Just as I was opening the windows to allow the cool sunset breeze to blow in, my Mom called to tell me it was the 26th day of temperatures reaching over 100 degrees in Dallas. I feel for everyone experiencing the extreme heat right now, I truly do. I ran into some people visiting from Canada this week who said it’s cooler here than it is in Manitoba. I don’t know what I did to be lucky enough to live in a place where it always cools down at sunset, no matter how hot it gets during the day. The Pacific Ocean is my air conditioner. We tell ourselves on cool summer nights that this will be the thing we miss most when we move back to the South. We open all the windows and pour some white wine to enjoy outside. We marvel at the goose bumps on our skin in July as we wait for the stars to start showing themselves in the sky. We both grew up with oppressing humidity and heat, and we’re afraid we might have a hard time going back to it. In case the weather is causing you to boycott using the oven, I compiled a list of my no-bake recipes. Some of these require the use of the stovetop, I hope that’s OK. Enjoy these recipes and remember that fall is on its way. Panna Cotta with Whiskeyed Cherries Strawberry Banana Ice Cream No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars Black Forest Ice Box Cake Scotcheroos Banana Puddin’ (if you use store-bought Nilla wafers) Banana Nutella Chimichangas Southern Sweet Tea Granita Margarita Pie Cherry Pie Milkshake Grilled Peaches with Cinnamon Ice Cream Frozen Lemon Mousse Pears in Mulled Wine Fantasy Fudge Cheesecake Popsicles
