What a difference clear sky makes!

Under the clear bright Sacramento, California sky beef stew put in at about noon was cooking at 275 degrees by about 1 in the same Cookit that struggled to make maybe 170 degrees under the smoky skies of Folsom Reservoir just a couple of weeks earlier. Even copycat solar cookers cut out that day from cardboard and lined with glued-on freezer foil got up to 250 degrees.

In additon to the stew we enjoyed herb bread, cornbread muffins, wild rice, and raisin-apple crumble.

I love solar cooking. It still amazes me and I feel like somehow we're getting away with some kind of cheating!