Take the Heat Out of the Kitchen

Summer means hot weather, and heat means not wanting to fire up the oven and sweat out a meal. But if you can't stand the heat, then there's no reason to stay out of the kitchen. Just change the way you make meals. You might think the slow cooker is only for soups - and who wants hot soup in the summer? - but it can be used for so much more, without heating up the kitchen. Sure, it works all day to provide a meal around dinnertime, but it keeps the heat contained. Pork and beef roasts or chicken breasts become tender enough to pull apart and make into barbecue sandwiches, paired with your favorite sauce and some cool coleslaw. Slow-cooked chicken will fall off the bone and work great in chicken salad once it's chilled.