Delicious savory eggs

These were amazing, though I didn't take a fabulous photo...

delicious savory eggs

Fry in olive oil on one side then turn over:

            egg(s)

            some salt

Top with in this order and cover with lid:

            arugula

            blue cheese

            mustard

When cooked, top with:

            black pepper

New big storage ideas for a retro kitchen

I learned a lot the past month or so about kitchen storage, and we've ended up with a much more useful and fun kitchen as a result!

First I learned Don't Overload Your Wall Cabinets. I was unknowingly asking it to hold 2.5x more than is the standard (15 pounds per square foot) of the official Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers' Association, due to tall stacks of plates that weighed over 2 pounds each! As a result one cabinet started leaning out from the wall! It's fixed now, but those plates and similar weighty items could not go up there any more.

We already didn't have as much kitchen storage in this house as we had ever since we got married zillions of years ago, but to remodel the kitchen would have cost the earth and it would not have been to the taste of those who will inherit this house. So we started looking for additional standalone storage.

I wanted all hardwood, but those who made it for our area were getting awful reviews and charging ever so much, so we compromised for these colorful ones which are almost all real wood and are so cute, actually from Target! We got 2 islands and 1 "jelly cabinet" (the last one, sorry, but it sounds like they're getting more; they're in the Windham line by Threshold). They blend more than I expected, though I believe would look better with knobs that match the permanent cabinetry better. Also, these at least when I looked came in different colors.

I also learned that if an item goes on sale at Target not long after you buy it, you can get a refund! Thank you so much, Target! I appreciated that so much that when my coffee grinder (sourced years ago from someone else) stopped working a day later I immediately ordered a replacement from Target, which gets things to me quickly and at a fabulous price -- and not used!, which has been a problem with a certain unnamed giant online retailer and with a certain unnamed luxury kitchen retailer!

We actually have more storage than we need now, partly because we cut down when we got this smaller kitchen! I learned the great pleasure and usefulness of the wide drawers on those islands (they look like 2 drawers but are 1 each island) -- now I can actually put in 1 stack each the papers I use to organize grocery shopping, food storage, and meal planning.

Luscious Mushroom Green Bean Vegetarian Main

very adapted from one of my favorite retro cookbook sources...which I admire for including some vegetarian mains when that wasn't very common, and without fanfare.

Luscious Mushroom Green Bean Vegetarian Main

Do to taste and per # of people.

Saute in olive oil & butter:

         onion chopped

         mushrooms sliced (Portobello is very tasty)

Meanwhile cook

         green beans (in mw or steamer)

Combine the above then add to make a bit of a sauce (not too much liquid though)

         a bit of seasoned salt if required

         black pepper

         bit of flour (for thickening)

         half and half (milk will not be as luscious but should work too) (don't use a huge amount)

Simmer gently just until flour is cooked, a couple minutes maybe. Don't let it boil a lot and therefore curdle.

Serve over

         a grain (for a fancy meal do baked puff pastry!)

Top with

         roasted salted cashews

         grated Parmesan

Very adapted from Green Bean, Cashew, and Mushroom Casserole in the Volume 8 of Woman's Day Encyclopedia of Cookery, 1966