happy anniversary

as i alluded to the other day tabitha got a new show-pan for our anniversary. he is named fredrick as in Fredrick Chopin.

our actual anniversary date is the first day of spring. i am not really good at waiting. we gave it to her today.

the kids were so excited.

so was tabitha..








kassi is too enthralled in her multi-media art work to get too involved.

yes those are strawberry tops glued to paper.

i know it seems ridiculous that i should buy such a pricey pan while unemployed. we had one of those forty dollar versions and tabitha was very happy with it. in-fact she cherished it and treated it like fragile crystal. never was metal utensil used nor any abrasive cleansers. it lasted barely a year and the cheapo enamel coating thinned and started to expose the cast iron. this thing was made in china and once the cast was exposed we quit using it. we couldn't be sure that the cast iron didn't have lead in it. it was a sad day because it was integral to her daily routine.

i have never been one to buy knock off versions of tools. it always pays to buy a better quality of tool. this pan is a tool and i regret ever wasting my money on that old lodge version. you cannot afford that pan. it won't last. it likely contains lead under that enamel. if you use it often at all, you'll need to replace it in less than two years. don't buy the lodge!

my grandmother had an old le cruset pan that my sister inherited. it has to be over forty years old. the surface is still like new. i know that fredrick will last tabitha at least that long. in doing the math one lodge pan every year at $50 per year that means it will have paid for itself in six years. fredrick show-pan is also much larger and suits our family size better. a smaller comparable version le cruset would payoff much sooner.

mostly it is simply much more pleasurable to use something of this caliber. the smaller old lodge pan is significantly heavier than fredrick. not full of course but it is easy to see the quality difference once you touch it. mostly i want my wife to get as much enjoyment while cooking as she can. i know that it is easier to take pride in my work when i have good tools.

i love you tabitha and i would marry you again and again every year. happy anniversary.