It's too HOT to cook.  But unfortunately money doesn't grow on trees, and fast food isn't the healthiest option even if you do order the "salad."  And I can't not feed my family.  My three-year-old, Peyton, is perpetually hungry these days ... which doesn't bode well for those teenage years--for our food budget anyway.  Guess that new mini-van savings account might turn into a Teenage Boy Food Savings Account.  

I digress.  

In hot weather, your slow cooker is your best friend!  What?  She's crazy, you say?  I'm not -- slow cooking isn't just for chili and cold-weather stews!  Google slow cooker recipes and the hits you get will overwhelm you.  At least, they did me.  Did you know you can make desserts in a slow cooker?  Apple dumplings.  That's about all I knew of...but there's so much more!  And the best part is, you throw it all in the pot in the morning, forget about it, and Voila!  At supper-time, you just fill your plate!  No more turning on that hot oven, or standing over the stove burning up over the frying pan.

One of my new favorite recipes for the slow cooker is BBQ chicken.  That's right.  Take three-four cuts of boneless, skinless chicken (thawed), and put in the slow cooker.  Then mix up your favorite bbq sauce ... or take the easy way out (which I do) and just pour in the ready-made BBQ sauce straight from the bottle.  We like Stubbs BBQ sauce around here.  But feel free to use your own favorite.  :)  Let it cook for 3-4 hours on high, or until the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees.  When it's finished, you have two choices:

1)  Eat it as is.  Throw some steamfresh veggies in the microwave, and dinner is served.

-or-

2) Take the chicken out, shred it up, and throw it back in for a few more hours on low so the sauce and chicken can simmer together to get that extra flavor.  Serve on a bun with some chips and a salad.

Enjoy!