Hot Weather Tip

I just thought I'd share a pic of the beautiful loon family we have on the lake this summer. Loones mate for life and return to the same lake every year. I've named them Maurice and Fredricka. This year they had 3 babies! I love my new camera!

About the tip, to help keep the heat out of your kitchen, use the crock pot, also known as a slow cooker, to make your meals on hot days. It throws off little heat, you can fill it the night before and is super convenient. If you don't have one, consider investing in one. Get one with a removable liner for easier clean up. You can get them for around $30 and it's still a good quality unit. They come in a variety of sizes so you can get one to meet your needs. And there are a ton of great slow cooker cookbooks on the market these days but here's a great recipe to get you started.

Curry Chicken and Veggies:
Serves 4-6
1 lb of boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts (or you could use pork, lamb or beef, cubed)
3 cups frozen veggies (peas, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots or a mixture)
1 can of cream of chicken, broccoli or onion soup (if you want to keep the sodium low and can't find low sodium cream of anything soup, use 1 1/2 cups of low sodium chicken or veggie broth and stir in 1 cup of yogurt right before serving)
1 tablespoon curry powder (or try the Madras curry powder if you can find it, or experiment with any indian spices if you feel like it)

Throw all of it in the crock pot/slow cooker and cook on low for 7 - 8 hours or high for 3 - 4 hours. Serve over rice (make it in your microwave, it's quicker and won't heat up the house)

Now get out there and enjoy what's left of the summer!