Going Solar

Hurricane season is upon us. I spent money on preparations. When you have spent money on all other things in life, like new decorations, a change in curtains, tupperware, clothes to die for, nice car, diamond jewelry, shoes and more shoes, replacing them is not so exciting...so I think you hang on to them longer....at least longer than you would have if you were - say 20 years younger.

So you look for new thrills in the purchase arena. Unchartered untried untested oddities that
make your kids go, “HUH???!!???” I found one.

It presses lots of my buttons all at the same time. It's a solar cooker. If we ever have to go without electricity I can now cook. I can bake a cake, cook beans and rice (everyone eats beans and rice after a hurricane, ya' know). It supposedly cooks food healthier - a hot button of mine. All the enzymes stay fresh and alive. Vegetables are perfect without water or salt. I can also heat water for a sponge bath. I can boil anything dirty. It uses only the strong natural free sunshine to induce heat. It’s great for camping. Of course, I don’t camp and have no intention of ever doing so….but if someone wrangled me down and threw me in a camper, I could cook.

It is a bit of a novelty. I ordered it from India where it is just another appliance. It can get up to 375 degrees! Pretty amazing. Today it is cooking at 200. (Slightly overcast.)

Tonight my family will be the first to taste test solar cooked green beans and wild rice. But just in case it is NOT what it is supposed to be, I have the back up food in the fridge – ready to throw on the electric stove.

What’s next? Water! How do you get clean water? I wonder if you can buy a rain catcher? A portable water purifier? Maybe a portable well driller….That would be cool.

Final thought. I bet I could have made these and sold them to the wagon trains in 1869!