When summer hits, I try everything to keep it cool inside without running the AC 24/7. I do all my cooking outside and dry clothes outside as well. Why turn on a heating appliance and run the AC at the same time?
By KatherineC from Reno, NV
Add your voice! Click below to comment. ThriftyFun is powered by your wisdom!
I do almost the same thing. I have a attached garage that I have set up a micro/convection oven, crock pots, electric skillet, toaster oven, and electric burner to use to cook. It is just a few steps from my house kitchen, sure is nice to cook out there and keep the heat out of the house.
We only have room air conditioners so I try to only run one at a time. It's a small enough house. Unfortunately there are no trees and it's poorly insulated. No matter what we do it just doesn't get cold in the house. I take cold showers but the water just feels tepid when it's 100 degrees outside.
Instead of hanging clothes on the line I'll have them all over my house, seriously! lol. It seems to bring the temp down a few notches if there's a fan circulating the air around the wet clothes.
As far as cooking goes, I do a lot of Mexican for my SO. Lots of fresh chopped veggies with meat I often cook in the crock pot for a few days worth of meals. The kitchen is already the hottest room of the house so we keep it shut off, just using a fan. It's so miserable I'd rather just eat cold food than cook at all.
Also, I've recently learned a secret people in the Middle East have known for centuries. Drink your liquids tepid, not ice cold. I have no idea why it works, but I read it on the internet so you know it must be true!
Stay cool! :)
I started doing this, this summer. My husband bought me a convection/toaster oven. So when it's really hot, I take my oven, large electric fry pan and/or my deep fryer to my back porch and cook. My husband set up my card table out there and then cut a piece of lauan to size and there's my outside cook area. We have a "cook house" of sorts under out carport where he grills, cleans fish, and uses his turkey fryer sometimes.
Add your voice! Click below to comment. ThriftyFun is powered by your wisdom!
Limit the use of the oven as much as possible. Try to cook food in the microwave, rice cooker or slow cooker.
Microwave Corn on the Cob
I cook corn on the cob in the microwave and it tastes great. Don't remove the husks before cooking. Just soak the corn on the cob in water for a couple minutes so that husks get wet. Then put up to three ears in the microwave and cook for 10 to 12 minutes. If you don't have a turntable in your microve you will want to rotate the corn yourself every three minutes of cooking. When the corn is done, carefully pull off and remove the husks. Then butter or salt to taste. Use a towel or hot pad when handling the corn out of the mircowave, it can be quite hot.
Post your favorite tips below!
To have homemade bread during the summer without heating up the house, use your bread machine outside with an extension cord or cook pitas or hoe cakes on your griddle
KT (07/20/2004)
By ThriftyFun
In the summer we use our grill constantly or we have soup and sandwich nights. (07/21/2004)
By Tawnda
