the door, walls aren't air tight but they are sealed.

Apple Doesn't Fall Far From the Tree

My mother picked this up off the curb outside a home that was being cleaned out to be sold. Its an old Dutch Oven. It has three small legs and a rounded bottom. It is perfect for hanging over a camp fire. 

You guessed it, someone had used it as a planter. Can't really blame them. These old ovens were used on coal fired or wood burning stoves. The rounded bottom fit in the open burner hole and the three little legs kept it from moving around. The same qualities that made it perfect for those old stove tops make it pretty useless on a modern one.

After an hour or so with a wire brush on a power drill it started to shine again. Of course the great thing about cast iron cookware is it's non-stick characteristics. In order to get it ship shape again it needs to be seasoned. Once I got the rust off I coated it with peanut oil and baked it in a 450 degree oven for an hour.

Presto! Its ready for a batch of sliced onions and bratwurst, the real seasoning won't begin until it has soaked up a healthy dose of animal fat. I did a little painting inside the cabin to help showcase my swanky new piece of cookware. Painted the heat shield with some high-temp XO-Rust.

Happy Holidays!