Howdy there darlin's,

I done somethin' I don't do very reglar, thank heaven, but I done it and had ta figure out how ta fix it. Matter o' fact, it happens ta ever'body that cooks at some time or nother.

I done burnt my pot o' beans. Yep, I started 'em cookin' on the stovetop in my nice big stainless steel stockpot and went off ta washin' some clothes an' thinkin' 'bout a heap o' other things. Next thing I knew I was smellin' that awrful burnt smell from the other end o' the house.

Well, I say, y'all never seen someone run fer the kitchen like I done that morning! My, my! Ta see me flyin' down the hallway like that ya woulda thought I done sprouted wings an' the house was a-fire. Well, now I s'pose, it coulda caught fire if I hadn't smellt them beans a-burnin'.

Aside from tossin' them beans that was black as coal, and the whole house smellin' like an incinerator, I was now lookin' at that ugly big black pot that was burnt so bad it nearly brung me ta tears!

Years ago I woulda rolled up my sleeves, grabbed a knife, an' started scrapin' off that thick burnt layer an' probably spent the whole mornin' scrubbin' so hard it started my arm achin' fer the whole day inta the next.

But, thank the heavens, with age comes a tad o' wisdom! A heap o' years an' plenty experience in the kitchen taught me how ta clean up a burnt pot without a hitch.

So my niece, Zel, is a-gonna put it in writin' fur better'n I can. She says there's only 3 steps an' that sounds mighty easy.

Now, child, you be sure'n keep them three l'il steps nice an' handy somewhere in yer kitchen. Then, you'll have 'em at yer fingertips when the time comes and you done burnt a pot like I done. You won't have ta cuss like a sailor at yerself or spend time frettin' 'bout what ta do. Jes foller yer ole Aunt Nettie's advice an' you'll be puttin' a smile on yer face in no time.

Yer ever lovin' Aunt Nettie.

AUNT NETTIE'S ADVICE FOR CLEANING A VERY BURNED POT

1. First, let the burned pot cool down completely. Then, fill the pot one-fourth full with water, add some liquid dish detergent, and put it back on the stove. Bring it to a boil, decrease the heat to medium or medium-high, and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside for about 10 minutes.



2. Drain the water and sprinkle powdered cleanser over the entire bottom of the pot. Grab your best rough scrubber, and put a little elbow grease into scrubbing off that burnt layer. Rinse the pot often to check your progress and add more cleanser as needed.
3. In a short time, you'll be surprised to see how fast that burned black pot comes clean and starts to shine. I don't want to deceive you--you'll have to do some genuine scrubbing, but in about 10 minutes you'll be looking at a very clean and shiny pot. Aunt Nettie's advice is true blue--she really knows her stuff!.

Nowadays, Aunt Nettie just shakes her head and complains, "Nobody cooks anymore. They have no idea about puttin' a meal together." She's on a mission. She wants to help those younguns eat better so they can grow up healthy like her own eight kids.