On these hot days of July, who wants to have a hot stove on?

Jeeze, even just running a dryer makes a big difference when you are trying to cool your house on hot days like these. I try to hang as many clothes out on the line as I can. You can’t beat the fresh air on your linens. That’s my favorite. I used to do towels and jeans, but the hubby wasn’t loving the stiffness that comes with it. So, t-shirts, sheets, and under britches are my go-to for hanging on the line. I grew up with my mom hanging everything out, so I was used to crunchy towels! Haha.

When I got married, I started using that liquid fabric softener. Do you remember those balls that came out? I believe it was Downy. You poured the liquid in the ball, then pulled up on the lid, threw it in the wash, and it would break open during the rinse cycle. I don’t even know if they honestly make them anymore, but I loved them. It made our clothes so soft, and I could hang towels on the line without them getting crunchy. Well, one day, I had an issue with my washer. I called my dad, who works for an appliance company. That liquid fabric softener was all gunked up in our washer. Dad didn’t even know that I was using it, but it caused all kinds of problems on washing machines that they work on. I instantly got rid of it, and ever since, our washer has worked like a dream. Crunchy towels and jeans when hung out but come out perfect in our dryer. So, on those hot, hot days, I do all the non-line stuff first in the morning while it’s cool. Then hang everything else out when it gets hotter. I mean, I sacrifice going out into the scalding heat, but hey, it’s worth it to keep a nice cool house. (You all know how much I just love the humidity!)

I love cooking with my crockpots and on a grill this time of year. It keeps the house cooler, and there is nothing like having prepared crockpot meals and meats ready to cook on the grill. I feel like I always like to use my crockpot each season. Fall for comfort food, winter for hot cocoa and soups, spring for quick dinner nights, and summer just to keep the house from getting hot. Now, I hate to even admit to this, but I am not a grill cook. My hubby is the master griller in this house. I made burgers at our river lot in May on our grill up there because the guys were putting our steps in while Lindsay Mertes and I took care of dinner. Linds isn’t big on cooking over a grill either and asked me if I could do it. I’m a cook; how do I say no? Or admit that I had never even cooked on a grill before?? I know it’s not hard, but it’s knowing when to flip with all that flamage and knowing if the food is done. Listen, I didn’t burn it, and dang, it tasted good! I was pretty darn proud of myself and even remembered to spray that bad boy before flopping our burgers on the grates. I can cook on a Lean Mean Grilling Machine all day long, though! It works out good in this family, though. My hubby loves to grill, so I prepare the food, and my husband cooks it when I need him too. If you are new to a grill, or a pro, these Kabobs don’t take too much cooking time and are such a treat in the heat of summer. Keep your house cool and your belly satisfied with these delicious little babies!

Hawaiian BBQ Kabobs

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of sliced baked ham (from the deli)
• Pineapple cut into chunks
• 1 orange pepper cut into small squares
• Kabob sticks (soaked in water)
• Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ Sauce

Directions:

Roll each ham slice up, then fold like a fan and place through the end of the kabob stick. Then
add pineapple, ending with orange pepper.

Repeat until the stick is full and brush on BBQ sauce.

Place on grill and cook until nice and brown. You can add more BBQ sauce while grilling.

These little babies were so delish!!