New and Improved All-American Sun Oven (ok this is really exciting!)

If you’ve followed our blog for a while, you probably know that we both love and use our Global Sun Ovens frequently. We teach about them intensively in our Powerless Cooking Classes because it is such a great way to conserve your fuel as long as you have a sunny day. You can check out a few of our cooking adventures here and here.

Well today we are so excited to tell you about the BRAND NEW ALL-AMERICAN SUN OVEN. The company has taken feedback from customers over the years and has made so many great enhancements to the sun oven. We’re going to highlight some of our favorites in this post, but you can check out the full details over at our Online Store. This new Sun Oven is only available in the U.S. while the Global Sun Oven will still be available in the U.S. and worldwide.

sunoven-newpin

Benefits of the NEW All-American Sun Oven

Screen shot 2013-04-09 at 11.19.41 PM 20% LARGER INTERIOR: Without increasing the exterior size of the oven, the interior can now accommodate a regular 9×13 pan. HURRAY for this! Now you don’t have to buy special pots and pans or limit your meals to smaller meals.
EASIER TO ALIGN WITH THE SUN: No more trying to figure out if the oven is aligned properly with the sun (did anyone else feel like the shadow thing was really hard to get right??) The little plastic E-Z Sun Track Indicators take all the guess work out.
Screen shot 2013-04-09 at 11.15.01 PM MORE STABLE: The stake at the back is now t-shaped so it is more stable in windy weather, it also includes little stakes you can use to pin it to the ground.
Screen shot 2013-04-09 at 11.19.34 PM HOTTER TEMPERATURES: With a thicker glass door and a better sealing gasket, temperatures can now get 10-15% hotter than the Global Sun Oven. On full sunny days you can get up to 360-400 degrees. Woo-hoo!
rack BETTER LEVELING RACK: The new rack looks great, you can use it in different ways, including folding it up and placing it on the floor of the sun oven to increase the usable area inside while still allowing air to circulate in the oven. Love this.
NEW CD: The new CD that comes with every All-American Sun Oven is full of emergency preparedness info, videos, and tons of amazing recipes developed specifically for the sun oven plus FREE recipe organizer software. You can even update the software to download all the new recipes from Sun Ovens website. How cool is that?

sunoven-buy

If you already own a Sun Oven, we have heard that there will be an upgrade kit that will get you all of the new features (except for the interior capacity). We will keep you posted as soon as it is available.

Sneak Peak at the New Features

Paul Munsen, the President of Sun Ovens International stopped by my house when he was in town last week to give me a sneak peek at the new sun oven. I canNOT wait to get my hands on one of these and start using it! I tried to film a video of him showing me the new features but alas, when you have a 6 year old help film you end up with only half of a video. You can see the half of it that actually recorded after I took the phone from her. I TRIED, please forgive me :)

Filed Under: Powerless Cooking, Sun Oven Tagged: , , , , , ,
April 10, 2013 8 Comments

Getting Started Raising Chickens

CHICK

When I first told Julie I wanted to get chickens and blog about it, her response was “Jodi, that’s not FOOD STORAGE MADE EASY!” So here is my preface, you don’t have to raise chickens if you want to do food storage. If you are just getting started, make sure to review our “Why Food Storage” series and sign up for our BabyStep Checklists which will walk you through getting your food storage (minus the chickens) over a series of emails for one year.

Now, if you are interested in having chickens either for fun, for food, for self reliance, or for an educational experience for your kids … READ ON! (Hint, it’s easier than you think)

Getting Started with Backyard Chickens

The beginning phases of getting chickens is soooo easy and super fun! If you have an IFA or other agricultural supply store in your area you can grab everything there including your chicks. I took my kids and was in and out in 30 minutes, not a big deal at all. You can also purchase all these things online if you don’t have a store in your area that sells them.

Baby Chicks

Housing

Baby chicks will need to be kept very warm, so it’s best to keep them inside or in a heated garage in the beginning. We keep them in the kitchen because we like to play with them. When they get a bit bigger and stinkier I’ll probably move them to the basement. A large cardboard box or a rubbermaid bin will work for the first few weeks. As soon as they get big enough to fly up and perch on the edge of the bin you will want to either find a way to cover the box or move them to a bigger container. We have a very large box we’ll be upgrading them too when they get bigger.

Heat Lamp

For the first 6 weeks or so you’ll need to keep your chicks very warm and the best way to do this is using a heat lamp. You’ll need to rig the lamp up so it sits at the top of your coop. Some of them have little clamps, others have loops you can use to hang them. I used a kitchen chip bag clamp to hold the cord to the box and keep it from falling in. We’re high tech around here. My lamp was $14.50 and the bulb was $3.99 at IFA. Looks like they are a bit cheaper online.

Food/Feeders

I got a small 3 lb hanging feeder and rigged up a way to hang it in our box. Once the chickens are bigger and in their coop you’ll need something bigger, but I didn’t want to have a huge feeder in my little box so I opted to buy a small one now and upgrade to a bigger one later. Mine was $7.50 at IFA. You can also find it at Amazon. For food, I bought two five pound bags of poultry chick starter food. That should last a little while until they get bigger and start eating more!

Water

Last time I had chicks their water container seemed to be a big mess and they’d always poop in it. This time I bought a brooder nipple bottle to hang on the side of the box. I LOVED it until after a few days it just caused the box to disintegrate on that corner because the chicks would cause it to drip out when they played with it. If you were using a plastic bin this would still be a great option because then the birds don’t perch and poop in the water. I put in my old water container instead now.

Chicks

When we raised our last batch of chicks we bought a big mix of breeds and ended up with a few that were our favorites. So this time we bought 2 Rhode Island Reds and 4 Buff Orpingtons. When we got home we noticed they had accidentally snuck 5 Buff Orpingtons in the box though, so we got a bonus ;) There are LOTS of varieties out there but these ones seemed to be nice with our kids and have consistent laying so we went with them. Our chicks were $3.79 each, I know you can order these through the mail but we think it’s fun to go to the store and get them right then!

Summary

My total cost was about $70. You could be a little more or less depending on where you buy your materials and chicks, and how deluxe you go on things. It only took a couple of hours to get everything purchased and set up at our house. It is EASY to get started. It gets harder as they start to outgrow their box and you have to keep them contained. It’s also another post entirely when you get into the details of how you will transition them outside, build a coop, keep them out of your vegetable garden, etc. I’ll keep you updated throughout our little adventure :)

photo (34)


Filed Under: Raising Animals Tagged: , , , ,
March 18, 2013 6 Comments

Making the Most of Your Money When Purchasing Food Storage (aka Tax Refund Week)


Welcome to Tax Refund Week! We often get asked the question “I got some gift money, or I inherited some money – what would you recommend I purchase?”. Talk about a LOADED question. The answer always ends up being: “Well…. it depends”. In this series, we are going to answer that question. There isn’t a universal answer for this, but by going through each topic below, we’re confident you will have a good idea about what may be right for you – should you get a nice tax refund or other unexpected “extra” money!
Back to the answer always ends up being: “Well…it depends”. The reason it depends is because not everyone has the same diets, lifestyles, monthly budgets for Food Storage, and ability or desire to rotate their Food Storage. If you are in the habit of replenishing and using your three month supply, then maybe splurging on an appliance you’ve been waiting for is a good idea. If your budget is super tight, and you haven’t been able to put enough food away for your three month supply – perhaps the appliance can wait and it would be a good idea to stock up on your three month supply foods all at once. If you have no real intention of rotating your Food Storage, and you want to have “just in case” foods, then spending money on some “Just Add Water Meals” would be a good idea. We all have different styles and philosophies, so that’s why: “Well… it depends”.

Here is a summary of all the topics that are covered in this series. We obviously encourage taking advantage of sales, and/or building your food storage bit by bit … but sometimes it can be easy (and nice) to buy things all at once. So take a look below and make YOUR game plan for any unexpected cash windfalls you might be blessed with :)

BUYING A THREE MONTH SUPPLY IN BULK
Ideally, you will purchase your 3 month supply little by little, while taking advantage of sales. However, maybe you haven’t gotten around to it, you haven’t been able to afford it, or you don’t trust your ability to stay on top of sales. You might not live close to regular grocery stores, or you could have any other reason to not add to your 3 month supply little by little. If any of those reasons to not add to your 3 month supply bit by bit sound like you, you may chose to use your tax refund (or a big chunk of change) and buy a lot of it all at once.

Our Babystep 3 teaches you all about figuring out how to make a list of everything you may need for your 3 month supply of food. You can chose to use the spreadsheets included, or the printable forms. Read More >>>
BEST WAYS TO PURCHASE TRADITIONAL FOOD STORAGE
When referring to traditional food storage, the food items typically include grains, legumes, sugars, oils, etc. These foods provide a life-sustaining diet and at the very least these should be the ones you store. These items also have a long shelf life thus they are ideal for long term food storage. We recommend including additional foods such as fruits, veggies, meats and powdered dairy products in your traditional food storage to add a variety to your diet, and to allow you more flexibility to make your regular recipes using foods you have stored.

A lot of people like to shoot for a goal of storing a one year supply of long term food storage, so buying a big chunk of that at one time when you come across some “extra” money is a great way to make a dent in it. Read More >>>
WHAT TO KNOW WHEN BUYING JUST ADD WATER MEALS
We used to consider storing Just-add-Water meals to be “cheating” when purchasing Food Storage. However, over the years we have come to realize that there is a time and place for this type of food storage. If you go through a short term disaster or need to grab some food and go, having a bucket or two of this kind of food will be invaluable to you. If you choose to store “Just Add Water” meals there are several things to consider as you determine what you need to store.

First, decide how many servings your family will need to store.
Second, decide if you want to supplement with other foods.
Third, plan for the appropriate fuel and water. Read More >>>
WHAT TYPE OF FOOD STORAGE SHELVES TO BUY
Our BabyStep 1 is to get your shelves, and food storage area ready. The reason we have shelves as step number 1 (after your basic eprep) is because when you have a room set up, building and adding to your food storage feels fun. It no longer becomes a task of figuring out where to put stuff. So whether its cheap and temporary shelves, or if you’re more experienced and run into extra money, some of the food rotation shelves can be really nice solutions.

When deciding on which shelves to put in your home, there are a lot of things to consider. We go into this is greater depth on our BabyStep 1 page. You may have space or budget issues to deal with, but there are options out there. Depending on what types of foods you are storing, rotating shelves can be a great thing to have. It’s also okay to start small with one shelf, and then add to it as you grow your food storage. Read More >>>
TOP PICKS FOR EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PRODUCTS
There are hundreds (probably thousands) of Emergency Preparedness products available out there. Some products are critical to have, while others just make life easier. Over the years of doing this blog, we have tried lots of different things, and have become dealers for many of them.

When determining what it is you need, we always recommend taking care of basics first. Take care of your 72 hour kits, your water storage, basic first aid, and sanitation supplies. After you have taken care of the basics (and have either saved up money or get a nice chunk of change) add to your supplies. If you follow our blog, you know we often try to teach you cheap or free solutions to tie you over in the mean time. Read More >>>

TOOLS TO USE YOUR FOOD STORAGE DAILY
When determining what it is you need in terms of appliances, we recommend the “test yourself” theory. What we mean by that, is test yourself by either borsrowing, or doing things the hard way before buying an appliance. Try making bread by hand before buying an expensive mixer. SURE the mixer WILL make the job easier, and oftentimes make the bread turn out better, but see if you are dedicated enough to the habit or lifestyle before buying something you may never use.

We borrowed wheat grinders, canners, and dehydrators before ever getting our own, and it was great practice to allow us to see what it was we wanted. So here are a few of our favorite appliances to help us use and preserve our Food Storage. Read More>>>

Filed Under: Tax Return Week Tagged: , , ,
March 14, 2013 Leave a Comment

Sourdough 101: Part 1 of 2

Alright, today I’m going to be sharing something with you that I’m still learning about myself. I started learning about sourdough starters and sourdough bread last week. I was sharing my experiments with you all on Facebook and had a lot of requests to post recipes and instructions. Can I just say – I’M TOTALLY NEW AT THIS, and hesitant to even share because it’s kind of like the blind leading the blind here… but I’ll just tell you what I learned. That is actually how we started our blog in the first place, so it feels familiar to be totally clueless over here!

Today I’m going to share some research, and basic information on sourdough and sourdough starters. Then next week I’ll share the recipe for the bread I made.

What is Sourdough?

So, before learning about sourdough this last weekend, to me sourdough was a yummy bread I got at restaurants, dipped in oil and vinegar. Whenever I would eat said yummy bread, I would think to myself, if only this could be whole wheat- maybe then I wouldn’t feel so guilty. Well technically defined, sourdough is:

So, basically… I guess you can say…sourdough is a way of making bread (or pizza dough, pancakes, pretzels) leaven, or “rise”. Sounds kind of nasty when you say words like fermenting, but it’s the truth. And you’ve probably all eaten it.

What is a Sourdough Starter?

You may have gotten one of those Amish Friendship Bread Starters and made a sweet bread at some point in your life. I had, but I didn’t get what it really was. I’m not even entirely sure if it’s the same thing as what I did this weekend, but that is the only sourdough starter experience I had ever had.

The sourdough starter I used was a mixture of whole wheat flour and water, put through a process of mixing, and waiting to get it bubbly. I used the sourdough starter as part of my recipe in my bread. The starter is what made it leaven or rise.


How do I make a Sourdough Starter?

The sourdough starter I used was made by a friend of a friend of a friend, who actually turned out to be one of my friends too. Anyways, she made it following a process similar to the one found at this link. When I was talking about sourdough starters on facebook, one of our readers shared this link and it sounded like the process my friend used. Since I’m new at this, I decided my first experiment ought to be with a tried and tested starter. I think I’ll venture into trying to make my own one day because I think it’s a good skill to have, but for now I’m happy with mine.

After you have your starter made, you use most of it in a recipe, then you “feed” what is left with more flour and water, and then it grows and you can use it again. You keep repeating that process over and over again.

I would recommend you find a friend who may already have one going and ask if you can “have” some of their starter. They probably will know what you are talking about, and it turns out, it’s not that weird to share starters.

Where do I buy a Sourdough Starter?

So it seems as though you can buy starters. Like I’ve said a few times, I’M NEW AT THIS, so I don’t really know… but with a little internet research it looks like you can buy some at King Arthur Flour. It appears as though there are some really good reviews on this product, so it might be worth trying.

What are the Benefits of using Sourdough Starters?

So from an Emergency Preparedness standpoint, knowing how to make a sourdough starter is a great skill. Learning how, and being able to make bread from only wheat, water, salt and starter is a REALLY good thing. You never know what ingredients may run out, go bad, or not be around. I’m really excited to be learning more about this and look forward to messing around making my own starter one day.

Not only is it a good skill to have, turns out this kind of bread has some health benefits. Some more internet research led me to this article by Shannon at Simplebites.net that was very interesting. The part I liked the most from this article was this:

Like all other fermentation processes, the bacteria present in the sourdough starter eat the starch and sugars present in the grain. This results in a lowering of the starch or carbohydrate content of the bread, which is helpful for keeping blood sugar levels regulated. It also increases some of the vitamin and mineral content of the grain.

For a mom of three trying to lose baby weight, I don’t mind hearing words like “lowering carbohydrate content”.

Another article I found interesting is called “Sourdough for Health” and can be found here.

Come back next week for Part 2

Next week, I’ll share the recipe I used, with step-by-step instructions on how I made this bread! If you’re interested in trying this out, perhaps in the meantime you can work at getting your own starter either going, borrowed, or bought. In the words of my dear husband: “It seems like these food storage experiments you go about doing are scary and confusing when you start, but after you do them once they actually aren’t that hard”.


Filed Under: Wheat Recipes Tagged: , , , , ,
March 5, 2013 Leave a Comment

“FUEL THE FIRE” FEBRUARY

We hope you have enjoyed our “Fuel the Fire” in February series. We have had fun learning about and sharing a lot of different fuel options you may consider adding to your Emergency Preparedness Plan. Enjoy the overview of the series below.

If you aren’t signed up already for our FREE CHECKLISTS, make sure you get on the list. You’ll get a free checklist every 2 weeks to help you plan, buy, and use your Food Storage.


This year we wanted to do something educational, but keep with the theme of Valentine’s Day, so we are going to be celebrating Fuel the Fire February by discussing all the different fuels you may be using for your powerless cooking.


The most common fuels people store for powerless cooking are:

  • Wood
  • Charcoal
  • Propane
  • Butane
  • Kerosene
  • Alcohol

There are many considerations when you determine which fuels to store such as: storage limits, using indoors versus outdoors, storing indoors versus outdoors, what types of cooking appliances you can use, etc. For an overview of a lot of these common fuels please check out our Cooking Fuels Overview handout from our Powerless Cooking Class.


While most people are familiar with the above fuels, there have been quite a few new products developed lately that are really great for emergency preparedness/powerless cooking needs. We have been gradually researching, trying, and storing quite a few of these fuels and want to teach you guys more about them.

ReadyFuel: This is a new product from Lindon Farms. It is a gel that can be used indoors or outdoors, and won’t freeze, evaporate, or melt. It’s very light and each packet contains a little metal sheet that can be turned into a holder for your pot. It’s a great little fuel for camping or small cooking needs like boiling water.
READ OUR READY FUEL OVERVIEW
InstaFire: If you’ve followed our blog for a while you will know that we think InstaFire is a great product. It can be stored inside in convenient buckets, it burns in any kind of weather, and will even burn wet wood. It is handy to use in any kind of portable stove or even just on the ground. It’s definitely a nice supplement to go along with your other fuels.
READ OUR INSTA FIRE OVERVIEW
Fuel Disks: There are a few companies putting out fuel pellets or pucks that can be used in stoves such as the Firebox, or Cube Stove. The disks can be re-used if you don’t use the whole thing. They are easy to burn but must be used outside. They store easily and conveniently indoors or out. They are a very efficient fuel with one pellet lasting for one hour of cooking.
READ OUR FUEL DISK OVERVIEW
Solar Power: If you can find a way to harness the sun, solar power can be a great FREE and renewable fuel source for you. We have loved using our Sun Ovens whenever weather permits to conserve other fuels for cloudy days. With the new dehydrating racks you can also have a source for dehydrating fresh foods in a powerless emergency.
READ OUR SUN OVEN OVERVIEW
Stoves: We’re ending off Fuel The Fire February with a quick overview of some stoves you may be able to use with the different fuels we have talked about. While this is only scratching the surface on cooking stoves, we thought you may be interested in a few options such as Make Your Own, Firebox, Cube Stove, and Volcano.
READ OUR STOVE OVERVIEW

Filed Under: Powerless Cooking Tagged: , , , ,
February 19, 2013 Leave a Comment

Cooking Stoves Overview

Description:
We’re ending off Fuel The Fire February with a quick overview of some stoves you may be able to use with the different fuels we have talked about. While this is only scratching the surface on cooking stoves, we thought you may be interested in a few options.

Make Your Own #10 Can Stove:
A cheap and easy way to build a portable stove is by using a #10 can, cutting out holes for ventilation and placing wires in to hold various sizes of pots. We did a fun tutorial on how to make #10 can stoves, packed with fuels as a gift.

PRO: FREE to make
CON: Not all that efficient or sturdy (you will end up using more fuel)
CLICK HERE TO SEE A TUTORIAL


Cube Stove:
The Cube is made of durable alumized steel with an electrostatic surface which reflects heat better than stainless steel or other comparable surfaces. It can be used in 7 different positions to accommodate different needs, such as cooking fast or slow, or cooking on a large pot or small cup.

PRO: Small, durable, reusable, very inexpensive
CON: Doesn’t fold down flat like the Firebox
CLICK HERE TO BUY NOW OR LEARN MORE
Firebox Stove:
Firebox 5″ Folding Campfire Stove: “The most portable, versatile, easy to use cooking stove ever.” It’s a thin, portable campfire and multi-fuel stove with a 5″ combustion chamber that burns very efficiently. Simply place combustible fuels in the Firebox and ignite from the top or bottom through the fire grate.

PRO: Very efficient, will conserve fuel, folds down into a thin flat stove
CON: Costs more than the free or cheap options
CLICK HERE TO BUY NOW OR LEARN MORE
Volcano Stove:
The Volcano Grill’s unique heating chamber channels the heat upwards towards your food, instead of wasting fuel by expelling heat out the sides and bottom. You can use the Volcano with a variety of fuels, and cook with pots and pans, grills, woks, or dutch ovens. Perfect for camping and or emergency preparedness

PRO: Can use a variety of fuel such as propane, charcoal, Insta fire. You can grill, bake, fry and more
CON: This is a heavier, larger stove. Not meant for compact backpacking situations
CLICK HERE TO BUY NOW OR LEARN MORE

Filed Under: Powerless Cooking Tagged: , , , , ,
February 19, 2013 1 Comment

Sun Oven Overview

Description:
While the Sun Oven isn’t a FUEL, the SUN is! We couldn’t talk about fuels, without mentioning the Sun. We love our Sun Ovens. Often times people ask us how we would cook our food if there were no power. Our answer is: We would use the Sun Oven as much as possible, then fill in the rest with a variety of fuels and stoves.

Benefits:
- Uses the Sun as a source of fuel for cooking
- Can be used in the year round as long as there is enough sun to cast a shadow
- Functions just like a home oven
- Preserves your other fuel stores

Drawbacks:
- Can’t be used on rainy days
- Isn’t as fast and effective to boil water as some other methods

Burn Time:
We hope the burn time of the sun is indefinite!

Sun Oven February Special
All Sun Ovens purchased in February are eligible for a FREE dehydrating rack kit and a FREE turkey roasting rack.
CLICK HERE TO BUY NOW OR LEARN MORE

Our Sun Oven Experiments

Check out how Julie’s bread turned out using the Sun Oven!

Check out when Jodi tried out the Sun Oven in the WINTER snow!

CLICK TO VISIT THE MAIN FUEL OVERVIEW PAGE

Filed Under: Powerless Cooking Tagged: , , , , ,
February 19, 2013 Leave a Comment

ReadyFuel Overview

Description:
ReadyFuel is a gel that can be used indoors or outdoors, and won’t freeze, evaporate, or melt. It’s very light and each packet contains a little metal sheet that can be turned into a holder for your pot. It’s a great little fuel for camping or small cooking needs like boiling water.

Benefits:
- Safe to use indoors
- Stores inside and outside
- Convenient storage
- Includes a stand for use without a separate stove

Drawbacks:
- Not as cost effective as other options
- Not easy to use for extended cook times (can’t easily add more gel)

Burn Time:
One gel pack burns for approximately 20 minutes (boils 4 cups of water)

30 Day Supply:
One box (120 packets) will boil 30 gallons of water

ReadyFuel 120 Packet Box
Retail Price: $239.95
Our Regular Price: $200.00
SALE PRICE: $180.00 plus FREE SHIPPING (sale valid through February 24th)
CLICK HERE TO BUY NOW OR LEARN MORE

Jodi’s ReadyFuel Experiment

Jodi first experimented with ReadyFuel during our 7 Day Challenge last September. See what she thought below!

CLICK TO VISIT THE MAIN FUEL OVERVIEW PAGE

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged: , , , , ,
February 18, 2013 Leave a Comment

“FUEL THE FIRE” February: Which Fuel Do I Use?

In the past we’ve posted a few fun things about Valentine’s Day such as “Jodi’s Hot Date”, our Valentine’s Day Office Kit, or Grandma Lori’s famous sugar cookies which could be decorated for the big day.


This year we wanted to do something educational, but keep with the theme of Valentine’s Day, so we are going to be celebrating Fuel the Fire February by discussing all the different fuels you may be using for your powerless cooking.


The most common fuels people store for powerless cooking are:

  • Wood
  • Charcoal
  • Propane
  • Butane
  • Kerosene
  • Alcohol

There are many considerations when you determine which fuels to store such as: storage limits, using indoors versus outdoors, storing indoors versus outdoors, what types of cooking appliances you can use, etc. For an overview of a lot of these common fuels please check out our Cooking Fuels Overview handout from our Powerless Cooking Class.


While most people are familiar with the above fuels, there have been quite a few new products developed lately that are really great for emergency preparedness/powerless cooking needs. We have been gradually researching, trying, and storing quite a few of these fuels and want to teach you guys more about them.

ReadyFuel: This is a new product from Lindon Farms. It is a gel that can be used indoors or outdoors, and won’t freeze, evaporate, or melt. It’s very light and each packet contains a little metal sheet that can be turned into a holder for your pot. It’s a great little fuel for camping or small cooking needs like boiling water.
READ OUR READY FUEL OVERVIEW
InstaFire: If you’ve followed our blog for a while you will know that we think InstaFire is a great product. It can be stored inside in convenient buckets, it burns in any kind of weather, and will even burn wet wood. It is handy to use in any kind of portable stove or even just on the ground. It’s definitely a nice supplement to go along with your other fuels.
READ OUR INSTA FIRE OVERVIEW
Fuel Disks: There are a few companies putting out fuel pellets or pucks that can be used in stoves such as the Firebox, or Cube Stove. The disks can be re-used if you don’t use the whole thing. They are easy to burn but must be used outside. They store easily and conveniently indoors or out. They are a very efficient fuel with one pellet lasting for one hour of cooking.
READ OUR FUEL DISK OVERVIEW
Solar Power: If you can find a way to harness the sun, solar power can be a great FREE and renewable fuel source for you. We have loved using our Sun Ovens whenever weather permits to conserve other fuels for cloudy days. With the new dehydrating racks you can also have a source for dehydrating fresh foods in a powerless emergency.
READ OUR SUN OVEN OVERVIEW
Stoves: We’re ending off Fuel The Fire February with a quick overview of some stoves you may be able to use with the different fuels we have talked about. While this is only scratching the surface on cooking stoves, we thought you may be interested in a few options such as Make Your Own, Firebox, Cube Stove, and Volcano.
READ OUR STOVE OVERVIEW

Filed Under: Powerless Cooking Tagged: , , , ,
February 14, 2013 Leave a Comment

SUN OVENS: Winter Cooking, February Special and GIVEAWAY WINNER

As we mentioned in our giveaway post last week the weather has been beyond awful in Utah for the past few weeks. We posted the giveaway to celebrate the sunny day, and then it got smoggy again right after. Boo! However, this weekend it was GORGEOUS and we took advantage.

Saturday I pulled out my Sun Oven and made this Chocolate Swirled Banana Bread recipe from Our Best Bites (you might have heard us mention them before, lol) Julie thought I should make quinoa instead …. Well my oven did not even get up to 200 degrees, my bread did not cook at all, and I had to bring it inside to finish it in the oven. I was so sad since we have been told by numerous people that the Sun Oven should work in the winter as long as it is a sunny day.

I knew I had been hauling my Sun Oven around while I moved, and in and out of the car for expos, so I wondered it it could possibly be dirty and not reflecting very well. I also had it up on my deck whereas I used to always cook down on the patio below. So Sunday I decided to try again after I cleaned all the solar panels and the glass door and moved it down to my backyard patio. This time, IT WORKED! Here is video proof :)

Sun Oven February Special

We were so excited when right in the middle of our giveaway week Sun Oven announced their February special. With every Sun Oven purchased through our Food Storage Made Easy Store you can get a FREE Dehydrating Rack Kit AND a FREE Turkey Roasting Rack. All you have to do is check the boxes for those accessories and they will be included with your Sun Oven for FREE with no additional shipping charge. This is $50 worth of accessories you get for free.

Click here to learn more about the Sun Oven and take advantage of the February Special!

Sun Oven Giveaway Winner

We absolutely LOVED doing this giveaway all week. We had over 1000 people enter by sharing their 2013 food storage goals on our Facebook page, our blog post, or by sharing the giveaway with their friends. It has been so much fun to read what everyone has planned for the year and it gives us lots of ideas of ways we can help through our blog. And now …. the winner is:

TRACY H
Her goal is to learn to can meats!

Congratulations Tracy, we will email or message you to get your address and get out your Sun Oven asap! We know you will LOVE IT :)

Filed Under: Giveaways Tagged: , , , , , , ,
February 4, 2013 1 Comment
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