Cool Cooking In Hot Weather

 

I am getting ready to cook some breakfast. Cooking in my kitchen does not make my apartment hot. I use a single induction burner (Duxtop) and no heat is around it at all when cooking. The pan gets hot and the food cooks but the area around it is not hot at all. Plus it heats up quickly and takes only a few minutes to cook my food. One of the things I really like about it is that I can use my cast iron skillets on it. The smaller sizes work best due to the size of the cooking area on the burner. I have three different sizes and one nonstick skillet that I use for eggs, as well as a stainless steel egg poacher.

Cooking Bacon in the NuWave

The NuWave convection oven (the one with the amber dome) is my oven and it doesn't heat up the kitchen much either. I can make anything that you make in a regular oven in that. I have used both of these for over 8 years now and have no issues to complain about. I did replace the heating element a couple of years ago (bought a used one on eBay). Other than that it has worked fine for me. They say it uses 75% less electric than a normal stove's oven would. The dome does get hot so when cooking with it I am careful not to touch it.

Instant Pot

Another cooking appliance I use quite often is the Instant Pot. I can cook so many things in that and it does not heat my kitchen up either. Instead of cooking a roast or ribs in a regular oven for a long time the Instant Pot can cook it in short amount of time. Plus meat usually comes out so tender. I also hard boil my eggs in it and make soups and stews. Foods that usually simmer for hours are done so much faster and are just as good. I have even made my own homemade yogurt in it. Using the saute option you can also brown your meats in it before closing it to pressure cook it. You can leave your food in it and just keep it warm till you want it. I have done that many times.

Hot Logic

Another item I use to heat food is the Hot Logic. I do not cook food in it though you can and I did when I first got it. I put leftovers in it a few hours before I want to eat them. They will heat up and stay warm until you want them. It does not give off any heat on the counter or anywhere near it. I use a Pyrex oven dish to heat the food in with a piece of aluminum foil over the top. It is a good way to keep a meal warm until you want to eat. Most of the time I cook more than I will eat at my meal so I put the leftovers in the Pyrex oven dish and store in the refrigerator. The next day I put the dish of leftovers in the Hot Logic and plug it in. That is all I have to do. Later in the day I have my hot meal ready to eat! 

Crock Pot/ Slow Cooker

I sometimes use the crock pot. It is a good appliance to use when you just want to put something in and forget about it. The area around it does not heat up. Nor does the counter it sits on. Mine is not a fancy one with all the bells and whistles. It gets the job done anyway. I missed the Hamilton Beach one I had a long time ago. So I got this one and am happy with it. It is another good option for a meal on a hot day when you do not want to heat up your house. 

In the end I use all these appliances at various times. Hot or cold weather. It doesn't really matter to me. They all use less electric than a conventional cooking range. They do not heat up the kitchen while you are in the process of preparing a meal. For me that is a big plus! When you are older and/or have health issues the heat can be a concern. Yet I still need to prepare my meals and I like to cook. Always have. There are many more electric appliances that I wish I could use but my kitchen as you can see is very small and has limited storage space. All my pans are stored in the oven of the stove since I do not use it for cooking. And I think these appliances do just about everything I need. No need to skip meals or eat sandwiches in the hot summer time! 

Copyright © 2026 Kathleen G. Lupole

All Photographs Copyright © 2026 Kathleen G. Lupole

Living Through A Heat Wave

It is hot. Hot here in upstate New York. Hot everywhere else too. Just getting through each day hoping the power does not go out. Wondering what I was thinking moving into a city apartment that is totally electric? I was thinking convenience, comfort and a easier life. That it has been. As long as we do not have a power outage. So I include it in my prayers and hope for the best. I have tried not to do a lot of cooking. The only food I am cooking is my morning breakfast of eggs. The rest of the day is foods I call cold foods. Keto Chow replacement meal shake that I make into ice cream with the Ninja Creami. Better than any other kind of ice cream! More flavors available too. I have that about midday. For supper I am on a chopped salad kick. I used to enjoy the chopped salads from Subway. Then they stopped making them so I stopped going there. Silly to buy a sub when I do not eat bread. Once I started making the chopped salad at home I liked them better than the ones from Subway anyway. 

My refrigerator is full of beverages. Water, cold coffee, LMNT electrolytes, Zevia soda, and ice tea. I am the type of person who forgets to drink if I do not have it ready and in my sight. So I keep an insulated cup of whatever I am drinking at the time nearby. In the morning I always start my day with a cup of hot coffee no matter how hot it is. For some reason I cannot drink the cold coffee until after I have had the hot one. It gets me going. I keep the water in quart canning jars in the refrigerator. Glass stores foods better and colder in the refrigerator. Plastic does not. The LMNT I mix with water and store two jars of it in the refrigerator. Drink it through out the day. Electrolytes are important when you are a senior citizen and especially in the hot weather. I buy cold coffee already made from the store. It is black and unsweetened. I like the bold flavor. I usually have that for my 2nd cup of the day and it saves me from using up the coffee pods. Especially now as they gotten to be quite expensive. I make ice tea and keep it in the refrigerator unsweetened, of course. Zevia creamy root beer is my treat after supper. Sugar free with Stevia and has no fake coloring added. I enjoy it after a busy day. 

This past spring I bought a pedestal fan. I love it! I use it more than the air conditioner even in these high temperatures. So I have two fans. One is smaller that I have had for awhile now. It is behind me fastened on the top of my bookcase. I also have a usb portable fan that fits into my purse or my walker basket that I can carry with me. If you cannot tolerate the heat you have to find what you can do to make it easier. When I moved from my house on my homestead in 2018, I knew summer was coming. The last two summers spent there were torture for me. It was just too hot. I could barely do my gardening. I was working on it in the early morning and stayed inside all day. It was hot inside the house also. At that time I did not know I had Lymphedema or had ever even heard of it. My feet would swell and I would soak them in cold water directly from the well. It helped but the water heated up from my feet in just minutes. My face and hands would be all red. No relief ever! I could not even take a cold shower since we did not have running water. Moving was my solution. 

I try to do all my chores early in the morning on these hot days. Yes, living in a studio apartment I still have chores to do. After they are done I try to stay quiet. Doing activities that does not involve much movement. Years of having pets taught me how they survive a hot spell. By not moving! Of course, they are usually sleeping and I have never been able to take a nap in the daytime. So I just do quiet activities on my computer, writing, reading, coloring in an adult coloring book, listening to music, working on my family tree or watching videos on my computer. You get the idea. 

The worst thing for me during this hot spell is having to go somewhere. Appointments. I have one tomorrow with my hair dresser. I walk to it and it is not too far. At least it gets me out of my apartment for awhile. I enjoy my appointments there because this salon is entertaining as well. The banter between the hair dressers and their customers is like a big party. Though I still have to go out during the hot part of the day and walk there and back. I have no doubt that I will do fine. It is just the idea of it and not looking forward to it as much as I usually do.  

I feel like getting through this hot weather is a test for me. To see if I can make it. I know I have to because there is no other choice. Even though I am complaining it is hot, I know it is much hotter in other locations. I always complain about it being hot. Not so much about the cold. I like it colder but not particularly freezing. At least if it is cold I can do things to warm up. Add more clothing or blankets. When it is hot there is not much I can do except to ditch all the clothes and I am not ready to do that yet! 

Copyright © 2026 Kathleen G. Lupole

All Photographs Copyright © 2026 Kathleen G. Lupole

Hot, Humid Weather Slows Us Down

Sunlight hitting the garden daily!

We are not alone in this sweltering heat. People all over the country are trying to keep cool. Trying keep their gardens and critters watered. Our dog is the one suffering the most. She can hardly take the normal hot weather, this is extreme for her. Even my cats are laying low, sleeping on the bare floors. The horses don't leave the barn much at all. If they do, they go right back in the barn.

 The water supply!

Thankfully, our well is holding up. We know it is a shallow well and have never had it go dry in all the years we have been here. But that doesn't mean it couldn't. 

 The forest surrounds us.

For us, this is a long time without rain. Being surrounded by thick forest is a cause for concern though. A fire could start very easily. Even our lawn this week, has some brown spots on it. Hopefully, we will get one of the long all day rains soon. NY usually has a lot of rain, and if we get it soon, I promise not one word of complaint from me! Hope everyone gets some soon.

Copyright © 2011 Kathleen G. Lupole
All Photographs Copyright © 2011 Kathleen G. Lupole

Chill Out Winter Will Be Back!

Our Bridge Across Ludlow Creek

Everyone is complaining about how hot and humid it is right now. Yes, it is July and it is supposed to be that way. But winter will be back pretty quick and everyone will be complaining about it. For me, winter is easier than summer. I still love my garden and all, but it is much work. I will be canning pretty soon. As soon as my green beans start producing, as they are flowering right now. The bees were busy there this morning. So I thought I would post some photos I took in the winter...........some this past winter...........some from other winters.

Tawny, enjoying the snow!

My horses love winter. They especially love snow. Winter time means the paddock is firm as it is frozen so they can run and play. In the summer, if it rains a lot then it is muddy, which they hate. Or there are lots of bugs chasing them and the sun is hot. They stay inside the barn all summer during the day and only come out at night. They would rather be ridden and worked with in the winter.

Our dog, Nikita hates summer too. She loves to roll in the snow and will lay right down in it and stay for a half hour or more. In the summer, she holes up in the living room and stays still, barely even eats. The cats sleep too, but they love heat and summer. In my opinion, a cat can never be too hot!

Ludlow Creek In The Winter

In winter I can cook foods all day, slowly on my wood heating stove. It is a HUGE wood stove. I am not kidding! It will hold four of the biggest canners on it at the same time, and still have room left over. In the winter I cook dishes that get better the longer they cook. I call it my microwave and crock pot as it works both ways. You can also bake potatoes by putting them in the fire for about 10 minutes. Take them out and drop them in and out of cold water quickly. I always have hot water heating so if I want I can take a bath or use it for whatever. Very convenient.

Dark Shadow enjoying a snowy day!

We have never been really snowed in. Ice has been on our road where we couldn't get out with lots of slipping and sliding, or get up the hill near us. But if we had to, I guess we could try. For myself though, I barely drive in the winter. Hey, I grew up in Florida so I never really liked winter driving! Just stay home and off the roads is best. 

Winter at Peaceful Forest

We really have beautiful seasons out here at Peaceful Forest. It is beautiful in all seasons so it is hard to say which is the best or my favorite. Winter is harder for my husband due to firewood work, cleaning the barn, getting hay, or snow shoveling. For me, summer is harder due to gardening, canning foods, cooking and heating water and trying to keep food cold when we don't have a refrigerator.  Hot weather is harder for me to handle as I have gotten older. So there are good and bad points of any season or weather. I do love growing the food myself and I need summer for that. We can eat it in the winter and remember those beautiful, hot days of summer.................. 

Copyright © 2010  Kathleen G. Lupole