Top Tips for Summer Cooking

The start of summer also means the start of summer cooking. It never seems real until you have had your first barbecue in the garden, ice cream sundae or ice cold lemonade.

There is however a down side to summer meals. Food budgets take strain when you constantly substitute quick-cook steaks and chicken breasts for economical stove-top casseroles. Ravenous children seems to be constantly in the refrigerator to find something to eat. Mealtimes, eaten on the run, substitute convenience for nutritional value. What's a summer cook to do?

With creative meal planning strategies, summer doesn't have to bust the food budget, toss nutrition to the winds, or reduce the family chef to a crazy lunatic. Try these suggestions for simpler, saner, cooler and more nutritious summer meals:

Use everything but the oven... All those wedding-gift appliances that you stored away will come in handy during the summer months. A rice steamer makes perfect rice, every time, with no excess heat to fog your kitchen. Spicy chili in the crockery slow-cooker is a super ending to a day at the park.

A pressure cooker can prepare family favorites in a fraction of the timeor kitchen temperatureneeded by an oven. Hot bread from an automatic bread machine makes a light summer meal more substantial. Finally, there is the old time favourite of putting some chops on the braai outside in the garden!

A cold dessert is the way to go... No matter how much you want to make dessert, just thinking about turning on the oven can induce perspiration. Thankfully, there's an easy solution: refrigerator desserts, which come in a variety of styles, from fresh fruit trifles to no-bake cheesecakes to ice cream terrines. Instead of using the oven, desserts are finished in the refrigerator or freezer and rely on key ingredients such as whipped cream and gelatin. Sure, a few varieties do require that the oven be turned on, but only for a few minutes to bake the cookie crust, which is so yummy it's well worth the momentary heat.

Make your own fast foods! Is it any surprise that fast food restaurants are the busiest in the summer? Everyone is busy and on the go! You can make your own chicken nuggets, pizzas, own breakfast sandwiches and taco fillings. Load them into the freezer and watch the time and money you'll save.

Think drinks.. Does your freezer contain some of those marvelous, plastic-gel coolers? It should. A jug of iced decaffeinated tea or fruit juice, snuggled up against a gel cooler will go a long way in quenching your thirst without the calories and caffeinenot to mention expenseof fast-food sodas.

Consider, too, outfitting each family member with personalized plastic water bottles. In order to keep water consumption up during the hot days keep bottles stored in the fridge so they are easy to grab on the way out the door.

Most of all, summer is a great time to spend time with your family and enjoy the ordinary things in life. Whether it's fresh fruit trifle for dinner or can we have a lemonade stand, say "yes" to your children? Summer is a time for making memories. With a little inspiration and new ideas you can create golden days that will be remembered forever.