Self Reliant Tip # 20 Use the SUN!

If you have met your goal for this month by cooking one meal with an alternative cooking source, let me know!


And this week's tip is......


The joys of the solar oven! We've got sun in Arizona, lets put it to good use! :)


To be honest, I haven't used a solar oven yet. I have talked to several people who have. I have observed several ovens while in use, and this is my unprofessional opinion:


There are two good ovens to choose from.


This oven #1: Solar sport http://www.solarovens.org/

And oven #2: Sun Oven http://www.sunoven.com/

Reasons I like the Solar Sport:
It is light

It is less likely to blow over (I've seen the Sunoven blow over more than once and get dented - ouch! That's gonna leave a mark!)

It can cook two pans worth of food at the same time

Less expensive than Sunoven


Reason I like the Sunoven:
The wings reflect well and give it a higher temp = food cooks faster


Here is a comparison video:
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=3005405n

They talk about not using charcoal to cook cookies in the video...that was actually the first thing I made in my cardboard box oven a few years ago - they could learn so much if they read our tips :). Solar ovens can also pasteurize water to make it drinkable, now that's awesome! You know it is ready by using one of these:


http://www.solarcookers.org/catalog/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=WAPI&osCsid=51364099edaa88abfaf568a7ce1efa79&x=8&y=10

Here are a few other solar "ovens" (including the ones I have already mentioned) to look at an think about.


http://www.solarcookers.org/catalog/solarcookerskits-c-1.html?osCsid=51364099edaa88abfaf568a7ce1efa79

A friend of mine named Deanna has been called the "Wizard of Solar Oven Cooking". Using her yellow brick road, she has actually used the reflectors for car windshields, a cookie pan and an oven bag to make a solar oven. How 'bout them cookies? :).


And another thing...


On July 5th and July 18th in the Mesa/ Phoenix area, there were huge dust storms that looked like it was a special effect from the movie "The Mummy". The first one left 25,000 people without electricity in the summer heat for several hours.

What are some ways to stay cool without the life-blood A/C unit we are so accustomed to in our blessed desert?

I found this article (ignore the ads) - and most of them do not require electricity.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-191204/20-hot-tips-stay-cool.html



HAVE A COOL DAY!!!