avatarMichelle Teheux

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LIFESTYLE

This Old Cast Iron Skillet Explains a Lot

Why do we mindlessly ignore our own best interests?

This is a sourdough crust pizza I made in my reliable old cast iron skillet. It was delicious! (Photo by Michelle Teheux)

I have two cast iron skillets that used to be my mother’s, and actually, I believe one of them was my grandmother’s. It’s hard to say, because I’ve had them forever.

I admit I didn’t always use my cast iron hand-me-downs, for the same reason they ended up in my hands in the first place: I thought I needed fancy non-stick pans, when all I really needed was a five-minute lesson on how to cook with cast iron.

I promise you, a properly seasoned cast iron skillet allows you to make things like over-easy eggs or an omelet (or pizza!) without sticking a bit. The surface is just as slick and stick-free as a brand-new Teflon-type pan. Plus, these skillets are easy to care for. The one downside is their weight; if you have back or wrist problems, they might be too difficult to lift.

They are inexpensive and will last for generations. Buy one for $20 (even less from a thrift store) and you’re done. You never have to buy another one, ever. Your great-grandkids will use it after you’re gone, if you’ve taught them how. That’s good news for you but bad news for Big Skillet. How much money is there in skillets if each family buys one or two every 50 years?

So naturally, marketers do everything they can to convince us to pay more for non-stick skillets that will wear out every few years.

We are so easily suckered.

We make decisions all the time for reasons that, if we stop to think, make little sense. (Maybe that’s why we’re kept busy scrolling — so we don’t stop to think very much.)

Why do we keep buying expensive cookware that we have to replace every few years when we could use the same pan all our lives and then pass it on to several generations?

As soon as you start thinking about this, you realize your choice of cookware is just one of a thousand examples of mindless waste and bad decisions that don’t benefit us but do benefit some corporation.

I’ve started asking a simple question.

Does this choice benefit me, or some corporation? It’s amazing how often it’s the latter.

Did continuing to color my hair serve me? No. My naturally silver hair looks much healthier and shinier than the dull, artificial brown I had for years. I am so glad I stopped, but I had to overcome immense social pressure.

Did paying any attention to fashion do me any good? Admittedly, I didn’t pay much attention in the first place, but I ignore fashion now even more. I wear the same basic black clothing year after year, only replacing things when they actually wear out.

That’s more money in my pocket, less waste and less environmental degradation.

What about keeping up with home decor trends? I couldn’t do this even if I wanted to, and it forced me to follow my eclectic inclinations. My house is full of things I’ve picked up off the street (a cool old church bench that’s now in my parlor!) or purchased second-hand (the antique dining room set I love) or was given to me by someone who knew I’d appreciate it (an indescribable marble-topped wooden side table with a curved door). Everything is quirky and timeless and I love it so much.

How do I want to vacation? I don’t often get to go anywhere, but when I do, I’ll tell you two places I do not want to bother with: Las Vegas or Disney. No judgment if those are your jam, but I’d rather not spend my downtime in such commercial spaces.

What do I want to eat? Nothing from a chain. I’ve never had Chipotle or Popeyes or Five Guys or Texas Roadhouse, etc. I’d much rather eat my own cooking than something consultants have fine-tuned to appeal to a certain demographic. I’m sure those places have food that tastes just fine. Some of it is probably really good. But when I eat out, give me a unique restaurant that someone opened out of passion. I love the Rhythm Kitchen Music Cafe and One World in Peoria. Or, any place where the owner’s family makes up most of the staff and the older ones still speak with a heavy accent is usually a good bet.

How did I want to feed my babies? Because I was lucky and because I made it a point to educate myself and prepare very well, I was able to breastfeed exclusively. Formula was pushed relentlessly in those days (I gave birth in 1989 and 1992) by some of the best marketers the world has ever known. For example, a free case of ready-to-feed formula showed up at my house right at the two-week growth spurt, exactly when their marketers knew quite well that many mothers waver in their confidence to nurse. Pissed, I directed the UPS delivery guy to return it. Some parents are unable to nurse, of course, and in those cases, formula fills a need.

How do I clean my house? I use vinegar and baking soda a lot. You don’t need most prepared cleaning products. They’re more expensive and often less effective.

How do I dry my clothes? On a clothesline. Or on indoor racks during bad weather. It’s just my husband and me now, but we also did this when the kids were living at home. (In winter, I like hanging up a rack of wet laundry right in my bedroom just before bed. It’s my free humidifier!) It costs nothing to hang up your clothes, and it’s less damaging to the fabric so everything holds up better. Why spend money on something that happens naturally for free?

What kind of pets do I adopt? I love my rescue mutts. Why spend hundreds on a purebred when there are sweet dogs (and cats) being euthanized every day? I can’t bear to think about that. Save a dog or cat instead.

What automobiles do I drive? You don’t need an SUV or a minivan or a truck unless you have a large family or are a contractor or farmer, etc. I had two car seats in the back of an old Chevette when all the other moms had minivans. It was fine.

Our cars are small and ancient. We won’t get rid of them until we have to, even though we’re missing out on lots of technology. My cars are unaware cell phones exist, for example. Oh well. Both the Civic and the Mini have manual transmissions, too. The average car payment for new cars is now $729. That’s more than most of the house payments I’ve made in my life! I haven’t had a car payment for well over a decade and don’t plan to ever have one again.

I think I’ve made my point. It’s not that I’m smarter or more thoughtful than anyone else. But as much as possible, I attempt to make every decision based on what’s best for me, for society and for the world, not on somebody’s marketing.

About a year ago, I did make one huge, indefensible splurge: I used the proceeds from my most successful Medium story ever — about coffee — to buy an espresso maker. Everybody blows some money at some point — even crazy thrifters like me.

If you’ve read this far, you’ll probably appreciate this story, too:

About Michelle Teheux:

I’m a writer in central Illinois. If you like my work, subscribe to me or buy me a bag of coffee beans so I can make my own coffee at home! I also write a Substack called Untrickled, about income inequality. Find me on Twitter or LinkedIn.

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