Facing 100 degrees and food dilemmas

One thing is certain about living in Minnesota, and that is you can expect some hot weather in the summer. Our winters can dip down to -30 below or colder and our summers can soar into the 100 degree range. Winters as of late have not been that cold, but our summer of ‘06 is about to teach us the meaning of ‘HOT’. Weather predictions are running from mid to upper 90’s into the triple digits for Thursday through at least Monday. Thank God for central air, the sister in laws pool and ice cubes. But what do you eat when it’s that hot??

For Mike and I, simplicity is the key. But there is a 12 year old boy in the house as well, one who can mow through the contents of the fridge and pantry with all the fierceness of a bear just out of hibernation. He is going through a phenomenal stage of eating right now, and simple meals will not suit him. Mike and I could be happy with a salad- nice field greens and spinach, a crunchy topping like apple or jicama, some tomato, avocado, sunflower seeds or almonds…..you get the picture. Griffin’s idea of a salad consists of a half cup of salad dressing poured over three lettuce leaves. Mike and I could eat Lo Mein, or a veggie stir fry; Griffin wants a steak, another steak and then maybe a steak for dessert. Oh, and can you make a potato with that? He walked in the door yesterday after spending the day with his cousins, and the first thing out of his mouth was not “Hi Mom!” it was “What’s for dinner???” Less than an hour after two chicken thighs and a large helping of mac-n-cheese went tumbling down his throat, he snacked on a bowl of pretzels and then wanted more. I suggested he wait and allow his stomach to catch up. He never ate the second bowl.

Grilling in that kind of heat can be pretty extreme. Last summer I recall grilling out on a particularly hot afternoon, and my meat thermometer read 118 degrees next to the grill. It’s not too bad turning on the oven when the A/C is on, but it’s not the most fun either. I could cut up a watermelon, lay out a plate of cheeses with crackers or bread and that would suit me. Mike would add his own twist to it, and Griffin would whine for a steak. It’s days like that when I want to wave the white flag of surrender, open the cupboard and get out of the way. Do what you want, eat what you want, I am TOO HOT to care! The heat curbs our after dinner walks too, and limits my garden time. But it particularly wreaks havoc on my creativity and my enjoyment of food. I guess I just need to sigh heavily and hunker down to wait for the end of the hazy heat. Good tomatoes, thick hardwood smoked bacon and thick leaves of romaine lettuce can make a delicious BLT; there’s always burgers, corn on the cob, the ever-changing salad bowl; a cold pasta dish and a plate of fruit. And if need be, we could just graze on leftovers. Hey! I forgot that the G-man leaves Sunday for a missions trip with our church! Oooh….the promise of quiet mealtimes….hmmmm. What should I make?!?!?!