Weekend Junking

Over the weekend, I dropped into my local Goodwill store. They are in the middle of a major renovation; when it's finished, it will be cleaner, brighter, and about 50% larger. Yay! More room for great bargains!

In the meantime, I scored these wonderful little bits. Two baskets, each $1.80, in perfect condition and sturdily made:

You see this kind of basket all over the place--Pottery Barn, Pier 1 Imports, etc.--and they aren't cheap. But I love the utility, stackability, and look of these baskets.

So one by one, I've amassed a collection. They are endlessly useful--in the kitchen to store onions and potatoes, in the bath to corral beauty products, in the bedroom closet to tuck away things on high shelves. These two will go in my recently refurbished craft corner, to store my smaller scraps of art paper.

The other find is this darling cast-iron pan for making cornbread. It only cost $2.70. Usually, I scorn one-use kitchen items; why would you want an egg slicer, for instance, when a sharp knife does just fine? But the distinctive, vintage look of this cutie drew me in:

And suddenly I remembered all those hearty soups I make in the fall and winter, and how often cornbread is just the right accompaniment. What could be sweeter than individual servings of cornbread in the shape of corncobs? That's right; nuthin'!

I will have to scrub out the slight tinge of rust and re-season the pan, but that isn't hard. The Internet is full of helpful hints on rescuing slightly battered cast iron cookware, like here and here.

Mmmm. I can almost smell the cornbread baking.