More Good Eats at Home

In late August and late May, I posted about some of our at home meals. Back then, we were going to restaurants here in Nashua, NH, on a weekly basis after many re-opened for outdoor dining. While indoor dining returned in July, we preferred outdoor dining when the weather wasn't too hot or rainy. It was better watching people than walls. Today, most local restaurants remain open for indoor dining with a couple of exceptions offering take-out only. 

Luckily, Grenville and I enjoy cooking and haven't ordered take-out much aside from the occasional pizza, Chinese or Mexican cuisine. 

Even when we did dine out (literally) we still cooked at home most of the time and more often now. Of course, we dine out when on a day trip or longer getaway, now that we're able to travel somewhat although recent and upcoming travel has been limited to New England locations (for now). But after our 2nd vaccine and a two waiting period, we're hoping to see the RI grands this Easter.

Breakfast has always been a favorite dining out meal for us. Here, a favorite breakfast spot is the Midfield Cafe, located at the Nashua Airport, known as Boire Field. We may go this weekend and might see flights going out or landing while dining. This local airport has a lot of activity: flight training, and charter, corporate, military and recreational flights. 

Here's some of what's been cooking at our home with both of us sharing the kitchen. We usually take turns in our smallish galley kitchen and agree that we work better alone.

Home made soups: butternut squash, turkey noodle, zucchini

Soups have been on our dinner menu at least once a week, turkey or chicken noodle soup to various vegetable soups, including butternut squash and a more recent one, zucchini soup. As many of you know, it's possible to make soup out of a wide range of veggies. We've made batches of cauliflower soup and carrot soup and separately and together. 

Home made breads: artisan and peasant

There's nothing like homemade bread to go with a bowl of homemade soup. The problem is that we enjoy the bread too much. That's why it isn't on the dinner menu weekly.

English muffin and veggie egg bake

Many nights, breakfast has been dinner, like this English muffin bake which included cubed muffins, eggs and assorted vegetables including peppers, onions and zucchini. You can find so many different variations for this online. It comes together quickly and is delicious and we had leftovers too.

Baked French Toast by Grenville

This is a decadent baked French toast that Grenville has made several times. For this version he used Panettone, an Italian type of sweet bread with candied fruit and raisins that's popular during the holiday season. We bought a couple to enjoy in the New Year.

Cottage pie with mashed cauliflower topping

Cottage pie has many variations, but the basic ingredients are ground meat cooked in a gravy or sauce with onions and other vegetables such as peas, carrots and/or corn, then topped and baked. The usual topping is mashed potato, but I substitute mashed cauliflower. This large one provided us with leftovers for several meals, and leftovers are always tastier.

Apple crisp, chocolate chip cookies, apple turnover, apple bread

Desserts have not been made regularly this year, but when they have, apples are a main ingredient for apple crisp, apple turnovers (also called hand pies) and apple bread. Chocolate chip cookies were part of our holiday treats, which we have since refrained from baking. It's not that we're being especially good, but they disappear too fast in our home.

We have several shelves of various cookbooks, so there are a lot of meal choices. This year, I'm trying to reduce my online recipe searches. The problem is that many times, I have ingredients, but can't find a cookbook recipe that doesn't call for adding items I don't have. Yet, going online and entering what's on hand usually yields (too) many recipe variations.

As stated in earlier posts, simplicity and easy cleanup are goals in meal goals. One-pot dinners are favorites as are leftovers. There's no recipes or links here as everyone has favorite(s).

What's been cooking in your home? 

On another food note since peanut butter is a food group, as we all know, did you know that March 1 was National Peanut Butter Day? (neither did we) If you are a peanut butter fan like us, then here's some very good news.

Ultimate Peanut Butter Lovers Cup

That because on March 1, Reese's announced a new peanut butter cup, the Ultimate Peanut Butter Lovers Cup with a double dose of peanut butter and no chocolate. This is the first time in over 90 years that Hershey has released a variation of the favorite cups without chocolate.

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are marketed by The Hershey Company. They were created in November 1928, by H. B. Reese, a former dairy farmer and shipping foreman for Milton S. Hershey. 

The new light golden cups are made entirely of peanut butter, inside and in the peanut butter candy-flavored outer shell. According to a company press release, the new option is every peanut butter lover's dream; we’re giving the truest peanut butter fans something to go wild about.

The new cups will be available in standard, king size and miniatures at retailers nationwide starting early April 2021, just in time for filling those Easter baskets with sweet treats.

I don't know about everyone else, but Grenville and I will definitely be sampling these.