Skip to main content

Simple Solar Oven ~ It's a Heat Wave! ~ Sunflower Hot Pads

(the building of her oven)

Our 12 year-old is participating in a second science fair (in two years).  

This time, she chose to make a model (they have to pick specific categories, and they cannot repeat the same category from the previous science fair).  Her model?  A solar cooker.  Okay, I admit, her choice made me smile.  I can dig a solar oven. 



However, this particular science fair is in winter, and not in summer like all the rest.  Our prime solar cooking days run about mid-April to September here.  What we'll she cook?  Uh, maybe if we are lucky some sun tea?  



 Praying for a hot enough day to keep her grade from being marked down.  Considering this is also an interest of my own, I did a bit of research, and we can successfully solar cook if the temperatures rise above freezing.  

 Speaking of weather, it will be in the 20's today.  It's weird to walk out and think it feels like a heat wave at 20°F.  Maybe, just maybe, our dishwasher will run today, and possibly the other shower.  
Along with much needed deep cleaning, I tackled an "unfinished" project looming in my closet - sunflower hot pads.

The pattern for these hot pads are also found in this book I borrowed from the library.

I'm actually on my 4th one already.  These come in handy for gifting.  I plan to put one in our camper too.  They are pretty large - 11 1/2 inches in diameter.  I crocheted them using 100% cotton yarn.  I think they would make nice placemats, along with crocheted sunflower cup/mug coasters.   Sunflowers are not my favorite flower.  This just happens to be a looming project that isn't looming any longer. 

Kids are back in school today, and it is sooooo quiet in here today.  I better keep myself accountable.  I just might put clothes on the line today.

Last night I dug out another bag of frozen corn to go with dinner.  I have one bag left from last year's storage foods.  

We can't start much from seeds here (no place in the house, and the cats get into the seedlings, garage is too cold, and we have not built our green house yet etc.), so I have some extra time to pull out looming activities.
Labels:

Comments

Candy C. said…
I hope it warms up enough to make the solar oven 'work' and the sunflower hot pads are really cute! :)
January 30, 2014 at 11:32 AM
Liz said…
Sunflowers are my favorite!!
I bet its quiet with the kids back in school!
January 31, 2014 at 2:33 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Horsetail Salve ~ A "first" this Year

We purchased some horsetail salve to try last year.  It is said to help with severely dry, cracked skin.  My husband was the first to try it, with very, very dry and cracked hands from work. He loves it!  He joked I could not have it back.   I started the infused, horsetail oil the last part of March. Something I learned:   horsetail is also called shavegrass. I infused horsetail in oil, and strained it.  I then made horsetail salve.  I remembered to label my jar with what oil(s) I used, so I can journal this all in my "Herbal Remedies" journal.  I often forget to write the oil used. Now, the one we bought, has more in it than I put in ours, as far as ingredients (the purchased salve had lanolin, and aloe).  We'll see if ours works just as good.  I added the sage essential oil, and vitamin E oil. A "first" time experience for us this year.    I bought the larger tins at a seed store in an Amish area last year.  They a...
6 comments
Click here to read the entire story »

Chit Chat

  The pickings are slim right now, but we'll take anything we are blessed with.  I made a salad and cleaned the beans.  The rain will give us more for a meal in a day or so.  The green beans are every so slowly coming on this season. I made a batch of homemade granola, and instead of my homemade vanilla extract, I used my homemade Christmas Spice Extract.  It smelled so good in the oven, and while cooling.   I picked some purslane, and am doing an experiment with it this time.  Update soon.   Chit Chat ©  August 2026 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart
14 comments
Click here to read the entire story »

New Recipe Tried and other Bits

  I tried a new granola recipe and boy it's good.  First, it's a recipe from Mennonite Girls and Cook, and called "Backpack Snacks" online.  It calls for granola, so I used my homemade granola that we love.  Picture is the dry ingredients. Second, I pressed the final mixture into a 9 x 9, parchment lined baking dish instead of rolling it into balls.  The color of these photos are all different, because of the time of day, and how dark the house was from the thick Canadian smoke that was still outside at the time. These cut very nicely, and were very good, straight from the refrigerator.  It was hard to eat just one of them.  I will be making this again, and switching out the peanuts with walnuts, and switching out the raisins with dates.  Oh my!  The binder is honey and peanut butter. These are perfect for your hiking days, camping, your grandkids, or just for snacks when you want one. The rain arrived thank goodness, and washed the smoke in...
10 comments
Click here to read the entire story »