The Urban Homemaker Blog

Author: The Urban Homemaker

  • Pumpkin Spiced Latte: for Free!

    I have figured out the best way to keep my house picked up and to have the occasional “Pumpkin Spiced Latte”- for free! A friend just emailed out that the wonderful fall spiced latte is back in town!

     

    Well then, I must explain, so you, Ms Urban Homemaker, may enjoy one too!

    The Jar: Plain, Simple, and brimming with items with a $.25/ea bounty on their heads.

    At the end of most days or at least an hour or so after the first and only warning I might give to the collection of nick-knack toys here and there on the floor, I go hunting! I pick up handfuls of little toys that are my eye sore or end up in my sweeping pile- OR the very toys I step on barefoot in the dark no less and I place said items into the jar.
    The jar collects many wonderful items! They gleam from the glass! They call to their owners who long ago forgot to put them in their place! The guilty party in this house happens to be a trio of 8 yr olds who can and do forget to pick up after themselves.

    Fast forward days or weeks later and a bit of the jar catches their eyes. They know the jar can’t be opened without ransom. So the prized, long, lost item is found and the $.25 ransom is paid. Often I get generous (especially when I know a Nerf gun fight is being prepped for) and hold a 5 for $1 sale. Oh my boys love this; I made, literally $5.75 last week.

    Bottom line: Yes, I occasionally reward my efforts and my cleaner home with the occasional well desired Pumpkin Spiced Latte, but it also is a nice way to return the cash back to the kids by offering them to work a chore for money. That money can and does go around and around, but man, I hold out for the latte.. especially now that I heard they are back in town and I have a long night ahead.

    ~I will warn.. The ransom payment is often painful for the guilty, so ransom cash flow happens not too often, but when it does, may you enjoy!

    Kathy

     

     

  • Potato Tradition

    Every 2nd week of a new school year we find ourselves mourning the almost gone summer months.

    Every 2nd week of a new school year it is time to break the mold and HARVEST POTATOES!

    I love harvesting potatoes and you know my kids do too. Their motivation and attitude quickly changes and we find ourselves in the almost sleeping garden full of produce which needs preserving and picking.  My little ones left their desks with Language Arts complete only to be told to head to the garden.

    What For?

    For a potato adventure!  ~ and Science for the day!

    As we dug through the dirt I tried impressing upon them the slang phrase “pay-load!” But in their sweet way I heard shouts of “Hay-load! Hay-load!” every time I forked up a clump of dirt only to find a “pay-load” of potatoes!

    I can’t say whole heartedly that I am looking forward to the next season, but boy! ~ this is truly a tradition that is in its 3rd year. It really is in the
    little things that memories are made and looked forward to the next time.

     

    So the next time:  Let’s just say that this particular son has prepared the soil for a winter harvest and he has already asked me to pick up a bale of straw. I just think we might get behind that idea and make another tradition: Winter Potato Harvest.

     

    For Now, enjoy your harvest & hope it is a potato harvest!

     

    Kathy

     

     

     

     

  • Top 10 Kitchen Herbs

    Marilyn’s Top Kitchen Herbs: Every pantry should have these top ten basic culinary herbs either fresh or dried:

    • Basil – for pesto, Italian sauces, soups and stews
    • Dill – Not just for dill pickles, use in cottage cheese, cream cheese, goat cheese, omelets, seafood (especially salmon), potato salad and breads
    • Chives – Great in everything from eggs to potatoes
    • Cilantro – Essential ingredients for any salsa and many Indian curry
    • Mint – fabulous with beverages like lemonade, desserts with chocolate or with lamb
    • Oregano – Great in Italian sauces , soups, and stews
    • Parsley – blends flavors, adds color, and garnishes any dish beautifully
    • Sage – primarily used in sausages and turkey stuffing
    • Tarragon – fish, omelets, and chicken cooked with mustard, and it’s a crucial component of Bearnaise sauce
    • Thyme – French herb primarily used in beef burgundy, soups and stews

  • The “dog days” of Summer

    Summer night sky

     

    Avoid boiling seas, languid animals and madness…

    In the northern hemisphere, the dog days of summer are the sultry, hot, sticky days from July to mid August.

    We call them the dog days, thanks to the Greeks and Romans. Ancient cultures mapped and named the constellations long before we got here. They associated the dog days with the constellation Canis Major (large dog) and the brightest star in this constellation, Sirius. Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky. It’s so bright in fact that the Romans thought we received heat from it.

    Originally, the dog days were the time when Sirius rose just before sunrise and it was thought that the combined heat from the sun and Sirius produced the hottest of days when all sort of terrible things happened (languid animals, boiling seas, madness and hysteria caused by heat). In ancient Egypt, this time marked the flooding of the Nile.

    The dog days are in full swing around these parts and luckily for us we have a plan to beat the heat and return us to our senses. The solution? Ice cream, and lots of ideas how to make and top it!

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  • So What’s in Your Mattress?

    Did you know the typical mattress gains 10 –20 pounds over its life because your home contains millions of dust mites and their fecal matter live in mattresses, furniture, carpet, and children’s stuffed toys?  Not a very pleasant topic but there is an easy, safe solution to a nasty household problem.

    Here’s the scoop:

    Dust mites are microscopic. About 50 of them can fit on the head of a pin. They  feast on the fungus that grows from dead skin cells and animal dander.

    On average, one dust mite produces 20 fecal pellets daily. These droppings are the most  common cause of dust-related allergies and asthma.

    Dust mites product 200 times it’s body weight in excrement during their normal life span. They can live without food for up to a year.

    The average life cycle for a male house dust mite is 10 to 19  days and a female house dust mite can last up to 10 weeks, laying 60 to 100 eggs in the last 5 weeks of her life. In her average life span, she will produce approximately 2,000 fecal particles.

    Their favorite breeding spots are:
    • Beds
    • Vehicle seats
    • Pillows
    • Pet beds
    • Comforters
    • Sofas
    • Stuffed toys
    • Anywhere organic material collects
    • Upholstery

    Mattresses and upholstery  are warm, often moist, cozy, easy to burrow into environments filled with the dust mites  choice of food…dead skin cells.  Unfortunately dead skin cells do not readily vacuum away or launder well on upholstered furniture, mattresses, pillows etc.

    The fecal matter of dust mites is lighter than air and becomes airborne when disturbed by activity like fluffing pillows and tossing and turning during the night and especially disturb those prone to allergies and asthma.

    I think you will pleased to know that Norwex Mattress Cleaner is a natural product which contains non-pathogenic microorganisms that are the active ingredients.  These microorganisms do not cause disease but instead they are good bacteria and they work to “eat up” all the accumulated dander, dead dust mites, and dust mite fecal matter that has accumulated in the mattresses, pillows, upholstery, etc. and convert it into carbon dioxide and water

    This spray leaves no residue.  Some people who have used this product have reported the elimination of snoring, reduction in the severity and frequency of asthma, eczema, bronchitis, rhinitis, morning sneezes, itchy eyes and blocked nasal passages and even improved sleep!

    The Mattress Cleaner Spray only needs to be used quarterly (more often if you have severe allergies).  Use approximately 5 sprays for a twin mattress, 8 sprays for a double, 12 sprays for a queen/king size bed, 1-2 for a pillow, 2 sprays for stuffed animal and 5 sprays on fabric upholstered sofas.

    What a simple, healthy solution to a nasty topic.  Try it today!

  • Have You Ever Had Someone Bring Out That “Mama Bear” In You?

    You know, when some person or some situation ignites that primal protection instinct and your inner Mama Bear leaps into action ready to defend & destroy!

    Has it ever been a real Bear?

    An excerpt from Wikipedia explains the concept of the Mama Bear!

    “…however, when a mother feels her cubs are threatened, she will behave ferociously. It is recommended to give all bears a wide berth because they are behaviorally unpredictable.”

    Or perhaps it explains me?

    However, when Kathy feels her children are threatened, she will behave ferociously. It is recommended to give all Kathy’s a wide berth because they are behaviorally unpredictable.

    Urban Homemaker / Mama Bear: One in the Same….

    Beautiful East Fork of the Cimarron

    We recently went camping in the mountains. The Cimarron range encompasses so much beauty it makes you stop in your tracks, smell the great outdoors, and wish you never had to go back to civilization. This is our “cabin” escape that we love to come to year after year.

    Flashback to Saturday Evening

    3 kids, 2 parents, 2 dogs decide to take an evening walk and enjoy the mountains. Dad says, “Hey kids, run up to that stump and see who wins”. We are about 30 yard from the tree stump and the tree stump is about 30 yards from the tree line of the forest.

    As the kids reach the stump, mom and dad see a cow coming out of the tree line. Oh, wait that’s not a cow, it’s an Elk. Umm… that’s not an Elk. THAT’S A BEAR!

    The scene of the "encounter"

    Yes, our family walk ended with an unexpected meeting of a large, 375lb bear. This bear (probably on a mission to get water from the nearby stream and not really intending to eat my kids), came face to face with us.

    In a split second I went from Urban Homemaker Kathy: calm, cool, collected to a crazed Mama Bear Kathy! Yep, suffice it to say that I now fully understand the sow and her ways! I went behaviorally unpredictable and nothing was going to threaten my children even if the threat was perceived (or real).

    In an instant I was after that bear to save my children with a determined energy that made me too fierce and scary, cause that big ol’ Bear turned and burned right back into those woods! Now, I admit, Wayne was my wing man, or maybe I was his, but we scared that Bear away nonetheless.

     

    As the pendulum swings… so did Kathy

     

    Urban Homemaker Kathy to Crazed Mama Bear Kathy…. now “freaked out, let’s get outta here” Kathy… Best day ever! to WORST day, ever! Let’s GO!

    My digression lasted moments as we soon were faced with thankfulness and thrilled elation! We all realized we received a blessing. We were privileged. I had one of my wish list items (safely) checked (i.e. I wanted to see a bear in the wild). So I feel completely blessed to have that gift.  Truly, truly it was a gift. The wild complement their Creator. The bear simply made it plain!

    Just a bit of warning… I had no idea I could be a Mama Bear in that split second and not even have fear associated with getting after a bear to bring my kids to safety- all the while both Wayne and I were applying bear safety instructions to our kids (so they wouldn’t run and look like prey) and managing the best we knew how.  So if you’re a mama, the same can happen to you…

    Urban Homemaker / Fierce Mama Bear:

    “When a mother (insert your name) feels her cubs are threatened, she (insert your name) will behave ferociously. It is recommended to give all bears (insert your name) a wide berth because they are behaviorally unpredictable.”

    Shhh…Secret Camp Spot

  • Busy Mom Bread Making Solution #2

    It is 93 degrees in beautiful western Colorado and I have no bread to feed 3 hungry children. Did I say I was busy? Yes, adding work into my normally busy day has made me rethink a few things.  So, might I share a few solutions for such a time as this?

    • Solution #1- buy store bought. Ugh I feel like a failure to do so…. ( go with Solution #2)
    • Solution #2- make your own!
      • Use what you have! I have an old bread machine. Time to let it work while I work!
      • Get a new recipe and try it!
      • Utilize the Sun Oven– keep the kitchen cool! Keep Mama cool! Have Sun Oven pay for itself! – all pluses!

     

    Homemaker Help

    I have a dear friend Chris, who has a wonderful, delightful, young adult daughter, Heather. Heather shared a bread recipe that we devoured in less than a minute after it came out of the oven the last time I was at their ranch. I noticed they have their “old” bread maker work for them with the quick dough prep while they run their Rocky Mountain Christian Filmmaker’s Camp,  www.ChristianFilmmakersCamp.com.  So I followed suit since I didn’t want to go with solution #1. I went with using what I had and feeling good for doing so.

    I put the recipe into my bread machine as stated below and I ran errands. As I walked into the house with arms full of groceries, etc. the timer went off and I was able to take the dough, punch it down and put it into 2- 8″ bread pans. I proceeded to preheat the Sun Oven while I put groceries away and in 10 min or so the dough was at the height recommended by Sun Oven. I spritzed the bread tops with water ( to get a brown top), put the loaves into the Sun Oven and went back to fixing lunch, etc. 40ish minutes later- fresh bread! I made this recipe yesterday in a very hot kitchen (due to my oven being on)  on a 90 degree day and made a resolution right then and there to bake in the Sun Oven for the summer.

    Heather’s Bread Recipe

    by Heather Lawrence, Co-Chef, Main- Baker, Tasty Sweet Maker of the Rocky Mountain Christian Filmmaker’s Camp.  Thank you !!!

    • 3/4 c warm milk, buttermilk, kefir (Kathy used powdered milk : see note of being busy above!)
    • 1/2 c warm water
    • 2 eggs
    • 4 c wheat flour  (can use part white, part wheat flour) (Kathy used our Hard White Wheat)
    • 2 Tbsp olive oil
    • 2 Tbsp honey (approximately – I don’t measure this, but I don’t use all that much)
    • 2 tsp salt
    • 2 Tbsp Vital Wheat Gluten
    • 2 tsp yeast
    For the Sun Oven: Dough must be up to 1/2″ from top of bread pan.

    Put ingredients in bread maker in order listed on dough cycle. At the end of the 90 minutes, shape into two 1 lb loaves, let rise until double (approximately 45 minutes), then bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

    If you are using a Sun Oven.. Allow only to rise to 1/2″ of the top of the bread pan- @10 min. Then into the Sun Oven for roughly 40-60min. My Sun Oven today ran at 300 degrees. Other days I would just watch it as it can be 375 degrees and of course would bake that bread ASAP! So adjust to where you are! Nice thing is Sun Ovens don’t burn!

    I bet this recipe will do well in a mixer too! Give it a try!- but if you have an old bread maker, make it work while you work when you need a little extra help! For the record- This bread is so YUMMY! Perfect for sandwiches.

    Optional Helpers: Dough Enhancer, Bread Bags, Bosch Mixer , Grain Mills

    Breads will have a lighter color in the Sun Oven.
    Same recipe, same pan, baked in kitchen oven.

     


  • Solar Cooking Tips from a Pro

    Written by Marilyn

    My friends Tara Miller and Sam Brown have compiled numerous practical tips including a Five-Day Kitchen Diary to make cooking in the Global Sun Oven successful and fun.  Sun Ovens are the perfect way to keep a kitchen cool while reducing energy consumption during the hottest days of summer.

    Ed Note: They have been cooking most of their food in their Global Sun Oven year- around for 20 years even here in the coldest part of a Colorado winter.  They enthusiastically recommend Solar Cooking to everyone and practice what they preach as they own four sun ovens and have traveled to Peru to teach natives how to cook in it.

    What can you cook in a solar oven?
    A solar oven allows you to prepare a wide variety of high quality foods including vegetables, soups, stews, beans, desserts, breads, cakes, meats and more.

    Getting Started Basics:

    • Use black or dark cooking pots or cast iron.
    • Brush oil on fresh meat to assist with browning.
    • Soak dried beans, lentils, or grains in water overnight.
    • When cooking dry foods such as rice, use slightly less water than usual.
    • To cook vegetables: Preheat your dark pot that has a cover and use a small amount of water, about 1/3 cup. This accelerates the cooking process and also preserves vitamins. A covered pot keeps the moisture and heat in the pot.
    • For soups and stews:  Don’t put too much in one pot. It’s better to use two smaller pots.
    • Plan on a little more time to cook than for conventional stove top or oven baking.
    • Use a sunny, south facing location. Plan for a convenient shelter nearby such as a deck.
    • Prop the oven toward the sun so the sunlight strikes the glass at 90 degrees and adjust the oven toward the sun every 30 to 45 minutes for maximum temperature.
    • Best cooking hours are 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. but longer in the summer.
    • A folded towel placed over the glass when the food is done will hold food warm for a couple of hours.

    Baking Tips:  Baking normally will take longer than baking in a conventional oven.  For cornbread, preheat a cast iron skillet or baking pan for a crispy crust. For cakes, yeast breads or baked potatoes, wait for a clear day so you can keep the heat high and consistent.  Quick breads have been most reliable for me.  Yeast breads baked in smaller, darker colored baking pans bake best in the Sun Oven. These are a favorite bread pan.

    Stove Top Cooking Tips: Start the liquids heating up in the cooker ahead of time, or bring water or other liquids to a boil on a conventional stove top and then put the pot in the cooker. Also, preheat the cooking pot; the lid, and the rocks to keep the heat up.

    Lower temperature or simmering Tips: Adjust the Sun Oven slightly away from the direct sun. Simmering can happen even if the day is slightly overcast.

     

    Cooking while you’re away from home: Put your food (say a pot of seasoned, pre-soaked beans) in the well-propped cooker, adjusted for noon. Enjoy the satisfaction of coming home to a solar cooked meal ready to serve.

    Quick and Easy Ideas for a busy day:  Bake extra potatoes for frying later, cook chunks of squash, whole chicken, burritos, frozen foods, and precooked entrees.

    Diary From a Northern Hemisphere Kitchen by Tara Miller

    WEDNESDAY:

    Roast chicken in solar cooker. Dust a little paprika on top so the chicken isn’t so white. This will enhance the color to the surface of the meat. Place potatoes and carrots or other vegetables alongside the chicken for the last 20 minutes or so.  Refrigerate or freeze select meat (such as the breast meat). We ate with our fingers and feasted on the chicken, saving the bones and skin for soup stock.

    THURSDAY:

    Boil leftover chicken bones several hours or more to make stock. Adjust cooker regularly to keep it simmering.

    Lunch: Cold, diced chicken breast salad or sandwiches from yesterday’s leftovers.

    Supper: Chicken Soup: In the late afternoon,: strain and discard the bones, skim fat (Refrigerate or freeze part of broth for future use). Return about a quart of the broth to the cooker and add 1/4 cup barley, cook at least an hour. About 45 minutes before supper time add other vegetables: onion, garlic, carrots, green beans; later, add chopped chard. Season at the last minute with garden sage, thyme, salt.

    FRIDAY:

    Lunch: leftover soup, either cold or warmed in cooker.

    Midafternoon: Start the rice: bring 4 cups salted water to a boil in an oversized kettle  (the extra space will serve as a steamer later) in the solar cooker, add 2 cups brown rice. Position in slightly advanced to sun perfect position* and rice will cook with no further attention.

    Supper: When the rice is nearly done place quick cooking vegetables such as edible pea pods and chopped greens to steam on top of the rice and cover. To serve: Skim vegetables off the top of the rice and season creatively: Try garlic, olive oil and basil, or chutney, or plum sauce or whatever you have on hand.

    SATURDAY (This is a busy day diary and presumes the use of more than one cooker.)

    Early:     Set cookers in position facing where the sun will first strike.  Place an empty cast iron kettle with cover in one cooker to preheat for potatoes later.

    Breakfast: Leftover rice from the bottom of yesterday’s kettle. Fix it the way you eat your breakfast oatmeal or cold cereal with cream or yogurt, butter, maple syrup, brown sugar, nuts, dried fruits etc.

    Midmorning: Scrub potatoes and place in hot, preheated kettle or cast iron pot. Position in slightly advanced to sun perfect position* and potatoes will cook with no further attention.

     

    Lunch: Remove the hot baked potatoes. Leave kettle in cooker, readjust the solar cooker for full sun power. Eat baked potato bar with your favorite toppings such as bacon bits, shredded cheese, butter, chives, etc. Cool the rest of the potatoes and refrigerate. Leftover potatoes will be used either grated for breakfast hashbrowns and eggs, or made into potato salad later in the week.

    Throw corn on the cob in the kettle. This was tough corn, so I husked it and left the cooker at sun perfect position* so it would cook for about 45 minutes. Other options for afternoon cooking in that preheated kettle: whole beets, or  soup.

    * Sun-perfect position has the glass tilted exactly perpendicular to the angle of incoming sun light and with the shadow symmetrical behind the cooker. “Advanced” to sun perfect position has that shadow set so that “sun-perfect position” will come in about 20 minutes. My Sun Oven will bake at peak temperatures for 45 minutes to an hour with no further adjustments starting from this advanced position.

    SUNDAY

    Our little cherry tree has one final picking of sour red pie cherries. We preserved some of them by canning in the solar cooker.   Canning in a solar cooker is considered an advanced skill recommended for experienced solar oven enthusiasts only.  So I have not included the instructions.  If you want more information, please email me at marilyn@urbanhomemaker.com

    Cherry Cobbler

    Place four cups of juicy cherries in the bottom of black enamel 8 x 12 baking pan. For a festive touch, save out a handful to decorate the top.

    Stir into cherries either 2 tablespoons corn starch or 2 tablespoons quick cooking tapioca. If using tapioca, let it sit for at least 15 minutes.

    Mix crispy crust by:

    Cream together 1/2 cup butter with 3/4 cup brown sugar

    Sift together in a small bowl:

    1 cup flour

    1/4 teaspoon baking soda

    1/4 teaspoon baking powder

    1/4 teaspoon salt

    Mix flour mixtures with the butter/sugar mixture, then add:

    1 cup oatmeal

     

    Stir well and spread over the top of the cherries. Just for fun make a little drawing on top of the crust with the saved cherries. Consider that the dark color of the cherries may encourage more efficient absorption of solar radiation.

    Optional version is to put the entire crust UNDER the cherries. Be sure to soak the tapioca in the cherry juice at least 15 minutes:  Use 1 1/2 Tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca for each 1/2 cup juice.

    Best of all, Have Fun with your Global Sun Oven!

  • Going Solar: Cooking for FREE

    When I tell people that I purchased a solar oven they look at me funny, like they don’t get it. It’s almost as if they wonder how you plug it in. Or how do you get the sun to come into your kitchen where the oven is? YEP- I was asked this and once I explained the person didn’t believe me! But it is true and every time I use it I too am shocked. As of this week, I have used my Sun Oven about 3x a week. I have enjoyed not worrying about dinner (since I thought about it earlier!)  nor a hot kitchen ( which will inevitably end summer cooking). I almost go into a camping mindset.. No rules, cooking freedom, etc

     

    Why did we buy a solar oven?
    1.      Free energy! Seriously, that was part of it.
    2.      Camping
    3.      Emergency use
    4.      Ease of use (think of a crock pot you don’t plug in)
    5.      Novelty (hello, it’s a SOLAR oven)

    We liked our solar oven so much that we contacted the company that makes the Global Sun Oven to become a reseller. Is it turns out the owner of the company was on vacation in Western Colorado and came to our home to conduct a training seminar with a crowd of about 20 people. We met in the breezeway and learned quite a bit. Here are some photos!


    A solar oven is designed for a useful life of about 30 years. There are no burners to go out and very few moving parts. A large portion of these ovens are sold overseas in developing countries, so simplicity, ease of use and durability are a key feature (and benefit).
    Here are some points which may answer your questions:

    • Food cooks at 178 degrees F. Anything above that will cook. Yes, adjusting cooking time may be slightly longer, but I had brownies cook in 30 min when the oven temp was 350 degrees!
    • Treat the wood top with Linseed oil every 2 yrs if it is left to the elements.
    • It is hot! Yes, use oven mitts! The glass, cooking pots, and the metal inside are hot if the oven is on.
    • Dog proof? Yes- Dogs don’t like their noses burned anymore than you like your fingers! The glass can be hot.
    • For every oven sold in the USA a portion goes into equipping others in deforested countries where fuel is a premium.
    • The reflectors can be scratched or just plain old and beat up – and they will still work!
    • The reflectors can be wiped with a Norwex cloth or simply use Windex.. However I thought no chemicals was best.
    • It is easy! Yes,  It was scarey until I actually used it for the 1st time. Every time after has been E-A-S-Y!
    • Any recipe you like to cook can probably be cooked in this Sun Oven.
    • Sun Ovens make a perfect vehicle to have a personal challenge. This is my personal challenge and so far, I just have to readjust my thinking on timing. Also I am not so burned out in the morning as I am in the evening.. so it has helped with meal planning!

     

    Points from our newsletter below!

    • A solar oven heats up quickly and can be used in summer and winter. You can cook at temperatures as low a 8 degrees F.
    • A solar oven cooks food evenly and will not dry your food out. This is one of the most amazing things about the way it cooks. The heat in the unit surrounds the cooking area and cooks from all sides. You can even hard boil eggs without boiling them. Eggs placed on a pan will become hard-unboiled (in just 30min!) just like hard boiled eggs. That’s because the heat around the egg is an even heat – just like when boiling.
    • A solar oven won’t burn your food either. Rice or baked beans in a pot will not get that hard burned layer at the bottom, because there is no flame at the bottom burning the items.

    Here’s what we learned in our test kitchen, or south facing deck for this project…

    Pre-heating ( all of 7 minutes) began after breakfast; the oven was placed towards the sun (obvious, I know) and positioned as the owner’s manual suggests.

    I placed a FROZEN 4lb. chicken with seasonings into the 3QT pot and when I placed it in the oven, it was at 300 degrees. I was pleasantly surprised that this little 20 pound cooker really puts out the heat!

    My frozen chicken cooked from 11:45am to 4:15pm. The smell around the Sun Oven was delectable! The roasted chicken smelled wonderful, looked gorgeous, and was fully cooked and made a perfect dinner!

    I have several more test case scenarios to put to the test- however so far the concept is wonderful. The ability to actually cook a frozen chicken with little to no effort using the free energy of the sun was downright fun.

    Brownies are wonderful. I used my own recipe. They cooked beautifully in 30 min.

    I wish I had taken a photo of my frozen rock of a round roast. Yes- As I ran out the door to take the kids to swimming lessons the thought came to me.. Put a frozen roast inthe Sun Oven, pour BBQ sauce over the top, and wha la- have no stress for dinner. So I went about my day, took the roast out around 5:45pm and served wonderful BBQ Beef Sandwiches for dinner.Serve with  Cole Slaw, and a fruit salad.

    BBQ Sauce:

  • SAUCE:
  • 1/2 cup ketchup
  • 1/2 cup chili sauce
  • 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring (optional)
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
  • ** put half on the meat, save half for serving**

    • Cole Slaw:

  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 teaspoon celery seed
  • 4 cups chopped cabbage ( Use both green and purple cabbage or a Broccoli slaw mix)

    • Directions

    1. In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, mayonnaise, and celery seed. Add cabbage and toss to coat.  This is a very basic slaw recipe. I end up adding seeds, nuts, noodles, or dried fruit to make it right for the taste buds!

    Fruit Salad: ( Yummy Yummy!- Can you tell I am a mother to young kids?)

    • Add any fruit you have, cut into bite sized pieces. Mix together
    • Dollop vanilla yogurt as dressing OR equal parts yogurt/orange juice with crystallized ginger chopped up through out. Having this made early so flavors can mingle is best, but not required!

    For more information and recipes for our solar ovens visit our web site here.

    Do you get our newsletter? Join here and get a free e-book “Steps to the Best Bread”.

  • Father’s Day Family Favorite Recipes

    Dad’s are so easy! The way to a man’s heart really is through his stomach. Make these fantastic and oh so simple meals for dad on “his” day and watch the grin spread from ear to ear… throw in a little back rub and a few words of encouragement and his ‘tank’ will be filled.

    Dad's Favorite Burger

    Dad’s Favorite Hamburgers with Herbs

    I have been using this easy recipe for over 30 years. After you try these tasty seasoned hamburgers, you will never go back to plain old hamburgers. I make lots and freeze the patties individually on cookie sheets and then place into zip lock baggies. If you don’t have all the herbs, use whatever you have.  Double, triple, or quadruple amounts for extra hamburgers for a crowd or for the freezer!

     

    2 lbs. hamburger

    1 Tbsp chopped chives

    1/2 tsp. crumbled tarragon, optional

    2 tsp. salt

    1/4 tsp. pepper

    1/4 c. chopped parsley

    1/4 c. chopped green onion

    1 egg

     

    Mix all ingredients in a mixing bowl by hand. Shape into 6-8 large patties. Grill or broil until done.

     

    Even dad likes this!

    Strawberry Spinach Salad

    I like this recipe for Father’s Day because it takes advantage of what’s in season and is delicious.  Use whatever other ingredients you like and have on hand.

     

    6 or more Cups spinach or other mixed greens, torn up

    1 Cup strawberries, sliced

    2 green onions, sliced

    1 small red onion, cut into thin rings

    1 garlic clove, minced

    2 Tbsp sunflower seeds (raw or toasted), optional

    1/2 Cup bacon pieces, crumbled

    1/2 Cup chopped walnuts or slivered almonds (toasted if desired)

    1/2 Cup grated Parmesan cheese OR1/4  Cup Feta Cheese, crumbled

    Cucumbers,  sliced, optional

    Avocado slices, optional

     

    Assemble the greens in a large salad bowl and add additional ingredients in layers as attractively as possible.  Let the children help and get creative.  Be sure to take pictures!

     

    Balsamic Dressing:

    1/4 cup honey

    2 Tbsp sesame seeds, toasted if desired

    1/4 Cup Balsamic vinegar (wine vinegar is fine)

    1/4 Cup olive oil

    Salt and pepper to taste

    Combine ingredients in a jar with tight fitting lid and shake well.  Dress the salad when ready to serve, or use salad dressings of choice.

     

     

    Marilyn’s Potato Salad

    My late husband loved any kind of potato salad.  This recipe is the way I like to make it, but many ingredients are optional, so use what you have.

     

    2 1/2 lbs Red Potatoes, cooked and cubed (I use the Duromatic Pressure Cooker to save time)

    3/4 Cup French dressing or Marilyn’s French Dressing

    2-4 Tbsp Fresh Dill to taste, snipped

    1/2 Cup bacon, crumbled

    1/2 cup finely diced red onion OR

    1/2 cup finely chopped fresh chives, optional

    4 hard boiled eggs, chopped or sliced

    1/2-1 Cup celery, chopped

    1/2 cup diced dill pickle, optional

    1/2 cup diced red pepper, optional

    1/2 -1 Cup mayonnaise or to taste

    Salt and pepper to taste

    Paprika

    Snipped fresh or dried parsley, optional

    Marinate the cooked, cubed potatoes in French dressing in a refrigerator container overnight.

    Combine the rest of the ingredients, except for the eggs and paprika with the marinated potatoes in a medium bowl.  Adjust seasonings.  Pour into an attractive serving bowl.  Garnish the salad with parsley, sliced eggs, and paprika.

     

     

     

    Marilyn’s French Salad Dressing

    This recipe, courtesy of a chef, has been my family’s favorite salad dressing recipe for nearly 25 years. I use this versatile dressing to marinate veggies, and potato salad as well. Double or triple the recipe as it goes fast!


    1/4 Cup vinegar, Balsamic, Red wine, or Apple-Cider Vinegar
    1 TB Dijon mustard, prepared
    2 or more cloves garlic, minced
    1 tsp. salt
    1/4 tsp. pepper, fresh ground if possible
    1/2 tsp. paprika
    2/3 Cup quality oil such as olive oil,     coconut oil, sesame oil, or combination of oils. Be sure to use pure pressed or expeller pressed oils which contain the anti-oxidants and vitamin E.

     

    Combine these ingredients in a carafe, glass jar, or whisk together with a fork in a small mixing bowl.

     

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