My grandmother had a summer kitchen and the term confused me because that was where the wringer washer was kept. I saw her do laundry there, but not cook. It was like an additional room on the house.

When my mother was really young, grandma canned there, but by the time I came on the scene, she had air conditioning and cooked in her kitchen full-time.

I think the idea of a summer kitchen is great. All of the heat is kept out of the house. Since, I cannot leave the house, I had to be creative. I can’t just grill during the summer.

My solution? Crockpots. I put the various dishes in different sized Crockpots and set them on my washer. The heat is contained in my laundry room and the upstairs stays cool.

Crockpots on the washer.