It is summertime in the Central Valley, which means daytime temperatures of upper 90s-105 or so. One of the challenges with the heat is staying hydrated (to me, water is boring) while keeping sugar and calories down. The other is how to fix meals that won’t heat up the house while staying affordable. We recently bought a Pit Boss smoker and BBQ combination, and have already used it a few times. The hubby is still dialing in the timing but so far the results have been very tasty. We’ve been cooking enough meat for a few meals at a time, so that all is needed is reheating or finishing.

Another way to beat the heat is using a sous vide device. If you don’t know what sous vide is, it is basically using a hot water bath to cook the food to the desired temperature. There are several models available, along with the respective price points. I have a basic Anova model that has bluetooth. Some of the newer styles have WiFi capability, which is great if you want the flexibliity of being able to change the time or temperature when you aren’t home. It does take a bit of planning, but if you are used to meal-prepping there isn’t much of an adjustment. Sous vide can cook more than just meat; you can make cheese, desserts, hardboiled eggs, sauces, vegetables, and more, and it doesn’t heat up the kitchen. I have a few sous vide cookbooks, and will post about any recipes I make.

*Not a sponsored post, just items l like and use at home.