Triple Berry Pie

I love dessert and sweets, and pie is one of my favorites. Cherry pie is my absolute favorite, but anything with berries is a close second. We went to visit my father-in-law for Father's Day weekend and I had a bunch of berries in the refrigerator that I didn't want to take with us, but that would have definitely gone bad sitting until we got back home. I decided to freeze them for smoothies, but later thought I should make a pie out of them. I've only made a berry pie once and I remember it being a bit runny, so I searched online for a new recipe that specifically uses frozen berries and came across this one that looked promising. In this recipe you cook the berries down and then add cornstarch to thicken the juice. The recipe calls for raspberries, blueberries and blackberries but I used strawberries in place of the blackberries. You can use any combination of berries you like most. I'm not very good at making pie crust, so I bought a Pillsbury one and made the pie yesterday.

I used my Le Creuset 3.5-qt. Round Wide Dutch Oven to make the filling and it was the perfect size to fit everything. I tasted the filling once it was ready and it was delicious! I think the store-bought pie crust made this pie not live up to its full potential, so next time I will have to just try a homemade one. It wasn't bad at all, but homemade crust just tastes so much better. I think this berry filling would also taste great with a cobbler topping. Remember to bake your pie on top of a large cookie sheet in case the filling spills over a bit! Overall this was a very easy pie to make and tasted great - it's a perfect summer dessert!

Triple Berry Pie

Recipe courtesy “Tastes Better from Scratch” Blog

 

You just can't beat this easy and delicious homemade Triple Berry Pie! It holds together perfectly every single time, and you can use fresh or frozen blueberries, raspberries and blackberries.

 

Homemade pie crust for a 9'' deep dish pan. This recipe makes 2 crusts: one for the bottom and one for the top

7 cups fresh or frozen raspberries, blueberries and strawberries (about 2 1/3 cups of each type of berry)

1 cup granulated sugar (plus a little extra to sprinkle on top of the pie)

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

4 Tablespoons cornstarch

2 Tablespoons butter

1 large egg white beaten with a fork

 

Cook berries: Add berries, sugar and lemon juice to a large saucepan over medium heat. 

 

Simmer, until warm and juicy, about 5-10 minutes, gently stirring occasionally. (You can taste it at this point and see if it's sweet enough for your liking. I don't like to make mine too sweet, but if you want it sweeter you can add ¼ cup more sugar.)

 

Thicken filling: Spoon out about ½ cup of the juice from the pan into a bowl. Stir cornstarch into the juice until smooth. 

 

Bring pot of berries back to a simmer and slowly pour in the cornstarch. Gently stir mixture (being careful not to mash the berries), until thickened, about 2-5 minutes.

 

Cool and add to pie shell. Remove from heat and stir in the butter. Allow to cool for 15 minutes. Pour mixture into unbaked pie shell (in a 9 in deep dish pan).

 

Add lattice top or a whole top with holes pricked on top for steam to escape.

 

Pinch the edges of the top and bottom pie crusts together and crimp the edge, if you like. Brush a thin layer of beaten egg white over the top of the pie and sprinkle lightly with sugar (optional). 

 

Bake at 400° for 40-45 minutes. Check it after about 25 minutes and place a piece of tinfoil over it if the top crust is getting too brown. 

 

Remove to a wire cooling rack and allow to cool for several hours. Once cooled completely, you can cut into it or cover it and refrigerate it overnight to serve the next day.

 

NOTES:

*I LOVE Costco’s bag of frozen berries. It already has all three types of berries and they are big and beautiful and you can't beat the price!

To make ahead: This pie can be prepared completely 1 day ahead of time. You can also prepare the filling up to 3 months ahead of time and store it in the freezer. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before pouring in unbaked pie crust.

To freeze: You can freeze the baked pie for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature before serving.

Le Creuset XL Double Burner Grill Review

The last and final Le Creuset item I purchased last summer is the Le Creuset XL Double Burner Grill. I purchased it on sale from Bloomingdale's because they were one of the only places that had the Caribbean color in stock. Now it looks like this grill is no longer made and is hard to find in any color. I wanted this to use on our stovetop during the colder months when we don't use the outside grill. We have used it a few times and the food comes out tasting so much better than just cooking it in a pan or skillet!

It obviously creates indoor smoke and is not the easiest to clean which are my only complaints. I typically let it soak for a while in hot soapy water, and then use the Le Creuset cleaning brush on it several times with lots of dish soap. I tried other brushes but nothing worked well until I gave in and ordered this brush. It does the trick!

We have used this for steak, hamburgers, chicken fajitas, etc. I've enjoyed the chicken fajitas with grilled peppers and onions the most. It's a nice grill pan to have for the times when you can't use the real thing outdoors!

Staub Square Griddle Review

Here is one final draft I found from last April. Clearly I was shopping a lot, cooking a lot and writing a lot of reviews last year when we were all stuck at home for so long!

While I'm posting cookware reviews, I wanted to post about the griddle I recently purchased. My husband and I never registered for one for our wedding. We have a Lodge Cast Iron Double Burner Reversible Grill/Griddle that I found at Home Goods a few years ago for $20 or so but I don't like using raw cast iron and it's big and cumbersome to use, not to mention a pain to clean.

A few times over the last few years I've started looking online for a griddle and reading reviews and could never find what wanted. My mom has an old Farberware stainless steel electric griddle which still works great but everything made now is non-stick, which I can't stand. Most of them also get pretty bad reviews and say they don't last long. I also didn't really want another standalone appliance, so I wasn't convinced we needed an electric griddle. I didn't want a non-stick griddle that could be used on the stove either, which seem to be another popular option.

During the coronavirus stay-at-home order, I decided I wanted to start making pancakes regularly so I started my search once again, and it included the same griddles I was looking at only a few months prior: Presto electric griddles, Le Creuset extra-large double burner griddle, and Staub square griddle which is exclusively sold at Williams-Sonoma (clearly my favorite store!). I almost ordered a Presto griddle a few times, but did not like the textured surface on them, and again kept thinking about the many negative reviews I read. I didn't want to be buying a new griddle every few years and wasting money. I would have loved the Le Creuset griddle if it were a little bit wider and came in different colors, but it didn't seem like it would fit two normal size pancakes side-by-side once I learned how big the actual cooking surface was. The Staub square griddle intrigued me, but seemed a bit small at 12x12". It could fit 4 pancakes but would that be big enough years down the road?

After contemplating for a while, I decided to go for the Staub. I have never purchased any Staub products before and never paid much attention to them in the store, so going off of the photos online I chose the "La Mer" color which is a very pretty dark teal. I placed my order and used a $50 gift card and was refunded 15% back for the military discount. Williams-Sonoma usually only gives this discount on in-store purchases but their customer service was wonderful and applied the discount to my order since all stores were closed.

Staub Square Griddle in La Mer

The griddle arrived and looked beautiful. I loved the color and couldn't wait to use it. On my husband's next day off I made pancakes. Blueberry pancakes are my favorite but we didn't have any fresh or frozen blueberries, so my 2-year-old son Anthony suggested strawberry pancakes, which I had never had. I cut the strawberries really small and thought my kid was a genius - they were delicious! I also made my husband banana pancakes that morning which he enjoyed.

I had a few mishaps with my first pancake making experience. I used the front right burner which is a "power burner" on our stove and it didn't seem to distribute the heat well. I initially put too much batter on which made the pancakes difficult to flip, and the bottom portion of the pan wasn't cooking as well as the top portion so a few of my pancakes didn't turn out well. I switched to the long middle burner and that helped. The downside is that by using that burner, I can't make anything else on the stove at the same time. I have not tried the front left burner but that one might work as well. My second pancake making experience was also a bit of a dud, because I foolishly started putting batter on the griddle before it was hot enough. I had better luck with the rest of the pancakes after that first round.

The only other thing I've used this griddle for is grilled cheese. I honestly don't plan to use it for much other than pancakes since we have cast iron skillets which we use for eggs, bacon, sausage, grilled cheese, etc. I wanted this primarily for pancakes and I think it will serve me well for that purpose if I remember to use it on the long middle burner, oil it well, use medium-low heat, and wait for it to fully warm up before putting the batter on! Only time will tell if this griddle was a good purchase or not. It certainly looks nice and I know that it will last longer than any non-stick or electric griddle would have.

First time making pancakes

Second time making pancakes

Like Le Creuset, Staub pieces come in a variety of colors, and some are exclusive to certain stores. I keep this griddle stored in a cabinet with all of my baking pans and it's not something anyone will see most of the time, so even though I like the color I chose, color was a bit less important to me with this product. I considered purchasing the Staub Fry Pan as well, which would remain on our stovetop, but ended up purchasing a similar one made by Le Creuset mostly because I prefer the loop helper handle on Le Creuset's and I also like their color options more.

Staub colors available at Williams-Sonoma

June 2021 Edit: in March I ended up purchasing the Presto Cool-Touch Electric Griddle as well. My sister has this same one and after seeing it one night when she and my dad were making a bunch of Reuben sandwiches, I decided that for only $27 it would be good to have a larger griddle to make pancakes faster. I still like the Staub square griddle but it was taking too long to make a batch of pancakes by only being able to easily fit 3 on at a time with enough room to flip them. I honestly have not used the square griddle much since getting our Le Creuset skillets (which we use all the time), so maybe I will end up selling it. Right now we have both griddle options though to use when needed.

Le Creuset Stoneware Review

I found another draft that I started last year. I must have been really bored last April and May!

I do have a few other Le Creuset stoneware items I've acquired over the years, mostly before I got married, such as mugs, ramekins, a tart dish, two petite tart dishes, two "Le Creuset Poterie" 5"x7" rectangular baking dishes from TJ Maxx, and a "Le Creuset Poterie" 9" square baking dish from the Le Creuset Outlet store. All of the cast iron pieces that I posted about in my last two reviews are made in France. The Le Creuset stoneware items and accessories mentioned here are made in China. There always seems to be some confusion about what is made where, so I wanted to clarify that!

I love the mugs and have them in the three colors pictured below (Caribbean, Lapis, and White) and hope to add a few more colors to my collection at some point, perhaps the Flame (orange) and Cerise (red) colors to go with fall and winter holidays. I am not a coffee drinker but I use these mugs for tea when I'm sick, and I like them more than any of the other mugs we have. My husband uses them daily and seems to like them as well.

I like all of these stoneware items a lot; the two we use most are the mugs and the rectangular and square baking dishes (those are not pictured). If I add any additional stoneware items to my kitchen, I will definitely get them in the Caribbean color, which will soon be hard to find as it's apparently been discontinued.

Caribbean Mug

Lapis Mug

White Mug

Ramekin

Tart Dish

Petite Tart Dish

Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Review

This is another post that I found in my drafts folder that I started in May 2020. Enjoy!

Over the years I have acquired a few Le Creuset pieces and I wanted to write a little bit about each of them, mostly due to boredom during this coronavirus stay-at-home order! Le Creuset is very pricey, but I received one as a wedding gift and purchased most of the others either on sale and with a 15% military discount and/or using gift cards. I only paid a total of $104 out of my own pocket for the first five pieces listed below!

Edit in January 2024: A few months ago I purchased the 1.75-quart Saucepan in Deep Teal from Williams-Sonoma. It was on clearance plus an additional sale because they were discontinuing the color. I also had a gift card so after the 40% discount and using the gift card, I only paid $2.63 for it! This saucepan is small so I usually use it to heat food up (single serving of soup, small amount of sauce, canned vegetables, etc.). Online pictures don't do this color justice - it is so pretty in person!

1.75-qt. Saucepan in Deep Teal

The next smallest Le Creuset that I have is the 2.25-quart Saucepan in Caribbean. I love this saucepan and use it any time I make rice or mac and cheese or if I'm cooking a smaller amount of sauce. I never considered purchasing a Le Creuset saucepan until last summer when I was having issues with my Calphalon cookware. My 2.5-qt. stainless steel saucepan got the most use and I wanted another saucepan the same size so I could use them simultaneously, but I was not going to order more Calphalon. One day I was looking online at other brands of saucepans and found this one on sale for a great deal. Most websites were sold out of the Caribbean color in this size, so I ended up ordering it from Amazon. I would not normally order Le Creuset from Amazon because I always read that they sell "seconds" or ones with slight blemishes for the same price as other websites sell "firsts". I didn't want to miss out on the low price though, and I was able to convert credit card points to an Amazon gift card so I paid even less for it, only $77. I'm glad I ordered it because I use this saucepan all of the time! This saucepan is also made in smaller (1.75-qt) and larger (3.25-qt.) sizes, but I find this size to be perfect for me. It is great for 2-3 people.

2.25-qt. Saucepan in Caribbean

I have a 3.5-quart Round Wide Dutch Oven in Matte Navy, which I can no longer find on Williams-Sonoma's website, but I think it is very similar to if not the same as the 3.5-quart Essential Oven that they now sell. This is the one that I use most since I cook for me and my husband and two toddlers who don't eat much. It's also what I use when I make Dutch Oven Bread. It's wider and more shallow than the regular 3.5-quart Dutch Oven and I love that about it (and it's less expensive too!). This was a wedding gift off our registry, and it has always been one of my favorite gifts that we received! It's the perfect gift for a new couple starting their life together. This is great for 2-4 people.

3.5-qt. Round Wide Dutch Oven in Matte Navy

I have a 3.5-quart Braiser in Caribbean as well. I purchased this from Williams-Sonoma using a 15% military discount and paid for it mostly using gift cards acquired from credit card points - I ended up only paying $27 for this braiser! This is another very versatile pan that is perfect for meat dishes and anything that does not need to cook in much liquid. I've used it a lot for pork loin and vegetables, tacos, fajitas, etc. If you are more of a meat and potatoes kind of person and do not cook sauce, soups and stews, this shallow braiser is the pan for you! The braiser comes in smaller (1.5-qt. and 2.25-qt.) and larger (5-qt.) sizes as well. The size I have is great for 3-4 people.

3.5-qt. Braiser in Caribbean

I also have a 6.75-quart Oval Dutch Oven in Caribbean. This is another item I paid for completely with gift cards acquired from credit card points, after receiving the 15% military discount. I have only used this one a handful of times so far. I debated between buying this or the 5.5-quart Round Dutch Oven, which I think would be the perfect size and shape for most people. I love the Caribbean color and wanted an oval dutch oven for cooking larger cuts of meat that would fit better in this than in the round ones. I've yet to do that but I have used it for soups and stews, mostly just to get some use out of it. If I HAD to choose one, this is the one dutch oven I own that I could do without just because it does not get used much due to the oval shape and the types of food I cook. I still sometimes wonder if I should have just gotten the 5.5-quart Round Dutch Oven instead, or not gotten either. The oval dutch ovens come in a variety of sizes - see the chart towards the end of this post for more info. This is a great size for cooking for 6-7 people.

6.75-qt. Oval Dutch Oven in Caribbean

Edit in June 2021: I found the 5.5-quart Round Dutch Oven in Caribbean color on sale for a great price (considering how expensive they are full-price now) from the Navy Exchange (military tax-free website), and ordered it. I later sold the above oval dutch oven since it was rarely used, and since I usually cook on the stovetop and the oval shape does not fit on the burners as well as the round shape. I can't wait to make chili, soups, stews, and sauce in this new round dutch oven this fall and winter. This 5.5-qt. round dutch oven is the perfect size for cooking for 5-6 people, and will likely be what I end up using the most for my family of 4.

5.5-quart Round Dutch Oven in Caribbean

Edit in January 2024: A few months ago, I purchased the 6.75-qt. Round Wide Dutch Oven in Lapis. This is hands down the most versatile shape and size! It can double as a braiser and a dutch oven, eliminating the need to own both. I don't know how I missed this piece the first few years it was sold. I found this last year when it was being phased out and had a hard time finding it in the color I wanted (Deep Teal), and ended up settling on getting it in Lapis (which is a color exclusive to Williams-Sonoma) and luckily I purchased it when it was still being offered at their sale price. I just saw that Le Creuset is now selling this size again in many colors, but at full price, which is a lot more than I paid for mine. Even at full price, if you only own one piece of Le Creuset, this is the one I would recommend! It can hold so much and the large surface area makes it perfect for browning large amounts of meat. It is perfect for soup, sauce, chili, roasts, one pan pasta dishes, etc.

6.75-quart Wide Round Dutch Oven in Lapis

6.75-quart Wide Round Dutch Oven

The biggest size I have is the 7.25-quart Round Dutch Oven in Matte Navy. This was on our wedding registry but we did not receive it, so we used gift cards that were given to us for our wedding to purchase it, along with the 15% military discount. This is perfect for making big pots of soup, sauce, chili, etc. I don't use it much yet, but I imagine that as my two young boys grow bigger and eat more and more over the years, I will be glad I have it! This is great for big families, those who like to cook for a crowd, and smaller families who like to have or freeze leftovers (that's us!). The round dutch ovens also come in a variety of sizes - see the chart towards the end of this post for more info. This size is great for 7-8 people.

Update January 2024: Since I could not find the 6.75-qt. Wide Round Dutch Oven in Deep Teal and that color was being discontinued (and went on clearance prices), I ended up purchasing the 7.25-qt. Round Dutch Oven in Deep Teal and selling the Matte Navy one. Since I bought it on such a good clearance price and my Matte Navy one was kept in such good condition that I could easily sell it, I didn't lose any money and I ended up with a color that is much more my style now. Deep Teal is really gorgeous in person and I can't believe they discontinued such a pretty color!

7.25-qt. Round Dutch Oven in Matte Navy

7.25-qt. Round Dutch Oven in Deep Teal

One thing I love about Le Creuset is the color options. There are several colors available and many stores carry colors that are exclusive to them, for example the Matte Navy that I have is only available at Williams-Sonoma but the Caribbean can be found at several stores. Unfortunately, I heard that the Caribbean color is being discontinued which is disappointing because it's so beautiful and definitely my favorite of all the colors they make. Some people prefer to have everything in the same color or everything in all different colors. I love the two colors I have and they compliment each other nicely. I chose the two Matte Navy dutch ovens when we were registering for our wedding because our wedding colors were navy and grey. I was living in a townhouse at the time and my husband was about to deploy for the majority of our first year of marriage, so we did not know what colors would be in our future kitchen. I figured navy was a safe bet. After he returned home, we went to Aruba to celebrate our first anniversary, and while we were there I decided that if I bought any more Le Creuset pieces, they would be the Caribbean color to remind me of how beautiful the water in Aruba was. We have now been living in our house for 3.5 years, and the colors in our living room (which adjoins to our dining room) go perfectly with all of our Le Creuset pieces, which I have displayed on shelves in our dining room (except for the small saucepan which stays in our kitchen cabinet with our All-Clad stainless steel cookware). No matter what your favorite color is, I'm sure you will be able to find a Le Creuset color that you love! I later added a few Deep Teal pieces to my collection because they go so well with my Caribbean pieces and I love the deeper color in them - another beautiful color that reminds me of the ocean!

Another thing to note is that all of my pieces are "Signature", not "Classic". The classic pieces cost less but they have smaller handles on them. These are big, heavy pieces of cast iron and the big handles are much more helpful when carrying them (full of food!) around or moving them from the stove to the oven, to the table or sink, etc.

Le Creuset Colors available at Williams-Sonoma
(more colors are available from Le Creuset and other stores)

Another great thing about Le Creuset is that there are several sizes to choose from - below is a great guide to help you figure out which size Dutch Oven would be best for you. I highly doubt I will ever get anything bigger than my 7.25-quart as it is pretty big and heavy. I like having different types of Dutch Ovens in various styles (wide, round, oval) and different sizes because I use each one for different dishes that I make.

If you are considering purchasing Le Creuset, I hope this review has been helpful! I love every piece we have. They look beautiful, cook well, and clean up easily - just soak in hot water and soap for a bit and then clean with a sponge (I use the yellow Dobie pads). Cast iron retains heat very well so never cook on anything higher than medium heat. It is also recommended to only use wooden or nylon utensils, no metal, which could scratch the enamel. For stubborn stains, Le Creuset makes a cast iron cleaner, but I do not have it and have never tried it. I have, however, used Bar Keepers Friend to successfully remove grey marks left on the enamel by metal utensils. It works wonders on our All-Clad stainless steel pots and pans as well! I have read that it can dull the finish on the enamel, so I use it sparingly.

This concludes my review, but below are some photos that I took last year of my five Le Creuset pieces. If you're interested in reading about my two Le Creuset skillets, that review can be found here.

3.5-qt. Braiser

2.25-qt. Saucepan

3.5-qt. Round Wide Dutch Oven

3.5-qt. Braiser

6.75-qt. Oval Dutch Oven

7.25-qt. Round Dutch Oven

Le Creuset Cast Iron Skillet Review

I wrote this post in May 2020 and just found it in my drafts! Now that we have had these two skillets for over a year, I can give a better review. At the end you will find what I think of them after using them.

I recently ordered some new skillets that I've been pretty excited about. The first one is the only Le Creuset cast iron piece I've purchased without using gift cards. Luckily I found it on sale from the tax-free military Exchange website, which made it cost less than anywhere else it's sold. I chose the 11.75" Signature Skillet in Caribbean color. I've read a lot of negative reviews about food sticking in these particular skillets but I've also read a lot of positive reviews. I have been debating whether or not to get this skillet for a few years, and finally decided to go for it. Since Le Creuset was having a 20% off everything sale for the first time ever from everywhere that sells their products, shipping took longer than usual, but after 2.5 weeks I finally received it. About an hour after it arrived at my front door, I made a skillet chocolate chip cookie in it - it was delicious!

I actually was going to purchase the 12" Deep Skillet that is exclusive to Williams-Sonoma in Caribbean, but before I placed the order they sold out of the one I had in my cart. When I called customer service to see when it would be back in stock, they told me it won't be coming back in stock in that color. I was disappointed and settled for the regular skillet mentioned above, but I still really wanted the deep skillet. After a few back and forth emails with Williams-Sonoma's customer service, I decided to also purchase the 13" Deep Skillet in the color Lapis, which is a pretty blue color exclusive to Williams-Sonoma. These two skillets are similar but the Deep Skillet is a bit bigger and obviously, deeper. I didn't really want to add another Le Creuset color to my collection, but these two colors compliment each other nicely, in addition to the other Caribbean and Matte Navy pieces we have. Luckily, this Deep Skillet was on sale and customer service also applied a 15% off military discount for me (which is usually only available on in-store purchases but they graciously applied it because all stores are closed due to the coronavirus). I used a gift card towards the purchase which helped the cost come down a bit as well. This skillet is a bit of a beast and I'm sure it will be a workhorse in our kitchen for years to come.

It might seem a bit overkill to have purchased both of these (and perhaps it was!), but we only have 8" and 10" skillets in our All-Clad Stainless Steel cookware. We have a 12" Lodge Cast Iron Skillet that my husband uses all the time, but I don't like cooking in raw cast iron. I prefer using enameled cast iron since it doesn't react with acidic foods, won't rust and is easier to clean - and you can use soap! Since I wanted to put away our Lodge skillet, I thought these would be the perfect replacements and compromise between what my husband and I both like. I'm sure the 13" deep skillet will be the one my husband primarily uses and the 12" regular skillet will be the one I primarily use. These skillets also come in a few smaller sizes but I chose to go with the biggest size in each of these two skillets for our family because I know we will use one of them almost every day - for eggs, sausage, bacon, grilled cheese and grilled sandwiches, dinners and even baking biscuits and more skillet cookies! One of these will remain on our stovetop and I'm sure we will even use them both simultaneously.

Edit in January 2024: A few months ago I went to Williams-Sonoma and saw their 10" Deep Skillet in the store. It was on sale but they only had it in a few colors, none of which I liked. This skillet was so easy to handle compared to our large ones. After much thought, I decided to sell our 13" Deep Skillet (which was hardly ever used and in great condition, so I had no problem selling it) and purchase the 10" Deep Skillet in Deep Teal. I purchased this from a website that ships from Germany, but after researching I confirmed that it was a legit site, and the price was lower than Williams-Sonoma. My skillet arrived in perfect condition. I really love the smaller size and deep sides on this skillet and of course - the color!

10.25" Deep Skillet in Deep Teal

11.75" Deep Skillet in Caribbean

13" Deep Skillet in Lapis

It's here - all the way from Germany! 10.25" Deep Skillet in Deep Teal

It's here! 11.75" Skillet in Caribbean

It's here! 13" Deep Skillet in Lapis

It is now the end of June 2021 and we have had these skillets for over a year. As suspected, the Caribbean color skillet stays on our stovetop and we use it at least once a day, if not two or three times! I can't believe there were negative reviews for this skillet - the most common one being that it is difficult to clean. Well, that is simply not true! We have used this skillet so much and I've never had any issues cleaning it. I always let it soak in hot water and dish soap after we cook with it, then later use a plastic pan scraper to get any remaining food off of it, and then a yellow Dobie sponge with more soap to wash it. It has a nice patina to it now and you can tell it has been used a lot, but it is still in excellent shape and I suspect it will last us for a very long time. I love this skillet and it is by far the most used pan in our kitchen. It has taken the place of many of our other pans, which I rarely use now. I even use it to bake skillet cookies and biscuits. This would make an excellent wedding or housewarming gift for anyone who loves to cook!

The larger Lapis colored skillet gets used less often, but it has definitely come in handy at times. I use it for sausage and peppers, to brown meat for chili or stew beef before putting them in the slow cooker, for chicken in wine, for steak, etc. It is pretty heavy and more difficult to wash because of how big it is, but it's also helpful to have such a big pan! I suspect we will use this one more in a few years as our toddler boys grow into big boys who eat a lot!

I highly recommend either of these skillets, but especially the 11.75" one. It's so versatile that we could go away for a week with no other pots or pans and use this to cook every meal in. I love it, and I'm so glad I finally decided to get it!