Solar Powered Cooking Oven

Solar cooking ovens are an inexpensive and easy way to make every day Earth Day. Since I have owned mine, I have experienced lower energy bills, reduced carbon footprint, a cooler kitchen during summer, set and forget cooking and delicious tasting food. They are inexpensive, low-tech and downright amazing.

I live on solar power (”off grid”) and recently asked my in-laws for a new solar cooking oven as my Christmas gift. I initiated my new solar oven with a batch of dark chocolate brownies. The oven works better than I expected.

There are many good brands of solar cookers on the market that range in price from $100 to over $400. My solar oven came from Sun Oven and cost about $300. It was really simple to set up and very easy to use. Like regular ovens, you can use a solar oven for cooking, baking, braising and heating water. It will heat up to 450 degrees.

Set Up

The first step is to unfurl the reflectors and secure them with the built-in pin. Next position the oven so that shadows fall evenly on both sides. Look closely at this picture below. The shadows are not even on both sides. A quick adjustment of the oven to the right would even out the shadows, causing more direct light and a higher oven temperature.

The second step is to adjust the tip-tilt angle of the oven. For this adjustment, you will need to consider the overhead angle of the sun. At higher latitudes, the sun is typically lower in the sky at noon than at lower latitudes. Here in Hawaii during the summer, the sun is almost directly overhead so tipping is not needed. But when tipping is needed, there is a swivel pan inside the oven that conveniently levels itself.

To recap, simply unfurl the reflects, position the oven so that the shadows are even on both sides and tip the oven to match the overhead angle of the sun. The built-in thermometer will gauge the heat as you make adjustments.

Set and Forget

For quick recipes, like brownies that take 30 minutes or less, you can set the oven and forget it. As an devoted foodie, I have been nothing but delighted at how the food tastes - it’s more moist and tender. A solar oven is ideal for braising meats and baking breads. It’s easy enough for children to use, too.

One key accessory is a non-reflective pan, such as one made of glass or cast iron. For baked goods, like brownies, I use a glass pyrex pan as shown below. For meats, soups and stews, I use a cast iron dutch oven.

Plus, the solar oven doesn’t heat up my house. On a hot summer day, it’s possible to use less energy (and save money) by avoiding the conventional oven and extra air conditioning. In Hawaii where our electricity rates only increase, a solar oven will easily pay for itself within a few months.

Big Centipedes in Hawaii

This big centipede was recently on my deck in Maui. I measured it at five inches long and one inch wide. The tropics support an abundance of life, and Hawaii is no exception.

Unlike other tropical critters, this creepy crawler is not native to Hawaii. Centipedes were introduced by foreigners, along with a myriad other insects including mosquitoes and house flies. And like other alien and introduced species with no natural predators, they thrive and grow big.

Don’t Forget Your Slippahs

Most locals have stories about centipedes. People wince as they recount memories of painful stings, which many liken to injection with a large hypodermic needle. As a result, we always wear shoes outside, shake out bedding and clothing before use — especially if it’s on or near the floor.

My former housemate once threw a pair of jeans on the floor after he changed into his board shorts for surfing. He came back after ripping up some waves and changed back into his jeans. Unfortunately, he put on the jeans without checking for centipedes.

But in his defense, he had just moved to Hawaii from the Mainland and had never seen one firsthand. A big centipede, like this one on my deck, was inside and stung his leg from thigh to ankle as they battled over who would get out of the jeans first. He ended up in the hospital.

Up and Dry

Centipedes are known to nest in warm, dry areas, meaning that they crawl up during rain. Since we tend to have a lot of rain in Hawaii, especially in windward areas, I regularly find centipedes hiding under tarps, in plant pots and even under my car tires. I learned long ago not to leave pants, shoes, towels or anything else that I put on my body anywhere near the floor.

However, there is good news about centipedes:  they eat cockroaches!

Children Learn More When Parents Listen

A recent study shows something that most parents already know: listening to your child helps them solve problems better.

“The basic idea is that it is really effective to try to get kids to explain things themselves instead of just telling them the answer,” says Bethany Rittle-Johnson, the study’s lead author. “Explaining their reasoning, to a parent or perhaps to other people they know, will help [the child] understand the problem and apply what they have learned to other situations.”

Rittle-Johnson believes the new finding can help parents better assist their children with their schoolwork, even when they are not sure of the answer themselves. Although the researchers used children and their mothers in the study, they believe the same results will hold true whether the person is the child’s father, grandparent, or other familiar person.

Real Parents Agree

The study has support, at least anectodally, from friends with children. Tiffani and Rand, parents of two toddler girls, say, “We have definitely seen this study prove itself over and over again, with both girls, but especially our oldest. It’s truly amazing to see her work through a thought as she begins explaining to us what is on her mind.”

Another mom, Earlene, agrees and adds that “I already believed this based on myself because I sometimes just need to hear myself speak out loud to truly register things.”

Half Listening Doesn’t Count

Parents often need to multi-task: talk on the phone, cook dinner, tap online, navigate around pets, do laundry, and talk to the kids all at once. Getting more done in a short period of time seems efficient, but at least according to this study, it may not help toddlers learn to problem solve as much as giving them full attention.

So what are harried parents to do? Based on these results, make time to sit down and give younger kids both ears. Delegate some chores to older children, hire help, or schedule differently — perhaps throw in the laundry after bedtime or prepare bulk meals in advance so there is less preparation at the end of a long day. However it works out, this latest research indicates its more important to be attentive during this critical phase of development.