I make "freezer food" on the days I feel like cooking allot. Then when it gets really hot, like it is now, or when I don't feel like cooking anything, I have a quick homemade meal that only takes minutes to make. Some of the things I make to put in the freezer are: grilled burgers, BBQ chicken, Italian beef, small pizzas, quesadillas, soups, and meatballs. I also roast a chicken or two, then dice it up to put in small containers so I can make quick meals with that also. Chicken and garlic rice topped with steamed veggies is one of our favorites for a quick meal. Sometimes it is a hassle to make all the freezer food, but I am sure glad I did when the weather gets to hot, or if I don't know what to fix for dinner.

I do the same or eat many things that don't require the stove or the oven to be used in this ungodly hot weather...

We'll also cook a few meats on the grill in one night, then nuke them when we eat later in the week. Easy!

I've placed leftovers from our pot of (pinto) beans (with chipotle peppers...yummers) in the blender and refry. Then I'll make us some nice enchiladas with fresh corn tortillas (made locally every day), scrambled eggs, cheese, beans and my homemade (from our garden) salsa. We can eat this every day...LOVE IT!

Or I've done an oven full of backed potatoes...and we'll eat on them for a few days. Add some steamed broccoli, butter, chives..whatever's in the fridge!

Sounds great Di.

We don't eat that much meat. Maybe 3-4 times per month. That really simplifies the cooking time, if there is cooking involved.

With the exception of homemade focaccia or roasted veggies (latter, we do in colder weather, but also another fast option), we don't use our oven.

Nor do we grill. BBQ are forbidden in our condo building. But then, I never grilled my food before.

Orchid, with your diet and exercising plan ( 6:00 am) you will outlive us all. So when you swing on your saddle at the age of 99, while munching on your carrot, we'll be watching you from the heavens above, and will all sing, “ Hallelujah that girl was right”!

I use my crockpot at least once a week and whatever I create in that lasts us a few days for dinner, reheated in the microwave. I'm planning lighter meals too, because it's so darned hot, and trying to avoid using the oven. We grill stuff too. And when I do cook, I almost always make plenty so we can eat it for a few days and only have to cook every few days.

Another thing I do is refrigerate several unpeeled and quartered potatoes after I've steamed them. After they are cooled, I place them in a Tupperware bowl.

This way, I can have potatoes "in a pinch", not having to wait for them to cook. I'll peel a few, dice them and brown in some oil/butter mixture. Add some chopped onions, salt, pepper, paprika etc. They're a great "quick" meal added with some scrambled eggs, hamburger or just as they are!

You can also mix them with some steamed broccoli, cheese, or lots of ketchup!