Cooking in July is probably the most challenging for me. It’s more of a chore “keep all the living things alive” type of cooking month. While I don’t have to worry about using the stove like in our old house and RV, I still struggle with cooking because nobody really wants to eat heavy meals. Both of us are doing more grazing than meal-eating.
Here are some tried and true ways to beat the worst of the heat in July.
1. Get in Subaru. Let Jason’s Deli do all the work. We eat out more in June and July than we do the whole year. It’s cheaper to go to restaurants for salads and the variety of salads that we both like. McAllister’s, Jason’s Deli, local stops, etc. We hit up a roulette of salad bars and freshly-made salads frequently.
2. Snacketizers.
Wrap chicken tenderloins in bacon and bake. Keep in fridge and eat cold or warm up with some honey mustard. Quick. Easy. Snackish.
3. Breakfast for dinner. Many people do this in the winter. We love it more in July. It’s quick and easy to do on the stove. By the time I scramble some cheesy eggs and slice up some leftover steak, Stephen has settled Atlas and has the Braves game ready to watch. We eat many varieties of breakfast, breakfast casseroles, frittatas, omelets, and bowls while watching a Braves game.
4. Slow cookers and frozen vegetables. I’ve mentioned these before, but Trader Joe’s has amazing frozen vegetables to fit any dietary guidelines. For use keto/paleo people, these fire-roasted peppers and onions, frozen mashed cauliflower, frozen riced cauliflower, frozen asparagus and many other frozen goods do not have any added crap to them. I love a short ingredient list. All I have to do is pick a meat choice and put it all in the slow cooker. For the peppers, I add smoked sausage with cajun seasonings. 
These are just a few ideas to keep myself from hating life too much with July. I’m just overall grumpy in July with the heat and humidity that forces Atlas and I to stay inside or get up at 4:30 am to have our morning run finished by sunrise. I spend my days catching up on sleep and binge-reading-watching. I don’t want to spend a lot of time in my kitchen in July.
I mistakenly thought that after the house was built and my gorgeous professional kitchen was in place that I would love every minute in there cooking. I was right up until July. Nope. Not gonna happen. On my way to Jason’s Deli!
