Thursday, May 26, 2011

A Food Question

The summer heat is on it's way and before I know it we will be enjoying (maybe enduring is a better word) the hot Arizona heat. I remember last summer getting our electric bill and Drew & I were just shocked and realized we had to change some things. We turned the thermostat up 2 more degrees, I only ran the dishwasher right when we went to bed at night, and I only used the washer/dryer early in the morning or really late at night. We also "tried" ( I use it loosely because I could've tried harder) to cut back on using the oven, stove, crock pot...anything that would heat up my kitchen/home. This summer I am determined to cut back on it even more.
I am prepared to make burgers, hot dogs, grilled chicken, steak, etc...out on the grill and a friend yesterday suggested putting my crockpot in the garage or on the back patio if I use it. But I don't want to get too bored with grilling or eating the same things every week. The 120 degree weather is hard to bear and I won't necessarily want to be outside grilling in that heat anyways. I am looking for new "cool" summer food ideas.

So my question is, what do you cook or prepare in the summer to keep your homes cool?

6 comments:

Kerrie said...

Spaghetti-Fill your pot with water, put in spaghetti. Put lid on it. Bring to boil. Turn off burner and leave pot on that burner for 10 minutes. I don't imagine this will work if you have a gas stove though. Works with potatoes too, but I can't remember how long to leave them on the burner.

Kristine said...

Eat ice cream for dinner :) I don't know much about heatless cooking, but I read one way to save on your energy bill is to unplug all the appliances that you're not using. (phone chargers, blow dryers, tv.) As a stay at home mom, I realize this may not be as easy, but it could be worth a shot.

Christy said...

We grill a lot in the summer, too. But you can just cook your food earlier in the day. I've been doing that a lot, if it required the oven. I refuse to turn the oven on past like 3:00. And if I'm not prepared and it's dinner time, we either grill or go out. Once your house gets hot, its like it can never cool.

Andrew & Lisa said...

April! We have the same problem! I just borrowed my mom's solar oven. You can cook everything you love - just in the back yard and using the sun. Its awesome. I'll forward you an email - there is a group order going in this month for a really good price. See you this weekend!
Lisa

Realtor said...

More of a "save money on the electric bill" answer than anything, make sure you have a digital thermostat and program it. more than once I've found if I lived with an analog thermostat, my bill was 30-40% higher, and we were less comfortable! Also, check for drafts through doors & windows, review your insulation, and cover up any windows facing the sun with either blinds or vegetation. Hope that helps!

Jessica said...

Did you see my food post? I have learned to make just about anything on the grill, pizza, meatball subs (the post)....last night I made enchiladas. My plan this summer is to eat TONS of salads, do the grill thing, crockpot/panini press outside and well eat popsicles and ice cream :) good luck! I also noticed that if I leave the tv on all day, it heats up our house, especially if it is a plasma. Also, make sure you are turning off your lights. We did that faithfully for a month and save $10! thats over 100 for a whole year.... :)