If You Can't Stand the Heat

We are having a big heat wave. At least, I hope it is a wave and not what the rest of the summer will be like. It seemed a good time to catch up on my baking. Just today, I've turned out beets from the garden, followed by my honey wheat bread, then chicken, then Chicken Divan. The oven has been going non-stop.

Fortunately, it hasn't added a single degree of heat to the kitchen. I used the Sun Oven. The long days and outside temperatures well above ninety degrees have made this not the insane project it sounds like.

It is really too hot to do anything outside. I zip out to turn the oven occasionally to get the best fix on the sun and quickly dash back inside. In the relative cool of morning, I hung out laundry and harvested the beets, broccoli, carrots and the first zucchini for my elegant repast.

I've been inside, knitting on a wool Fair Isle vest in the air conditioning. It's a sampler project, some motifs being more pleasing to the eye than others. It's sort of a learning experience. Doing this knitting outside would guarantee a heat stroke.

The Chicken Divan was delicious. The only drawback to dinner from the Sun Oven is I can't have my usual late dinner, after sunset at nine p.m. Like hay, food must be made while the sun shines.