Culinary Favorites From A to Z

This Week In Brenda's Kitchen...A Glossy Cobalt Blue & Amber Vase

As an eBay seller, I have taken to picking up some really interesting kitchen items and just thought that I could be sharing them here with you on Culinary Favorites From A to Z.

I've proven somewhat accidentally that my recent and fairly neutrally renovated kitchen suits many color schemes. When we were planning our kitchen we knew this would be possible but did not realize that I would be proving it with my eBay merchandise.

Many of the kitchen accessories I bring home wind up 'liking' my kitchen or I should say I wind up liking them and wanting to keep them. However, I do not have the space to keep all of my finds so I display them on my counter for awhile, until the item sells or until I find another one and change it up.

This week's kitchen accessory is this gorgeous glossy cobalt blue vase. I used to like a more country blue like a Wedgwood blue but of late I find myself drawn to cobalt blue. This vase is rustic and not perfect but it is very nice, at least to me. I love the colors and the high gloss finish. I think it would be gorgeous holding a large bouquet of flowers, being a receptacle for a host of kitchen tools or simply dressing up my family room mantle.

Do you like blue in the kitchen? Are you liking this unique vase as much as I am?

See you
in the kitchen!
Brenda

Quick Link:

Check out the vases in my eBay store.

Giles' Coffee Mug From Buffy and the Vampire Slayer

Do you sit up and take notice when a coffee mug or a coffee shop shows up in the movies or on your favorite television program? Many people do and sometimes those movie props go on to become quite well known and even sought after.

Recently an online friend told me that she gained a new appreciation for coffee mugs after she saw Giles of the television program Buffy and the Vampire Slayer drinking from a green Jadite mug like the one shown here.

As it turns out, the mug Giles used is a heavy vintage Fire-King Jadeite / Jadite cup that is sometimes known as restaurant ware.

As a mug fan who tries hard not to increase her collection regularly and as a seller of mugs on eBay, I thought it was pretty cool to see the Fire-King mug shown here that was listed on eBay by eBay seller deztiques who does not appear to be selling on eBay anymore. Not only is it the mug Giles used but it is a vintage piece that has NEVER been used and that actually still wears the original Fire-King sticker. That is pretty unusual and makes this particular mug particularly valuable. However, if you want to own the mug that Giles used, there are plenty of used mugs available here on eBay that are quite a bit more affordable.

Have you spotted any mugs in your favorite movies and television programs? Do tell!

See you
in the kitchen!
Brenda

Quick Links:

More coffee mug reading.

New, used and vintage coffee mugs in my eBay store.

Mr. Potato Head Discovers French Fries!

Horrors! Mr. Potato Head came head-to-head (sorry, could not resist) with an order of French fries. I know that it is not the first time nor will it be the last time that the poor guy encounters such an awful scene!

The t-shirt, however, I think is priceless. It certainly makes you smile...and then stop and think about poor old Mr. Potato Head being turned into a french fry, especially if you are one of those whose past includes such retro toys as Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head.

Mr. Potato Head was born in 1949 and first manufactured by Hasbro in 1952. Today, he is a huge celebrity, appearing in films; seen wearing the fashions of many pop culture icons like Darth Vader (Darth Tater), The Wizard of Oz and Superman; and even showing up on his very own t-shirt!

See you
in the kitchen!
Brenda

Quick Links:

Read more about this Mr. Potato Head French Fry t-shirt on Amazon.

Looking For French Fry Recipes? Add A French Fry Cookbook To Your Collection!

Of course it really came as no surprise that there are a number of cookbooks dedicated entirely to French fry recipes.

The book shown here is French Fries by Zac Williams. It promises recipes for ordinary French fries like "Drive-in French Fries" as well as for more unusual French fries like Parmesan, Pataje Oorlog, pesto and sweet potato fries though of course, sweet potato fries are actually quite trendy right now and fairly widely available. It even promises dessert fries called Chocolate Fries though I will admit that those don't appeal to me at all.

It sounds like this book lives up to Amazon's tagline, "new twists for a tasty favorite" but since I haven't seen this book yet myself, I've turned to the customer reviews to see if it might be a good one to add to our cookbook collections. I found largely positive reviews, with the one detractor complaining that the book did not cover enough gourmet styles of fries. I encourage you to read the reviews for yourself if you are looking for a good French fry cookbook.

If you are looking for new ideas to try when you make home cooked fries, it sounds like this cookbook will have a number of interesting recipes for you to taste test. Just don't make French fries a daily habit as tempting as that might be!

Happy

French Fry Day!

Brenda

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Easy Mashed Potato Recipe For One

One of the first recipes that my younger son asked about when he moved out was mashed potatoes and, while mashed potatoes are a pretty easy item to make, when you are getting started in the kitchen, you need some sort of guideline so here it is, the simplest mashed potato recipe you will ever find.

If you are worried about the size of the potatoes, don't be. Mashed potatoes are pretty forgiving so the following amounts do not have to be exact. If your potatoes are a bit bigger, you might need a little bit more milk and conversely, if they are a bit smaller, you might add a little bit less milk.

EASY MASHED POTATO RECIPE

3/4 tsp salt (though in our home we cook them without salt)

3 medium-sized potatoes

1-1/2 tbsp butter

1/3 cup milk

In a small pot, boil 3 cups of water and 1/4 tsp salt. Add the potatoes, cover them and cook at a gentle boil. Potatoes do not need to be in hard-boiling water. They'll need to cook for 20 to 30 minutes and you will know they are done by inserting a fork into a potato to see if it is soft. Drain well and then add the butter, the rest of the salt and the milk, which I like to warm up a little bit in the microwave first. If you are unsure about the size of your potatoes, add some of the liquid instead of all of it. Using a potato masher, mash until creamy, adjust the amount of milk as required & ENJOY.

See you
in the kitchen!
Brenda