My desire and energy to cook dwindles and almost disappears at this time of year. The last thing I want to do is turn on the oven when it already feels like an oven outside. The summer heat, my husband says, is the best diet in the world--- because I am no longer cooking hearty suppers and baking goodies. I would rather be outside playing with the kids. Can you blame me?

Many nights it seems to be that time is the major dilemma. Summertime activities eat away at a huge portion of my day. The excuse of “I have no time to cook” often meets my lips. When in all reality I am stuck in the rut of  “I would rather clean toilets than cook dinner tonight.”

If you’re like me, struggling to find inspiration for dinner, there is hope. I have found that by using a few time saving tricks and staying as far away from the oven as possible, I can actually pull off some delicious dinners.

• GRILL, GRILL, GRILL. No mess inside the house and no heat inside the house. Plus food off the barbeque tastes great with little effort. Get the most use out of that barbeque as possible.

• Eat lots of salads. Not just the green fluffy stuff, but hearty salads that can be counted as a whole meal. Fruits and veggies taste wonderful right now, and if you can get them fresh out of the garden they are even better. Plus there is little, if any, cooking involved.

• Let someone else take the heat by buying ready-roasted chickens from the supermarket. Take the meat off the bone and create your own chicken salads and other dishes. You can also buy sliced roast meats like ham and roast beef.

• Use an electric vegetable steamer or rice cooker. They work quickly and efficiently and go anywhere there is a power socket.

• Make use of the microwave. It is not just for defrosting and re-heating. You can cook fish and vegetables, toast nuts, cook bacon, and even bake cakes in the microwave.

         * DVO welcomes your kitchen hints and cooking or nutrition questions! Email us and we'll post your hints and Q/A's in upcoming newsletters! *