The Heat is On

The last few days have seen record heat recorded for this time of year in Alabama. Yes, generally Alabama is hot in the summertime. But its not generally hitting record highs in early June. It has been positively miserable. The AC wasn't working properly in my office at the beginning of the week. Fortunately they seem to have resolved the issue. It is AMAZING how much more productive one can be when working at the proper temperature!

Our AC at home has been running constantly for days. And I'm not one of those people that sets it on 70! Its running constantly on 80. Two years ago we had to remove two huge shade trees because of structural and disease issues with the trees. I miss those trees and the afternoon shade they provided. We are using plenty of fans to keep the air circulating.

Cooking is a real issue when its this hot! Dinner still has to be served. (I did a post on this previously, but a blogger flip out ended up deleting it so I'll repeat myself). I don't like heating up my kitchen when it is already ridiculously hot and the AC is working overtime as it is. So I've found a few helpful solutions.

1. The toaster oven - uses less electricity and puts less heat into the kitchen. With just two of us to cook for, often times it makes a lot more sense to pop rolls into this instead of firing up the oven!

2. Stovetop - while I'm not a fan of always slaving over a hot stove, it can be a much more economical choice than the oven. And don't forget what we learned in Home Ec 101 - putting a lid on the pan when you're bringing water to a boil makes it boil faster -- the less time you are spending getting it to the proper temperature, the less energy wasted, and the less heat pouring into your kitchen!

3. Microwave - Now don't roll your eyes. I was NOT a fan of microwave cooking until this came into my life:

The Pampered Chef Deep Covered Baker. This is microwave and oven friendly and has become my new best friend in the kitchen. Gone are the days of rubber chicken from the microwave! I can do fajitas in a flash. Baked Ziti in almost Zero time! Enchiladas are super easy! A whole roasted non rubber chicken in 30 minutes. Sigh. I LOVE this thing!

4. The Fridge --- yes, we're consuming our share of pasta salads, fruit salads and any other salad you can think of. Sometimes, its just too dang hot to have a hot meal!

5. The Grill --- why heat up the house when its already blazing outside! Take the food prep outdoors -- then bring it inside to enjoy in the relative cool. Honey Bourbon Rosemary Chicken is a particular favorite around here!

Y'all keep it cool now --- I'm off to face another day of wilting heat!