First Real Try at Solar Cooking

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I got a whiff of propane this morning. That usually means I'm running out of lp gas. I have wanted to try solar cooking for some time and this might be the perfect time to give it  go.

I never seemed to have the right components together at the same time. I did have a box and some tin foil so I decided to try a simple prototype and see what would happen. I actually put in cooked food to see if it would reheat it. 

I used a cardboard box that I painted black on the outside. Then I realized that almost none of the black was going to be facing the sun. I lined the inside of the box with tin foil and put a scrap of black cloth in the bottom. I didn't have any glass to cover it with so I put the bowl in an oven bag. I put in some rice and sausage and let it heat for about 2 hours. It did work. The bowl was so hot I needed pot holders. The sausage was just right but the rice was just barely warm. Guess I should have stirred it once or twice. 

The box wasn't very large so I could only put a small bowl in it. I'd like to try a larger box and maybe make one out of wood so it wouldn't fall apart if it rains. 

Of course I could pop this in the microwave and have it ready to eat in 2 minutes, and I have a nice crock pot for all day cooking, but the crock pot actually helps heat up the trailer. Solar cooking is done outside, is free and I'm learning something. 

Tankless Child

I got up the other morning and went to light the stove to make some toast. The stove wouldn't light. I thought that was odd since I had just filled the 20 pound tank a week ago. They usually last three or four months. When I went outside to check it I discovered why the stove wouldn't light. It was GONE. Someone, and we think we know who, had disconnected the tank and stolen it while I was sleeping in the camper.
I really couldn't believe that someone would do that. It wasn't even the money so much, but the fact that I didn't have the money to have my spare tank filled for another week, when my Social Security check came in. That meant no cooking. I have an electric coffee maker so I would have hot water and a rice cooker for rice and pasta, but that was it.
I make it though the day eating cheese sandwiches, but didn't want to live on that. I had been wanting to get a little crock pot. Now it seemed like an essential accessory. I have an electric grill, but couldn't find the cord for it It's in here somewhere but it could take months to find it.

Yesterday A friend said she would be sending some dog food over by way of another friend. When he arrived he had not only the dog food, but some food for me and took my tank and had it filled. Wow. Someone is looking out for me! I really am blessed and rich in friends.

Not a Crock Pot

I bought what I thought was a tiny crock pot at a yard sale. It had never been used, but didn't come with a box or instructions. I only paid a couple of dollars for it and thought it was a great deal.

I finally decided to try it out. My neighbor cooks beans in her crock pot, so I thought I'd give that a try. I have bags of dried beans in the cupboard. I put the beans in, added water and turned it on overnight. I didn't expect them to be completely cooked in the morning, and they weren't. I kept the pot on low since it seemed to boil over if I turned it on high. As the day went on, they still were crunchy. At the end of 24 hours, they were edible, but just barely.

Next I tried baking bread in it. I read that it works as well as a bread machine. I whipped up the dough and set it on a piece of foil and turned in on high. After several hours, I realized the pot kept shutting itself down to low. I thought this was a bit peculiar. And the bread was not baking.

I decided to go online and see what was up with this little crock pot. I soon found out what my problem was. It wasn't a crock pot at all. It's a RICE COOKER!!! I've never had a rice cooker before so I read some online directions, put in some clean rice and water and tried again. This time it worked like a charm! Within 10 minutes, or so it seemed, I had a pot full of perfectly cooked rice. I added butter, salt and a can of onion soup. It was delicious. Now I can make rice to go with those beans.

Recipes for Food Pantry Food

I'm not a cook, have never been interested in cooking, but I do like to eat. I'm reaching a food crisis though. It is becoming necessary for me to invent some new ways to use the same old ingredients. I'll be sharing some recipes as I discover them.

Food pantries are not all alike. Even in the New England towns I used to live in, there were differences. Some loaded you up with meat and cheese before doling out the canned goods. Some were canned goods only. Some had bread, but most did not. Some let you pick your own. That I loved. I didn't end up with 20 cans of my least favorite vegetables
Down here in Texas, the lines are longer and the bags are already filled. Everyone gets the same thing. I'm accumulating a closet shelf of food I don't particularly care for or have eaten so much of it, I'll gag if I eat it again.Two dishes I simply cannot face again are pasta and spaghetti sauce and rice and beans.

 Some months ago I had been keeping grated Parmesan cheese on hand. It seems to make everything taste better. I had ramen noodles which I was getting heartily sick of, but it is cheap. This time it was from the pantry along with chickpeas which I do like but not by itself.

I had a flash of inspiration. I discovered Ramen Noodle and Chickpea Soup.

I prepared a bag of ramen noodle by pouring hot water over it in a bowl and letting it sit for 5 minutes.
Add the chickpeas and sprinkle on grated cheese. Simple, filling and tasty!

More Keeping Cool

Another thing that really helps keep the heat out, is not firing up the stove to cook, but cook outdoors. That would come right after having a tent. I don't have a hot water tank either so I have to heat water on the stove to bath or wash dishes. That definitely heats up the camper.

There's another advantage to having two cooking facilities. If one runs out of propane, you can always cook on the other one. Definitely an advantage when you don't know how much propane is left. Click on the image or click here to read more about outdoor cookers.
 This would be my first choice if I had the money. It has its own stand and is big enough for me to dye wool on. I won't be getting it any time soon though.

Most likely I'll get one of these. I've had several and they do work well. The only drawback is that it's a little harder to regulate the heat very precisely. It can be connected to a 20 lb. propane tank so it's economical that way. Click Here or click on the image to read more about these nifty little tabletop propane grills.