Bloomin' in Nashua

It took quite a long time for spring to arrive in Nashua, NH, and it wasn't until late May and early June that flowers were seen in outdoor areas of Clocktower Place (CTP), our mill apartment residence.

This display is at the main entry as people drive into the apartment parking area. The mill apartment has two main entrances referred to as CTP 1 and CTP 1

This is the large flower pot that leads up to CTP1, which is our entry.

There isn't an entry ramp at CTP2. These flowers are placed in pots close to the main door.

These flower pots of colorful blooms are also at two of the side entrances.

Downtown Nashua has a lot of colorful blooms, like these at pedestrian crossings on Main Street. Most of the Main Street restaurants that offer outdoor dining have various floral arrangements.

Martha's Exchange is a popular restaurant and brewery serving lunch and dinner daily.

Surf Restaurant is a few doors down from Martha's, and specializes in seafood dining. It has been regularly named as the Best Seafood in New Hampshire. This restaurant also benefits from its location adjacent to the Nashua Center for the Arts and on show nights, there's usually a lengthy wait time to be seated.

Nearly all of the Main Street restaurants that offer outdoor dining have various flowers.

Red, white and nearly blue flowers are popular colors in many of the arrangements.

The city's Department of Public Works does a great job of regularly watering all of these flowers so that residents and visitors can enjoy them all summer.

Speaking of enjoyment, we celebrated 🎉 a special occasion yesterday — Patrick's 🎂.

His lunch time choice was to go to the Big One, a local family-owned ice cream stand for the lunch time special of two hot dogs, soda and chips capped off with a hot fudge sundae for dessert. This local visit is a once-a year treat, usually around the time of his birthday, this year, it was a timely one as well. 

That's because today, July 16, is National Hot 🌭 Dog Day, which is celebrated on the third Wednesday in July. The earliest known Hot Dog Day began in Alfred, NY, in 1972 started by two Alfred University students as a fundraiser for local charities and community organizations.

The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council (NHDSC) is an American trade association that promotes the hot dog and sausage industry. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., it was founded in 1994 by the American Meat Institute, which promotes July as National Hot Dog Month and October as National Sausage Month. During the pandemic, the council designated the third July Wednesday as cause for a national celebration. According to council statistics, Americans eat about 7 billion hot dogs during hot dog season, or some 818 each second. 

That's a lot of  🌭. Patrick helped this week but won't be entering any eating contests !

Friday Funnies

In yesterday's post, I stated that many folks were shopping online for Amazon Prime Day deals this week, ourselves included. Sometimes, looking at items we don't plan to buy.

That said, there can be those deals that seem too good to be true, like this ↓ one .

Just look at that price $10 — this looked like such a great deal, true or not ?

Of course, I did click the Amazon link to find out more about this supposed deal.

Yes, it wasn't so much a deal as the last number had been left off the preview ad. Who knows if this was intentional. But, it does seem someone didn't check the ad for the correct price.

If we were looking for new luggage 😏 for upcoming trips (more on those later), this would have been a fantastic deal even for Prime Days.

After distressing news about the flooding and deaths in Texas and New Mexico, plus USPS postal increases effective this weekend, a bit of humor can lighten the mood. Thanks to all who commented on my previous post about organizations supporting relief efforts.

Enjoy Your Weekend, Everyone

Did anyone shop and/or find deals during Prime Days ?

Spending $$$ Online

That's what so many folks have been doing from Tuesday, July 8 at 12:01 am to midnight, Friday, July 11 (EDT).

Why? It's because of Amazon Prime Days. The annual big sale has expanded this year from two to four days (48 to 96 hours) for Prime members to shop millions of bargains. Admittedly, we had wish lists prepared for online shopping.

However, that changed after learning of last weekend's devastating flash floods in the Texas Hill country along the Guadalupe River with the loss of so many lives and so much property.

Instead of shopping for deals, I decided to do something else — read and learn about the organizations collecting monetary donations. While many, if not all, have online click to donate. My preference is old style sending checks in the mail. I needed to find mailing addresses.

With so many worthwhile organizations, the decision becomes a personal choice of which one(s). Difficult to only select one, choices were narrowed down to a few, some are described below.

Disclaimer: Please note that these organizations are some that caught my attention. This post is not an endorsement of one vs. another. There are so many worthwhile organizations to support. Your choice(s) may, of course, differ based on many things.

This is one that I kept reading about for Kerr County and Kerrville, TX, relief efforts. In Kerrville, the local police department and some local groups are now prioritizing monetary donations as food or water donations were not needed. 

The Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country, an area nonprofit group, launched the Kerr County Flood Relief Fund to help support local response, relief and recovery efforts.The foundation will direct funds to organizations providing rescue, relief, and recovery efforts as well as flood assistance. The Fund will support the communities of Hunt, Ingram, Kerrville, Center Point, and Comfort. 

All donations will go to organizations helping with the emergency. Monetary donations  can be sent to: Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country, 241 Earl Garrett Street, Kerrville, TX 78028. Checks should be made payable to Kerr County Flood Relief Fund.

Texas Search and Rescue (TEXSAR) is an Austin-based nonprofit group that serves all citizens of the State of Texas deploying at the request of law enforcement, fire departments, and emergency management agencies. It specializes in emergency response using ground search and rescue, flood and swift water rescue teams, K9 search dogs, drones to aid in the search for the missing. The group was aiming to raise $100,000 to sustain its efforts. 

 

Services are free to requesting agencies and are staffed trained professional volunteers. TEXSAR consists of multiple divisions across Texas and deploys to all 254 counties in the state. Since 2004, it has evolved into one of the largest non-paid search and rescue organizations in the Texas.

All funding comes from sponsors, corporations, and the community. There is never a charge for its services. Donations can be mailed to TEXSAR, 13501 Ranch Road 12 Ste. 103 Wimberley, TX 78676.

Friday’s flooding devastated the fire house of the Center Point Volunteer Fire Department’s. The flood waters destroyed the interior of the station and ruined much of what was inside the building, including essential gear and equipment. Patrick is a former NJ firefighter, so this organization was definitely added to our list. 

This station, which is the base of operations for search and rescue in Center Point lost all of its emergency equipment. Area residents have volunteered to clean up what they can and support the firefighters. Monetary donations are welcomed: Center Point VFD, PO Box 494, Center Point, TX 78010-0494

The United Cajun Navy is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization dedicated to providing disaster relief and emergency response services to communities in need.

Founded in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the organization has since grown to become a critical part of disaster response efforts across the U.S. Its mission is to swiftly and effectively mobilize volunteers and resources to areas affected by natural disasters, ensuring that those in need receive timely assistance.

Unlike traditional relief organizations, the United Cajun Navy is not a government agency or large nonprofit. It's a decentralized network of volunteer-based groups of private boat owners who assist in search and rescue efforts during natural disasters, particularly in the Southern U.S. These groups, often come from Cajun communities in Louisiana and use their boats and skills to rescue those stranded by natural disasters. Donations can be mailed to: United Cajun Navy, 2053 W Magna Carta Place, Baton Rouge LA 70815.

Currently, Samaritan's Purse is responding to deadly flash flooding in central Texas. This non-denominational evangelical Christian organization provides spiritual and physical aid to people worldwide. Since 1970, Samaritan’s Purse has helped meet needs of those who are victims of war, poverty, natural disasters, disease, and famine. Samaritan's Purse mobilizes staff and equipment and enlists thousands of volunteers to provide emergency aid to victims of tornadoes, hurricanes, wildfires, floods, and other natural disasters. Donations can be mailed to: Samaritan’s Purse, PO Box 3000, Boone, NC 28607.

The Salvation Army is mobilizing in response to severe floods in Texas. Its services include providing emergency aid, food, drinks, emotional and spiritual care, and critical supplies to survivors and rescue workers. 

For those who support Salvation Army disaster services, 100% of that donation is applied to the disaster relief operation selected. The Salvation Army never applies an administrative fee to any disaster gift. If disaster donations exceed identified needs, excess funds will be restricted to support future disaster services. For information and service locations, visit www.disaster.salvationarmyusa.org.

World Central Kitchen (WCK) is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organization that provides food relief. It was founded in 2010 by Spanish-American chef and restaurateur José Andrés following the earthquake in Haiti and has since responded to Hurricane Harvey, the 2018 lower Puna eruption, 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes and the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires.

World Central Kitchen’s Relief Team is in central Texas to support communities impacted by catastrophic flooding in Hill Country on Friday, July 4. When disaster strikes, WCK’s Relief Team mobilizes to the frontlines to start cooking and provide meals to people in need. By partnering with organizations on the ground and activating a network of food trucks or emergency kitchens, WCK provides freshly made, nutritious meals to communities impacted by disasters quickly and effectively. Monetary donations can be mailed to: World Central Kitchen, PO Box 96538, Washington, DC, 20090-6538

Direct Relief provides disaster relief across all 50 U.S. states and throughout the world and is on the ground in Texas. The organization is in communication with responding search and rescue groups, camps and healthcare partners in affected areas, including National Emergency Management and Response, which deployed personnel to Kerrville.

To meet needs related to extreme weather in Texas, Direct Relief has committed an initial $50,000 in direct funding and made its $90 million stockpile of medications and supplies available to responding organizations.

Direct Relief is nongovernmental, nonsectarian, and not-for-profit. It relies entirely on private contributions to advance its mission and perform a wide range of functions. Donations can be sent to: Direct Relief, 6100 Wallace Becknell Rd, Santa Barbara, CA 93117.

Of course, not only individuals, but countless companies and celebrities countrywide have contributed funds to Central Texas relief efforts. It was heartwarming to read about many.

No doubt many fellow bloggers have favorite organization(s) they support. In times of far too many recent disasters, we've contributed to some new to us, including some of these.

Got Stamps?

If you need to buy some and live in the U.S., you still have a few days before they will cost more.

That's because on Saturday, July 13, new postage increases from the U.S. Postal System (USPS) take effect. 

These rate increases impact for First-Class, marketing,  non-profit mail, and more. The cost of a First Class postage stamp will rise 5 cents from 73 to 78 cents.

There's still time to stock up on First Class Forever stamps which by their very name are good forever, whether you bought them years ago or today. 

Nothing lasts forever, except death and taxes is a popular idiom most famously attributed to Benjamin Franklin, who wrote it in a 1789 letter. Some historians suggest the saying was used before Franklin, but his letter is the earliest known written instance. 

Apparently, Franklin did know about the rise in postal rates.

Postage rates have been on the rise since July 1863. Anyone interested in how First Class postage has gone up can check out the USPS Postal History changes.

Why the increases?

The multiple increases are part of a broader set of adjustments that will raise mailing services prices an average of 7.4%. 

The USPS is an independent federal establishment, mandated to be self-financing and to serve every American community through affordable, reliable and secure delivery of mail and packages to 169 million addresses six and often seven days a week. The USPS generally receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

Overseen by a bipartisan Board of Governors, the Postal Service is implementing a 10-year transformation plan, Delivering for America, to modernize the postal network, restore long-term financial sustainability, improve service across all mail and shipping categories, and maintain the organization as one of America’s most valued and trusted brands.

According to USPS officials, the price adjustments are needed to achieve financial stability and support the 10-year "Delivering for America" plan to modernize the USPS, achieve financial sustainability and improve service performance. The goals are to reverse projected losses of $160 billion, improve on-time delivery to 95%, and invest $40 billion in infrastructure and technology. The plan includes network modernization, investments in people and technology, and enhanced customer experience. 

That may be the plan's goal, but most times I've been to the Nashua Post Office, there's been only a single clerk handling a steady line of customers. Thankfully, everyone seems to remain patient. On good days, there has been up to a couple of clerks.

Here's a breakdown of some of the increases:

These costs are going up: 

• Metered letters (1 oz): 69 cents to 74 cents
• Flats (1 ounce):$1.50 to $1.65
• Certified Mail: $5.30 per piece, additional fees for return receipts
• Additional-ounce price for single-piece letters goes from 28 cents to 29 cents

When were these increases proposed?

Not that long ago — in April 2025, the USPS submitted a proposal to the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC). That's because it's part of the process. 

The PRC is an independent agency that provides regulatory oversight of the USPS and ensures that the USPS complies with laws and regulations, manages postal rates and services and promotes transparency and accountability in postal operations. It reviews all changes before the effective date. 

As long as the USPS meets the statutory requirements, the PRC doesn't have the authority to deny or amend the price proposals.

How long did it take?

Only about a month since on May 30, 2025, the PRC approved the USPS July rate increases. 

Does the PRC always approves a rate hike?

No, the PRC doesn't automatically approve every USPS increase request. It's not a rubber-stamp process, and the PRC can deny or influence rate proposals if they do not meet the legal requirements. 

In 2010, the PRC formally denied a USPS request for a 2-cent increase on First-Class stamps. The USPS appealed the decision with the result that the price of first-class postage did go from 44 to 46 cents, but not until January 2011.

And, in a 2019 case, the U.S. Court of Appeals ruled that the PRC violated the Administrative Procedures Act by failing to provide a satisfactory explanation for a rate increase and address public comments. But, in January 2019, the price of a First-Class Mail Forever stamp went up 5 cents — 50 to 55 cents. The largest jump in the history of the Forever stamp, until now. 

As for myself, I'm a frequent snail-mail sender with a supply of Forever stamps. But, I'm buying more of these and international stamps, today. Why? you never know when the next increase will happen. Yes, I've searched online and nothing has been proposed, yet.

Fireworks on the 4th

The ball field is less than 3 miles from CTP

There wasn't a lot of Independence Day events in Nashua, NH, for last weekend's long July 4th holiday. We attended the veterans flag raising ceremony at City Hall, which unfortunately was sparsely attended by the public.

As noted in previous posts, we prepared foods to bring to our friends' home for an afternoon get together. We were home by early evening and waited until dusk for the start of the fireworks display at nearby Holman Stadium baseball field.

In years past, we would join other residents and watch the display from the walkway of the pocket park next to the mill apts. However, as that park is under reconstruction, access wasn't possible. maybe next year we'll be back.

Admittedly, I am unskilled at photographing fireworks displays compared to many others. All of these photos were taken from our 5th floor apartment at Clocktower Place.

This view is looking towards the downtown area of Nashua, NH. Fireworks were going off in the distance on a very clear evening. The dark area at the right of the photo is where the park is being rebuilt.

Downtown Nashua, NH, viewed from our apt window

You will notice that the smoke stack seen in the video is missing from these still images, which were extracted from a video. 

After trying to capture burst displays as single images with my cell phone, I switched to video mode, which is not something I do often and for no particular reason. 

The short video below was the result. It was taken from the comfort of our 5th floor apartment. You probably noticed that the smoke stack seen in the video is missing from the still images. 

How did that happen? It was removed right within photos on my iPhone using the Clean Up feature available on certain iPhone models (14 Pro and up). This tool allows users to remove distracting objects from the background of photos. The tool automatically highlights objects to remove or allows users to manually select and remove items by brushing or circling them. Speaking from my experience, it's quite handy and effective.

The still photos were extracted from my iPhone 14 video by playing the video, finding a specific scene, then taking a screenshot. To take a screen shot, I held the side button and the volume up button together. Sometimes, that resulted in turning off the phone.

After taking a screenshot, a thumbnail temporarily appears in the lower-left corner of the screen. The screen shot is saved to Photos where it can be edited or even deleted.

FYI: The screenshot method can differ depending on the model iPhone; some have Touch ID and top buttons. I checked online for the "How to" using my specific iPhone model.

Did you see or take photos of fireworks displays on the 4th ?

The 4th Again

Today is July 4, the 249th Independence Day in the U.S. and the start of an anticipated year-long celebration leading up to the 250th anniversary in 2026.

This flag hangs outside our apt entry

As most folks already know, Independence Day commemorates the July 4, 1776 adoption of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress, wherein the 13 original colonies declared independence from Great Britain.

Did you know that as of 1870, July 4 became a federal, but unpaid, holiday and stayed that way until 1941? That's when it was expanded to a paid federal holiday. Today, government offices, banks and post offices will be closed plus many private businesses. However, most big business retail and grocery stores will remain open with the exception of U.S. giant retailer, Costco, which is closed for the day.

This flag also is by our apt entry

There's no parade in Nashua for this holiday. Instead, the second annual 4th of July ceremony will be held at 9 a.m. in front of Nashua City Hall. As in 2024, it's again supported by various local veterans groups: Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, and Disabled American Veterans. We're planning to attend this event, as we did last year, hopefully there will be a larger public response than last year.

As in past years, Holman Stadium, the local baseball stadium, will have a full day of activities including a game by the Silver Knights collegiate baseball team, free concert, drum and bugle corps performance and a fireworks show at dusk. We won't attend any of these events, but usually watch the fireworks display from our 5th floor apt.

Our plans for the holiday are spending it with friends who live in Nashua. The same couple we regularly met up with for weekly dominoes  games during the pandemic. A big plus is that their home has a small back porch for outdoor dining, weather permitting. The menu is summertime fare. My food contribution was detailed in yesterday's post (crockpot pulled pork and homemade salads). Our hosts are providing drinks, appetizers, dessert and the outdoor venue.

The photo below was taken a number of years ago when the three grands celebrated together in PA. Many long-time followers will remember this trio from previous posts. The oldest (grandson) graduated high school in June and his sister, the oldest granddaughter is in high school. The youngest granddaughter (their cousin)  is now an avid soccer player. 

Our 3 grandchildren a number of years ago

The photo was a birthday gift to their grandfather, Patrick, who will celebrate again in mid-July and it's one of our favorites.

However our fellow U.S. bloggers will be spending this holiday, we hope it's special for you, once again. 

Enjoy Your Weekend

We're staying close to home, holiday travel is not favored

Foods for Celebrating

Tomorrow, we  will be celebrating the 🇺🇸 holiday by getting together with friends and sharing some popular and easy foods. As we did during our regular pandemic and dominoes playing meet-ups, we're splitting the food tasks. We'll also share eating 😋 and game playing.

Top, pork butt with spice rub; bottom, coleslaw & potato salad

The above photo shows what foods we will be bringing. All of these were being readied or prepared today, which is why this post was much later than usual. The coleslaw and potato salad (bottom left and right) have been made earlier today. The pork has been seasoned with a dry rub and is marinating overnight in the fridge. It will go in the crock pot very early Friday for a low and slow cooking and then shredding.

There are many different recipes for pulled pork rub and just as many preferences. A basic pulled pork rub includes a mix of sweet and spicy flavors. Often used ingredients include brown sugar, paprika (smoked or sweet), salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder, chili powder, and optional cayenne pepper for heat. Some recipes also add in mustard powder, cumin or even cinnamon or coffee. I add in a bit of liquid smoke, a flavoring used as a substitute for cooking with wood smoke while retaining a similar flavor

Dry Rub for Pork Butt

As a general rule, use 1-2 tablespoons of dry rub for every pound of meat. You can experiment with different spices to personalize a rub. 

• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 2 tsp brown sugar
• 1-1/2 tsp granulated sugar
• 1-1/2 tsp paprika
• 1-2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 TBSP onion powder
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• ½ tsp dry mustard
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• 1 TBSP chili powder
• 1 TBSP smoked paprika
• ½ TBSP fresh-ground black pepper
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 ½ teaspoons dry mustard powder
• Optional: 1 TBSP cayenne pepper to taste 

Pat pork dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture. Rub pork with some olive oil.

Generously apply rub, cover all sides and crevices. (Use one hand for the rub and the other for applying, so you save any leftover rub.) Massage rub into meat and let meat sit at least 1 hour, preferably overnight in fridge for best flavor.  When ready, put in crockpot,(no need to add any liquids). Cook on low for 7-8 hours until meat shreds easily. Cool before shredding. You can strain some of the oil from the crockput and skim off the fat, then apply to the shredded pork to add moisture OR you can use a homemade or bottled BBQ sauce.

Rather than shred a head of cabbage, I buy a package already shredded, then shred and add extra carrots as there's never enough (if any) in the package. The dressing used was originally included on a package of Dole shredded cabbage..

Cole Slaw Dressing

This recipe provides a base that captures the key characteristics of the Dole coleslaw dressing. You can adjust ingredients to your taste, like adjusting the amount of sugar or adding other spices.

• ½ cup mayonnaise
• ½ cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons dry mustard
• 1 teaspoon celery seed
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 package classic coleslaw mix (optional)

1. Mix together dry mustard and celery seed in a small bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, and lemon juice.
3. Add spice blend to mayonnaise mixture and mix thoroughly.
4. Chill dressing for a few hours or overnight to allow the flavors to meld.
5. Before serving, drizzle  chilled dressing over coleslaw mix (or your chosen coleslaw ingredients) and toss to coat evenly. 

The potato salad recipe I have been using most recently is from Joanne and Adam, the couple behind Inspired Taste. I've made a few substitutions and additions here and there, but here's the basic recipe.

Creamy Red Potato Salad

You can use dried herbs for this salad; add 1 to 2 tablespoons, dill and chives are recommended.

• 2 lbs small red potatoes
• 2 TBSP red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or dill pickle juice
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup  mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon yellow mustard, substitute Dijon or whole grain mustard
• 2 celery stalks, finely chopped, about 1/3 cup
• 1 to 2 medium dill pickles, finely chopped, about 1/3 cup
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
• Salt and fresh ground black pepper

1. Add potatoes to a large pot and cover with 1 ½ inches of water. Season with salt (one tsp for every quart of water).
2. Bring water to boil, reduce to simmer (boiling potatoes can cause them to hit one another and break apart). Cook for 15 to 20 min. until easily pierced with a fork.
3. Set up an ice bath. Add cold water to a medium bowl filled with ice. Drain potatoes, then place into ice bath.
4. When cool enough to handle, chop potatoes into bite-size chunks and add to a large bowl. Scatter vinegar over potatoes, lightly season with salt.
5. Stir mayonnaise, sour cream, mustardtogerther.
6. Add mayonnaise mix, celery, pickles and herbs to potatoes. Gently stir to combine, being careful not to mash potatoes.
7. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving. 

Optional: Sprinkle with smoked paprika before serving

Storing: Make potato salad up to 3 days in advance. Keep covered in the refrigerator.

Sour cream: Substitute 1/2 cup crème fraîche for sour cream.

And there you have the basic prep of food we will be bringing to our friend's home. They will be providing everything else including appetizers, drinks, dessert; however, the best thing about the day is sharing our continued friendship. Hopefully, this post didn't make anyone too hungry today. 

Your turn — are you preparing any foods for the July 4 holiday?

Friday Funnies

Some drivers, myself included, can find parallel parking a bit of a challenge at times.

Especially, when there's a car in front or back of the open space

But, this driver certainly didn't have any concerns and seemingly just drove in and left.

As seen in the photo, there was one vehicle parked behind this car, but no car was parked in front. Backing up and straightening out would have been easy or so it seemed..

At times, folks have asked Where do you find these things? 

The answer is simple, everywhere.

The above photos were taken last weekend on a walk to the library. You just can't make this stuff up, folks. It's much easier just to look around.

Sunset on Monday evening this week as seen from our apartment

Along with so many other states, it's been a hot beginning of the week in New England as well. Temperatures in Nashua, NH, were close to 100℉ this past Tuesday. By yesterday (Thursday) a cold front came in and temperatures dropped to the more tolerable mid-80s.

While there's been a heat wave this week, it's wasn't the hottest recorded temperature ever recorded in Nashua. According to the National Weather Service, the record 106°F (41°C) was set on July 4, 1911, the highest temperature ever recorded in the state. And, 2024, was the warmest year worldwide since record keeping began in 1850.

Enjoy Your Weekend, Everyone

Heat wave over, but a(nother) rainy one is  forecast for Nashua, NH

Trading Off & Nonna's

That's what we have been doing in the kitchen the past few weeks — only for dinner. Breakfast and lunch are excluded aside from Grenville's weekend breakfast prep.

This routine started soon after Grenville said complained that I was hogging the kitchen. He explained that he wanted his own kitchen time to try some new recipes from his America's Test Kitchen subscription.

This is our apartment kitchen, both sides

Before this changeover, we usually took turns cooking dinner depending on which one of us volunteered or insisted (guilty as charged). He was right in that I was spending the most time there.. The exception was on weekends when pancakes (sometimes crepes) or omelets were for breakfast, Grenville's favorites.. 

A small kitchen is nothing new to us. In our former NJ homes we had small galley-style kitchens (sorry, no photos,). Back then, there were outdoor grills there, so most warm weather, even in colder temps we cooked outdoors. Now, living on the 5th floor of a former mill, outdoor grilling is in the past. There's no open spots on the grounds because of the parking lot. Such is one of the drawbacks of apt life, but there are also pluses, like so many local restaurants in walking distance.

Later, after we purchasing and relocating to VA, we knew that a larger kitchen definitely was in the future. So, as part of the renovations, we replaced a very small kitchen there. It was really smaller than in our NJ homes and even our current NH kitchen.

This was the kitchen in our former VA home

The above photo shows the remodeled VA kitchen looking from the entry near the refrigerator.

Another view of the VA kitchen

This photo shows the opposite end of the remodeled VA kitchen looking to the stove. There was a lot of counter space to work. we often shared kitchen duties with one doing the prep and the other the cooking, a joint effort. We miss this space.

Now, living on the 5th floor of a former mill, there's no outdoor cooking. not even on the grounds since there's an outdoor parking area.

Dining out is nice when we travel and also as we have so many restaurants in downtown Nashua, NH (about 30 within walking distance). We both enjoy cooking at home, but tend to get in each other's way — two chefs and limited counter space. Yes, it can be done, but our styles of food prep and cooking are different.

Grenville does crepes in VA

Beatrice prefers to have ingredients prepped, chopped, measured (spices, liquids) and put in bowls or containers for quick access when cooking starts. She also spreads kitchen utensils, cookware and cutting boards on counter space. (Some of you may know this by the French term, mise en place or everything in its place.)

Grenville is less ordered and doesn't like to clutter the counter space. The best way to describe his style is as you go; meaning he gets ingredients and pans out as needed.

At first, we considered alternating kitchen days; but, Grenville said that he would rather have an entire week, so we agreed on Monday - Sunday, seven days and started trading off about 6 weeks ago. Also, when one of us cooks, the other does cleanup (usually). If we've been away or dined out with friends during the week, we don't add or subtract a day(s) to one another's week, overall it sort of evens out.

Our cookbook collection which was downsized, slightly

One thing is definite, there's no shortage of cookbooks in our apartment as shown in the above bookcase collection. Yes, they are used depending on what's planned for dinner during the week. Our preferences tend toward fish and chicken, then pork with beef in last place. Vegetables and salads are also favorites here. I don't know if it's the same for any of you, sometimes we have to look through a few to find a recipe. And, when all else fails, we search online — doesn't everyone?

Giveaway cookbooks went to friends and the library

This photo above was taken, after we downsized the collection (a bit) and found new homes for them. The biggest book on the bottom was given to a friend, the others were donated to the Friends of the Nashua Public Library for a future sale. Cookbooks are always big sellers; there's never a shortage of donated ones.

Special cookbooks have their own shelf space

The left side of this bottom shelf is reserved for specialty and/or holiday cookbooks. The right side has vintage cookbooks that belonged to our mothers. Two that are taped and wrapped are from Patrick's mom, the red one above those was my mom's basic cookbook. The classic Betty Crocker Cookbook was bought 40 years+ ago after a move to my first apartment.

As this is a food post and we both cooking in and dining out, here's where we dined at a NH restaurant in February while on our road trip to the White Mountains. We had spent the afternoon traveling on the Snow Coach on Mt Washington as part of my birthday celebration. We learned about this area restaurant from a couple who had dined there the night before and were going back that night.

It was a happy coincidence as we had recently seen the Netflix film, Nonnas, based on the true story behind the founding of Enoteca Maria, a restaurant in Staten Island, NY, where actual grandmothers (nonnas) cook from traditional cook family recipes. The film is focused on owner Joe Scaravella, who risks financial ruin to honor his late mother and grandmother by opening an Italian restaurant, hiring local grandmothers as chefs. The restaurant is well known for hiring nonnas from around the world. 

The stars of the Netflix Film, Nonnas (Internet source)

The film features Vince Vaughn as Scaravella and Lorraine Bracco, Talia Shire, Brenda Vaccaro and Susan Sarandon as the nonnas. We found it to be a heartwarming, very enjoyable film which focused on food and family complete with strong performances from the lead actresses who played the nonnas. 

Nonna's Kitchen in Gorham, NH

While we haven't been to Enoteca Maria, we found something just as good and so much closer in the small town of Gorham, NH. This small restaurant, Nonna's Kitchen, is located in what was once a barber shop on historic Exchange Street. The interior has the original tin walls and ceiling and is very cozy, It was the perfect setting to enjoy a delicious Italian meal on a Saturday evening. While the restaurant looks empty in the photo below, we dined early, within a half hour, tables were filling up. 

Interior of Nonna's Kitchen

After dinner, we talked with the mother of the current owner, who is now the Nonna. She had opened the restaurant in April 2017 with her husband and it was named in honor of her mother (also Nonna). Although her husband and mother have since passed, the family has carried on the tradition. The restaurant is now run by herself and her son along with his wife.

Tomato-basil soup, homemade pasta and tiaramisu

The family-owned restaurant continues their passion and love for cooking. Recipes have been passed down from generations with some added new creations. All the pasta is made fresh daily and cooked to order. Everything was delicious, including the homemade dessert of tiramisu. If you're ever in NH, do yourself a favor and eat here. You won't be disappointed.

How about You ?

Are kitchen chores and cooking shared or is it a solo effort? And, do you cook from a book, online recipe, freestyle method or all (or some) of these?

BIG THANKS to fellow bloggers who read the previous post about how this blog started and commented too. Also, thanks for sharing your own blog journey, and in such great detail which were shared with Grenville/Patrick. We appreciate that sharing our lives and adventures is interesting and plan to continue.