Tips For Cooking In Hot Weather

Not to belabor the point, but it is hot and we all still have to eat. How in the world can we keep everyone fed when using the stove adds so much heat to our homes? Here are some tips from a 3 meal a day cook. 

Use the oven in the evening or early morning - At these times of day, usually the house is cooler. Also, you are not doing other things in the kitchen as it  heats up. 

Cook ahead so you can skip using the stove - Do I start to sound like a broken record with this one? It really is the way to take charge of your budget, your schedule and in this case, the amount of time you spend in the heat of the kitchen. 

Use the stove wisely - When making something on the stove, try to get in and get out. Turn the stove off as soon as possible, by having a plan and prepping all the ingredients ahead of time. 

Use your kitchen gadgets - We all have them: the crockpots and grillin' machines, the blenders and mixers and countertop rotisseries. They sound like a great idea and then take up space in the cupboard. One of our favorite kitchen gadgets is the sandwich maker. Found at a thrift store for 4 dollars, it makes fast, filled sandwiches, without raising the temperature one degree in the house. 

Take advantage of seasonal foods that don't need cooking - Make a salad and then add some of the extra meat you made ahead of time, to create a meal? Don't want to add meat? How about grilled veggies that you have waiting in the fridge? 

Don't forget the grill - Now that the 4th has passed, many of us forget about the grill as a cooking tool. Grill everything on it to add flavor without adding to the indoor temperature. Grill extra food to make tomorrow's meals.