Sunshine is a Must Have for....

When your daughter comes home excited about making a solar hot dog cooker you make DARN sure you're just as excited!  Then you read my blog and realize you're not alone. If you're like me, you don't just smack together some aluminum foil and a box. You build that cooker to the best of your ability because you don't want that sad little face coming home saying hers didn't work. So gather your supplies, take some calming deep breaths and read on!! 

Making a solar cooker you need to have some basic materials such as heavy duty aluminum foil, Saran Wrap, rulers, yard sticks, square, card board box, poster board, scissors and such.  Of course sunshine is mandatory!

What you don't realize you're going to need is: Caffeine, that simple project is going to tip over the edge and go right on into 'overboard' territory. Pizza & brownies because you won't have time to cook dinner and you'll need chocolate!  Trust me, it's as necessary as the aluminum foil. Several trips to the store because if you're like us the products you bought are flawed...solar blankets that are too crinkled, umbrellas that don't open, spray adhesive with no nozzle, wider aluminum foil because 'normal' aluminum foil is just too narrow.  

You know all those people (I'm included) who say...15 years have passed and I have yet to need to use algebra. Weeelll, not exactly. You need a parabola formula. If you're like me and don't remember anything from math class except basics skills and that you were glad when it was over, you're going to wish you paid more attention.  Sure you can eyeball it and curve the parabola where you think it will reflect onto your focal point, but that's not sufficient enough in our house. Everything is a learning experience. I've learned things from this third grade project. I learned that I'm not smarter than a fifth grader, probably not a third grader if they're supposed to know parabola formulas. I also learned that every time I buy a spray can of anything I will open the lid first and make sure it has a nozzle. Similarly, before buying an umbrella I will make sure it stays open. Carrying around a closed umbrella on a rainy day is about as helpful as brushing your teeth with an Oreo. 

I also learned that I'm not cut out for roughing it. I like electricity and I like my stove. If I want a hot dog and the grill is without propane I can turn that knob on one of my favorite inventions and I don't need a math equation to do it. So, whoever invented the stove, microwave, air conditioners, and indoor plumbing - thank you!  

Sure it's fun for the first hour or so, it's nice seeing our kids learn, and it's family time spent away from computers, TVs and other electronics. You know what?  I like those too!  I also liked seeing their beautiful brilliant minds working, even though I thought my own, dinky, dusty brain was going to explode. 

We're overachievers here, and we've made a few attempts to perfect our Princess's solar cookers. We made a dome solar cooker which was too large to transport - though it did work. We have a scaled down dome more easily transported and a parabola box cooker still in the works.  There is also a cylindrical solar cooker which I'm not sure will heat enough. More importantly, we have quality family time spent learning and one happy little girl! 
...hopefully.... 

Y=X^2/(4F)