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CTC Readers' Poll:
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"No, I don't like to use excessive electricity
so a lot of my meals are cooked in the Nu-Wave
oven which I can bake, grill, etc., on the cost of
a light bulb. It doesn't emit a lot of heat like a
stove or oven. The food is cooked fast, and tastes
great. I also use the microwave oven when
possible, but it's not anywhere close to the NU-Wave
oven." ~ FLT
"In response to your question, we love the crockpot and yes, that puts off heat so I put it in the garage. There are so many things you can do with it: whole chickens with veggies, lasagna, chocolate cake, chicken breasts with a nice sauce poured over the top. The list is endless." K. Sheppard The crockpot is my favorite (year-round J). Other non-stove options: the grill outside, microwave, and cooking on the stovetop only (stirfry, etc). For no-cook options, my family loves salads over the summer. Chef salads are a meal in of themselves and require no cooking (except hard boil eggs if you are including them). If you want to run the stove, consider cooking your meal in the early part of the day (double portions or more than one meal at a time) when the a/c is not running so hard, then simply reheating in the microwave at dinner time. ~ Jen "For years, I lived without air conditioning and I certainly didn't have money to pay for meals out. One of my kitchens during that time faced west... Gracious, that was a hot room to keep late spring and summer lunches and evening meals in! I found these strategies helped tremendously:
I planned meals that included a single 'hot'
entree or side dish and cold or room
temperature items to make up the rest of the
meal. We might have a cold tuna salad plate
with biscuits or muffins, or a soup and
sandwich supper. It's the right balance of hot
and cold that keeps appetites from growing
tired of 'summer' fare.
I used fresh raw vegetables and melons to round out the menu. Tomatoes, peppers, green onions, melons, peaches, etc., may all be served at room temperature.
I used my crockpot to make soup or entree or
desserts. I've heard many women say they
plug their crockpot up outdoors on the porch.
I also learned to use my microwave to bake
potatoes, cook bacon (for BLTs or salads),
steam rice, reheat soup, etc.
Where you eat can play a role also on how
'cool' a meal seems. Serving a meal on a shady
front porch, in an east-facing breakfast room
or corner of the living room will provide a
cooler spot to eat than say a west-facing
dining room or kitchen.
I cooked early in the morning. I am
often up by 6am, and that is the time to bake
breads, cook a casserole, roast a chicken, or
bake a roast, etc. I also chose that
time of day to brown several pounds of ground
meat at once and froze in meal sized packets
for later use.
And when you do use the stovetop or oven, turn on the vent! It's amazing how much of the heat will be pulled up and out of the house instead of just filling the kitchen up with unwanted heat.
Use the outdoor grill. Even on hot days,
a grill may be used in the early morning hours
and the foods reheated in microwave just
before serving.
"In the summer we do a lot of grilling of the regular meats, corn on the cob, shishkabobs and include yummy homemade pizza (add cheese to dough first and let melt, then add your pizza sauce). When I do bake, I use our toaster oven for things like meatloaf muffins, any sweet muffins/breads, biscuits and anything else I can find a pan that will fit inside. I also keep a small table top fan in our kitchen to help it cool down." ~ Kristen "I use my slow cooker more in the summer than I do in the winter! I put it in either the laundry room or the garage to keep the heat out of the main part of the house and slow cook away. My favorite fast 'n' easy dinner: Chicken with 1/2 a bottle of Italian dressing over it, cooked for 4-5 hours, served with salad and bread." ~ Katie in New Mexico "If I need to use the oven, I try to use it early in the day when it is cooler. We do a lot of crockpot cooking and grilling when it is really hot. There really isn't a lot of food that needs to be prepared during the summer months in the oven, thankfully!" ~ Liz "Oh my gosh!I can’t believe you asked this question today! Everyone knows the heat and humidity in the South (Tennessee) can strangle you at times, and it seems that JUST when I want to bake something yummy, it’s 90 degrees with 90% humidity! In an older farmhouse…well - let’s just say I bake a LOT in the winter!! My dear mother moved recently and gave me her 'GT Xpress' (4-well deluxe version). I didn’t know what it was until flipping through the TV infomercials one day. There was this little sweet woman baking and cooking stuff in this little countertop contraption with non-stick wells in it! WOW! I jumped up, dug this gem out of the cupboard, knocked of the dust (sorry, Mom) and cleaned out my fridge - baking and making! I have adapted regular recipes to make in my ‘GT’ – regular muffins are done in 6 minutes…cupcakes, pies, cakes, fruit tarts, biscuits, potatoes, sandwiches, omelets, eggs, veggies, rice, everything! No pre-heating the oven, baking, and then having the oven try to cool down. In fact – just this morning at 6 a.m., I was getting the 4 Italian style sandwiches out of the trays and wrapping them for hubby’s lunch! FAST, EASY, and I recently saw on a new infomercial on TV that the new style has the removable trays to make washing easier. (Well….my birthday is coming up...)Our
crockpot is
great for everything – the “Fix it and
Forget it” recipe book has great ideas and
I just did my own meatloaf in it last
Thursday. The microwave is used a lot at our
house, mainly for convenience and quickness
– but my microwave does not make anything
brown and crispy (on purpose!).
My George Foreman Grill is wonderful
for the rainy nights that hubby doesn’t
want to grill – he thinks he’ll
melt……. J
But the GT express is EXTREMELY versatile
and MUCH LOVED at my home in the summer!!
Now
if we could just figure out a way to make
our canning and preserving in the late
summer COOLER and easier!" ~
Denise "I cook on the patio in my crockpot. I'm sure the neighbors would like my recipes ." ~ Linda "When I want to use the slow cooker in the summer, after it is ready to be turned on, I take it to the basement which stays cooler. That prevents the kitchen from heating up...but be careful on the steps when you carry it down!" ~ Ann "We use the crockpot or grill out. You can optionally put your crock pot outside to cook, too." ~ Sherry "When the weather is really hot, I use the barbeque outside just about every day! Last year, I found I was cooking small amounts of food in the large oven, so I bought myself a countertop oven to help save electricity. In the winter, it helps heat the kitchen when it's in use. It has a convection feature which cuts the cooking time. I will use it a lot this summer, and I can also take it outside on the covered patio for use there if need be." ~ Sheila "We live in an older home and do not have the luxury of central air conditioning. We rely on two window units to cool the house. Fortunately we have lots of shade which helps, but turning the oven on, or even the stovetop for that matter, makes the house unbearable.
There are several ways that I have
discovered to feed my family without
heating things up:
1) Use the crockpot often. I fill it up,
take it out to the porch, plug it in and
forget about it for a while. No heat at
all! For sides I'll usually make a salad
or provide raw veggies and some dip. Or
if you have a second crockpot use it to
bake some potatoes.
2) Grill it! So much can be grilled-the
usual meat of course, but also
vegetables like corn on the cob. You can
even find recipes online to make foil
packets which include everything for the
whole meal. Try grilling peach halves
for a yummy dessert. My gas grill even
has a burner where I can cook things
like rice or pasta for a pasta salad.
3) Finally, if I must use stovetop or
the oven, I will do it very early in the
morning (before the sun even comes up)
and use a fan in the window to pull the
heat out of the house.
Using these methods I have kept my house reasonable
comfortable even in the hottest
part of the summer." ~ Christy in
(HOT!) Alabama
"Gracias for asking how we cook cooler in the summer/heat...I'm looking forward to reading lotsa good ideas! I have a Foreman grill, three different sized crockpots, an electric skillet, an electric burner, and a NuWave oven. I also have a very sturdy folding table and about six different sized ceramic or marble tiles that I've collected over time. After setting up my table on my balcony (I live on the fourth floor of a 38-unit condo building), I put an appropriate sized tile on top of the tile...appropriate to the size of the heat source I'll be using. TIP: if I'm using one of my two larger crockpots, I do the cooking after work, while I'm home. All that's the long way 'round of saying that I cook outdoors, on my balcony, w/out using a grill (gas or charcoal). I bought the NuWave oven for my Mom, while she was living in a studio apartment. However, she hadn't had a chance to use it, when we located a one-bedroom apt. for her, which comes w/a full kitchen. I don't have a microwave and by cooking outdoors (under an overhang & never leaving the cooksource unattended), I get some fresh air, keep my condo from heating up, and get to say Howdy to my neighbors." ~ Sean "I have a really little house (900 sqft) so when I cook the entire house gets warm. In the winter I make a lot of dishes that I love and freeze them in smaller portions, so I can heat in the micro in the summer. It also cuts down on my winter heating bills. I also use the crockpot a lot more in the summer, and the grill outside. I also have a little George Forman grill that I use inside. I grill most of my meats, someone told me once that was the least fattening way to cook, and I loved that." ~ Jan "I was inspired by those crazy expensive outdoor kitchens you see on TV to make my own frugal outdoor kitchen space. I just use my toaster oven or crock pot from the outdoors outlet. I have even made loaves of bread in the toaster oven. A solar oven is another option, and of course there is always the barbecue. I monitor any food carefully, though, in case it attracts our local wildlife (which includes bear!) ~ sfm "Use your barbeque grill more than ever. If you have an upper rack, preheat your grill and bake brownies, etc., on it. It's just like an oven! Plug in your crockpot outside on the patio! Make a solar cooker and use it during the summer when the sun is at it's best and the extra heat is useful." ~ Betty "I set up my toaster oven outside! On a small table in the backyard we make toast in the morning, roast veggies for eating in pasta, bake small casseroles... We have no air conditioning, so this goes a long way to keeping our house cooler. One of my summer cooking strategies is to do any baking I need to do after dinner. This way we can open the windows for the night to let the house cool before the next day's heat." ~ Danielle
"Here are some of the
things I do for summer cooking:
I live fulltime in an RV and use
the crockpot a lot. It doesn't
take much to heat the
RV up. I have cooked
hamburgers, sausage, whole
meals, including desserts in the
crockpot.
Pick up a cooked chicken with
potato salad or macaroni salad,
or make potato salad with canned
potatoes, or cook the potatoes
in the early morning or put in
the microwave for a few minutes.
Use the crockpot which does not
heat up the kitchen much or use
it outside on a table.
I use a rice cooker which throws
off a lot of steam outside on a
table.
In the evening you could cook up
the meats that have to be
browned and put in the crockpot
next day.
I have a rotisserie with a place
for vegetables on the top to
cook while the meat is
cooking. Set it and forget
it but do it outside.
A pressure cooker is quick and
rarely heats up the kitchen and
saves gas and electric because
it is so quick.
If possible the best cooking is
outside on the barbecue grill.
Everything from vegetables,
fish, meats, potatoes can be
cooked directly on the grill or
wrapped in aluminum which I
detest but folks use it." ~
Lorene
"Here in southwest Florida, summer weather started about 6 weeks ago, and will run right through until Halloween, if not Thanksgiving! One way to cook without melting is to use your crockpot. The "Fix It and Forget It" series on crockpot cooking is terrific, and most libraries carry at least one of their titles. If you have a covered back porch (or 'lanai' here in Florida!) with an electrical outlet, plug the crockpot in outside, and it will keep your house even cooler." ~ MaryAnn "I specifically purchased a small countertop toaster oven to use during the summer months. I believe it puts out less heat than using my regular electric oven, and therefore, it keeps the kitchen cooler and doesn’t put extra stress of our air conditioner to keep the house cool. I actually do not let my daughter use our regular oven once the air conditioning is turned on for the summer!" ~ Barbara "Besides doing a lot of grilling, sometimes, I take my crockpot outside and let it cook all day on the deck. No heat in the kitchen!" ~ Anonymous "In the summer I take the crockpot and the toaster oven outside on one of those extension cords meant for an electric mower—really, really heavy duty. Of course I also grill, but I don’t always feel like doing the briquet thing. I even make bread in the toaster oven. Of course I do lots of cold salads, gazpacho, vichysoisse, etc. And that good old standby, CostCo rotisserie chicken for $5. I keep cans of salmon and tuna in the fridge. I make lots of Celestial Seasons iced tea that doesn’t require sugar and I mix regular iced tea with frozen lemonade." ~ Sara "When my family was younger, we would often have a 'deli dinner.' I would select everything for dinner either from the deli and/or the produce department. A sample meal might be raw veggies and dip, turkey wraps, a salad, several kinds of cheese and fruit. To make the meal more festive, we would spread a blanket in another room (or outside if it wasn't too hot) and eat picnic style. The kids loved it...but not half as much as I did! My husband would make it more special by bringing home ice cream! The only real rule for the meal was that we didn't use the stove or microwave. It was fun to see how creative we could be!" ~ Linda "In
February,
I went to a Pampered Chef party
hosted by a girl friend. I was
the obligatory guest. The
consultant demonstrated a pan
(deep covered baker) that could
cook a whole chicken in 30
minutes in the microwave. I had
to have one. I bought it and
loved it so much I became a
consultant. I like the idea that
I can cook meals that are
nutritious in the microwave
without heating up my home. This
pan can also do desserts and
other meals as well – such as
fajitas in 15 minutes. "Here
are some things I do to avoid my
oven during the summer: "We use our propane gas grill to cook everything. We have cooked pizzas, new potatoes, asparagus, corn, nachos, etc. You name it, we have used our grill to cook it. We a side burner to boot there is nothing that can't be cooked!" ~ Tamra "Instead of the stove, I use portable appliances, such as a tabletop George Foreman grill to heat burgers, a crock pot for chili, or a small hot dog wiener cooker for franks. The microwave is another good alternative.
I
keep the stove and oven off
as much as possible.
Mostly,
we eat salads, sandwiches
and cold foods. A large chef's
salad full of greens and
vegetables from the garden is
just right for summer -- and
really good for you, too. If
you don't have enough large
salad bowls for everyone in
the family, serve the
salad in a mixing bowl.
I
also 'air dry' dishes washed
in the dishwasher, to cut
down on electric use. Why
pay for the heating element
in the dishwasher when it's
hot?" ~ Lynn
"During
the summer we eat a lot of
pasta salads that may be
served either right out of
the refrigerator or at
room temperature. "For those who like to grill, this would be a great way to eat at home, save money, have a family meal and not heat up the kitchen. I wish I could master the grill...but, sadly, that doesn't seem to a talent I can learn.
I
use my slow cooker and
cook more than 1 meal at
a time. A roast, for
example, is divided into
serving portions,
labeled and frozen.
Since I'm a family of
one, if I need more than
one serving, it's simple
to just pull out the
number of servings,
thaw, and eat! I
freeze hamburger
patties, chicken and
other meats individually,
too.
I
also use a toaster oven.
My first one (bought
from a friend's moving
sale) finally gave it up
a couple of years ago. I
had decided I was going
to have to bite the
bullet and pay full
price when I found one
at a church
fundraiser.....a friend
working there knew the
origin and that it
worked. So I'm once
again able to use a
toaster oven! It sure
cuts down on the heat.
These
aren't really new ideas,
but this is what I do to
cut down on kitchen
heat. Perhaps they
will help someone else."
~ Mary T
"During the summer months when I don't want to heat up my house by turning on the oven, I try to plan more meals that can be cooked in the microwave. One recipe that we really enjoy is Oriental Chicken. Once the chicken has cooked in the microwave, I set it aside and then microwave fresh broccoli in a little water to steam it. Some rice can either be prepared on the stovetop or now there are microwaveable rices on the market too! This makes a quick, easy, and hearty meal without heating up the kitchen. Enjoy!" ~ Lesia Oriental Chicken 4
- 6 skinless, boneless
chicken breasts Pierce chicken with fork. Arrange in microwave safe dish. Combine the remaining ingredients and pour over the chicken. Cover loosely and microwave on high for 11 - 13 minutes, turning chicken half way through cook time. "We
live in Houston and the
summers can get over 100
degrees. What I
have done to keep the
house cool while still
baking is plug my
portable kitchen oven (a
little bigger than a
toaster oven) in the
outlet on my patio and
cook away! I
haven't tried casseroles
in it, but fish, chicken
and burgers work well.
Haven't tried cookies or
biscuits, but they would
probably do fine, too. "Summer is the time for grilling, crockpots, toaster ovens, salads and sandwiches. I have a roaster oven that I sit on the deck or it could go in a garage or screened in porch. It can cook a roast, baking hen or any large meat item without heating up the oven or house. I set aside one day a week and plan the baking of desserts and breads for the week. The oven is only on for no longer than 2 hours early in the morning with all the prep done the night before. Then the breads and desserts can be frozen and pulled out during the week as needed.Then breads can be warmed in the microwave. The crockpot, as everyone knows, can produce main course meals and desserts. This works for me." ~ Nell in Va "Grill, Grill, Grill and the occasional crock-pot. Living in Arizona where temperatures can reach in the 120s in the summer, you learn quickly you don't bake in the summer. If you have to, do it early in the morning but mostly it is sandwiches, salads, and grilling outside." ~ Deby
"I
like to use my crock
pot. That way I add
things to the crock
pot in the morning
and have the rest of
the day not to worry
about our supper. It
doesn't heat up the
whole kitchen."
~ Christa
in New York
"I
recently asked this
same question on my
blog and received
the following ideas:
using the grill,
especially for
kabobs, and making wraps,
salads and 'lighter'
crock pot recipes.
In addition to
implementing these
ideas, I also
plan to make more
double batches of
both baked goods and
entree ingredients
such as pasta and
beans to cut in
half the time and
energy needed to
prepare them."
~ Carrie "I bought a Nuwave countertop cooker a couple of months ago. NO HEAT at all in the kitchen! Plus, it cooks from the frozen state in 1/2 the time. Other items I'm using are my slowcooker and an electric fry pan. I plan to unplug my electric stove altogether since only 1 burner is working anyway. The Nuwave bakes great and also grills. Last night I steamed fresh salmon fillets by adding water to the bottom and placing the fish on the raised grill tray. For those in small apartments or RVs, it would be great; I'll never be without one again." ~ Kanni
Editor's Note: Thanks to these readers for taking time to write! |