Beating the heat

Boy it was a scorcher this last week. I know I am not telling anyone anything they don’t know. Hitting high temps not only in the triple digits, but above 110º makes a person know it is certainly summer. The way the rest of the year has been confused, at least we can know that we have summer when it is supposed to be summer. 

Angie came up last Thursday to help me put in a window air conditioner unit. We had a few issues getting it to work at first but after replacing the cord end, it worked fine, but on Friday as I was baking for Farmers Market it was clear that it wasn’t going to keep the house cool during the heat wave. So on Saturday afternoon another set of helpers came out and switched the window unit out for a swamp cooler. 

I have always been a fan of a swamp cooler. It was the first cooler we ever had when I was growing up. For years our old two-story house had no way of cooling it except for fans in the windows. With no insulation the heat in the upstairs where our bedrooms were was brutal. We didn’t have thermometers up there so I really don’t know how hot it was. Several summers we actually moved out beds outside because it was preferable to fight the bugs than the heat. Mom actually fashioned a swamp cooler of sorts with burlap bags, a hose with holes in it and a twenty – inch box fan. It helped in the living room, but that was all. So the day Mom came home with a big old swamp cooler we were ecstatic.  

The first summer we put it in a window down stairs, but it kept blowing the flames out on the cook stove. So the second summer my brothers used a ladder, some ropes and some farmer ingenuity to get the cooler to the upstairs window. That was really nice. Finally the upstairs bedrooms were actually cooler than the downstairs. We all slept wonderfully from then on. 

So when the window air conditioning unit couldn’t keep up with the heat in this house, I reverted to my younger days and to a swamp cooler. It sure did keep the house cooler. In fact this evening I got cold and had to turn it off. 

Another way I like to beat the heat, is to make a big pasta salad and eat on it for most of the week, it saves heating up the house with cooking. 

Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad

1 pound pasta (I use VegeCraft pasta for a gluten free, high protein option)

6 strips of bacon (I used purchased crumbled bacon)

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

1 green bell pepper

¼ red onion (I prefer to use green onions)

¼ cup fresh parsley

1½ cups ranch dressing

Cook pasta according to package directions. (If using the VegeCraft it has to be overcooked some or it will get too firm after it is refrigerated.) Drain and rinse in cold water until it is room temperature. Cook the bacon until crispy. Reserve the bacon grease, drain and cut the bacon into bite sized pieces. Slice the chicken breasts horizontally into two pieces each. Season with salt and pepper, heat bacon grease and cook the chicken over medium heat for 4 minutes each side. Cut chicken into bit sized pieces or strips. Dice the pepper and onion, chop parsley. Add cooked and cooled pasta, chicken, bacon, pepper, onion, and parsley to a large mixing bowl. Pour the ranch dressing into the mixing bowl and toss to combine. Can be served immediately or chilled and served later.