MNN - Mother Nature Network

Want to teach your kids about energy?  Try your hand at cooking in a solar oven so they can see the power of the sun at work.  A solar oven uses the heat from the sun's rays to bake, boil or steam food.  It doesn't use gas and it doesn't use electricity.  It just uses the good old renewable and nonpolluting energy from the sun.   Solar ovens can be used on camping trips or in your own backyard...as long as you can get to a spot where the sun is shining, you can cook in a solar oven. 

 

So where do you get one of these solar wonders?  There are a number of companies that make commercial solar ovens...try Sun Ovens International or the Sun Bd.  Better still, grab your kids and a few simple supplies and make your own.  Click here for a complete lesson plan on making a solar oven from a pizza box.  Check out Recycle Works for more information about when and where to use your solar oven.  And be sure to surf over to the Solar Oven Society for recipes you can use in your solar oven...think Bar-B-Que Chicken to Mango Banana Bread.  Now get cooking!