I have a dilemma. I have retro pink bathroom circa 1965 and I am trying to decide if I should “preserve” it as an example mid-century modern, or simply begin again. I have a pink tub, pink sink, pink commode and pink tile trims. And this rubber duckie.
When I was trying to make this decision a few years ago, I came across this website, “Save the Pink Bathrooms.” It made me think that if I just held out long enough I would soon have something rare, and as the woman in this post says, “‘when we were house-hunting, the pink bathroom (and other original 50′s features) is what sold us on this particular home!”
I even had a friend make this shower curtain to complement my tiles.
Shadi, my friend who stitched the curtain without a pattern (she’s that good), is Iranian. “Shadi” means “happiness.” We use to train together on the track and she would tell me stories of seeing bomber jets flying so low during the revolution that she could see the fighter pilots in their cockpits as she walked home from school in 1979.
When I see the curtain, I think of her – even though our paths haven’t crossed in years.
But the potential of being cool to retro hipsters, or simply remembering a sweet friend, probably shouldn’t be enough to stop me from updating my bathroom.
So earlier this week I invited my friend Marshall, who is a contractor, over after swim practice to give me some ideas. Now I face endless decisions about tiles and fixtures. It makes my head spin.
But mushroom stroganoff is simple, which is what I made for Marshall that night. It’s a good, hearty warm meal to enjoy after getting out of the pool on a winter’s night. And there is a good chance you’ll have most of these ingredients in your cabinets or ‘fridge. I used a combination of yogurt and sour cream, just to lighten the dish up a bit.
Mushroom stroganoff
Adapted from ‘One World Vegetarian Cookbook‘ by Troth Wells
Serves 2, and a bit
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
2-3 gloves garlic, diced
8 ounces (about 1 cup) of mushrooms, sliced
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup white cooking wine (or 1/2 cup broth of your choice)
1 tablespoon balsamic vinaigrette
1 tablespoon sour cream
2 tablespoons plain yogurt
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
Cilantro, to garnish
Heat the olive oil in a sauce pan and sautée the onions until translucent. Add garlic and cook another minute. Add mushrooms, paprika, and nutmeg and stir until coated.
Cook mushrooms over medium high heat until mushrooms are soft, about 5 to 7 minutes.
Add cooking wine (or broth) and balsamic vinaigrette and simmer over low heat until sauce thickens a bit.
Add sour cream and yogurt and cilantro. Mix until heated through. Serve over mashed potatoes, egg noodles or rice. Garnish with a spring of fresh cilantro.
Related posts: Pink and Red Currant Pie, Stuffed Spaghetti Squash, Mushroom Broccoli Risotto
Kitchen Report 
I REALLY like this post. It is motivating to see your cooking too! I’m a good cook and I love to try new things. As for the pink bathroom, keep the curtain and ONE area pink like the tub OR the floor OR the backsplash etc… Keep that and then put yourself and your hubby into the changes that you’ll make. You’ll like to accents of the past with the freshness of the present and the positive thoughts of the future! 🙂
That’s an interesting idea! Although I don’t have a hubby, so it’s just me navigating all of these choices…
mm looks good! Different, so I should try it 🙂
I like retro, but then again, I have a problem with pink. I don’t like pink, on me or for my stuff.
If you like pink, and the plumbing is ok, keep it as it is. Renovating a place while living in it is quite an experience….If the plumbing is original 1965, you might need to change the whole system. No use doing it in bits and pieces.
Try to salvage as much as you can (tiles, sink, toilet, etc). You can either re-use it, and create a modern-retro-look. Or sell the parts to retrodealers, at least you’ll get some money back.
Greetings from Rio!
I personally love pink, so I love those retro bathrooms! And mushroom stroganoff is exactly the right thing for my dinner tonight. It’s cold and snowy here, so I need something warm and filling.
Oh wow! I heard about your snow!! Stay warm and tucked in. We are still pretty snowless in Boston this year.
Recipe sounds good. And although there are those who like retro, when trying to re-sell a condo or home, the 2 areas most people want to see updated are kitchens and baths, so, I’d be all over updating, but I agree, salvage the pieces to sell to a dealer. And be prepared to upgrade the plumbing. And make sure to get permits. Your condo will increase in value with a modern, updated bath, especially in the JP market.
Yes I suppose I could resell the fixtures, tiles, etc., but they aren’t in pristine shape. I’m not convinced they were high quality to begin with!
Perhaps not, but you would be surprised what some can do to refurbish! But completely up to you. In this day of everyone trying to be more earth friendly, it just seems like the thing to do, but sometimes too, things are just trash. Your contractor might be able to lend a better thought as to whether they are salvageable.
This sounds just delish! Having just redone my Austin Powers shag-a-rific bathroom this summer (yes, I had bathroom carpeting and steps leading up to a faux marble tub) I can tell you that I LOVE my bathroom now. It’s worth the agony and the expense in the end.
[…] and delightfully crispy little edges here and there. We served ours with this rich and delicious mushroom stroganoff on top, and pork sausage on the side. […]