Cool Dinner on a Hot Day

The weatherman announced that today was going to be a record day for heat. Right at this moment, with the humidity factor, it's like 116 Farenheit or 47 Celsius. Yikes! Today is definitely a good day for a cold dinner.

To stay hydrated, I am planning to whip up a pitcher of agua fresca, which is a cool Mexican drink of water, sugar, ice and fruit:

The starter course will be a bowl of gazpacho with perhaps a dollop of light sour cream. This vegetable cold soup is so tasty and refreshing, full of nutrients and very low in fat.

Photo credit: Andre Baranowsk

The main course will be this cold poached salmon with a cucumber dill sauce from cooks.com, served with a mixed green salad. This is one of my favourite ways to serve salmon!

To finish off, perhaps a fruit salad or some lemon sherbert, or, since this is such a virtuously low fat, low cal meal, a nice trip to DQ for a soft serve cone!

Photo credit: Dairy Queen

Stay cool my friends!

Hot enough for ya?

The air conditioner broke down. Right when the heat wave started. Of course. Then the dishwasher broke down. Of course. I say of course because that's how these things go. Murphy's law and all that.

So for the past couple of weeks we have been doing hot sinkfuls of dishes in the sweltering heat, with sweat pouring down our brow. And I'm feeling sorry for myself because I can't seem to tolerate the heat. It makes me (even more) miserable and grouchy.

On days like these, I can't help but think about my grandmas who had to live like that, all while wearing girdles and raising 11 and 16 kids, without microwaves, freezers, automatic washers, dryers or other modern day conveniences. During the depression no less.

They are my heroes.

The new dishwasher arrived today, promising to be even more efficient than the old one. The new air conditioning unit arrives tomorrow, also to be more efficient.

Tomorrow night, I will fill up the dishwasher, turn on the air, and go for a refreshing swim. I will sleep so well! It will be grand.

And from that moment on, I promise to be more appreciative of all my conveniences, in memory of my grandmothers, two amazing women who accomplished so much with so little.

Not right now, though, I'm too hot to be bothered.