June 28th,  1861

I thought Id rite down how we cook, so when 
I git old, I can remember how wedone it in 
the old days an I can tell my granbabys.

Some people has got stoves, but poor people 
like us has got to make do with a fireplace.  
Most everthing cooks in a castiron pot that 
hangs on a hook above the fire in the fireplace. 
Thats things thats got to bile in a pot like 
possum, coon or beef.  The hook is on a big 
hinge that lets ye swing the pot in an out
of the fire.  Thataway ye kin add water or 
get it closter or furder from the fire. We 
call it a firehook.

Things that fry like chicken, rabbit, squirrel, 
taters or hog meat cooks in a castiron skillet 
that sets on three legs in the fire.  The 
skillet has got three legs so it always sets 
steady and wont rock, even if it aint settin 
level.  Got to be careful with yer fire that it 
dont git too high or the grease catches fire.  
Ye keep a kivver handy for the skillet in case 
it does.

If yeve got to bake sumpthin or tother, biskits, 
corn pone or wheet pone, we put the dough in a 
cast iron pot with a tight lid or kivver.  Then 
we set it in the coals and take the fire shovel 
and put some live coals on the top.  It gits
tolable hot, I reckon.  When its done, ye dump 
off the coals and eat.  Makes the best bread ye 
ever stuck a tooth in.

Some people calls these dutch ovens, but they 
aint.  My momma used a dutch oven an it was a 
big beehive lookin thing made out of mud or 
clay and ye built a fire under it.  Ye put a 
pan of bread inside it and kivver up the hole 
an it bakes.  They most too big to put in a 
fireplace, so my momma had hern outdoors.

If ye heat water, it heats in a castiron 
teakittle that hangs on the firehook. If we 
have to take a bath, we genly wate til its 
warm enough to go in the creek.   At least 
one time in the winter we warsh in front of 
the fire indoors though. We cleaner than most 
I reckon but ye got to be careful.  Warshin 
all over in the winter can give ye the grippe.

Ye might wonder why we use castiron for 
everthing.  Well, it don't git holes burnt 
into it like copper does and theyre easier to 
git and they last a heaplonger.  My wife has 
got her granmas skillet thats nigh onto forty 
year old.