Tuesday 24 February

Wonderbags, Rocket stoves and other creative ideas

Exodus 12:8  “They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted on the fire; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it.”

There are lots of creative ways to save on electricity in our cooking processes. During the second world war when fuel was scarce my granny used a “hay box”. you basically fill a cardboard box with hay. Fill your pot to boiling point and simmer for ten minutes. Then put your pot into the filled cardboard box. Leave it overnight and voila! Your food is cooked.

There are many creative ideas available of ways to reduce your cooking fuel and costs.

One of these is the wonderbag, an innovative insulated slow-cooking bag  designed to save you time, effort and energy.. The Wonderbag is a simple but revolutionary concept: simply bring your food to the boil on an ordinary stove, then switch off and tuck your hot cooking pot up in the cosy, electricity-free Wonderbag for a delicious slow-cooked meal, with all the nutrients locked in. Use the Wonderbag to cook stews, curries, soups and casseroles, while you spend less time in the kitchen and more relaxing with your loved ones No plugs, no fuss!

Read More about Wonderbags HERE

or what about the rocket stove? A wood burning fire wastes most of its heat as well as producing smoke pollution. A rocket stove is an efficient cooking stove using small pieces of  wood fuel which is burned in a simple high-temperature combustion chamber containing a vertical chimney and a secondary air supply, which ensures almost complete combustion prior to the flames reaching the cooking surface.
Read more about rocket stoves HERE

Other simple ways to save electricity

• Turn off your oven ten minutes before the food is ready, the oven will retain its heat for that long.
• Use a kettle to boil water for cooking as it is quicker and uses less energy than a pot on the hob.
• Always match the size of the pan with the size of the stove plate.
• Use a microwave to cook as it is quicker and cheaper, 1 oven uses the same power as 18 microwaves.
• Only fill kettle with the amount of water that you need.
• Cut food into smaller sections before cooking to help it cook quicker.
• Make your toast in a toaster, not under the grill.
• Don’t keep opening the oven door while you are cooking.