Enjoy some great meals this summer while being frugal.
When it comes to frugal summer cooking, it is all about the heat. Well, minimizing the heat, that is. Generating heat while cooking and then having to cool your house of that added heat is probably the biggest expense in summer cooking.
Normally, ingredients are the biggest expense in cooking, but with summer comes the availability of fresh produce at low prices that help you keep a frugal budget. So, let’s concentrate on reducing that cooking heat instead. Here are some great ways to do just that.
The first way to reduce the cooking heat in your home during the summer is to eliminate it all together. Sandwiches and fresh salads are obvious choices, but also think out of the box. My kids love cold (previously cooked) cheese tortellini and frozen peas. Cold cereal is another good choice, especially when accompanied by fresh fruit.
The second way to reduce the cooking heat in your home during the summer is to cook outside. Millions of summer grillers know this of course. And while the grill is a great choice, there are other options available to you. Did you know that you could plug any relatively portable appliance outside to keep the heat out of your kitchen. Try the front or back porch, an enclosed porch or even your garage to keep the heat out of the house. Some ideas for cooking outside include using a crockpot, a toaster oven or a bread maker. Just make sure the area you are cooking in isn’t easily accessible to children or animals.
The third way to reduce the cooking heat in your home during the summer is to cook during cool times and then reheating later in the microwave. This can work one of two ways: Either cook early in the morning or late at night, or cook on cooler days and freeze your meals.
Mary Ann Romans also writes for the Computing Blog here at Families.com where she shares everything from the latest news on technology to cool downloads and fun websites.
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