A basic framework for understanding how Forge starts up your code. See http://greyminecraftcoder.blogspot.com/2013/11/how-forge-starts-up-your-code.html

gistfile1.java

---TestFrameworkMod.Java---------------------------------------------
package testframework;

/**
 * This class is just used to pass control to the appropriate "Proxy" class depending on whether the mod has been installed in a normal Minecraft Client or a Dedicated Server.
 */
@Mod(modid="testframeworkmod", name="Forge Test Framework Mod", version="0.0.1")
@NetworkMod(clientSideRequired=true, serverSideRequired=false)
public class TestFrameworkMod {

  // The instance of your mod that Forge uses.
  @Mod.Instance("testframeworkmod")
  public static TestFrameworkMod instance;

  // the proxy reference will be set to either CombinedClientProxy or DedicatedServerProxy depending on whether this mod is running in a normal Minecraft client or a dedicated server.
  //  NB this is not the same as client-side vs server-side:
  //     CombinedClientProxy contains both client-side code and server-side code (used by the integrated server)
  //     DedicatedServerProxy doesn't contain any client-side code
  @SidedProxy(clientSide="testframework.clientonly.CombinedClientProxy", serverSide="testframework.serveronly.DedicatedServerProxy")
  public static CommonProxy proxy;

  /**
   * Run before anything else. Read your config, create blocks, items, etc, and register them with the GameRegistry
   */
  @EventHandler
  public void preInit(FMLPreInitializationEvent event) {
    proxy.preInit();
  }

  /**
   * Do your mod setup. Build whatever data structures you care about. Register recipes,
   * send FMLInterModComms messages to other mods.
   */
  @EventHandler
  public void load(FMLInitializationEvent event) {
    proxy.load();
  }

  /**
   * Handle interaction with other mods, complete your setup based on this.
   */
  @EventHandler
  public void postInit(FMLPostInitializationEvent event) {
    proxy.postInit();
  }

CommonProxy.java ------------------------------------------------------
package testframework.common;

/**
 * CommonProxy is used to set up the mod and start it running.  It contains all the code that should run on both the
 *   normal Minecraft client and the dedicated server.
 */
public class CommonProxy {

  /**
   * Run before anything else. Read your config, create blocks, items, etc, and register them with the GameRegistry
   */
  public void preInit()
  {
    // register my Items, Blocks, Entities, etc
  }

  /**
   * Do your mod setup. Build whatever data structures you care about. Register recipes,
   * send FMLInterModComms messages to other mods.
   */
  public void load()
  {
    // register my Recipies
  }

  /**
   * Handle interaction with other mods, complete your setup based on this.
   */
  public void postInit()
  {
  }
}

CombinedClientProxy.java ------------------------------------------------------
package testframework.clientonly;

/**
 * CombinedClient is used to set up the mod and start it running when installed on a normal minecraft client.
 *   It should not contain any code necessary for proper operation on a DedicatedServer.  Code required for both
 *   normal minecraft client and dedicated server should go into CommonProxy
 */
public class CombinedClientProxy extends CommonProxy {
  /**
   * Run before anything else. Read your config, register renderers
   */
  @Override
  public void preInit()
  {
    super.preInit();
    // register my renderers
  }

  /**
   * Do your mod setup. Build whatever data structures you care about. 
   * send FMLInterModComms messages to other mods.
   */
  @Override
  public void load()
  {
    super.load();
  }

  /**
   * Handle interaction with other mods, complete your setup based on this.
   */
  @Override
  public void postInit()
  {
    super.postInit();
  }
}

DedicatedServerProxy.java ------------------------------------------------------
package testframework.serveronly;

/**
 * DedicatedServerProxy is used to set up the mod and start it running when installed on a dedicated server.
 *   It should not contain (or refer to) any client-side code at all, since the dedicated server has no client-side code.
 */

public class DedicatedServerProxy extends CommonProxy {
  /**
   * Run before anything else. Read your config.
   */
  @Override
  public void preInit()
  {
    super.preInit();
  }

  /**
   * Do your mod setup. Build whatever data structures you care about. 
   * send FMLInterModComms messages to other mods.
   */
  @Override
  public void load()
  {
    super.load();
  }

  /**
   * Handle interaction with other mods, complete your setup based on this.
   */
  @Override
  public void postInit()
  {
    super.postInit();
  }
}