Thanks for all your support and advice along the way with our latest project... we're ALMOST done but sort of stalled. We just need to add the door threshold and some pretty natural wood shelves above the toilet, but DH has moved on to other woodworking projects, so those little projects have been shoved down the list of priorities. Since it may be months before I get those shelves (and art/decor) up, I thought I'd at least post some pics of the room as it is now. Forgive the crappy lighting: it's snowing hard so there's no natural light :(

Project scope:
1956 bathroom with 1980's/90's tile, vanity, toilet. Tub was original but sadly unsalvageable: the enale was totally wrecked and stained and impossible to clean.
Suspected some subfloor issues due to leaks.
Budget: $2,500. (final total was a bit under $3,000... so we didn't do too badly :))

The layout was awkward, the door swing used so much of the floor space and only allowed a very small vanity. Since this is the hall/guest bath as well as the primary bath for my teenage daughter, we really needed to maximize storage and vanity space. I drew a new plan which involved moving the doorway to the perpendicular wall. As much as my DH balked at adding additional work, he admitted it was TOTALLY the right thing to do once we finished. The room feels SO much bigger now.

OLD BATHROOM and layout:

Some photos from during the renovation... which was planned to take 4 weekends and ended up taking about 6 or 7.....
DD sledge-hammering the old tile down

lots of rot in the subfloor

Self-leveling-compound poured over the radiant floor heat cables in the floor

The shower area waterproofed with Hydroban (LOVE LOVE LOVE that stuff!)

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NEW BATHROOM and layout plan:

DETAILS:
Since our budget was soooo tight, and we wanted to use quality materials and get a unique, custom bathroom, we had to get creative!!!

Tile:
I had a small amount (it was mostly random pieces and offcuts) of very $$$ calacatta marble mosaic tiles left over from a previous project that I knew I wanted to use. The other materials were chosen around that starting point. I designed niches to use that tile in, as accent, based on the quantity I had. I used inexpensive white marble baseboard pieces from Home Depot for the shelves.

For the rest of the tile, I needed to use super-cheap stuff (the entire room is tiled to chair-rail height), but I didn't want it to look cheap or ubiquitous. I would have used subways, but DD emphatically vetoed them. It's her bathroom, and we let her have a LOT of design input. Since we have other areas in the house that use square tile in a running-bond pattern, I decided to use 4x4s, which are the cheapest anyway, but in a running bond rather than stacked pattern. After bringing home samples of the big-box cheapies, I decided to "splurge" (20 cents more per tile, I think, it was about $2.35 per sf after sales and discounts)) on Lowes next-step-up American Olean Ice White, which has a slight rippled surface that catches the light and adds a layer of interest that the flat, cheaper Gloss White doesn't have.

For the floor, we used American Olean 12 x 18 Pietra Bianco, a limestone-look ceramic tile that I'm surprisingly happy with :) Underneath the tile is radiant-heat cable, so the floor is wonderfully cozy and warm.

Floor grout is Latapoxy epoxy.
Wall/shower grout is Tec Accucolor XT, a super-modified grout that supposed to be a lot more stain-resistant (PITA to work with, though!)

Hardware:
DD wanted girly, vintage-looking stuff, a big departure from DH and my modern aesthetic. We narrowed down the style range, then I started watching eBay for deals. We scored about $750 worth of valves and faucets and stuff for about $275.
Vanity faucet: Moen Monticello
Shower faucet valve, trim, tub spout: Moen Monticello with Thermostatic valve
Shower head: Grohe Relexa Ultra on slide bar (LOVE!)
(after working with a bunch of faucets recently, I can say that the Moen monticello stuff is pretty cruddy compared to the Grohe RElexa, Kohler Purist, and HansGrohe stuff I've used recently.)
Towel bars and tissue holder are Ginger Hotelier.
Curved shower rod is the Crescent Rod. I tried some expandable ones they had locally, but this one (ordered on line for the same price) is SO much sturdier and nicer-looking. It also makes the shower space much larger.

Toilet:
Toto Carolina that we got at a yard sale for $150 including the Washlet seat (which we removed). We were driving down the street and DD -who professes to HATE anything renovation-related- said, "Hey, look, Mom... isn;t that one of those skirted toilets you like?" SCORE.

Tub:
American Standard Princeton ~$300 at Lowes. yeah, we chipped it right away by dropping a tool on it while installing the faucets; luckily there's a repair kit that actually does a pretty amazing job :) We used the American Standard "Deep Soak" drain, which adds a couple inches water depth for baths. I wanted DD to use her OWN bathtub rather than my new one in the master bath :)

Vanity:
an old dresser. We bought it on Craigslist for $40, and DH reworked the drawers to fit the plumbing. He also added modern drawer slides so that they work easily. We bought fabulous vintage glass knobs on eBay (if you're looking for vintage knobs, check out this seller: billybobbosen.)

I painted it BM Dove Wing.
We totally went over budget on the vanity top. I'd intended to bet a remnant of granite... but of course couldn't find one DD and I liked. Then we found this little slab of Vermont White quartzite in the "exotics" bone pile at a local yard. It was over budget but we loved it. Then, of course, we decided that rather than a plain square front, it had to be cut to fit the curvy front of the dresser... which added about $100. So the vanity top was our biggest expense at $480.

Medicine cabinet:
A salvaged cabinet we got at the local Habitat for Humanity REStore about 2 years ago. We framed it into the wall (where the old door used to be), painted it, and I tiled the little shelf area with my calacatta mosaic accent tiles and marble baseboard pieces from Home Depot.

Lighting:
Pottery Barn wall fixture from eBay
Ikea ceiling fixture (like $8 each and rated for bathrooms!)
Fan/showerlight combo is a recessed, can-style fixture by Broan/NuTone. It's AWESOME. Quiet, unobtrusive.

That's all I can think of right now. I think once we have the natural wood shelves up over the toilet, with DD's shell collection and a plant on them, it will give a little but of softness/naturalness which the room needs. It's a little TOO "elegant" right now :)

El Pollo Loco Creamy Cilantro Dressing

1 Cup mayonnaise
1/3 Cup whole milk
4 Teaspoons finely minced cilantro
2 Teaspoons lime juice
1 Teaspoon white wine vinegar
1 Teaspoon granulated sugar
1 Teaspoon finely minced garlic
1 Teaspoon finely minced onion
1/2 Teaspoon salt
1/8 Teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/8 Teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 Teaspoon ground cumin
Mix ingredients together until smooth. Cover and chill.
Makes 1 1/4 cups.

Here is a link that might be useful: Meemos Kitchen

Bacon, Cheddar and Chive Muffins

Source:
Hot Potato Adventures in Baking

BBC Good Food Sept. '08 Issue
Reader Recipe/Claire Whapshot

4 strips bacon, cut into small pieces
2 ounces cheddar
6 ounces flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Fresh ground black pepper
1 teaspoon english mustard
2 eggs
3 ounces butter, melted
7 ounces milk
1 tablespoon parsley (I used chives)

Oven 350F. Spray muffin tin with nonstick spray. Cook bacon until crispy and drain on paper towels. Cut 2/3 cheese into small pieces, grate remaining 1/3. Sift flour, baking powder , pepper and 1/2 ts salt together. Mix eggs, milk, mustard and butter together in measuring cup, add to the dry ingredients and mix very lightly. Batter will be runny and lumpy. Add in the cheese, bacon and parsley/chives and mix gently. Divide batter between 6-7 muffins cups, they will be very full. Bake for 25 minutes until puffed and golden.

Here is a link that might be useful: Bacon Cheddar and Chive Muffins

Hardiebacker itself is a fine backer board in wet areas. Contrary to what a lot of people think, it's not waterproof. It's resistant to water damage, but not waterproof. Just like a sponge. A sponge can get wet, then dry out, and there's no damage to the sponge. But water can pass through a sponge, and it can pass through hardiebacker as well.

For waterproofing, there should have been 6-mil polyethylene sheeting behind the hardie, between it and the studs. Or after the hardie was hung and the seams mesh taped and thinsetted, the entire surface should have been coated with a liquid topical waterproofing membrane like HydroBan or RedGard.

FWIW, tile and grout will shed water, but grout is not waterproof. Even when sealed. Even some tiles are not waterproof.

The fact that you appear to have no waterproofing aside...a few comments regarding the installation of the hardiebacker itself:

1) All edges of the sheets of hardiebacker should have solid blocking (wood) behind them. In your installation, the vertical edges of the sheets fall on studs. But the horizontal edges should have blocking behind them.

2) Fastening: The hardie should be fastened every 8". Though it's not a killer, your fastening schedule is a bit erratic.

3) Your tiler might have done this, but the seams between one sheet of hardie and another should be thinsetted and taped with alkalai-resistant mesh tape. Similar to taping drywall, but with mesh tape instead of paper and thinset instead of drywall mud. This might have been done when the tiles were set.

You could let this job proceed "as is" and not have a problem for 20 years. Or you could get unseen leaks and water damage within a 20 days. It's an unknown.

"I've always done it this way and have never had a problem" is not a valid reply from the installer.

If your tiler is collecting money for doing this work, at a minimum he should be building to code.

Best, Mongo

Green Goddess Dressing/Dip

1 ripe avocado, halved, pitted and peeled
2 scallions, coarsely chopped
1/4 C fresh tarragon
1/4 C fresh parsley
3 T white vinegar
3/4 C buttermilk
Salt

Just pop it all into a blender and whirl until smooth. The cookbook I have pairs this recipe with sliced heirloom tomatoes, but I have found it is pretty good on just about any type of salad greens. It is also very tasty as a dip with veggies.

Calories are 70 per 1/4C of dressing.

Julia’s Zingy Lemon Sauce (GREAT for any cooked green veggie!)

½ of a lemon rind, grated
2 T lemon juice (about 1 small lemon)
2 T chicken broth
1 T butter (plus 4 more to finish)

Boil all the above in a small saucepan until it’s "syrupy". Add a little salt and pepper and then whisk in the other 4 T of butter. Serve over broccoli or asparagus or green beans…

Mom's Lemon Dream Bars
for the crust:
cut together 1/3 C room temperature butter into 1 C of sifted flour and 2 T sugar. press this into an ungreased square pan (8 x 8 or 9 x 9) and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes until set (watch closely, to make sure it doesn't burn!)
combine together:
2 beaten eggs
1/2 C brown sugar
3/4 C coconut
1/2 C pecans, roughly chopped
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp vanilla
spread the above mixture over the crust and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes (again watching, to make sure it doesn't burn). Frost immediately with:
2 T lemon juice
2 tsp grated lemon rind
1 C sifted confectioner’s sugar
let cool and cut into small pieces. can be frozen, tightly wrapped.

Crock Pot Lemon Chicken

3# chicken pieces, dredged in seasoned flour (we like chicken thighs and I add a pinch of 5-spice powder to the flour, along with a little salt & pepper)
brown the chicken in a skillet (I usually skip that)

mix together in a crock pot:
6 oz can of lemonade
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
3 T brown sugar
3 T catsup

add the chicken and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours

PASTA WITH LEMON CREAM AND PROSCIUTTO
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
3 large shallots, minced
3/4 cup low-salt chicken broth
1 cup whipping cream
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups frozen green peas, thawed
2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh mint leaves
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
12 ounces penne pasta
12 thin slices prosciutto
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese Melt butter in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and sauté until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add broth. Simmer over medium-high heat until mixture is reduced to 1/4 cup, about 2 minutes. Add cream, lemon peel, orange peel, and cayenne. Simmer until sauce thickens slightly, about 3 minutes. Add peas; simmer just until heated through, about 2 minutes. Stir in mint and lemon juice. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain; return pasta to pot. Toss pasta with sauce to coat. Divide pasta among plates or bowls. Drape prosciutto slices atop pasta and serve, passing Parmesan separately. Makes 4 servings.

Bon Appétit
January 2003

Chicken in Caramel Sauce
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup fish sauce
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon slivered ginger
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 small dried, red chilies, broken in half
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 shallot, sliced
1-3/4 lbs. skinless, boneless dark meat chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/4 lb., skinless, boneless white meat chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
Cooked rice
Fresh cilantro sprig for garnishing
Combine the sugar, water, fish sauce, vinegar, garlic, soy sauce, ginger, pepper, and chilies in a small bowl. Mix well. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the shallot and sauté for a few minutes. Add the chicken and sauté until slightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add the sauce mixture and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to medium. Cook until the liquid is reduced by half, about 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Place rice in a serving bowl and spoon the chicken over it. Garnish with cilantro.

If you don't have fish sauce, then maybe chicken piccata? this one is from Woodie:

CHICKEN PICCATA (Woodie)

4 Chicken breast halves, boned and skinned
Salt and Pepper
Flour (enough for coating)
3 tablespoons butter
Juice of 1 lemon
1-1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup white wine

Put a piece of waxed paper on the counter and place chicken on top. Use a meat pounder, the side of a saucer, the unsharpened side of a heavy knife or other object to pound the breast into a thin piece that’s uniformly thick (about an inch). Salt and pepper the chicken generously, then coat with flour. Melt butter in a large skillet and brown chicken on both sides.
Remove chicken from skillet. Add lemon juice, chicken broth and wine. Boil down until it’s about one-half cup. Place chicken back in skillet, cover and cook 3 minutes. Remove cover and serve.

This is done in about half an hour, and is pretty much a meal:

Chicken Scarpariello (Country Style)
From: Carol (dishesdone)
sliced hot cherry peppers from a jar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 red bell pepper, julienned
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 1/2 lb chicken, cut in small serving pieces
1 lb Italian sausage links (sweet or hot or both), cut in 1-inch pieces
1 onion, sliced
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves, crushed
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1- 2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice
2 potatoes (small dice)
3/4 lb fresh mushrooms, sliced
In a skillet, heat oil. Add chicken and sausage in batches; brown on all sides, removing pieces to a plate as they brown. Discard all but 2 tablespoons drippings from pan. To hot drippings in pan add mushrooms, peppers, onion, potatoes and remaining garlic; saute until tender. Return chicken and sausage to skillet. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, the rosemary, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, the broth and wine. Bring to a boil; lower heat and simmer, covered, until chicken is tender, about 25 minutes.
Remove chicken and sausage from skillet; arrange on warm serving platter. Skim fat from mixture in skillet. In a small glass measure, mix flour with 1/4 cup water until blended. Stir into liquid in skillet. Bring to boiling, stirring constantly; boil for 1 minute, stirring, until mixture thickens. Spoon sauce over chicken and sausage.

Joe's Chicken Fajitas?

Chicken and Peppers Fajitas
Gardenguru via CF
Serves 4-6
4 halves skinless boneless chicken breast
5 Tbs olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tsp ground chipotle pepper
2 Tbs minced fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
10 6-inch flour tortillas
1 large red onion, sliced thinly
3 large green chilies, cut into 3/4-inch-wide strips
Lightly pound chicken between sheets of wax paper to thickness of 1/2 inch.
Mix 2 tablespoons oil, lime juice, orange juice, garlic, chipotle pepper, cilantro, salt and pepper in large glass baking dish. Add chicken and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.
Heat oven to 350° F. Wrap tortillas in foil. Heat in oven until warmed through, about 10 minutes. Turn oven off. Leave tortillas in oven.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté for 3 minutes. Add peppers and sauté until vegetables are tender-crisp, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer vegetables to large bowl and tent with foil to keep warm. Do not clean skillet. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in same skillet over medium-high heat. Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade. Add chicken to skillet and sauté until cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Season chicken with salt and pepper and cut into 3/4-inch-wide strips. Combine with vegetables.

I like the dark meat portions better than breast portions, so I always season 'em up if I have chicken breasts.

Annie

Serves 8

Ingredients

2 small whole, chicken breasts, boned and skinned, cut into thin strips
6 Tbs flour
1/2 Tbs red pepper flakes
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
salt to taste [optional]
4 Tbs yellow onion, sliced thin
6-8 cloves garlic, sliced
4 Tbs butter
6 Tbs olive oil
½ cup tomatoes, seeded, peeled, diced
1 tsp dried oregano (or a couple of sprigs of fresh)
4 Tbs fresh basil, chopped
2 Tbs fresh parsley, chopped
12 ounces chicken broth
12 ounces angel hair pasta

Directions

Flatten chicken breasts and cut into thin 1/2" by 1" strips. In a plastic storage bag, mix flour, pepper flakes, and ground pepper. Put chicken strips into bag and shake.

Slice onion and garlic. If using fresh tomatoes, peel, seed, and chop. Chop parsley and basil.

When all ingredients are prepared, put water on to boil for the pasta.

Heat 1/2 of the butter and olive oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Add 1/2 of the chicken strips and brown each side lightly. Remove chicken from skillet with a slotted spoon, add remainder of butter and oil, heat, and add remainder of chicken. Remove when browned.

Add onion to skillet, reduce heat, and sauté until soft. Scrape chicken bits from bottom of skillet. Add garlic and sauté briefly (not brown).

Add tomatoes, oregano, basil, and parsley. Mix thoroughly and heat well. For a thicker "sauce", add a tablespoon or so of the remaining dredging flour at this point.

Add chicken stock and simmer until reduced by 1/3.

Return chicken to skillet, mix thoroughly, and reduce heat to lowest setting.

Add pasta to boiling water.

Put drained pasta onto plates in small nests and spoon chicken and sauce onto pasta.

Garnish: light sprinkle of chopped fennel leaf, parsley, basil

Joe

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

Chicken Breasts With Mushroom Duxelles
======================================
Source: Lucy Waverman

This flavorful and elegant chicken is stuffed with a combination of fresh and dried mushrooms. Because the breasts are stuffed under the skin, the stuffing moistens the chicken meat and keeps it juicy. use either dried porcini or dried Chinese mushrooms; they have the most flavor. The sauce can be made ahead of time and the breasts stuffed a few hours before baking.

6 Dried mushrooms
1/2 cup boiling chicken broth
2 tablespoons butter
4 shallots
8 ounce fresh mushrooms finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried tarragon or basil
3 tablespoons fresh bread crumbs
1/3 cup whipping cream
3 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
6 single boned chicken breasts, with skin on.

Sauce

1/2 cup chopped onions
1/4 cup dry red wine
1/2 cup mushroom-soaking liquid
3 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons port or Madeira
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon cold water
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.
. 1.
Soak the mushrooms in boiling chicken broth for 20 minutes. Drain the mushrooms, reserving the soaking liquid and the mushrooms separately.Chop the mushrooms.

2.
Preheat the oven to 375°F
3.
Heat the butter in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and dried and fresh mushrooms. Saute until all the liquid has evaporated, stirring occasionally, about
4 minutes. Stir in the basil or tarragon, bread crumbs, cream and parsley. cook until the cream has
reduced and the filling is thick. Season with salt and pepper.

4.
Divide the filling in six portions. with your fingertips, make a pocket between the skin and the flesh of each chicken breast. Stuff the filling under the skin of the chicken breasts. Season the breasts with salt and pepper and place in a buttered baking dish large enough
to hold the breasts in one layer.

5.
Bake for 30 or 40 minutes, basting occasionally, until the juices run clear.

6.
To make the sauce, in a frying pan, combine the onions and wine. On high heat, bring to a boil and reduce until you have 1 tablespoon of liquid.

7.Pour in the mushroom liquid, reduce to 2 tablespoons and then add the chicken stock and continue to boil until the stock is reduced by half. Add the port and simmer for another 2 minutes, or until the sauce is smooth and strongly flavored.

8.
Combine the cornstarch and cold water and stir into the sauce, simmering until the sauce thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and add any juices from the chicken. To serve, pour the sauce over the chicken breasts.

BOEUF BOURGUIGNONNE

6 strips bacon cut in 1/2-inch pieces
3 pounds beef rump or chuck cut in 1 1/2-inch cubes
1 large carrot, peeled and sliced
1 medium onion, diced
1 1/2 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
3 T. flour
1 10 1/2-ounce can condensed beef broth
1 T. tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 t. dried thyme
1 bay leaf
6 boiling onions, peeled
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup red or Burgundy wine

Cook bacon in large skillet until crisp. Remove to drain. Add beef cubes and brown well. Place beef cubes in Crock-Pot. Brown carrot and onion in bacon drippings. Season with salt and pepper; stir in flour. Add broth, mix well and add to Crock-Pot. Add cooked bacon, tomato paste, garlic, thyme, bay leaf and whole onions. Cover and cook on Low 8 to 10 hours. Saute mushrooms in 2 T. butter, and add with wine to Crock-Pot about 1 hour before serving.

To thicken Gravy: Turn Crock-Pot to High. Cream 1/4 cup flour and 2 T. butter. Roll in pea size balls and drop into Crock-Pot. Bring to boil and let thicken.

With that much ground to cover, you may want to expand your choices to include plants other than common groundcovers. Hostas, ferns, astilbe, epimediums and brunnera are all possibilities but any shade loving perennial or low shrub could work. A few hellebores would be a great addition as well, but make sure they get at least partial sun.

I am about to move into a house that's been fairly well-kept... except for the kitchen cabinets. I'm not worried about cleaning the insides. That's mostly dust and stray cheerios. I am having, however, a terrible time getting that gross stuff around the door pulls off. You know, that black, kind of hard greasy stuff that results from years of fingers grazing the wood as they reach for the cabinet door? That, and the remains of the non-vented exhaust on the cabinets above the stove hood.

I've tried Orange-Glo Wood Cleaner and Polish. It does take off some of the crud, but only with a lot of rubbing, and I can't help but think there's a better cleaner out there, but instead of trying a bunch, maybe some of you could point me towards your favorite cleaners? (The Orange-Glo does smell terrific!)

By the way, in my travels through this forum I did find a recipe for a cleaning solution that includes vinegar and baking soda (and other things, ammonia and water I think). I'm no chemist, but don't the acetic acid in the vinegar and the baking soda chemically cancel each other out?

Backwoods Deli Style Potato Salad

3# red potatoes, cooked, cooled and chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
6 green onions, chopped
½ C chopped red pepper
½ C thin sliced radishes

Dressing

1½ C Miracle Whip
2 Tbsp vinegar
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp celery seed
1-2 Tbsp prepared mustard

Combine dressing ingredients and toss with potatoes and vegetables.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Backwoods Basic Potato Salad

3# cooked and cooled red potatoes, chopped
4 hard boiled eggs, chopped
2 lg stalks of celery, chopped
6 green onions, chopped
¼ C sweet pickle relish

Dressing

1½ C Hellman's (Best Foods) mayo
1 tsp celery seed
1 Tbsp vinegar
1 Tbsp sugar
½ tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1 tsp dry mustard (can use prepared mustard)

Combine dressing ingredients and toss with potato mixture.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ranch Potato Salad

3# cooked red potatoes, cooled and chopped
5-6 green onions, chopped
6-8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
½ C shredded cheddar cheese
1 envelope dry ranch dressing mix
1½ C Hellman's Mayo (sometimes I use part sour cream if I have it on hand)

Toss together the potatoes, onions, bacon and cheddar.
Combine the ranch dressing mix and mayo, pour over the potato mixture and stir to combine.
Nancy

Here is a link that might be useful: More pictures

I've heard that brining is the way to go, but I'm worried that it will cause the texture to feel too artificial. I really hate pre-marinated chicken from the grocery store because the too-juicy and soft texture seems fake to me. Has anyone had this problem? Is a dry brine better or worse? Does anyone roast their turkey breast down? Does the skin still brown nicely? Do I use a rack or just set the turkey directly in the roasting pan?

Sorry for all of the questions. I would just really love to impess everyone with a nice bird!

Diane's Home Cookin Chapter: Sauces, savory & BBq

san's peanut dipping sauce
==========================
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes, or to taste
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1/2 teaspoon sugar
3/4 cup water
. In a small saucepan cook garlic and red pepper flakes in oil over
moderate heat, stirring, until garlic is golden. Whisk in remaining
ingredients and bring to a boil, whisking. Simmer sauce, whisking,
until thickened, about 1 minute. Sauce may be made 3 days ahead and
chilled, covered.

Serve sauce warm or at room temperature.

Makes about 1 cup. Gourmet June 1995

*********

This dish is definitely the best during the summer months when the tomatoes and other veggies are fresh but you can do it during winter months also. You actually can add whatever vegetables you want but the tomatoes (peeled) are the key to it.

¾ cup white vinegar
1 ½ teaspoon mustard seed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon red pepper (ground)
¼ cup cold water
1 ½ teaspoon celery salt
4 ½ teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

6 tomatoes peeled and quartered
1 green pepper sliced in strips
1 cucumber sliced
1 red onion, sliced

Bring first 8 ingredients to a boil and boil for 1 minute. Allow to cool slightly; then pour over veggies and chill.

The skin needs to be removed from the tomatoes. Boil tomatoes for a couple of minutes, then remove and place in a bowl of ice water. The skin will peel right off.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse Torte

3 cups sugar
2 2/3 cup all purpose flour
1 cup plus 1 tbs. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp. baking soda
¾ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
1 tbs. espresso powder dissolved in 1 ¼ cups of warm water
¾ cup vegetable oil
1 ½ cups buttermilk
3 large eggs (room temperature)
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Peanut Butter Mousse

10 oz. milk chocolate (you can also use semi-sweet)
½ cup creamy peanut butter
¾ cup milk
1 cup heavy cream

Chocolate Glaze

8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
1 cup heavy cream
1 tbs. corn syrup

Preheat oven to 375º. Lightly grease and flour a nine inch spring form pan. Sift together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, add the dry ingredients and mix slowly until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together espresso, oil, eggs, buttermilk and vanilla. Slowly add all of the espresso mixture to the dry ingredients. Increase speed to medium and beat until mixture is smooth, about 1 minute. Scrape with a rubber spatula into prepared pan. Bake approximately 35-40 minutes or until cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool in pan 20 minutes, then invert on wire rack to cool completely.

Peanut Butter Mousse

Melt chocolate over double boiler. When completely melted, add peanut butter. Whisk until smooth. In a separate pan bring milk to a gentle boil, remove from heat. Add half the milk to chocolate/peanut butter mixture. Mix well and repeat with remaining milk, again mixing well. In a separate bowl, beat heavy cream until soft peaks form. With a rubber spatula, slowly fold the whipped heavy cream into the chocolate peanut butter mixture, mixing only until combined.

Chocolate Glaze

Combine heavy cream and corn syrup. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add the finely chopped chocolate, stirring until smooth. Chill slightly to firm.

With a serrated knife, slice cake into three even layers. Smoothly spread ½ of the Peanut Butter Mousse mixture on the bottom layer. Top with middle cake layer. Repeat using remaining Peanut Butter Mousse mixture, capping with top cake layer. Ice top and sides with Chocolate Glaze

--Gina
http://lindseysluscious.blogspot.com

Luigi, there's no way I could ever compete with your Cinnamom Rolls, so I won't try. But you've got to give me an A for effort.

Kathleen, unfortunately I don't collect dishes. Most of the sets I have are all white, and the colorful, fancier ones were gifts. But, I do love collecting pottery, and I bet you can't guess which color I tend to collect. [g]

Sharon, beautiful pictures of paradise, as usual. Your Chicken Soup is what Thumper was craving this morning before he went off to school. He loves it. Around here, we really love our chicken.

AB, I've had a headache for the last two days. I think I'll go grab my blankie and mirror you.

Terri, here you go, enjoy.

Chicken Francese

½ pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 heaping tablespoons grated Pecorino cheese
4 tablespoons very finely chopped parsley
1 large egg, beaten
flour for dredging *
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken stock
6 thin, round slices of lemon
2 tablespoons butter

Slice the chicken breast into 6 pieces of roughly equal size. Place the pieces between sheets of wax paper, and pound with a mallet until thin. Season with S & P.
Place the cheese and 2 tablespoons of the parsley in a wide, shallow bowl. Slowly add the beaten egg, whisking until incorporated. Place the flour on a wide plate. Dip the cutlets in the egg mixture. Remove them, but let the excess egg drip off.

Place each cutlet in the flour, and coat lightly. Remove the cutlets from the flour, and hold them in a single layer, on a platter or on a counter.

Add the olive oil to a large sauté pan. Place over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the cutlets. Sauté, turning once, until the cutlets are golden on the outside, and just cooked on the inside (about 2 minutes per side). Remove the cutlets, and hold them in a single layer.

Drain off some the oil out of the pan. Return the pan to high heat. Add the white wine to each pan, and reduce it to 1 tablespoon. Add the stock and the lemon slices to the pan. Boil for 5 minutes, then remove the lemon slices. Keep reducing the sauce until there's about ¼ cup left in the pan.

Turn the heat to Low. Swirl a tablespoon of butter into the pan until the sauce is thickened. Taste for seasoning. Add reserved cutlets to the pan, turning them until they're coated with the sauce. Serve immediately. Pour the remaining sauce over them, and sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of parsley.

*I usually dip the cutlets twice, but use fresh bread crumbs (lightly seasoned with S & P) the second time.

Sol

EILEEN'S FANTASTIC PASTA

Pasta dish Fantastic!!!!!!!

1 10 oz pkg of frozen spinach thawed & drained
4 tablespoons Olive Oil
4 large cloves Garlic minced
1/2 cup White Wine
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup Heavy Cream
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground Pepper
4 ounces Proscuitto thin sice into small ribbons
1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola
1 pound Penne Pasta
1/4 cup grated Parmesean

Heat 3 tablespoons Olive Oil in pan add garlic saute 1 minute add Spinach cook 1 minute add Wine and reduce by half about 2 minutes add stock,cream and pepper Bring liquid to Boil reduce heat and simmer for 12 minutes. Take remaining 1 tablespoon of Olive Oil and fry Proscuitto until crisp drain on paper towel. On a low heat add Gorgonzola to the Spinach mixture and now add the Procuitto mix well...Pour mixture over cooked Pasta mix well and sprinkle Parmesean on top. Serve Immediately.

*NOTE* This is from the chef NICK STELLINO from the tv show CUCINA AMORE. I made this for a family dinner and everyone raved about it ..Im alreay asked to bring it to a party in December!! Try it its sooooo goooood!!!!!!

Also how do I put this kind of shelf in?

Thanks for all the help so far with our project!
Dora

Sorry about the lighting in these photos. I need to add bulbs in the sconces.

Floor tiles: Marble basketweave with ming dot accents
Wall tiles: The no name subway tile that was in stock at tile shop finished with victorian cap
Vanity, Medcine Cabinets, Lights, Shelves, Faucet, Towel Bar: Restoration Hardware
Toilet: Toto Promenade
Wall Color: Quiet Moments by Benjamin Moore
Shower: Sign of the Crab exposed with handheld

Im planning on adding some fluffy towels, a potted orchid, some photographs on the far wall and teak bench to finish it off. Any other suggestions appreciated.

Just wanted to thank everyone on this board for being such a great resource. I come here with questions and always leave with an answer from a simple search or posted question.

More photos:

Sorry I don't have great pics -I can't get the lighting right. But we used the Rex Abisko wood look tile and it turned out really great, though it is an espresso brown, not the medium brown you see in some of the pics - I remember some were asking about it a while back. Literally everyone who sees it thinks it is wood, including cleaning people who started using wood products on it until I told them it was very resilient porcelain and that they should clean it well and not be afraid!

Also sorry about the sideways pics - they look right on photobucket, so I don't know why they go back sideways when I paste in the HTML code. . .if it hurts your neck, then tell me how to fix it!

Thanks again,
atsmith

This is a pretty small house, with two bathrooms. The other small bath has only a shower stall, and the main bath (to be remodeled) has a tub/shower combo. It is not tiled, but rather has some sort of one-piece acrylic or plastic liner, and the tub (I think) is cast iron. I think the layout of the room is going to have to stay the same, but I'd like to find some sort of shower/tub combo that is a little more roomy for two people showering at once, as about 50% of our use is shared. The tub space is about 59" by 29".

I dont know whether to go with another tub and tile, or a tub and solid walls (to avoid grout) or one of those one-piece things. My minimal research leads me to think that the one piece units are low end, and not very sturdy, but I like the idea of no seams, no caulk, no grout. Opinions?

Also, with limited space, are there units that could fit in this 59"x29" alcove, but that curve out on one side for more room? Or maybe a shower stall without a tub would give more standing room, but then the house would have no bath tub......but are there even shower units without baths made that shape?

I know I sound clueless, but I appreciate any ideas or links or whatever you may have.

1. where counter meets backsplash - grout?
2. where tile floor meets wall - ??
3. where tiled shower stall floor meets tiled wall - ??
4. corners of shower walls - grout?

And while we are on tile basics, when do you use sanded v. unsanded grout?

Thanks in advance. I wish I could hire some of the tile experts here and then I wouldn't have that sense of dreaded anticipation that this is all something I should have to worry about ....!

I'm trying to find a nice tub for this space that would accommodate two - love that Kohler Tea for Two but it may be too wide if not too long. Still trying to figure out how to make it fit. The shorter one is also narrower but we really like our longer tub so don't want to downsize to a five foot tub.

It has been sealed etc. What is the best product to use without harming the travertine long term. What about resealing after using the mold killer over and over?

Thank you!

Here is a link that might be useful: Toto online

Thank you!

Thanks.