09 Oct 2006 04:54 PM

Multitasking the Oven

Everything, I mean literally everything in my house is electric. Our light bill is high enough, especially in the summer months-in the Texas heat, to climb Mount Everest. With three boys in the house, the washer and dryer are constantly going, the appliances in the kitchen are always in full gear as they eat (and I cook) constantly, and the water in the bathroom is on auto pilot. I have tried everything to conserve energy. I use an electric skillet or toaster oven, instead of my big electric oven, whenever it's feasible.  While making dinner tonight, I had to turn the oven on for the 4 lb. meatloaf I was baking; I decided to use every inch of space I was heating and included a double batch of apple muffins for breakfast and freezing, the jalapeno cornbread, baked beans and buttered new potatoes for dinner, and roasted a pan of red bell peppers for freezing. Although the oven was blasting away for 2 hours, I made the most of the electricity used. If the meter was going to race, I wanted to get my money's worth. I bake a lot, so I do it in large batches and freeze for the month. Instead of making pancakes, bacon or sausage on the stove, I use my electric griddle, pulls a lot less electricity.  When I bake biscuits, I make enough to fill 2 large pans, each holds 24 biscuits, I bake them at the same time and save a lot of electricity. When I heat garlic bread or rolls, I place them in the oven, turn it to 350 degrees for 5 minutes, then, turn it off. The bread is wrapped in foil and will continue to heat in the hot oven without using electricity, while I put the finishing touches on my meal. A great way to boil eggs without using a lot of electricity is to bring the eggs in the pot of water, to a boil, cover and turn off burner. Let eggs set for 20 minutes and you have hard boiled eggs.

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