Hash Browns in the Waffle Iron

I don't know if any of you have seen this on Pinterest, but it's the simple idea of cooking hash browns in a waffle iron.  I decided to give it a try.  I used dehydrated hasbrowns for the experiment since we have those on hand.  I also decided to pour a little oil in the pan so they would be nice and crispy.  They turned out delicious and were 10 times easier than frying them in the pan because I didn't have to flip them!  Total success.  I will definitely be doing this again.

How I made my Buddy Burner

I have a vague memory of making one of these when I was younger and I've been wanting to recreate it for months.  I just needed a can opener for the vents, some wax and an excuse to do it.  Having acquired the formerly absent tools, this blog has provided the excuse.

1.  Cut a door on an empty #10 can.  I used Cutco scissors.  (Bryce was so proud--both of me and the scissors).

2.  Punch vents in the back of the can with a can opener.

3.  Cut cardboard to the height of tuna cans.  Roll the cardboard and fill the cans. 

4.  Place wicks in between the cardboard near the center of the cans.

4.  Melt some wax.  I did this in the microwave.  The wax is sometimes available in the grocery store with the canning supplies.  Wax used to be used to cover jams and jellies.  While such a technique is no longer recommended, you can still get the wax next to your pectin.

5.  Fill the tuna cans with wax.

.  

There go you go.  I can't wait to try this.  It seems a pretty cheap fuel source for cooking, especially for cloudy days when a solar oven is not an option.  I read one website that said you can use a tuna can as a cake pan and an additional #10 can on top to make an oven.  I will be sure to post the results.  

How I made my Solar Oven without Spending a Dime

1.  Enlist your two an a half year old to cut newspaper for you (i.e. occupy the toddler or you will get nothing done).  It's ok if he is still in his pajamas. 

2.  Find two boxes, one smaller that the other by a few inches all the way around.  Fill space between boxes with newspaper.  The smaller box should be large enough to bake two loaves of bread.  However, I read that the shallower the oven the hotter it will get.  I hope my box isn't too deep.  As a side note, I somehow got it in my head that shredded newspaper would be a better insulator than crumpled newspaper.  But it took a long time to shred it, and is probably not necessary.  But Kimball loved helping, so no harm, no foul.  What is in the smaller box you ask?  A blanket.  This is completely unnecessary in making a solar oven.

 3.  Let the toddler play "hiding" in the boxes.

4.  Once you get the boxes good and stuffed you can tuck in the sides of the larger box to make the top pretty.

Your 7 month old will be impressed.

5.  Paint the bottom of the box black.  Or steal your child's paints and mix them all together to make something approaching black.

In my case, dark purple.

6.  Line the sides of the smaller box with tin foil.  I used a brush and some white glue to get the foil to stick.  Worked great.

7.  Admire your work.

8.  Build a lid for the box with a hole the size of the smaller box.  Line the lid with an oven bag.  Instead of making a lid you can use a piece of glass.  I found a website that said the bag worked at least as well as the glass.  Since I had a bag and didn't have glass, I opted for the bag.

Here is the inside of the box lid.  You can see I used a diaper box.  (I tend to have a lot of those around.)

9.  Make a reflecting screen for your oven and line with tin foil.  Then stick her in the sun.

I thought it might be sunny enough today.  You can see in the picture that I started at 61 degrees.  But . . . I could only get the oven to 150 degrees before the cloud cover set in.  You need get it to 250 to bake bread.  I will need to wait for a sunnier day.  But will keep you posted.