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Post by Granny Smith on May 6, 2011 20:21:41 GMT -5
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Post by Valerie on May 7, 2011 9:59:32 GMT -5
Yay, they even have the 8" like my skillet! I like those self-basting ones, with the tips, so the juice drips down instead of running around the edges (and dripping all over the stove).
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Post by Granny Smith on May 7, 2011 12:35:44 GMT -5
That's the kind my dutch oven has. When I bought it, I'd never seen one like it before. I think I just wasn't paying attention, though, because I see them everywhere now. I don't know if it helps with the dripping much, but those tips do direct some of the steam back down on the food, so it stays moist. That doesn't mean much if you're making a stew or soup, but it's noticeable when you're making a roast or chicken. I'll bet they would make bread crust more chewy, too.
I just had another idea - do you have a covered bean pot (the dark brown kind)? One of those would probably work in the solar cooker.
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Post by Valerie on May 7, 2011 15:18:17 GMT -5
No, that's what I was kind of looking for when I started this venture. Something of that shape and size.
But I just remembered that I have a covered brown glass casserole that is about 4" deep. I bet it would work!
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Post by Granny Smith on May 7, 2011 17:25:31 GMT -5
I have one of those, too. It never occurred to me to use that.
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Post by Valerie on May 8, 2011 19:59:57 GMT -5
Now if we can just get some good clear days to try it. The smoke is messing up my sunlight.
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Post by Granny Smith on May 8, 2011 20:03:42 GMT -5
I've cooled down and am thinking about trying mine again on the next sunny day. I think I'll try rice first. I might have to add more water than the recipe calls for if it cooks too fast. Otherwise, I'll end up with crunchy rice. I'm not fond of crunchy rice.
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Post by Valerie on May 12, 2011 10:15:55 GMT -5
OK, there's a peach cobbler out on the porch right now. This is what I did, and I'm thinking there is no reason why it shouldn't work. I put the cooker, with the block of wood in the bottom (since it is too small for my bowl without the wood). Then I put the cobbler in that brown glass casserole with the lid. I sat that inside the glass mixing bowl. I put all that inside the cooking bag, put some air, tied it shut. I sat all that in the cooker on top of the block of wood. As I was doing all that, I was talking to Dave on the phone. It's cloudy in Jacksonville. After all that, it better stay sunny here, that's all I got to say! ETA: 3:10 now. It worked!!! One of these days I'm going to try something like baked ziti (but it will probably have a different shape of pasta.) I'm thinking you could combine lean hb, sauce, and pasta and let it go for some hours, then put some cheese on near the end.
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Post by Granny Smith on May 13, 2011 20:46:50 GMT -5
I've been experimenting with the cooker but on a smaller scale. I needed some bugs for making polyresin jewelry. I have been inundated with bugs lately, but I've been killing them. Yesterday, I found a bumble bee in the bathroom, so I had Tim catch it in a brown jar (from yeast). I set it on the windowsill and set up a little triptych of foil behind it Within 15 minutes, the bee was dead.
Caught another one in the house today and it died quickly, too. I like that there's no damage to the bugs so they'll display nicely in the jewelry.
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Post by Valerie on Jul 3, 2012 10:43:42 GMT -5
Y'all, remember this? I went through a lot of effort to find a black pot to cook in, inside of a bowl. Finally had to settle for a small cast iron skillet. Cooking for this long in it, though, kind of messes up my seasoning on it, and it puts a really strong iron taste in the food. Today, a bolt of inspiration shot through my head! Our lunch is out there in the cooker right now, in the removable crock portion of my crockpot, inside of the oven bag! I've been thinking that I wanted to get back to using this cooker and I was looking through crock pot recipes to find something I could whip up for lunch that didn't have to cook too long. That's when the crockpot idea hit me. I'll let you know how it goes. I touched it a bit ago and it was really hot.
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Post by Cyngbaeld on Jul 3, 2012 11:08:17 GMT -5
Good idea. I'd like to try one if I could find someplace that none of the critters would mess with it.
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Post by Valerie on Jul 3, 2012 11:41:17 GMT -5
Soon as I put it out, Licorice came investigating and started chewing on the edge of the cooker. I hollered at him (first time ever) so he laid down in the shade near it. He's a pretty good cat. I can't imagine having the chickens near it. I'm sure Angelina would decide to sit on the lid. I know, Kim, put it on your roof!
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Post by Cyngbaeld on Jul 3, 2012 14:21:12 GMT -5
If I could get on the roof, somebody else here would have already got up there. I really have a hard time praying for sunshine in summer. I usually pray for clouds.
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Post by Valerie on Jul 4, 2012 9:23:00 GMT -5
Yeah, I know what you mean. Well, the crockpot thing worked like a charm! Now I have a vessel that holds in enough heat AND holds enough food to make it worth the trouble (which is minimal to start with.) And to think it was right there all the time!
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