Published: July 28, 2009 09:24 pm         

Enduring the summer heat has become easier than before

How are you enduring the summer heat? Think about it.

A bunch of us were discussing the heat the other day and our friend, Don, who was raised in the 30s and 40s around Cherokee, said he could remember when his mother would tell the kids to go outside and play because it was just too hot in the house, when the temperature was triple digit. Outside usually was cooler than inside.

Our house too was terribly hot because we had no air conditioning. In fact, for years we did not even have electricity so no fans to keep the air stirring. All we had were open windows and a breeze.

We made full use of porches and shade trees. We worked our way around the outside of the house in chairs on the porch to shield ourselves from the hot sun.

I know it must have been unbearable for Mother and Grandma to stand over the stove and can beans or corn in the summer. Everything that had to be canned matured in the summer. When we picked plums for jelly, it was the hottest part of the summer so Mother would can them whole in juice in half gallon jars. Then in the winter when we needed the stove going all the time anyway, she made that juice into wonderful sand plum jelly.

When it was canning season, we picked and prepared the food for canning early in the morning when it was cooler. We did everything we could before we actually went in and started the canning process over the hot stove.

Many people slept outside on porches back then. Screened porches kept the mosquitoes away and made sleep possible. Kids slept on bed rolls out in the yard. It was not unusual to drive by homes that had cots on the front porch to sleep on or to nap.

Some even hung wet towels on the windows to enjoy a cool breeze blowing through it to give them a break from the heat.

During the day, we pulled the window blinds to keep out the sun. That made it as much as 20 degrees cooler inside. We drank lots of cool water straight from the well pump. It was so refreshing and cold.

One could tell if someone had been traveling at all because they had a wet ring on the backs of their shirts. There was no way to keep from perspiring because those cars were so hot. The windows being down only let hotter air blow through and really did not keep a person cool at all.

Our one true way to cool off was to go swimming, and everyone had a swimming hole or pond they frequented. If that was not available, then we waded in the creek. Even getting our feet and legs cool, helped a lot and gave relief.

We did not have access to ice in the country until we went to town, which was only about once a week. Then it was nearly melted by the time we drove those seven miles to our house. On the rare occasions when we did purchase ice, we enjoyed every chip and made ice cream and milk shakes.

We really don’t have it so bad nowadays. Nearly everything is air conditioned and sometimes even too cold. We run from the car to the house to the grocery store to church to wherever we are going. The only time we are in the intense heat is the few minutes in transit. We really shouldn’t complain as we are lucky to have heat in our homes in the winter and cool in the summer.

In the summer, I don’t cook as much. I could, since our kitchen is cool, but we just don’t eat like we do in winter and fall. We are perfectly happy with a salad and a light dessert or fruit. A friend gave me this recipe to share with you. Serve it with a simple Jell-O salad. Enjoy and keep cool.



Asparagus Salad

8 ounces of angel hair pasta

2 cups sliced asparagus

1/2 cup chopped green onions

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons lemon zest

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 to 2 cups ham chunks , optional



Cook pasta until almost done. Add asparagus and cook two minutes longer. Drain well. Mix all other ingredients and pour over cooled pasta. I have sometimes used canned asparagus that has been well drained and chilled (do not cook it with the pasta). Add it with the ham and dressing.



Apple/Orange Jell-O

6 ounce package regular strawberry Jello

1 cup boiling water

1 cup orange juice

25 ounces apple sauce



Dissolve Jell-O in boiling water. Add orange juice and apple sauce. Pour into 9x9 baking dish. Place in refrigerator until completely set. Cut into squares and top with whipped topping.



Send your comments to: Peggy Goodrich, Food For Thought, P.O. Box 1192, Enid, OK 73702.