What Do You Do During a Heatwave?

Chicago is having a record breaking heatwave. Spending most of my childhood in Florida for 3 months each summer made me rather heat tolerant, however the humidity in Chicago is terrible and we haven't had a good rain in weeks.  So what is there to do when you can't be outside for more than a few minutes? I've been reading, posting vintage items to my Etsy store, and enjoying the cooler locations in Chicago such as the Art Institute.

The books I am reading right now include:

Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes. The movie adaption is a favorite of mine but vastly different from this charming book that often reads like poetry. Who doesn't dream of fixing up a villa in Italy, harvesting olives for the oil and learning to cook Italian dishes?

Sunset Edible Garden Cookbook. A feast for the eyes and the stomach this excellent cookbook is full of mouthwatering recipes and photographs. Chapters are arranged by vegetables, herbs and fruit which highlights the many creative ways you can use what you grow including corn, peas, squash, etc.. The corncake recipe is on my menu for dinner tonight.

The photo below is of my garden, I've used a beach umbrella to shade my herbs and lettuce which were starting to suffer with the intense heat. As long as this heatwave continues I will try and get my indoor projects completed before my son returns to visit for a day after his bootcamp graduation later this month.
Stay cool readers.