Summertime--and the living is easy! But the kitchen is hot!! It's time for some cool cooking recipes and tips!

1. Cook outdoors. When you have some time, perhaps on the weekend, grill up several entrees at once. Then freeze and you have your main dishes ready for the next week.

To help you out, here is a marinade recipe that I use for the "cheap" cuts of beef and pork:

1/2 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ginger
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Just whisk it all together and pour over your meat. Let sit in fridge, turning occasionally, for a couple of hours.

2. Use your crockpot. You don't have to make a complicated recipe. If you are short of time in the mornings, just put a whole chicken in the crock, salt and pepper, cover and cook on low all day. When it's suppertime, all you have to do is add a salad and you're done!

3. Learn to use your leftovers. The chicken leftover from your crockpot can be chopped and made into a casserole that can be warmed up in the microwave:

Mix 1 1/2 to 2 cups chopped chicken with some chopped onion, a can of cream of mushroom soup, a can of cream of celery soup and about 1 1/2 cups of cooked macaroni. Pour into a casserole dish, top with cheese and heat in microwave until heated through.

4. Cook in the cool of the morning. If your family just has to have that fried chicken, why not do it in the morning and warm it up at suppertime?

5. Stop by the deli--I know this is not the most frugal idea, but if you pick up a main dish, all you have to add is a couple of sides when you get home. And it's still cheaper than taking the family out!

"Cooking is at once child's play and adult joy. And cooking done with care is an act of love." --Craig Claiborne

Helping you live the good life...on a budget! Cyndi Roberts is the editor of "1 Frugal Friend 2 Another" bi-weekly newsletter, bringing you creative, practical tips to help you with budgeting, cooking, shopping, parenting and much more!

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