07/04/2026
It is 94 degrees at 8:30pm.
I often get asked how I can stand to bake in this weather.
I start as early as I can so the oven is off as early in the day as possible. And I’ve been doing this gig long enough that I’ve figured out how to be pretty darned efficient.
My kitchen is in our home, which is air conditioned. When it’s this hot, I set the thermostat to 80 or 81. It got to 82 in the hallway today, warmer in the kitchen for sure, but still bearable. And there are a couple of cooler bedrooms to retreat to for breaks.
Hydrate! I limit my coffee in the morning and switch to diluted iced tea. Today’s was s lightly sweetened blackberry sage from The Republic of Tea - very refreshing! Watermelon, cucumber, tomato sandwiches.
And then, as a reward when the work is done, a nice cool shower.
I’ll be at the Ashland VA Farmers Market in the morning with lots of water and ice. Come early! We’re open 9-11am. Early closing due to you-know-what. ☀️