Dried fruit is a bit of a favourite as it can be snacked on at any time in the drying process.
I came across a great step-by-step tutorial for making a pizza box solar cooker. Super simple and just in time to fill in the last week of the Australian summer holidays. Make sure to let me know if you have a go.
If you live around Perth you might even be interested in a workshop being run at the Lockridge Community Garden. I am on their mailing list and received this earlier in the week.
Sunday 3rd Feb
Solar Oven Cooking
Come & see how to cook in & build a solar oven. Free energy to cook your food at home or when camping is very handy so you won't want to miss this one. Taste tests included!
- 10:30am - 12 noon
- Cost $5 p/p
- cnr Arbon way & Diana Crescent, Lockridge
- Fresh homemade pizzas from the Pizza Oven & sausage sizzle on the day
On another note, this blog has just turned two and this happens to be the 200th post. It has been such a great way to connect with people as well as being a way to diarise what we are doing to try to live a little greener.
So time for the giveaway.
I am giving away a copy of Homemade Pantry by Alana from Eating From the Ground Up. You may remember I made the mustard from here. Delicious!
Just leave a comment in this post and I will randomly select a winner on Friday 1 Feb at 9am Perth time. I will send this anywhere in the world.
Take care and thanks for reading.
That is a great resource to have up the sleeve when there is no electricity. For now with the sheer volumes I am drying I think I will stick with the dehydrator and the fly screens in the sun methods. I am drying herbs, zucchinis and apricots at the moment. I would love to go into the draw for the book and if won it would make a great addition to our shared resources at our Living Better Group. Cheers
ReplyDeleteTanya, that is such a great way to dehydrate. I even saw someone do that once and they put the flyscreens in the back of their car behind the back seats (up on that bench bit. I never know what that is called.) She said that way the glass from the back window helped things along in the cooler months.
DeleteThe Living Better Groups sounds fabulous. Good luck. Thanks for joining in.
Congratulations on you 200th post - I really enjoy reading your posts.
ReplyDeleteI must try to make a solar-oven as I heard so much about them. I will let you know if I have any success.
Thanks, knitgirl66. I can't believe I have made it to 200!
DeleteThere are heaps of tutorials online for making solar ovens. The sun it such an amazing resource but we don't tend to use it enough. I'll keep an eye out on your blog to see how you go.
Thanks for entering the giveaway.
Congratulations on your blogiversary AND your 200th post! That's great! I love the look of those dried apples...yum! I've heard of people using the back of their car (I think it's called a parcel shelf. No idea why you'd put a parcel up there though) to make fruit leather.
ReplyDeleteThanks.
DeleteThe apples were delicious. There were a few different stages of dehydration depending on which shelf the fruit was on. I must say the white nectarines are my favourite. Yum!
Parcel shelf - of course! Thanks for reminding me about fruit leather. I think that will be a great use of the 36 degree day forecast for tomorrow.
our new house has an apple tree covered in fruit and I've been looking at recipes to use and preserve them. dehydrating them is a great idea. this book give away sounds amazing. count me in please.
ReplyDeleteAn apple tree covered in fruit sounds fabulous. My little tree has 3 fruit on it and we are pretty excited about that.
DeleteI remember seeing a home made dehydrator where someone got 2 flyscreens that were the same size (washed of course), lined one with baking paper, lay the fruit on the paper, clipped the screens together with bulldog clips to keep insects out, and popped these in the sun.
Thanks for reading.
guys, esp Zara - could I ask please, how do I know when to pick my Granny Smith apples? The pinkerbelle is easy because they turn red but of course the Granny Smith ones don't?!
DeleteI'm not too sure but there is a great fruit seller at the Stirling Markets on Sunday morning. They sell the most gorgeous apples and stonefruit from their orchard in Roleystone. I'm sure they could help. The main guy has an amazing beard so you wont miss him and his wife has long brown hair. Great for a chat and very helpful.
Deletethankyou! If I get there I will let you know. Stirling Markets..? I'm not sure I have heard of this one?
DeleteI love that it is on Sunday morning as so many others are on Saturday which is just too crazy for us. It is in the carpark of the Stirling Council Chambers. Get there early if you can.
Deletehttp://livingalittlegreener.blogspot.com.au/2012/06/discoveries-at-farmers-market.html?m=0
well there you go. learn something new every day. thanks!
DeleteCongratulations on the anniversary! It is really nice to read your blog and see what an effort you are making to live a 'different' lifestyle. Thanks for sharing what you get up to :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for reading and leaving a comment. It is always lovely to get feedback.
DeleteHappy second blog birthday :-)
ReplyDeleteFingers crossed - because that book is on my wish list.
I've also been taking advantage of the sun and doing plenty of solar cooking.
Tricia, Australia is such a perfect place for solar cooking. I made two loaves yesterday. Yum.
DeleteHow did you and Heather go with the Sun Cook Book?
Congrats and happy 2nd birthday!
ReplyDeleteI'm going to check out the pizza box tutorial...sounds interesting. I think Feb is really our only hope for that here in Melbourne town??! x
I have seen the pizza box ones work quite well.
DeleteMy memories of Melbourne are pretty much 'four seasons in one day'. x
Hi, I have just been showing hubby your posts on solar ovens.I think its a fab idea and we have sun that belts through the backyard on any summer day. It will be a great way to make use of the sun and make bread. Now just a little more convincing to do.....
ReplyDeleteI just love it. I plan to use it through winter too as it apparently doesn't matter if it is cold, as long as you get the sunlight. Imagine an all-day-cooked stew or curry - delicious.
DeleteFingers crossed here too! thanks for the opportunity.
ReplyDeleteSaving up for a solar oven is on my wishlist, right next to my cargo bike. I am really trying hard to make it happen this year... we will see!
Kristy, this had been on my list for a while too. I have now regretted it at all.
DeleteLet me know if you want to come over and have a look.
Brilliant. thanks again :) I know I will enjoy it and use it when I get one, it's just the 'getting it', the saving up for it that's the challenge as I'm sure you know!
DeleteI am imagining fresh cooked bread and muffins when camping mmm lol esp when fresh bread is a an all day drive away! Plus cooking in summer without heating up kitchen etc can't wait!
Happy Blog Birthday, too, by the way. ;)
I am loving not having to heat the house. So much cooler on those super hot days.
DeleteOurs are granny smith i think (being bright green). But are only about half the size of the ones you buy.
ReplyDeleteNot sure if this is because they are a different type?
Ours tend to get a pink tinge to one side when they are ripe.
thanks Zara! :) This helps because I had no idea lol do they tend to fall from the tree when they're ready or past it, as well? thanks again.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the 200th post!
ReplyDeleteI love dehydrating my fruit, it gives me snacks all day!
A big congratulations on two years and 200 posts BM!
ReplyDeleteI was thinking again about a solar oven recently and just wish there was somewhere for it to sit, I will have a look at your link to the pizza box one though.