An increasing number of families are realizing that they can no longer spend more than they earn hoping to get ahead or, more importantly, enjoy life. Our society has become driven to keep up with the Joneses at all costs, resulting in second and third mortgages and crushing credit card debt. Do you pay later? The truth will be revealed, later soon it will be too late. Americans are motivated by media pronouncements that “you deserve it” or “you earned it.” Buy it now and enjoy, this will bring you happiness and great pleasure.
America is finding out the truth the hard way, “there is no such thing as a free lunch.” What happened to delayed gratification? Most children today have been deceived into believing that they deserve everything their parents have and that they want it now! I wonder who taught them that lie from the depths of hell. I think it started with the TeleTubbies commercials and they weren’t aimed at parents.
Many families are beginning to see the futility of the rat race and are therefore embracing the idea of provident living for greater peace of mind. This holds the promise of being prepared to face life’s challenges and unexpected events. Provident has several meanings, including spending less than you earn, preparing for cloudy days ahead, and planning for the obvious storm brewing on the horizon.
Living with anticipation can also mean focusing on the basic and practical necessities of life while gaining the skills necessary to be self-sufficient in times of personal or general calamity. There was a time when people mocked and laughed at the “Jesus Freak” carrying the banner, proclaiming the need to repent, because the end of the world is near. They no longer laugh but, rather, take the flag themselves.
Common sense would dictate that in light of the current global political climate, with our constitutional rights collapsing and civil unrest rising, we should hope for the best while preparing for the worst. I am referring to preparedness for natural and man-made disasters. In the event of a terrorist attack on our power grid system, earthquake, etc., do you have enough food and water storage, emergency supplies and equipment? For example, how are you going to cook if you no longer have electricity? Do you have a camp stove and an adequate supply of fuel?
Personally, I have stocked canned meats, fish, butter, cheese, condensed milk, powdered eggs, freeze-dried fruits and vegetables, rice, flour, cornmeal, oatmeal, wheat cereal, beans, spices, sugar, etc. Most of these items, if properly packaged, have a shelf life of over 5 years. What about seeds to grow a garden?
How am I going to cook this food? Well, you could do what most people do, buy a gas or propane camp stove, or a dual fuel stove that uses both types of fuel. How much fuel can be safely stored? What if you have to leave your house and your neighborhood in a hurry? Many subsistence families have set aside food, but struggle with how to safely store enough fuel. There is an answer to this dilemma, and it doesn’t involve fuel storage at all!
Using a solar oven eliminates the need to store fuel. Solar ovens use only the energy of the sun. There are a couple of solar ovens that will reach and hold 350 degrees Fahrenheit and up to 400 degrees. Anything that can be cooked or baked in a conventional oven can also be cooked in a solar oven, in the same amount of time. You just need sun. In areas blessed with abundant sunlight, the solar oven can cook up to 70% of a family’s meals. Although it is called a solar oven, food can be baked, boiled and steamed. As a bonus, the food will never burn.
So aside from fried foods, anything that would normally be cooked on a stovetop or conventional oven can be cooked in a solar oven. For some, living with foresight is strictly a doomsday affair. They stock food and emergency supplies just for your peace of mind, knowing they are available. Others see the provision of life as a common approach to resource use. They use the free resource of the sun to lower their utility bills by cooking every day in a solar oven. When harnessed for solar cooking, the sun can be a valuable resource that can save money and promote healthy eating. Bread or roasts can be baked outdoors without heating up the kitchen.
Thousands of families have purchased a solar oven to have on hand in case of an emergency and have been pleasantly surprised by the better taste of food cooked in the sun, as well as the lifestyle benefits of cooking with the sun. For example, there is no air movement in a solar oven. This allows food to remain moist, tender and flavorful. Sun-roasted ones are more flavorful and succulent, and sun-baked bread has unparalleled flavor and texture. The aroma of food basking in the sun in a solar oven is sure to please anyone’s senses.
Additionally, the temperature in a solar oven rises slowly and evenly, allowing complex carbohydrates to break down into simple sugars, releasing subtle, natural flavors. The even temperature prevents burning, so there’s no need to stir your food as it cooks. It can be used for slow cooking, like a slow cooker. Just make your dinner early in the morning, put it in the solar oven, point the oven to the south in the northern hemisphere, and go. You’ll come home to a tasty slow-cooked dinner. If you are late, there is no need to worry; The solar oven will keep your food warm, moist and fresh for hours. However, if you choose to refocus the oven to follow the sunlight every 25 to 30 minutes, cooking times and methods will be very similar to a conventional stove or oven. The choice is yours.
Have fun turning your backyard into a gourmet kitchen with a solar cooker. You’ll be amazed at how the sun can transform ordinary foods into delicious treats. The energy wasted when cooking indoors is greater than what is burned on the stove or in the oven. A conventional oven requires more than 5,000 watts of power to cook a three-pound chicken in an hour and a half. The solar oven only uses solar energy in the same period of time.
In the summer, additional energy is often required to cool the rest of the house, which can be heated by cooking in the kitchen. When you use a solar oven, the heat stays outside, saving energy costs while reducing your notorious so-called “carbon footprint.” Stock up on some food and water, buy a solar oven, and start saving money while being kind to our “fragile planet.”