If it feels hot enough to fry an egg outside, why not take advantage of the sun’s heat to cook up your lunch!

You will need: A takeout container with a lid or a metal container and aluminum foil, a cookie sheet, potholders, an area that gets at least 2 hours of direct sunlight in the morning and afternoon, and something to heat up.

Here are some of the things we like to cook outside in about 30 minutes or so:

Chili beans and hot dogs (thawed).
Baked beans.
Canned or frozen corn with butter, salt and pepper.
Ramen noodles.
A melted cheese sandwich. (A solar melt!)
Refried beans with cheese and flour tortillas.
Buttered instant rice with black beans.

And for dessert, S’mores!

Put your food in food grade container and place it on a cookie sheet in the sun. To keep unwanted pest out of your food, put it up high rather than on the ground. Check the food in 15 minutes with a potholder and mix, or turn your food if it’s not ready. Then check it again in another 10-20 minutes and enjoy.
Beans tend to take a bit longer, about an hour.

Have a picnic lunch outside when your food is ready.

To find out more about cooking with the sun, check out my Solar Cooking post!