Hitting Our Stride

Ahh, yesterday we finally all were functioning a bit better. The kids and grown-ups seemed less cranky. We felt like we got stuff done. The husband was able to work for the first time here. Was the sixth day in the summer rental a magical turning point? Was it the two nights of going to bed at 7:00 PM (for the kids - the grown ups have been staying up too late)? Was it the second round of rearranging the toys and main living area? Or, was it the delicious mushroom bacon scramble that got us all of to a great start? I'm going with all of the above.

The baby even had scrambled eggs for the second day in a row without reaction. This is a very exciting development because she had two instances of throwing up after egg yolk when she was younger, and I was very concerned that she was going to be allergic to eggs. Victories all around!

This simple, flavorful dish is company worthy. We usually have it for breakfast, but add a side of vegetables or a salad and it's a great meal anytime of day. I even like to have some leftover vegetables with breakfast - it makes me feel like I'm getting a head start on my veggie intake for the day.

Mushroom Bacon Scramble with a side of broccoli.

Mushroom Bacon Scramble (serves 2)
2 strips of bacon
4-6 mushrooms, sliced
4 eggs, beaten

Cook the strips of bacon over medium heat until just crispy. Remove to a cutting board. Add the sliced mushroom into the bacon grease and cook until tender and brown. Chop bacon. Pour off any excess remaining bacon fat. Add the eggs and cooked bacon into the pan and stir. Continue to stir and cook until no longer runny, but still moist. Serve right away.

Versatile Mushroom Sauce

Mushroom Sauce (dairy-free)

The best thing about our apartment in Massachusetts is our kitchen. Let me give you a little history. When we lived in Manhattan, we had a 350 square foot "1 bedroom" apartment. Apartments that size don't even exist outside of major cities. Our "kitchen" was along the wall at the end of our L shaped main room. We bought an island and a pot rack and we made it work. We actually could work together in that kitchen on opposite sides of the island. We prepared some real feasts in that tiny space.

Next we moved to Brooklyn for more space. Our apartment was a whopping 750 square feet. It had real size rooms. We even bought a queen size sleeper sofa, but the kitchen was tiny. I loved that apartment, but I hated the kitchen. Because it was a small separate room and it had a poor layout, only one person could work in that kitchen at a time. We tried to find a creative solution, but it didn't exist. While I was pregnant, I would sit in the doorway on a stool and watch my husband cook. That was the only way the two of could fit in the room together.

Our apartment in MA is about 1,100 square feet and feels more like a house than an apartment. It even has a hallway! But the kitchen is the real gem. It's as ugly as can be and looks like the "before" photos on a home show, but it has space. It is U shaped and has 3 separate counters. It has full size appliances and even a dishwasher. There is enough floor space for us to fit Baby Girl's high chair and for my husband and I to work together. We can actually cook while she is awake and playing with some toys on her high chair tray for short periods of time (by playing I mean dropping things overboard).

What's your kitchen like? What do you love about it? What do you hate about it?

Now that we have a user friendly kitchen, we really should start taking full advantage of it and start preparing some more impressive meals. Here is our little baby step in that direction. Are you looking for something to take your average dinner up a notch? We have a mushroom sauce that does just that. It's very versatile. It can be gluten free, dairy free, have a little spice - or not. My husband said last night, "I would eat this mushroom sauce on anything!" How's that for an endorsement?

First I took a photo of the mushroom sauce over hamburgers with a side of kale

But let's be honest. We smothered everything with the sauce before we ate it.

Mushroom Sauce

2 T butter

1 lb mushrooms, sliced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/4 t thyme

1/4 t cayenne (optional - for a little spice)

1/4 t nutmeg

1 C chicken stock

2 T flour or arrowroot

Splash of sherry (optional)

1 C sour cream or yogurt (optional)

1/2 C cream or whole milk (optional)

Melt the butter over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook until browned. Add the garlic and spices and cook one more minute. Add the chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Add your thickener and cook until the desired consistency. If you are looking for a dairy free sauce, stop right here. Your sauce is finished.

For a creamy sauce: Add the splash of sherry and cook one more minute. Turn off the heat and stir in the sour cream or yogurt. Thin the sauce with cream or milk until it reaches the desired texture.

This post is part of Works for me Wednesday, Gluten Free Wednesdays, Welcome Wednesdays, Real Food Wednesdays, and Allergy free Wednesdays.