Low-Heat Meal Prep

It's hot! We hit 118 several days last week, and the heat has not let up much this week. People in our geographical area have experienced power outages, and the city sent out an e-mail asking users to conserve energy between 3 and 8 pm by using less appliances that take a lot of power (as dishwashers, ovens, etc.). Meal prep is part of our current way of life, but given the heat and the city's request, I needed to do things a little differently. That led to this low-heat meal prep.

What is low heat? Well, since we keep our house at 80 degrees already, that meant meals that created as little heat as necessary to make. The oven was definitely off limits, and I wanted to use the stove as little as possible. Additionally, I wanted meals that could be eaten cold, or reheated with little extra energy output. 

Here is what I came up with:

Breakfast:

Carrot cake overnight oats (No cook/raw)

Stove-top granola (Not pictured)

Lunches:

Mexican chicken and vegetable bowls (Chicken cooked in the Instant Pot; eaten cold)

Sandwiches (Not pictured)

Dinners:

Ricotta/asparagus pasta salad with ham (Stovetop; eaten cold)

Spicy black bean and caramelized onion tacos (Stovetop; eaten cold)

Snacks:

Apples (Not pictured)

Bananas (Preferably frozen; not pictured)

Baked oatmeal (based on this recipe by Budget Bytes; eaten cold)

*I cooked this in the microwave for 14 minutes verses 45 minutes in the oven based on GE's microwave recipe conversion ratio.

Carrot sticks (Not pictured)

Cheese sticks (Not pictured)

Peanuts (Not pictured)

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Could I have reduced or eliminated stove-top cooking for this prep? Sure! I could have made raw meals, or solely used the Instant Pot, but this worked. I made the no-cook recipes at night, and spent a few mornings with the stove and voila, done!

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Readers, what are your favorite low-heat/no cook recipes? What do you eat to help survive the summer heat? Please share in the comments section.

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*For more inspiration, see Work Week Lunch's "Cold Lunch Ideas" blog post or no-reheat meal preps.

Surviving the Arizona Heat

For those of you who live in Arizona, this isn't new information. For those of you who don't live here and want advice for when you visit during the summer, here it is. And for those who are thinking of moving here, or are recent transplants like some of my classmates in training, here's some potentially helpful information:

• Arizona summer heat is dry (less than 10% humidity).
• June is one of our hottest months.
• Temperatures are normally over 100 degrees, especially at lower elevations.

How do we survive? Here are some tips:

Automobile:

• Store extra tires, wiper blades, and antifreeze in your car. 
• Buy and use a sunshade. It makes a difference.
• Never leave electronics, food that can melt, CHILDREN OR PETS in the car without the car running and the air conditioning on.
• Buy a steering wheel cover that doesn't heat up, or buy hot pads to keep in your car. Seriously, the steering wheel can burn your hands if your car has sat in the sun all day.
• Turn off your air conditioning when the interstate sign says to. Using air conditioning on that hill really will cause your car to overheat.

Physical:

• Always bring extra water.
• Drink before you're thirsty. With the dry heat, thirst indications a fairly progressed stage of dehydration.
• Dress in layers if you work inside. Buildings can get very cold with air conditioning and shocking your body when you leave work isn't good.
• If you don't have central air conditioning or a swamp cooler inside, wear lightweight, moisture-wicking clothes at home. Wear open shoes or sandals if permitted.
• If you have long hair, arrange it up and off your neck.
• Avoid peak sunshine times (11 am to 4 pm or so).
• Hike only early in the morning.
• If you must walk, walk after the sun goes down and bring a jacket in case of temperature swings. Big temperature drops happen in the desert.

Mental:

• Think positively. For example, I'd rather be hot than cold, so I tell that to myself when I'm really warm.
• Remember that summer is a season. Monsoons will come and temperatures will drop.

Any questions? Arizona friends, any advice to add? Feel free to comment below.