I bought most of my cast iron at yard sales, inherited several well-used pieces from around WWI (not kidding!), and believe it or not actually dug one frying pan out of the dirt in the backyard of a mid-1800s farmhouse I rented 15 years ago when rototilling for my landlord's garden. It was very rusty but once we got the rust off (wire brush attachment on an electric drill!) and reseasoned it it was good as new. I see them all the time at Goodwill and "Sal's Boutique" ;-) for just a couple of dollars because they're always all black and nasty looking, but they're easy to rescue. IMO the best place to buy NEW cast iron is an old-fashioned independent hardware store, where it costs maybe 1/4 what the fancy kitchen stores charge. Lodge is an excellent brand and the only brand still made 100% in the USA (and mostly from recycled iron!). There are many ways to go about seasoning cast iron and everyone is convinced that only their way is the right way and everyone else is wrong. :-) The ones I had that came from yard sales and other dubious sources got a run through a self-cleaning oven cycle or blasting-hot grill (if you use a charcoal grill, bury it right in the coals while you cook on the grate above) until a layer of ash formed on the surface. I washed that off and reseasoned them, and they might as well have been new. I had to give up my cast iron a few years back, which made me very sad, but I couldn't cook anything with them unless DH was home to pick up the blasted pan for me. My favorite pieces were my Dutch oven, the great big "chicken-fryin' pan" as one of my Southern friends called it, the flat griddle (best grilled cheese sandwiches ever), and a 12" skillet with lovely smooth sloped sides that made wonderful cornbread and Yorkshire pudding. Oh, and I had two ancient muffin pans which made the most glorious popovers. Popovers are one of my favorite things, but muffin tins and modern popover pans tend to be too thin to get hot enough for a good "pop". At least I gave them to a fellow foodgeek who would take care of them. All-Clad makes a stainless steel wok but I don't have one. My horrible glass-topped electric stove (I hate it hate it hate it hate it hate it) doesn't produce enough heat to bother with a wok so we gave ours away to a friend who actually cooks on the same iron wood-fired stove his great-grandmother cooked on. He fires it up blasting hot, takes one of the lids off and drops the wok right inside. I preferred the woks with a smallish flat bottom and the single rolled-metal handle rather than the ring and two little loop handles.

Here's a buttermilk cornbread recipe. Hope it's similar to what you were looking for: SPIDER CORN BREAD 1 1/2 cups cornmeqal 1/3 cup flour 1/4 cup sugar 1 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 1 cup buttermilk 2 eggs, well beaten 2 cups milk, divided 2 TBL butter combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking soda & salt in a large bowl. Add the buttermilk, eggs & 1 cup of the milk. Beat with a spoon until smooth. Melt the butter in a 9" heavy skillet. When the skillet is hot, pour in the batter. Pour the remaining 1 cup milk over this. Bake in a preheated 350° oven for about 50 minutes or until lightly browned. cut into wedges & serve.~~Hancock Community Collection

Potpie, I've made this recipe for years Here's my long time favorite cut out cookie dough. If I remember correctly it was originally in a BH+G magazine in the late 70's. I usually double it in my KA mixer and usually make at least three bowls of the dough. I have a very large tree shape cookie cutter (about 9") and love to make and decorate special cookies for those that love cutouts. This dough is one that you can roll thick, if you like a softer cutout, yet still holds up. CREAM CHEESE COOKIES 1½ C sugar 1 C unsalted butter 1 8oz pkg cream cheese 1 egg 1 tsp vanilla ½ tsp almond extract 3½ C flour (I like unbleached) 1 tsp baking powder In a mixing bowl cream sugar, butter and cream cheese until fluffy. Add egg and flavorings, beat smooth' Stir together the flour and baking powder, add to creamed mixture and mix thoroughly. FOR CUT-OUT COOKIES Chill dough. Roll out on surface dusted with a mixture of ½ powered sugar and ½ flour, ¼ to ½ inch thick depending on your preference. Cut into desired shapes. Place on ungreased cookie sheet ( I line with parchment paper) and bake in a 375° oven 8-10 minutes. Watch for the edges to just barely begin to brown if you like a moist cookie. Cool and frost. COOKIE PRESS COOKIES Divide dough into portions and add desired colors. Force through cookie press onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake in a 375° oven 8-10 minutes. Remove from cookie sheet and cool on wire rack. Before baking brush with slightly beaten egg white and sprinkle with colored sprinkles if desired. Note...I have added about 4 oz of almond paste to the dough when making the cookie press cookies.....yum! FAVORITE ICING FOR CUTOUT COOKIES 2 c powered sugar, sifted 2 Tbsp softened butter ¼ tsp vanilla ¼ tsp almond extract 1 egg white ¼ C milk or cream Combine egg white and milk, set aside. Beat together powered sugar, butter and flavorings. Add small amounts of the milk mixture until icing is spreading consistency. Tint with desired colors. Using the egg white will give you a nice finish on the icing, the butter will keep it soft on the inside. Nancy

I don't know all that much about WW, but I have had good results with the ketogenic/Paleolithic diet first mentioned. It was hard to get started, like most dietary changes, but now its habit. I have not found many chat sites for it, but if you have already gone back to WW I guess it doesn't matter too much. It seems to work pretty well, after being on the Paleolithic diet for two years I have lost ~60lbs, decreased my serum cholesterol and triglycerides, and become a really good cook (I think I remember what eating out was like ;) ) If anyone would like a friendly ear,... I guess we should all just be thankful these diets are self-imposed only for dropping the pounds rather than required for severe health problems. Good luck, whatever you choose. Stephen