"Got twenty dollars in my pocket...."

[Jenise]

That's a line from Macklemore's super-catchy hip-hop song "Thrift Shop", if you don't recognize it. So guess what I went to the other day? The occasion was, we were travelling home from Seattle where we saw Pink Martini the night before, and we decided to hit up a thrift store for some canning jars as the sudden change in the weather indicated that canning green tomato pickles were in my very near future. The Good Will in Mount Vernon is typically overloaded with them. Bob said why not buy them new, I said let's help the planet and reuse what someone else didn't want!

So, hello Good Will. Did they have any canning jars? Not even one. We actually asked and were told someone came in the night before and bought every single one they had. As we drove out of their parking lot and prepared to turn left, across the street I saw a Hardware store.

"They'll have canning jars," I said, pointing.
"I thought you wanted to save the planet," Bob said drily.
"I did but I'm over it. Now I want to boost the economy!"

So we bought a case of Ball jars for ten bucks which is 83 cents a jar. I'd have probably paid $1 each at the Good Will. So I didn't get canning jars at the Good Will, but look at what I did get with that $20 in my pocket.

DSCF1282.JPG

Not a Romertopf, but nonetheless a virgin, never-used, clay cooker to replace the Romertopf that cracked a few months back for just $12, and a wonderfully kitschy pie plate. Have no idea what I'll use the latter for, but I have no doubt that the perfect opportunity to serve a Cow Pie will present itself in the not too-distant future. It always does.

SCORE!!

[Jenise]

Tom, you predicted I'd find an ex-wedding-gift-new Romertopf quite easily. I believe this is actually my first thrift store run since you said that, so your prediction was spot on even though it's not a real Romertopf. For real Romertopf's, they had but a lid. Hope this lasts awhile: I quite like the white, and the lid with a knob for lifting. But for $12, if I got even a dozen uses out of it that would be $1 per, and I can't complain.

Tom, you predicted I'd find an ex-wedding-gift-new Romertopf quite easily. I believe this is actually my first thrift store run since you said that, so your prediction was spot on even though it wasn't a real Romertopf. For real Romertopf's, they had but a lid. Hope this lasts awhile: I quite like the white, and the lid with a knob for lifting. But for $12, if I got even a dozen uses out of it that would be $1 per, and I can't complain.

Real Romertopf, schmeal Romertopf. Who cares! It's an unglazed clay vessel. As long as it's not cracked, it's gonna cook great. Yours looks a treat, too. You're right - I quite like the white also, and the knob is a great addition. I wish my Name Brand cooker had one. It can be rather thrilling opening the lid from the overhanging lip on the sides, steam shooting out and up one's forearms. Woo hoo for you hoo! Enjoy

[Jenise]

I'm there. Had one made by god-knows-who before I got the Romertopf, and my experience with both says: they will eventually crack, no matter who made them. And Romertopfs are no longer made in Germany but Mexico and China--so define 'real'. This one's probably no riskier than another "name-brand", as you call it, would be, and it's a smarter lid.