Pulsar : Cool Projects : Solar Oven Over 90% of the energy used in the United States is from non-renewable fossil fuels. That means that once they are used, these limited energy sources are gone. Solar energy is a renewable alternative. That means there's always more to use! Here is a fun way to harness the powerful energy of the sun. First, you'll need to make your own solar oven. Just follow these simple instructions. Solar Oven What You Will Need: Trash Treasures: a shoe box aluminum foil plastic sheet covers or overhead transparency plastic (ask your teacher for some to reuse) Other items: black construction paper glue tape a ruler a permanent marker scissors Instructions: Read all the instructions before starting. First, clean out your shoe box. In this step, you will make a sun window in your shoe box's lid. First, place a mark 1 inch in from each edge of the lid. Next, draw lines connecting your marks to form a rectangle. Pick one of the longer lines and write on it "Do Not Cut!". Now, carefully cut along the other three lines to create a flap. Be sure to cut only along the lines. Gently pry the flap out, using a ruler to help create a fold on the uncut edge. The hole is your sun window. Cover the inside of the flap with aluminum foil (shiny side out). Use glue to hold it down. The foil will help reflect the sun's rays through the window onto your food. Cut out a piece of plastic slightly larger than the hole of your sun window. Glue or tape the plastic to the inside of the box lid. Line the inside of your box with foil. Glue the foil (shiny side out) to the box. The foil's shiny side will help reflect the sun light back into the box. Cut out pieces of black paper to cover the inside of the shoe box, except the flap area. Glue the paper over the foil throughout the box. The black paper absorbs the suns heat and provides a very warm environment in your solar oven. When the foil and the black paper work together with the sun, your pizza will cook even faster. Good job! Your solar oven is ready to go!!!!!! The Main Course: Sunshine Pizza What you will need: a hot, sunny day an English muffin tomato sauce, paste or pasta sauce mozzarella cheese extra toppings (How about some veggies or herbs from your window garden?) a small black cooking tray or black construction paper or foil a cooking mitten Instructions: Open the English muffin. Put the tomato sauce on each half. Grate the cheese and sprinkle over the tomato sauce. Place any extra toppings on top of the cheese. Place the mini pizzas on the cooking tray, a piece of tin foil, or a piece of black construction paper. Carry your pizzas and your solar oven outside. Place the oven in the sun so that the sun's rays shine directly into the oven. Carefully put your pizzas in your solar oven. Keep an eye on the pizzas as they cook. Check the solar oven every fifteen minutes. Check it every so often to see if it is still in full sunlight. Since the sun moves, you may have to move your oven to keep it in the light. When the cheese has melted, the pizzas are done. The amount of time it takes for Sunshine Pizzas to cook depends on the weather. It may take only 30 minutes, or up to 2 hours. Carefully remove your pizzas using a cooking mitten. Let the pizzas cool if they're really hot. Enjoy your yummy Sunshine Pizza! And For Dessert - Sun S'mores!: What you will need: a hot, sunny day a graham cracker or 3-4 small marshmallows chocolate a black metal tray or foil or black construction paper a cooking mitten Instructions: Place the graham crackers on a small metal tray or pan that fits in your Solar Oven. If you don't have a tray or pan, put the graham crackers on a piece of foil or black construction paper. Break off a piece of chocolate that is the same size or smaller than the graham cracker. Place the chocolate on top of the graham cracker. Place 3 or 4 small marshmallows on top of the chocolate. Carry your S'mores and your Solar Oven outside. Place the oven in the sun so that the sun's rays shine directly into the oven. Carefully put your S'mores in your solar oven. Watch your S'mores. Make sure your oven stays in full sunlight. When the chocolate is melted, your dessert is done! Carefully remove your sun S'mores using a cooking mitten. (The chocolate and marshmallows might be very hot). Let cool and enjoy!!! Liquid Sunshine (Sun Tea): How about a refreshing, sunny drink to go with your sun meal? Make sure you start your sun tea a couple of hours ahead of your meal. It takes a while for the tea to solar steep! What you will need: Trash Treasures: a large, clean glass jar with a lid -or- an empty plastic water bottle with cap Other things you'll need: your favorite herbal tea drinking water a cooking mitten ice lemon (optional) sugar or honey (optional) Instructions: Place the tea bag(s) in the jar or bottle. See the label on the package to determine the number of bags needed. Fill the jar or bottle with drinking water. Place your jar out in the sunshine for an hour or more, until the tea has steeped. Fill a glass with ice. Carefully pour the tea over the ice. If the jar is hot, use a cooking mitten to protect your hands. If you want, add lemon, sugar, or honey to taste. Enjoy drinking your delicious liquid sunshine! Mmmmm. Can you think of other meals and snacks that would cook well in your Solar Oven? Have an adult help you. As you enjoy your solar food think of all the healthy and tasty solar energy you are eating. Yum!