How To Build A Solar Oven

Sometimes it's interesting what you can find via google! I came across how to build a solar oven a few weeks ago. I would give a link, but I couldn't find the original source I seen and after several hours of looking, we just decided to wing it from what I could remember. We knew we basically needed a box inside a box, the void between the boxes filled with shredded paper, and lots of aluminum foil!. The "original" designed I seen a few weeks ago had a funnel coming out of it. Seeing I couldn't remember exactly how to do that part, we just lined some poster paper with foil.

Supplies:

• 2 large boxes (one must fit inside another)
• aluminium foil
• shredded paper
• 2 large pieces of poster paper
• turkey size oven bag
• oven themometer
• black pot to "cook" food in
• several pieces of black construction paper
• non toxic tape and non toxic glue

So the basic design is a box inside the box. The interior box is completely lined with aluminum foil. We used glue and tape to help secure the aluminum foil to the box. After it was completely lined with aluminum foil we placed black construction paper over the aluminum foil on the bottom of the interior box.  The void in between the interior box and the outer box was filled with shredded paper.  Be sure to place a inch or so of shredded paper in the bottom of the outer box, before placing the interior box inside it.

We then lined poster paper with aluminium foil. Again just like with the box we secured the foil to the poster paper with the aid of glue and tape.

The pieces together look something like this:

You'll notice that when we lined the interior box we made it go over the shredded paper and taped it to the outer box. You should also note the box under it that is helping to angle the box to face the sun. You want to angle in such a way that there is NO shadow inside the box where your pot will sit.

After the oven is made you just put a small oven safe pot (black or dark color is best) inside a oven bag. The bagged pot goes into the "oven". We also placed a oven thermometer inside the oven bag on the lid of the roaster pan we used. This was so we could see how hot it really got. We decided to test it first, before we tried to cook anything.

Within 10-15 minutes the oven thermometer was reading 200 degrees! Not quite hot enough to do a roast , but hot enough to heat up some hot dogs.

So I removed the pan with pot holders and placed some hot dogs inside.

I didn't remove the pan completely from the oven bag. Just the lid and thermometer. We slipped the hot dogs in, place the lid and thermometer back on, and twisted tied the oven bag closed.

The kids at first decided to sit and watch the oven.

However that only lasted about 5 minutes. They realized that it was really like watching a pot boil. It was no fun! So they asked me to let them know when it was done. Once we go the oven up to 200 again we left them for about 30 minutes. I know a microwave is so much faster, but this was fun! The hot dogs came out heated. They could have been left a little longer to be a little bit more hotter, but either way the kids enjoyed their solar cooked hot dogs for dinner.

NOTES: We may not have needed all the foil on the box, but in the original I seen the funnel didn't go all the way into the box. We just did that way because we used the poster paper. The poster paper on it's own wasn't strong enough to stay up. So we had to stick it into the box to help give it strength. The kids would also like to thank Oma and Grandpa for giving us the boxes we needed to to this project.

So this was our solar oven. Solar oven 1.0! LOL! We are are trying to figure out how to get it hotter! So there might be solar oven 2.0 in the future! One thing we got the oven out there at 4 in the afternoon. So we also wonder if it will be hotter if it was noon time! We also wonder what tweaks we can do to get it hotter.

Update: WP-Kidney

I really don't have anything to share. Other then the 2nd CT scan has left us a little confused and questioning what the next should be. A 3rd CT-scan has been suggested, but we are not sure if that's the right direction. So we are asking lots of questions right now.

We were told that there was NO change from the 1st CT scan and the 2nd CT scan. Last week the term cyst was used to describe what was seen on her left kidney. Today it was the terms mass and infection. We basically were told today that radiology did not know if it's an infection or mass on her left kidney.

That is all I have to share at this point....as our questions are answered I will share.

How To Homeschool?

It's that time of year again! Time to think about the children's education and the options that you may or may not have available to you. It's the time of year where random people at the store, doctor offices, and everywhere else begin to ask the kids "Are you ready to go back to school?"

The question really should be "Mom, are you ready to take on another year of homeschooling?" How do you homeschool? I wish I could say it's easy. Well it's not difficult but it does have it's ups and downs. Picking out a curriculum, coming up with a scope of sequence, and over all goals that you would like to see your child to accomplish over the course of the "school year".

Even though homeschooling has its up and downs, I think the how can be broken down into a few simple steps.

1) Learn Your State Laws! Every state has its own laws. So learn the laws for the area you live in. Learn them, understand them, and be sure that you can follow them. Some states require more out of homeschoolers then others.

2) Outline YOUR reasons for homeschooling. Every family has its own reasons. So take time to outline what your reasons are.

3) Before you even beginning to look at actual curriculum sit down and think about what you want the curriculum to do? Think about what it is you are looking for in a curriculum. Not only that but set a price point. Decide what you want and what you are willing to pay before you begin to shop. I firmly believe it's much easier to find choices that fit within your goals and price ranges then to trying to make an over price curriculum fit into your budget and goals.

4) Once you know what your goals are, what your price points are, then set out to find materials that fit within your goals and price point. Through out the process don't under estimate your local library system. I've been able to borrow curriculum, workbooks, etc from my local library.

5) Don't be afraid to change things! Of course you want to give everything a fair shot, but don't be afraid to admit when things are not working out!

6) Trust yourself!

From Cell Phone To Porche

The video is having issues beyond my control. If you are having issues with the video please visit CBS site.

NO SALES TAX ON SCHOOL SUPPLIES!

I just learned that the state of Illinois has implemented a Holiday Sales Tax! If you buy school supplies and/or clothing during Aug 6th-16th, 2010 will will NOT have to pay a state sales tax on the items. Please see the PDF from the STATE for what items qualified and for more details!  This is the first year that the state of Illinois has done something like this. Other states have been doing it for a few years.