Keeping Cool Without Air Conditioning

We live in a 1950's mountain bungalow. Like most older homes in our area, ours does not have air conditioning. Heck not even the Biltmore House is air conditioned. And I should have known that after the extrememly cold and snowy winter we just had, that a record breaking hot and dry summer would follow. Has it ever!

Here are some things I have learned about staying cool:

• Open windows at night and close them in the daytime (You may think you need the air, but you are just letting in heat and humidity)
• Use fans to circulate air
• During the day, keep curtains closed; cover windows, especially west facing ones with white, which reflects heat
• Keep lights off
• Wear loose fitting, light colored clothing in natural fabrics
• Drink copious amounts of water
• Using cold water on your forehead, neck, and wrists helps cool you
• Wear a wet wash cloth around your neck
• Don't turn on your stove, much less your oven
• Eat cold food such as Gazpacho

Living without air conditioning can save a ton of money and go very far in reducing your carbon footprint and that is always cool.

Gazpacho

(slightly adapted from Mollie Katzen's Moosewood Cookbook)

4 cups cold tomato juice

2 cups freshly diced tomatoes

1 chopped green bell pepper

1 diced cucumber

1 bunch chopped scallions

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

2 - 3 cloves minced fresh garlic

1 tsp. honey

juice of 1 lime

1 Tbsp. wine vinegar

1 tsp. basil

dash of ground cumin

dash of tabasco sauce

2 Tbsp. olive oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients and chill for at least 2 hours. May be pureed if desired. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. This time I pureed about half of it and it really did make the texture very nice.