Another of my favorite things (which is also a GREAT way to cook if the power/gas goes out) is a hay box or wonder box. This method of cooking uses retained heat. You bring your food to a boil, in a pot with a tight-fitting lid, and then place it in a box lined with insulating material (straw, shredded newspaper, towels, blankets, or even a cooler/ice chest lined with towels or blankets). You then put additional insulating material on top of the pot and leave it! It will continue cooking for up to 4 hours, without using any additional fuel!! At this point you check it. If it’s not done, you bring it to a boil again and put it back in the insulating material and let it cook for up to another 4 hours. A wonder box works the same way, but is a bean-bag type moldable bag/box which is filled with styrofoam beads. It molds around the pot, so there is no need for towels or newspaper, etc. There is usually a large base, in which the pot sits, with a smaller lid that sits on top. This method is especially good for dishes you would usually cook in a slow cooker/crock pot, such as soups, roasts, cheaper cuts of meat, and dry beans.

Some additional benefits are that the food can be left unattended, the food won’t burn, and you can put the pot back in to keep warm until you are ready to serve it!

Although you can use these with most regular pots, if you use a pressure cooker it cuts the time by 1/2-2/3, which will further improve your conservation of fuel, since you usually don’t have to reheat it and put it back in to cook for another 4 hours! You just bring the pot up to pressure and put it right in, with the weight still on. Because it cooks so much faster, you need to check it in about 1 hour. If you leave it for 3-4 hours, your food will be mush

I LOVE using a wonder box and use it on a regular basis in my everyday cooking (with food storage, of course . It’s truly amazing!

Thanks so much for your site! I love the recipes and information you share with us.