*UPDATE* Well, all you wild chicken fans, we have some winners! Congrats to Christi of In His Step, Christie O of Baby Tea Leaves and reader (no blog) Kate at kdmyzell@yahoo.com.
So, when I was contacted about interviewing Food Network’s Robin Miller about her new cookbook Robin Rescues Dinner
and her Tyson partnership, I asked this burning question, “Does it include free chicken?”
and her Tyson partnership, I asked this burning question, “Does it include free chicken?”Because I’m all about the yard bird.
Hiding from my kids in my backyard at 7:15 AM in my pajamas to interview a TV star, well, that was just a bonus.
I’m not much of a foodie blogger, but I was really intrigued by this new cookbook because Robin has filled it with nearly 400 recipes (52 weeks) that focus on healthy, easy family-friendly recipes. She also uses a lot of the Tyson Frozen Chicken and Beef Strips in her recipes in an effort to not heat up her oven in the summer.
And if you haven’t heard by now, it is hot in Texas. Our church actually prayed for rain on Sunday. And a rain dance my be next on the agenda.
So, here’s what I asked Robin:
1. How did you go from the Mom cooking at home to the Mom cooking on TV?
“I didn’t pursue it. I was on TV working for Family Circle magazine. I went from cranberry sauce, that I’d never made before on Tuesday, to making cookies with Al Roker on Sunday on The Today Show. Cooking came first and then my boys, who are 5 and 7 came next. So, my cooking style has changed. I used to carmelize and deglaze and spend hours in the kitchen. Now I try to get the same flavors in a shorter amount of time and that’s why I write the way I do.”
2. Do you have a lot of no cook, oven-free recipes?
“Yes. I have full meals including desserts that don’t require heating up the kitchen. There are so many ways to keep it cool in the kitchen and still have a healthy meal. I also like to use the early morning hours to boil rice and heat up the stove when it’s still cool.”
3. Do you have any healthy fun snack ideas for toddlers?
“I try to think outside the box. I like to make sure my kids get a lot of protein throughout the day because my little boys are active. Why can’t you have whole grain cereal as a snack after school or breakfast for dinner? If my kids are starving at 4:30 pm, I give them dinner and a snack at 7:00 pm. I love using Tyson’s fully cooked chicken dipped in salsa or honey mustard. This is a great healthy snack. I like to make every snack count and not just feed them.”
And because I couldn’t resist:
4. Have you had any THAT family moments in the kitchen?
“We are always THAT family. In WalMart or the Supermarket, my kids are the ones running around. We drop eggs on the floor, too. Kitchen disasters happen once a week. It’s usually a spill or a mess. I like bringing my kids into the kitchen to cook with me. It’s a bonding moment and they like to cook with me. I like to turn those THAT family moments into I’m proud to be THAT family moments. There’s no shame.”
Today, I’m giving away 3 of her brand new cookbooks. They are fabulous. Each winner will also got 3 coupons for bags of Tyson chicken or beef strips! (These coupons retail at $9.99 each). Today’s total giveaway value: $150
That’s a lot of chicken.
Just leave a comment and tell me how you keep your kitchen cool in the summer to be entered!
This giveaway will end on Thursday.
It seems like lately the way my kitchen is staying cool…is by eating out! SO not the way to do it! LOL I try to use my george forman grill to cook meat. We also seem to use the crock pot a lot more.
We cook most everything outside on the grill! The oven is rarely on.
deborahcraft at yahoo dot com
We do a lot of BBQing in the summer
Toaster oven or crock pot, baby.
Thank you!
We love to marinate our meat and veggies during the day. Then we throw it all on the grill even the bread. All courses on the grill and keeps the house cool(er). We live in Georgia and the heat and humidity keep us from doing much of anything with heat. I love my grill!!
definately using the BBQ is a must during summer and we make lots of fruit smoothies in the evening for our desserts. Thanks for the chance to win this great giveaway.
Love your blog!
We are in Texas too and it is HOT! Thankfully we got a little bit of rain today but, after it cooled down it became hot and humid. Yuck! lol
To keep the kitchen cool I make a lot of sandwiches during the summer. Also, the Tyson strips are great for fajitas. You can warm them up and then add guacamole, cheese and hot sauce. Yummy! I think I'll make that tomorrow night.
Love your blog!
Kim
kimprine1@yahoo.com
I make the hubby grill everything outside!!!
crockpot,grill and like Robin…CEREAL!!!!
Carmela
hersh4@epix.net
My kitchen stays cool by letting Chipotle,Subways, OG,… kitchens to get warm while the prepare our dinner!!:)
Actually we tend to grill out alot and I grill up alot of chicken at one time to add to various meals later in the week!
Tammy
I use my stovetop and my microwave as much as possible! And I have my hubby BBQ much more often outside on the grill
I'm in central Oklahoma, so I know what you mean about not wanting to heat it up. Heat + humidity = not wanting to have a hot, heated up house.
I either grill a bunch of chicken to use later or use my crockpot on days when the temperature is supposed to be really high to avoid heating up the kitchen.
I love Robin Miller and her "meal morphs."
In my palm pilot, I have lists of dinners I can make without cooking. About the most cooking I do is bacon in the microwave for BLTs some nights. Real Simple magazine has a great collection of them.
Good luck all!
Now that sounds like a cookbook that I'd actually use. Greg and I are determined to do more cooking together and less eating out. Pick me!
I'd have to agree with two of the earlier comments–my kitchen has been staying cool by eating out way too much and use of the crockpot!
Susana @ My Family My Forever
customblog@gmail.com
BBQing and lots of salad dinners!!
We cook everything outside (meat and veggies) or we eat cold sandwiches, or I cook w/ the crockpot:)
Love grilling either outside or on inside grill. One pot meals, like spaghetti also. But never the oven, not in the summer. The heat index is 110-115 most days so who wants to be in a hot kitchen?
One word: Grill. That and an abuse of the air conditioner. I am pregnant after all
Lots of salads, sandwichs and of course ice cream!!
We really don't change our cooking for the seasons. Florida is usually just hot, so we deal with it. we just turn the ac down.
This cook book is something I need to learn new family meals. I'm stuck in a rut.
Definitely use the grill. And even though I love to cook, I try not to cook too much on those really hot days. Salads or sandwiches work just fine when it's really hot because nobody's all that hungry.
The grill and crockpot are my go-to summertime cooking methods. We also eat a lot of salads. Baking (if any) is done early in the a.m. – rely on freeze pops, ice cream, etc. for dessert.
Kara
kjkmom2boys at yahoo dot com
tonight i grilled out little hobo packets of individual meatloaves, corn and bbq sauce. the grill works for me!
Living in Alaska, I don't have much need to keep my kitchen cool, but on those rare hot days (read: 68-72 degrees) I enjoy using my crockpot (usually with my own Tyson chicken), grill or use the George Foreman.
Please pick me! Chicken is ridiculously expensive here and I would love a new cookbook that has family friendly meals!
either grill, eat salads or sandwiches, or crockpots. anything to not heat up the house. Especially when it's already 100 outside. It's hot in Al recently about 10 degrees hotter than normal.
The crock-pot is wonderful. As is take-out.
Grilling out! We actually ran out of propane last week and had to buy it immediately because all my meals for the week were planned around the grill! I try to turn on the oven as little as possible during the summer, but sometimes I just have to have some chocolate chip cookies!
Definitely cooking outside as much as possible-God bless my husband!! We also eat lots of sammies during the dog days of summer
We eat lots of salads or sandwiches. We also cook on the grill quite a bit.
I'll have to look for this book. It sounds great.
Add me to the list of those that rely upon the grill! We just added a propane burner to the side of the grill this year and love to use it to boil water for corn on the cob, etc. to go with our grilled meats or pizzas.
Um, I drive through Bill Miller and get a bucket of fried chicken and a sweet tea! I just can't bring myself to COOK when it's 100 degrees outside.
Using the crockpot in the summer time helps. Also with all the great produce in season, salads are a great thing to have without having to heat up your kitchen.
definitely the crock pot on sundays and tons of cold sandwiches and salads(with meat already cooked or no meat at all!).:)
definitely the crock pot on sundays and tons of cold sandwiches and salads(with meat already cooked or no meat at all!).:)
definitely the crock pot on sundays and tons of cold sandwiches and salads(with meat already cooked or no meat at all!).:)
we grill or crock pot meals or we have salad and sandwich night
Fabulous cookbook and giveaway!!
We keep cool in this kitchen by eating lots of cold juicy fruit, freeze pops, and crispy salads!!
We're in Texas too…we do a lot of bbq, sandwiches, and "cold" plates.
We live in South Texas where it is rediculously hot, too. So we crank up the grill or BBQ pit or turn on the crock pot!
I've been reading your blog for awhile and love it! I have to confess, though. I am one of those readers who rarely comments. But I'm a sucker for a cookbook and coupons!
We make major use of our grill!! What a great interview and giveaway.
We are all about the grill!
I try and use the microwave a lot and would love to win this cookbook and coupons.. I really enjoy your blog.
My ceiling fan goes on high, and I use the microwave and slow cooker when I can instead of the stove and oven
Living in Arizona with 110 degree heat and $200+ monthly electric bills, keeping the summer kitchen cool is a must.
I do crock-pot meals, sub sandwiches, and easy things on top of the stove, like stir-fry.
I love making the hubby grill in the good ole' summertime! Sometimes the whole meal is on the grill. Love it!
I try to do more cooking on the weekend so that whatever I fix carries me most of the way through the week. That way, I'm usually only using the microwave to heat things back up!
We do lots of grilling outside. No messy pots & pans to wash either!Also this time of the year we eat lots of fresh fruits every meal, so we eat lighter too. Love your blog. Donna
I use the grill a lot. When I'm making chicken, I'll throw a couple of extra pieces on for salads- chicken salad, pasta salad, or caeser salad.
The crock-pot, grill, and even cold salads (like tomatoes, asparagus, mozarella cheese, avacado, dill and basil from the garden, and oil/vinegar). Yum. Of course, there is also the quick run out to grab a bite to eat because we woke up late and didn't get anything started and spent the day at the zoo or pool and now there isn't time to make something. Oh, there are always sandwiches, too. Cold cuts or pbj!
I make salads up and have them in the fridge, then we grill and eat out on our deck as much as possible
Thank God for cereal (especially Cheerios)!
We try to do only stove-top meals to avoid using the oven.
We love the slow cooker and skillet recipes to stay cool. Oh, and lots of salads and sub sandwiches. Thanks for the great giveaway!
Wow! How awesome that you got to meet Robin Miller! I love her and she has great ideas for busy moms.
My tip…I haven't read if someone else has already said this…is utilizing the crockpot during the summer. Instead of roasting meat in an oven that will heat up the kitchen, the crockpot cooking will taste great, save time, and keep the kitchen cool.
Grill extras and then have a meal like a black and blue salad (with roast beef and bleu cheese) or a grilled chicken salad. Try not to fire up the oven!
We eat lots of fresh fruit and veggies and sandwiches to keep the kitchen coolduring the summer. Plus, the kids consume their weight in popsicles each week.
I keep our kitchen cooler by using the stovetop with my griddle pan. I also use my crock-pot too.
I'm been experimenting with my pressure cooker–I found out it's not too scary after all LOL!
We grill or eat fresh fruit and salads. Ice cream and snow cones in mass quantities seem to help also!!
Lots of salads, sandwiches and when I do heat the oven, I try to cook two meals at once.
We use the crockpot or grill outside. It is too hot here in Texas to get the oven fired up.
We keep our kitchen cool by BBQing all the time (not to mention I get out of doing a lot of cooking – bonus!). Loving shish kabobs this summer
Thanks for the fun give-away!
I like to grill outside–anything from burgers to salmon steaks to CHICKEN thighs! We also keep things simple indoors by eating sandwiches or just doing stovetop cooking.
First off Robin Miller rocks. I Tivo her. She knows what she is talking about. She is from Scottsdale, AZ (aka it is how hot there?).
I keep the kitchen cool, by not eating and only drinking your Sweet tea. Just kidding. I use my Kuhn Rikon pressure cooker all. the. time.
You really don't want to hear how I keep my kitchen cool…it would involve you moving THAT Family to the beaches of California. Ocean breezes help as much as our lower overall average temps here. Sorry:(
The book sounds great. I am so ready to move beyond the few that I have. Fannie Farmer just isn't cutting it anymore!
I freeze leftovers and we heat them up in the micowave. We also use the grill and the crockpot, or just have sandwiches.
We do sandwiches, salads, and grill out to keep it cool! Also, bowls of cereal work well for this too!
Jen from Texas
We keep our kitchen cool by cooking things in the morning. We also eat leftovers for dinner as often as we can, so we're only cooking once or twice but we still get the same great meals!
I love watching her on TV too!
We have "Fend For Yourself" night on Sunday evenings & usually eat a bowl of cereal or popcorn
How do I keep our kitchen cool? Two words: crockpot and grill.
Love. Them.
Oh, and I love Robin Miller and her show!
Are you kidding me?!?!? I am so, so jealous!!! Wow, Kristen…a real live Food TV star! If I had known, I would have been in MY backyard eavesdropping on that phone call!
So cool!
Fun ~ I'd love to win!
We keep our kitchen cool in the summer by using our crockpot outside, and of course lots of summer bbq's!
miller{dot}clan{at}cox{dot}net
I try to use the grill and crock-pot more, but I struggle with coming up with meals that don't need the oven. Thankfully, Oregon doesn't get horribly hot! This cookbook would be a huge help.
We use the grill and our toaster oven whenever possible. With temperatures averaging around 102 last week, we are trying to keep as cool as possible!!
It hasn't been too hot here until the past week or so…by the time I get around to trying to come up with dinner it's 7:30-8 so it's starting to cool off a bit. But…it's supposed to be in the 100s next week so I'll probably have to start planning a little better.
Sandwiches, Salads, and grilling out!
We try and grill out or use the crockpot! Thanks for the giveaway and the information about the cookbook.
There is no keeping my kitchen cool in 110 degree heat and 3 kids and a hubby always wanting some of Mama's goodies
On the grill and lots of fresh veggies from the farmer's market is how we keep it cool.
We grill and crockpot! But, we grill on the weekends — because that is my husband's territory! He usually ends up grilling several different meats so that we can use them throughout the week for easy meals that require stove top or crock pot — NO OVEN in the 104 degree days in HOUSTON!
We grill a lot and eat lots of fresh veggies from the garden.
jkfieweger at hotmail dot com
I learned last summer to put my crockpot in the garage during the day. Works like a charm!
I've got a little giveaway going as well, btw…
We bbq a lot and use fresh veggies and dip and lots of salads. We dont really use our stove that much!
Being an AZ girl, I've learned to crock pot it, of course, grill and I also use my roaster oven as a mini oven right outside my back door. Life saver! Perfect for when we want fresh baked goodies in the summer or dinners that just have to go into the oven.
Like you, I live in Texas…the best way I've found to keep my kitchen cool in the summer is to go out to eat!
Oh, girl.. me and the George Foreman hang out quite a bit during the summer.
I need that cookbook!
We have a small apartment so it heats up really fast. To keep cool in the summer we grill out as often as possible and eat lots of no-cook meals.
My son has become a big fan of what we call Coctail Hour Dinner. It means cheeses, veggies, fresh bread etc. All tasty things with little work and no heat!
I keep my kitchen cool by using my crockpot alot, and cooking on the stovetop instead of the oven. Eating lots of salads helps, too.
that is so exciting!! My kitchen stays cool by not using it! I don't have a ton of time to cook because I don't really know how to cook, I'm working on it!
We keep the kitchen cool in a few ways:
1. Grill, Baby, grill!
2. Oh how I love my crockpot!
3. Veggies were meant to be eaten raw!
4. I heart ice cream!
My husband and two oldest daughters LOVE Tyson's chicken patties. They make chicken sandwiches several times a week when on the run.
Easy. It just works.
I LOVE chicken! Fried (WHOLE fryers that I cut up myself), stips, nuggets, grilled.
I like to grill boneless, skinless chicken breasts on the George Foreman and cut them up for salads with boiled eggs, cheese, etc.
I use the stove top more than the oven- however, I would love a helpful cookbook to give me more ideas on good things to cook!
I cook tons of chicken all year round and would love new recipes. I like using my crock pot to keep a cool kitchen.
I use my crockpot ALOT which helps keep the kitchen cool, we also eat out way to much! Great giveaway! Thanks for the chance to win!
it gets over 110 degrees here regularly, we cool the kitchen by bbqing on the grill and make quick and cold sides (salads, veggie trays with dip, fruit etc)
I use the crock pot or we grill… of course, we have had really cool temps and TONS of rain this summer in Illinois, so it hasn't been as bad to turn on the oven… So weird how the weather is so crazy in different areas this summer.
I would love a new cookbook! Sounds great!
Hello Kristen – to keep cool in the kitchen during the summertime I wear just an apron when I cook. Oh…wait, you mean how do I keep the "kitchen" cool? We do a lot of BBQing. Love it. Everything tastes so much better on the grill! And it's fun to have friends over to enjoy it with.
Blessings,
Marie
http://emmacallsmemama.com
We just had 108 here yesterday, so I can relate. I try to make main-dish salads, quick stove-top meals, and use the slow cooker more when it's hot.
Sounds like a great cookbook and a fun interview! Thanks for a great giveaway!
We keep it cool by using the crock pot and doing things like salads. But the crock pot is so handy. I can have a yummy roast cooked without the added heat of running the oven for quite awhile. I have her first cookbook and would love this one! Thanks for a great giveaway!
God bless,
Amanda
jesusluvsu2005 at gmail dot com
I crank the ac about 10 minutes before I cook, then have hubby turn it off when I am done. I also run a fan. If it is reallly hot, we will have our big main meal at lunch, and snack for dinner.
We try to cook outdoors on the barbecue most nights.
rsgrandinetti@yahoo(dot)com
Sounds like a great book. I use my crockpot in the summer to keep my kitchen cool. Works great!
Wow Kristen! First let me say how cool I think it is that you were able to interview Robin Miller. I love to watch her! I also think it was great that you asked her a THAT family question. I love those too.
My kids (5 and 2 1/2) like to get their own snacks, and while I'm glad they want to do things themselves, I'm not always happy with the choices they make. I was tired of them getting crackers from the pantry, so I try to keep a lot of finger foods in the fridge. They love watermelon, grapes and cheese. My son helps himself to drinks too — for both of them!, so I keep a pitcher of Crystal Light lemonade or something like it in the fridge at all times. For regular meals we often grill out or eat cold sandwiches.
Can't tell I'm passionate about this one can you?
Thanks for always making my day with your fun posts.
I like to keep my kitchen cool by eating at my parent's house! Other than that, I cook on the stovetop, use the toaster oven or microwave, or make sandwiches and salads. My son loves eggs, cheese, fruit, and crackers/bread. I can usually get him to eat veggies pretty good, and he likes FROZEN peas, so I don't need to cook them. They make a crunchy, healthy side or snack!
I need some good recipes – especially for a crockpot. The only thing I can make in it is a potroast. What else is there? PLEASE help me expand my horizons!
Thanks for the entry!
Keeping the kitchen cool during summer? We grill a lot. I try to use my crock pot during the summer too. So that we don't get tired of the grilled stuff! Sandwiches instead of a hot meal helps too. Or just plain not cooking/preparing food at all!
Please enter me in the contest: moosepoop70@aol.com (I don't have a blog..can I still enter?) Thanks! Alison
I need to use my crock pot more in the summer, but we are grillers. I also keep cool with a big old fan in the middle of the kitchen floor!
I am so glad I found this today. Our kitchen gets so hot in the afternoons, I haven't cooked in ages. I'd love for some help.
I did a post about this last week when we were experiencing triple digit temps. We have been using the crock pot even more than usual lately and also if something must go into the oven, I try to cook it early in the morning.
Once a week the hubby and I will grill up a huge picnic package of chicken. It makes for one hot dinner, followed by another cold chicken dinner a couple of days later and ends with chicken salad sandwiches and finally a great homemade chicken soup….AND a lot less time spent in the kitchen!!
How do we keep the kitchen cool? Well I would love to just eat out but that really isn't the best option! Instead we grill ALL the time! We live in New England and yes we grill year round. We will shovel a path to the grill if need be, I will hold an umbrella for my hubby if it's raining! Besides that though we do a lot of sandwiches and salads. We got a wonderful table top grill and panini press that gets used multiple times a week!
We usually keep the kitchen cool by using the grill on the patio. But so far this summer, we've had so a many damp, rainy days, I look for chances to use the oven.
grilling on the patio, lots of sandwiches and yes, take out pizza!
First of all, AWESOME interview! Second, what an awesome giveaway, when so many are experiencing tight budgets! Here's how I keep cool. Every couple days I cook big batches of a meal, then we eat the cool leftovers for a few days. Sounds boring, but the beans and rice I make most often are so flavorful, that noone seems to mind.
We do alot of cooking in our Nu Wave oven. I can't be the only one to actually have one of these things?? It's the coolest gadget in my kitchen! Doesn't take anywhere near as long as a crock pot, keeps the kitchen cooler than a regular oven, and you can even forget to thaw things out! Throw the meat in there frozen if you want. I love it!
Like so many others, we have that big grill going. But we have learned to make pizza on the grill and other things so it is not just your standard grilling food. It too cook many thing searly in the morning while it is cool. I can not wait to see the new cookbook!!!!
Like so many others, we have that big grill going. But we have learned to make pizza on the grill and other things so it is not just your standard grilling food. It too cook many thing searly in the morning while it is cool. I can not wait to see the new cookbook!!!!
Like so many others, we have that big grill going. But we have learned to make pizza on the grill and other things so it is not just your standard grilling food. It too cook many thing searly in the morning while it is cool. I can not wait to see the new cookbook!!!!
What a fun give-away!!! Truthfully, I don't try to keep my kitchen cool. . .I'm rarely hot so it doesn't bother me to heat up the oven, even if we are grilling out. But, I have to say, the grill and crockpot are livesavers whether you're trying to keep your kitchen cool or just need to free up some time!
Unfortunately, so far we've had no heat to contend with, just non-stop rain. Wishing there were some way to balance it out with the rest of the country. But when we do have the heat, we, like most people use our grill a lot. We'll make chicken and pork chops and such all at one time and have them over the next few days so all we have to put together are the sides.
I'd send some rain your way if I could. We haven't had to worry about keeping cool in the kitchen seeing as we've had the most wintery rainy June on record.
That said, I remember plenty of hot summer evenings from the decade we spent in DC….and the best remedy there was to grill outdoors and have a cool glass of Sangria on hand.
Thanks for the chance to win!
Use the grill, crockpot or order pizza!
I tend to use my crock pot & grill A LOT during the summer months, but I also put my roaster to good use. I can use it to bake breads, cookies, etc. They don't brown as well on top, but they cook just as nicely otherwise, and no heating up the kitchen/house! We live in TN so heat and humidity definitely keep me from wanting to cook much inside!
I use my Nesco roaster a lot of nights. I can use it like a crockpot or bake things like lasagna, meatloaf or even cakes! It works great and doesn't heat up my kitchen.
we make a lot of salads and use the grill!
CROCKPOT! I love my crockpot. Also-pizza takeout always works.
We either grill or eat out.
Love using the grill in summer.
crockpot. My favorite is one can of black beans, one jat of salsa, about a pound of FROZEN chicken breast. low for 8, high for 4. a little before eating at a brick of low fat cream cheese. serve over rice (cooked in the microwae.
Crockpot
Electric skillet
Sometimes toaster oven for small things.
My MIL blessed me with a roaster oven which can bake OUTSIDE.
When I bake using my stove, I bake more than one thing at a time for more than one meal/day. I love to double or triple recipes when I cook. Microwaved leftovers do not heat up the kitchen plus some cooked foods are good cold – especially on a HOT day.
> It's hot and humid here in FL We are praising God for more rain.
Have you seen the movie "Faith Like Potatoes"? Recommend but it'll make you cry.
I keep my kitchen cool by using the grill, the crockpot and using the air conditioner to combat the heat when I have to use the oven.
Crockpot
Toaster Oven
Roaster Oven
and enough left overs to microwave.
We use the grill and the sideburner on it a lot. I've even done english muffin pizzas on the grill!
We cook at lot on top of the stove and needless to say most treats are the no bake variety this time of year. Cooler days yo can stuff something in the item and eat it all week!
Grill! Grill! GRill!
I like to use the grill and the toaster oven to keep the kitchen from getting too hot. I just read on someone's blog through the menu monday links that she cooks a lot of her supper in the morning too, before the temps rise too much. I tried this yesterday, worked great. Dawn
I'm a cheater- we're not home during the day so I don't have to worry about cooking when the house is too hot. By the time we get home from work, it's usually not that hot anymore so I don't worry about it. We also try to do things that don't take long to cook since we get home so late, so the kitchen doesn't get as hot.
Lots of salads and sometimes sandwiches. It would have to be a food emergency for me to turn on the oven!
We grill out! When the weather doesn't permit grilling then I menu plan for crock-pot meals or a combination of tuna salad, garden salads, fruit salad, etc… Stuff that doesn't require using the oven/stove. It's not out of the ordinary for my oven/stove to not be turned on even once during a weeks time.
We're grilling and using the crockpot when possible, and cooking in batches when I do cook.
Great giveaway…I think I'd love that cookbook!
I keep my kitchen cool by grilling out and serving no-cook sides, like cottage cheese and salads. I also love to keep a tall glass of ice water with lemon on me at all times when I DO heat up the kitchen!
I'm in Oklahoma, so I totally sympathize with the heat wave!
Lately, I've been making breakfast the big meal that involves firing up the oven. After that, I'm about done with cooking for the day!
We like to grill, but I sitll use my oven. It doens't seem to get too hot in here….but if it does get hot, we just try to go out after dinner for a walk or to a store to walk around til the house gets a chance to cool down some.
I use the grill as much as possible. This is a great giveaway.
we try to use our toaster oven when we can, as it doesn't seem to generate as much heat as the oven – the grill is also a summer staple at our house!
I'm all about the grill in the summer
brad (at) back40life (dot) com
We eat a lot of hummus, fruit, and pita dinners. In the month the we have lived here, the oven has literally been on three times.
I try to cook everything on top of the stove or we eat out more than I care to do sometimes. I have actually been on the search for easy, healthy meals for my family.
Kate
kdmyzell@yahoo.com
How cool are you interviewing celebrity chefs?!
Thankfully, my kids LOVE salads! And, we eat a lot of picnic lunches at playdates and the pool during the summer.