Meal time this past week was a total hodgepodge of pickety bits, meals out, and whatever was quick and easy to throw together at the last minute. It was so hot outside, nobody felt like cooking.
And by nobody, I meant me. I was the one who didn’t feel like cooking.
It was so warm out one night last week {98 degrees!} that the HH and I went to the local pizza place for dinner assuming they’d have air conditioning. Well the a/c was on when we got there, but about 2 minutes later the electrical system went out on one side of the building and suddenly there we were, sitting in a hot room filled with a bunch of people all sweating it out together while someone worked on getting the a/c up and running.
The strangest thing about that whole situation… We didn’t hear one person complain.
The Girl was in a car accident a few weeks ago and her car was totaled {she’s fine}. So last week, The Girl and the HH spent an entire day looking at new {to her} cars. After buying one, they drove it home to show me and then we all hopped in the car and The Girl treated us to dinner at the local ice cream stand.
I didn’t really understand the whole ice cream stand on every corner thing here in New England until last week. But apparently ice cream for dinner, is a totally acceptable thing here because the stand was packed at 6 pm. Who knew? Does this mean there are soup shacks open during the winter months? Or do people just stay home for the other 6 months out of the year? Curious minds want to know.
Take a look at that bun!!! I made a proper New England style hot dog bun with my fancy new pan. We still need to figure out the whole toasting of the bun thing, but I thought the buns turned out pretty good for my first attempt.
Chicken stir fry with garden fresh snap peas.
The HH and I visited a new Lobstah shack. This one was on the waterfront next to a boat launch and it was also the first time the HH tried a boiled lobster. I’ll tell you all about it later this week.
And then just so you don’t think everything is all butterflies and rainbows over here…. the next night I burnt our totally lackluster dinner in the oven. Fish sticks, curly fries and garlic toast. What a depressing looking meal.
But once I scrapped off the burnt bits and plated up the food…. Did my husband say anything? No. Did I get a look? YES. 😉
But he ate it anyway because c’mon on now…. The guy doesn’t even know where the plates are in the house let alone how to turn on the oven. 😉 Some weeks, it’s all home cooked meals with hearty soups and baked goods. Other times, anything goes. Especially when the temps are in the 90’s for an entire week.
Total Spent This Week $22.19 {on sauerkraut and pastrami}
How about YOU? What are your favorite go to meals when it’s too hot to cook?
~Mavis
Total Spent in July $238.06
Total Spent in June $206.47 <- Attempting once a month grocery shopping
Total Spent in May on Groceries $216.50 <- Included a stock up trip to King Arthur Flour
Total Spent in April on Groceries $169.98
Total Spent in March on Groceries $306.75 <– Apartment life, moving across the country and settling into a new house
Total Spent in February on Groceries $259.81 <- Living in an apartment and buying a lot of ready-made meals
Total Spent in January on Groceries $240.15 <– Packing mode and not cooking from scratch as much
Go HERE to read more Shopping Trip Stories.
Rebecca in MD says
What a good husband to not complain about the slightly imperfect dinner! The New England bun looks fantastic.
One of my favorite dinners when it is too hot to cook is chicken salad made with a rotisserie chicken from Costco.
The grandsons are visiting, so our menu was what they requested, and included:
1. Homemade sloppy joe
2. Oma’s fried chicken (grandsons’ favorite)
3. Homemade pizza
4. Hamburgers
5. Cold cut sandwiches
6. Leftovers
Homemade treats included cinnamon sugar donut muffins https://thesaltymarshmallow.com/cinnamon-sugar-donut-muffins/
Rebecca in MD says
Oh, and I forgot that I made a huge pot of crab soup…….
Laura T. says
Rebecca, Thank you for the recipe link! Those donut muffins look good! I’m going to try making them!
Mim says
Anything that doesn’t involve the stove or the oven (or at least if the oven’s involved, it’s for a very short time.) That means burgers on the grill one night, 2 racks of ribs smoked outside, which sufficed for 3 different meals, Caesar salad, spicy shrimp on the grill with salad from the garden, and pizza on the grill.
So sorry about the Girl’s car, but very glad she’s okay.
Looking forward to hearing about your experience canning with the propane burner. I am thinking of investing in one for canning and for boiling maple sap in the spring, but am wondering how much propane you go through and how the costs balance out.
lynne says
it’s been hot here, too (central WI). But not in the upper 90’s! Upper 80’s, low 90’s, and humid…yuck. we grill a lot in this weather. last night, it was grilled spinach/jack burgers (your spinach/feta burger – modified :-)), with grilled portebellas. I find that if I eat heavy carbs in the hot weather, I feel even more miserable, so not a lot of bread stuff gets eaten. I bought a couple pre-made salad mixes, and will throw on some grilled chicken. and yes…ice cream is the perfect supper! LynneinWI
Marlene says
It has been a family tradition since I was a child ( I am now 55), and with my kids for 25 years. We have “Ice Cream for Dinner on the Hottest Day of the Summer.” when the temperatures reach high 80’s – 90’s. Sometimes during a real heat wave we need to have ice cream for dinner a few nights in a row if the temperatures keep rising.
Something fun, and it is the most highly rated tradition we have as a family. My kids are all adults now and we still do it, and I am sure the tradition will continue to be passed down when little ones join our family.
One of my fondest memories as a kid.
Laura says
I love this idea! Thanks for sharing. Will give us something to look forward to when it is so hot out.
Lisa L says
Hi Mavis, When I lived in Maine I loved to go to Morse’s! Worth the drive! I’m not a saurkrat eater but there are tons of other things I like there!
Nancy D says
So glad that your daughter is alright!!!
akaGaGa says
Ditto. And is that a Fenway/Citgo t-shirt I see? We’re die-hard Redsox fans even though we live in upstate NY.
Laura T. says
So glad your daughter is ok! It’s been in the upper 90’s with a heat index of 105-115 by me. Too much heat & humidity. You can’t even breathe. We had a brown out in the middle of it. Most of my neighbors went outside because it was cooler than inside. It was an impromptu block party! We do a lot of grilling outside in this heat. I have to say that the stir fry in the photo looks sooo yummy! I’m a big fan of stir-fry! It’s a good way to get lots of healthy veggies in one meal! It looks like Lucy doesn’t mind the burned food one bit! :0)
Carolina says
I don’t think anyone around here (NH/ME) counts the 1st day of Spring by the calendar. Nope, the REAL first day of Spring is when the ice cream stands open. Many of them have free cones on the first and last days that they are open. Keep an eye out, too, as most of them sell what is left of their bulk ice cream for very cheap prices on the last days that they are open in the Fall. First and last days are always noted on their signs. Some for you to check out: Lago’s ice cream 71 Lafayette Rd (Route 1) Rye, NH, Cowlick’s Dairy Bar 4 Dover Point Rd. Dover, NH. Dover Delight also in Dover, NH and Golick’s in Barrington, NH. Golick’s is quite close to Calef’s Country Store. I know you know that place—-because you have written about it!
Vicki says
We live in Mo. Upper 90’s here with heat index of 105 – 113. We grill outside a lot or have something light. My Grandma had a kitchen in her finished basement and that is where she did her canning and cooking when it got hot. She had no a/c.
Lissa says
Pickety dinners are the bomb :). DD living with you for the summer? So nice you get to spend time with her.
Sandy says
The PNW Willamette Valley is going to get hot, hot, HOT this week. When grocery shopping Sunday I did what I have never done before: I bought a half gallon of Tillamook ice cream and some berries. I’m glad I’m not the only one having ice cream for dinner. I don’t do well when the temperature reaches 80 degrees. 100 degrees? Oh heck no. I’ll be eating ice cream and laying on the floor to stay cool. I fear there will be much whining so as a public service I shall be keeping to myself.
I’m so glad to hear your daughter is OK. Cars can be replaced…
Diane says
I have to say that I’m intrigued by those New England style buns! Being a West coast gal, I had never seen or heard of them before. They look great, and totally look like they would handle any toppings you would like to try. It is the pits having a bun come apart before you are finished eating, especially outdoors (pinic/bbq). I may have to get a fancy pan too!
Mavis Butterfield says
They are my new favorite thing!
Marcia says
Friday got up to 110F here. Had a crazy wildfire that night (13 homes lost), wind was nuts. And…husband had the oven on to bake a birthday cake.
Gina says
Glad your daughter is safe!
Deborah says
We’ve had upper 90’s to 100-plus degrees here. Very humid here in East Texas, too. We live close to, but not on a lake. We do have AC, but we eat salads, cold sandwiches, or easy fix dinners. We do cook in the slow cooker and the Instant Pot quite a bit during hot water. I have a silicone mat that I put under the cooker and pot. It keeps the heat off the cabinet. I bought them for the oven though. Hey, it works.
I am so glad the Girl is OK after her wreck. The car can be replaced, but she can’t.
Ellen in Clackamas says
Going to be soooo HOT in Portland this week (so sorry to whine–especially to those who have been having for a while). Ice Cream dinner sounds really good. I like to cook in the crock pot but when temps get this high not able to do as my little window A/C is plugged into the same circut as the crock pot and having both on at the same time blows the fuse every single time. I’ll eat samdwiches and cereal in order to keep that A/C unit on!!! Glad the Girl is ok. And I love those buns.
Rebecca in MD says
Love cereal for dinner idea! So many options and adding fruit like bananas would make it feel more like a meal.
Tracy says
My go to dinner when temps are over 90 for days at a time: cooked, but room temp corn on the cob, brushed with her t melted butter just before eating it, followed by the ice cream (soft serve, hard packed, bowl, cone…whatever suits your fancy) of your choice. Eating super hot corn on the cob is delicious but less appealing when you know doing so is just going to make you sweat, so now I boil it for just a minute or two, let it cool slightly, but melt butter until quite hot and brush it on. For some reason, it’s much easier to tolerate in really hot weat(er, takes two minutes to prepare and when followed by ice cream…well!
Mavis, for the fall and winter months, the New England equivalent of ice cream shops, is a great local diner. Diners in New England are like nowhere else. Find the one you love the most and make it a regular once a week thing starting when the weather gets cold. You might want to check the website for that TV show, “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” to see those near you that are known for some incredible homemade dish. (The site lists all of them, by state.) Go often enough and you’ll get to know the regulars and tune into all the town news and make some friends. Best way to get the best plumber, contractor, restaurant referrals, etc. Plus, can’t argue with a place that makes really good meatballs, or meatloaf, or…whatever for under $9 per meal!
Rynda Gregory says
Mavis – You make me laugh! In a really good way. It was really hot a few weeks ago in Corvallis, Oregon – 82. Then we went to Sacramento, CA to visit family. It was a blazing 107. Heat… it’s all relative.
We always avoid cooking in the house when it’s hot. I make a lot of salads – cobb, salad; tuna salad on a bed of lettuce, egg salad on a bed of lettuce. Or sometimes – just fruit and cheese.
Question for you… my husband and I are in Seattle for the next 3 days for our 20 year anniversary. I really want to take a ferry ride. Suggestions?
Glad to hear The Girl is ok.
Thanks –
Rynda Gregory
Mavis Butterfield says
Take the ferry to Bainbridge Island. The San Jan’s will be too crowed this time of year and Bainbridge is the perfect spot for spending a few hours walking around checking out shops and the local area. All within walking distance from the ferry. Blackbird Bakery is a must! https://www.onehundreddollarsamonth.com/black-bird-bakery-bainbridge-island-washington/
Rynda Gregory says
Thanks for the idea. I remember your post about that bakery! We are headed to Bremerton this afternoon (my husband is a fan of historical sites), and tomorrow we are heading to Bainbridge Island for the bakery. At these prices, we would be willing to take multiple ferry rides is we had more time.
Again thanks!
Jessica says
A friend of mine posted on Facebook last week that she tried a new recipe.. that was so amazingly bad that they tossed it in the garbage and took the kids to a local ice cream shop for sundaes for supper!
Nicky says
Mavis, I hope your husband isn’t as inept in the kitchen as you say he is. What if something happens to you?? What would he eat? Worse still, what would he feed you while you were recuperating??!
Carolyn Rey says
My family and I are totally hooked on mason jar salads. You can make them ahead and they stay fresh for over a week in the Reefridge! (They actually get better the longer they sit in the fridge.) there are lots of recipes online. It’s a great way to get rid of leftovers too!
Marybeth says
First off, I am glad your daughter is OK. That is very scary.
Second, ice cream for dinner is the BOMB! I also find chocolate cake for breakfast acceptable.
Third, sorry you burnt your dinner but glad to know you are a human. With all you get done sometimes I think you are a robot.
Carrie says
I had gelato for dinner on Saturday! If it gets past 8:30 and I haven’t eaten I’ll usually fix cereal or ice cream for dinner!
Once the tomatoes ripen I live on BLTA (bacon, lettuce, tomato and avocado) sandwiches. I may switch it up and add some deli turkey breast from time to time. I also make a big batch of pico and munch on tortilla chips for dinner.
I avoid the oven during the summer and grill a lot.
Melanie Morris says
What is that side with the hotdog???? Recipe please! It looks great! Glad the girl is ok!
Mavis Butterfield says
Pasta salad. Elbow pasta, frozen peas, salami, tomatoes all tossed with homemade pesto. Easy peasy. https://www.onehundreddollarsamonth.com/basil-almond-pesto-recipe/