Have I ever mentioned that we don’t have central air conditioning in our home? People think we’re crazy. Well, yeah. But there are a few important aspects to note about our variety of crazy – and about our lack of central air conditioning:
1. Our house is over 100 years old and was built to stay cool back before air conditioning was invented. We have high ceilings, which makes a significant difference.
2. We have an attic fan that sucks hot air out and pulls cool air in. (I believe I just told you that our attic fan sucks.)
3. When a person is used to air conditioning, a person tends to think they need air conditioning. When a person is not used to air conditioning, a person gets used to not having air conditioning.
4. I freeze to death when I go to Wal-Mart and other places with air conditioning and freezer sections. See #3 above.
5. We have several window air conditioning units. Remember this? Ain’t she a beaut? We haven’t even installed it this summer. We haven’t been home long enough to care. But we have that one, another for out guest room, and another for our boys room upstairs. Window units work great for our needs.
All that to say: I rarely turn our oven on during hot summer days. We typically deal with lack of air conditioning just fine – but avoiding the oven makes this much more doable. Baking muffins, quick breads, and egg casseroles is rarely an option. Instead, we stick with stove-top meals, toaster oven choices, or smoothies. Here are some of our favorite oven-free breakfasts, which of course can be made for lunch, snacks, or dinner too. Breakfast for dinner always rocks. Kind of like my attic fan sucks. (Oh, stop it.)
14 Oven-Free Breakfast Ideas for Summer
- Creamy Orange Cooler with scrambled eggs
- Crepes with lots of fresh berries and whipped cream
- Green Machine Milkshakes with toast and peaches or nectarines
- Fried eggs with Hashbrowns and strawberries
- Instant Oatmeal Packets with fresh berries
- Peanut Butter Pancakes with bananas
- Pineapple Mango Smoothies with cheesy scrambled eggs
- Quick Mix Pancakes with blueberries and Turkey Sausage
- Strawberry Yogurt Fruit Dip with apples
- Homemade Yogurt with fresh berries and toast
- Whole Wheat Donuts (special treat!) with peaches, nectarines, or plums
- Whole Wheat Waffles with fresh berries and whipped cream
- Cinnamon Apple Toast with scrambled or fried eggs
- Breakfast Burritos with grapes
It’s always fun to throw in the occasional bacon or sausage too, if I have time. Fresh fruit in the summer time is amazing. All the delicious berries, nectarines, plums, peaches, melons available – incredible. Yes indeed, summer time is my very favorite time of year – even without central air conditioning. :)
Lana says
My husband and I both grew up without A/C of any kind in Florida. It was crazy hot and humid and it was hard to even sleep. That said we love our central air and would not do without it. So, I use my oven year round even though it does warm up my kitchen a bit.
Lana says
BTW, I am cold when we go shopping or to restaurants too! We keep our house at 75 degrees and I freeze just about anywhere else I go.
Micah says
I found a recipe online for skillet granola. I was thrilled because now that we are actually eating yogurt again we can have granola without turning the oven on! It only makes enough for 1 breakfast for our family but it’s quick enough to make any morning we want it.
Anitra says
Can you share? I’d love to get back to making my own granola, but I can’t justify turning the oven on for it in this weather.
kim t. says
ok, so these take a long time since we only have a teeny waffle iron and 5 children – so we have to make a double batch – BUT, the waffles in the “against all grain” cookbook (we don’t cook them with the blueberries, but put those on top) are A.MAZ.ING!!! certainly a treat, going through that many cashews, but soooooooo delicious. they rival any wheat-based recipe I have tried, and they might just be my favorite!
Suzanne Hall says
Here’s are several we enjoy:
1) Modified Banana Split…. In a cereal bowl,
Layer one sliced banana, then 2 scoops of cottage cheese, then 1/4 – 1/2 cup of Raisin Bran, then 1/4 – 1/2 cup of crushed pineapple, then 1/4 cup of homemade whipped cream, then drizzle a bit of honey on top for decoration! You could use strawberries or blueberries or granola….or….whatever you like!
2) Cheese Toast with fruit in season and on hand
3) Cottage Cheese Toast….in a toaster oven,
Toast a slice of bread, turn, cover with 1/4 – 1/2 cup of cottage cheese, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, toast or bake until the cottage cheese is thoroughly heated. Serve with fresh fruit.
4) Breakfast burritos from the freezer that we have wrapped in wax paper…heat in the microwave. We put lots of stuff in the scrambled eggs–black olives, cheese, mushrooms, peppers, onions, meats, broccoli, or whatever you choose.
5) Peanut butter, banana, and chocolate fruit smoothie. Yum!
Gina says
Hi Laura! Always love your posts! I have a recipe for crockpot granola. Also I make banana bread in wide top canning jars in my crockpot. Works great. I’m thinking waffles sound like a plan for my weekend. I love them! I think breakfast burritos sound like a good summer breakfast and since I grew up in Florida, I eat lots of hot buttered grits and toast. Also I use my biscuit recipe and “fry” the biscuits (or one large) one in a small amount of butter (with a lid to cook the middles) for hoecakes — like biscuits just cooked in the skillet. And don’t forget homemade English muffins. Lots of options when you sit right down and think about it. Lol. Thanks again for all of your inspiration!
Joy says
Hi! Could you share your directions for making granola in a crock pot? That sounds SO awesome. I love granola and make lots of it, but hate having to watch over it in the oven because it so easily burns. I am guessing that in the crock pot, there is a much less chance of burning it. What setting do you use and for how long? Thanks!
Robyn Owens-Miille says
I use my crockpot in the summer too.
#1 chicken or roast soft tacos/ quesadillas or nachos
#2 baked potatoes (thank you Laura!)
#3 sloppy joes (cook the meat in the crock pot, drain it, add your seasonings and let it warm until dinner time)
#4 taco meat
We use our grill a fair amount too. But I cook up several meals worth of meat at one time. If I’m going to stand at the grill in 102 degrees, It’s going to be worth my time.
We also do a lot of sandwiches (chicken salad, ham salad, egg salad, etc).