Beat the Heat with Outdoor Cooking

A Hot Kitchen Heats Up Your Home

We are officially in summer and the days are definitely getting warmer. Cooking indoors in the summer heats up your home like nothing else can, especially if you use your oven for any length of time. So, do you just eat salads all summer or get creative? We started moving our cooking outdoors in the summer years ago and now everyone looks forward to the experience.

Historically many homes decades ago had fully equipped outdoor kitchens, called summer kitchens. My great grandma’s old house had one that was built in the 1700s both for fire safety, ease of canning, and not heating up the house with cooking in the summer.

Let’s explore the benefits of outdoor cooking and let you see how easy it is to set up cooking outdoors and some of the great meals that can be prepared simply and easily outdoors this summer.

 

The Pleasures of Cooking & Dining Outdoors

The aromas of dinner cooking on the grill and the relaxed atmosphere of eating outdoors can’t be beaten. Cooking and dining outdoors is one of those simple pleasures that make summer that much more enjoyable while keeping your home cooler during the summer. Here are a few of the reasons, if you needed the motivation to move your cooking outdoors, that we see as some of the best benefits of cooking and dining outdoors.

 

Cooking Outside Keeps Your Home Cooler

On one of those really hot days, the thought of cooking inside and especially turning on the oven can seem absolutely daunting. Not only does being over a hot stove sound uninviting, but turning on the oven seems like one of the worst ideas ever, when you are already hot. Beat the heat this summer and move your cooking and dining outdoors, not only will you keep your house cooler, but you will also keep your PG&E bill lower by not needing to run the air conditioner so much from over-heating the house with cooking.

 

Dining Outdoors for All Meals

Dining and cooking outdoors doesn’t need to be reserved just for dinner, cooking breakfast and lunch outdoors work well also. Having breakfast out on your patio is a great way to start your morning. You only need an outdoor GFI plug and you can plug in a coffee maker, toaster, griddle, or other kitchen appliance.

A simple rolling cart for your appliances makes for a quick outdoor kitchen setup without having to fire up the gas grill or barbecue for breakfast. Think of lounging out on your deck this summer for lunch with a simple salad and fajitas made outdoors on an electric grill. you can make so many meals on a smile electric grill while not heating up the house.

 

Grilling is For Everyone

Grilling just makes food taste better! Whether you are a meat-eater, vegetarian, or vegan there are so many recipes that adapt well to grilling. A grill is not only for barbecuing, but also makes a very good oven, think grilled pizza or calzones! Also, until you have tasted brandy braised fresh peaches with vanilla ice cream, you haven’t experienced all a grill can do. Grilling for entertaining gets so simple, especially if you ask everyone to bring their favorite food to grill. Grilling outdoors creates less work, great new recipe ideas, and no heating up the house on a hot summer day!

 

Meals in Minutes

Most cooking on the grill tends to be quick-cooking rather than laborious long prepared meals with the only exception being slow-roasted barbecue. Think of grilling everything from omelets to veggies, kabobs to burgers, pizza to braised fruit, there are so many meals that can be cooked quickly on a grill.

Grilling is a great way to beat the heat any day of the week! Grilling and eating outdoors is a great way to relax after a hectic day of work. Plus, food just tastes better eaten outdoors!

 

Relax & Renew with Eating Outdoors

Cooking outdoors even makes a simple meal seem special. There is something about cooking and dining outdoors that is more relaxing than eating indoors, it’s like a mini-vacation on any day of the week. Also, if you have children, they can run around or play in the pool while dinner is being prepared instead of doing screen time. Relaxing for everyone all around.

 

Food Tastes Better Eaten Outdoors

You probably remember going camping as a kid or eating outdoors with your parents in the backyard, food just seemed to taste better eaten outdoors. It could be some ancestral memory of cooking over a fire, gathering at the end of the day with family, or the fresh air, whatever the reason, food just seems to taste better prepared and eaten outdoors!

Plus, you can add in some fun recipes that aren’t as possible indoors, such as roasted hot dogs or s’mores. Use your imagination when it comes to cooking outdoors. We tried our hand at calzones and were so happily surprised at how good they tasted prepared on the grill.

 

You Can Entertain Larger Groups Outdoors

One of the side benefits of cooking and dining outdoors is that you can accommodate more people outdoors than indoors. Even if you have a small home that doesn’t fit a large group, moving the feast outdoors opens up all sorts of possibilities in so many ways. More cooks can help prepare the meal without bumping into each other. You can usually seat more people outdoors than indoors. Plus, cooking outdoors and serving a meal outdoors is fun and entertaining on so many levels. Also, outdoors you can use paper plates and it will seem just fine, think less cleanup!

 

Being Outdoors is Soothing to Your Senses

Other than food tasting better outdoors, being outdoors has an incredibly relaxing and grounding effect on people. There are mental health benefits to cooking and dining outdoors. Being outdoors tends to lower blood pressure and keep your heart rate lower, who couldn’t use those benefits these days? Plus, fresh air tends to lend itself to a better night’s sleep. So many benefits of cooking and dining outdoors, plus you will keep your house cooler and your PG&E bill lower not needing to run the air conditioner as much.

 

Be sure to let us know how you’ve enjoyed cooking outdoors this summer. We know we are going to shift a lot of cooking and dining outdoors this summer, it just makes good sense on so many levels. Also, if you want to take house cleaning off your to-do list this summer, be sure to give us a call at 707-827-3316 for a FREE estimate or fill out our FREE Estimate Form and one of our cleaning professionals will be in touch promptly to give you a personalized free cleaning estimate.