Photos

                First born son
           David Jonathan Young.
          Beloved gift of God.
          How we love you
          And you are God’s gift to the world.
          The Lord gives and the Lord takes away.
           Blessed be the name of the Lord.


          Goodbye
     Never easy.
     How we miss you.
     But you have gone to a better place.
      There’s an empty place at all family celebrations.
     And I am left with albums full of photos and memories.
This is what the Lord says.  “Forget the former things, do not dwell on the past.   See – I am doing a new thing!   Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?   I am making a way in the desert and streams on the wasteland.”


      New  Mother
     You didn’t know how hard it would be.
     When you saw that first scan, felt that  first bubble of life, gazed at miniature baby clothes, you didn’t know.
    All your dreams for your child, 9 months of bonding, of loving, of anticipation.

You didn’t know you’d have to kneel at his graveside having had only had half a day to show your love to him, to touch him, to know him.   You didn’t know you’d be called on to watch him die.   You didn’t know what motherhood would demand of you.
But you have a mother’s heart and only the strength of God will get you through.



                                   First born son
                 Zachary Samuel Young
              How you love him.
            His little life was God’s gift to the world.
            The Lord gives and the Lord takes away.
            Blessed be the name of the Lord.


Goodbye
     Never easy.
     How you miss him.
     But he has gone to a better place.
      There’s an empty place in your lives
    And you are left with only  videos, photos and memories.

            New Daddy
  You didn’t expect the hard demands of fatherhood.    The hardest things you’ve ever had to do.
“I can do all things through him who gives me strength”

But you took the challenge and  turned a funeral into  a celebration because you know that your son is with the Lord and you will see him again.   You know that his life counted and that it was not all in vain and this is not the end.
“Be still my soul; thy God doth undertake                                                              to guide the future as he has the past.                                                                Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;                                                           All now mysterious shall be bright at last.”



    Balloons and paper planes.
    Symbols of life and celebration.    How dichotomous is our experience.   We can only trust the Lord of Life and Death.

Grieving what might have been

Yesterday I thought I was fine. I could do life. I don't think I cried once. I looked at Zach's picture on my dressing table and David's photo holding him on my cell phone. I thought I had come to acceptance. I vacillated between pride (wow, look how well I'm coping) and guilt (surely I can't have got over the death of my grandson in just a week).

Today I woke up with a headache. I didn't want to get out of bed. I felt like a child saying "I don't fwant to get up, I don't want to go to school, I don't want..."
Not a very mature attitude. Of course the adult response is "well you can't always get what you want."

So I dragged myself up, slowly. I forced myself to have a quiet time. My eye fell on a book in my bookcase called "For all seasons". Remembering that quote from Ephesians, "There's a time for every purpose under heaven," I thought it might give me some isights about birth and death that might help me. I looked under "a time to be born and a time to die". It turned out to be a book of poems. The one I read was about a 16 year old girl who fell pregnant. The father wasn't prepared/wasn't in a position to marry her or provide anything for his child. So she had the baby adopted. She had to give away the one person she loved most in the world. The poem had the refrain "What might have been".

I have been crying ever since. I can't even list all the "What might have been"'s with regard to Zachary or even the "What should have been"'s. I would only cry all the more. Today I am grieving the "What Might Have Been"'s.

I know there are 5 accepted stages of grief: Denial, Bargaining, Anger, Depression and Acceptance.

I've been through Denial. I was holding out for a miracle. I didn't try bargaining. It didn't occur to me. I knew God was in control and that He could perform a miracle but that He doesn't hand them out very often and my prayer was merely a request. The yes or no was up to Him.

I don't think I've done the anger. I am not very good at anger. Who is there to be angry with after all. Only God. And how can I, a mere mortal be angry at God? Disappointed yes. Betrayed yes. What about all those promises? 'Ask whatever you wish in my name and it will be done for you', etc. Lord, are you just like a politician telling the people what they want to hear and then not keeping your promises? Or did I not understand? How can I trust other promises?

Yesterday I thought I had reached the acceptance stage. Today I realize I am in the depression stage. It is hard to interact with people. I met somebody from our church on the way to gym. He asked how I was and I told him and cried all the way to the change room. After my session on the treadmill and washing my face, (It's OK to have a red face after your workout but tears are unusual), I met somebody who left our school to go and work in Port Elizabeth about a year ago. She asked how I was and I lied. Now I know why people reply by rote, "fine thank you." It's much easier emotionally. Most people are probably not fine either. They just have to put on the face.

My verse for today is from Psalm 30. "You turned my wailing into dancing and removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy." Certainly not true at the moment. perhaps in the future.

A mother’s prayer

I have been emptying out my very top cupboard in preparation for moving.   I found this prayer which helped me a lot at a time when I had three children and life was chaotic.   Now I look back nostalgically to those days.

      
  Sometimes we get so caught up in the busyness of life and the urgency of deadlines that we miss the magic moments.
When we focus on what we have lost it’s easy to overlook what we still have.

Balloons and Paper Planes

 

How much can happen in a week – a mere 7 days.    A week ago things were normal. 

A grandson was born.   Something went wrong.   The placenta detached.   No blood.   No oxygen.   Organ damage.   Brain damage.

Zachary Samuel Young lived 11 hours.   He was loved, he was celebrated, he was admired.   A group of friends bore testimony to his existence.   We were not there.   We are on the other side of the world.

We will never see our grandson, never hold him.   We have photos, we even have videos.   Technology is amazing, but it can never replace reality.

We weren’t at the funeral.   It sounds awesome.   Paper planes with messages were thrown onto the coffin instead of rose petals.   So much more suitable for a boy.   Zachary would have loved it.   Then just before sunset balloons were released into the sky over Napier as our grandson was buried. 

“Zachary, I’ll look out for you when I get to heaven.   You’ll be the boy in the All Blacks T shirt.   Meanwhile I love you very much and miss you.   from Granny ”   That  is what I would have written on my paper plane.

Now we have a new normal.   I have a new photo on my dressing table.   I carry a box of tissues wherever I go.   I am functioning and most of the time I seem fine.   It’s just when I pass a rack of baby boy clothes, or meet up with a friend or get a phone call that I fall to pieces and can’t stop crying.   It’s not even a good idea to stop for a while and just think.   Much better to keep doing things.

I know things will get better in time but I am forever marked by Zachary’s birth and untimely death.   I know that God works all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purposes and I trust Him to keep His promises.   However, for the rest of my life I might shed a tear when anybody asks me how many grandchildren I have and I might never look at paper planes in the same way again.

Thank You

It’s awesome how kind people can be.   It just takes a tragedy to make one realise it.   We have been inundated with messages of support, condolences, prayers from wonderful people – some of whom I know only slightly.   The Biology department gave me a bunch of flowers and a beautiful statuette of an angel sitting next to an orb holding a candle.   I will treasure it and always remember Zachary when I see it. possibly light it every year on his birthday.

I got flowers from the Moll family and a beautiful golden potted rose from Lesley, my best friend.   She said pink was too girlish, white was too bland, red was more romantic love so yellow was golden and therefore something precious.   It will come with us to our new house and will also remind me of Zachary.

I got phone calls from the church, the prayer chain, one of the pastors.   Thank you to everybody who has supported us by messages, SMS’s, phone calls, gifts.   You might think they were insignificant and that nothing you can say can really help us but really it is just the accumulated love and support that is getting us through.

  Going to church this morning was a challenge.   I took tissues with me.   Couldn’t sing the first song.   It’s amazing how worship brings tears to the surface.

One of the ladies from the prayer team, Denise Law, who is very close to the Lord, said she had been praying a lot for Zach when she first got the message.   When she heard that he had died she questioned the Lord.   The answer she got was Zach’s little life would make a difference for the Kingdom.   It is David’s future, not his past.   Not quite sure how to interpret that but I know the Lord knows and I trust him even when I don’t understand.

The closing hymn was God’s word for me today.

"Be Still, My Soul"
by Catharina von Schlegel, 1697-?
Translated by Jane Borthwick, 1813-1897

1. Be still, my soul; the Lord is on thy side;
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul; thy best, thy heavenly, Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

2. Be still, my soul; thy God doth undertake
To guide the future as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence, let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul; the waves and winds still know
His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.

3. Be still, my soul, though dearest friends depart
And all is darkened in the vale of tears;
Then shalt thou better know His love, His heart,
Who comes to soothe thy sorrows and thy fears.
Be still, my soul; thy Jesus can repay
From His own fulness all He takes away.

4. Be still, my soul; the hour is hastening on
When we shall be forever with the Lord,
When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love's purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul; when change and tears are past,
All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.

Hymn #651
The Lutheran Hymnal
Text: Psalm 46:10

Be Strong

“You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.”   The verse I got in my quiet time today from 2 Tim 2:1.

What does it mean to be strong?   I am reminded of that section in Joshua where the Lord tells Joshua to be strong and courageous 4 times.    (Josh 1)

Does it mean don’t cry at the funeral?   Don’t cry when people are kind and loving to you?   I don’t think so.   Jesus wept and He is the strongest man I know.

I think that being strong is set in the context of battle.   You either face the enemy or you run away.   There are many ways to run away.   Some people try drugs or alcohol because they can’t face the pain.   Some immerse themselves in something else to keep so busy that they keep pushing it to the outside.   But the brave thing to do, is to face the pain, recognise it, embrace it, go through it.

Who is the enemy in this battle?   It is the father of lies and his greatest weapons are lies.   Lies like:

“see, God doesn’t love you, look what he did to you” 

or “It is all you fault.   If only…”

or even “God is punishing you because you are not good enough.”

There are many lies in his arsenal.   Being strong is being able to discern the lies and to resist them.   To stay close to Jesus and to trust Him no matter what.  To use the word of God which is the truth against the lies.

Don’t try to do it on your own.   There are people all around willing and able to help you.   Counsellors, pastors, friends, doctors, professionals, even strangers if God chooses to use them.

And whatever you do, don’t go into battle without your armour.   (Eph 6)

Being strong is also being able to resist the temptation of looking inward.   When you are in pain it is easy to shut out the rest of the world and focus only on your own pain.   There are other people out there, many of them also in pain, many of them needing you to be strong for them.

Being strong is being able to cling tenaciously to Christ, the author and finisher of our faith.   Trust Him.   Stand on His promises.

…and the peace of God which passes all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  (Phil 4:&)

I hope that I will be able to do this, to resist the lies, to look outwards and to cling to Christ.   “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

A Father’s Love

Zachary lived only 12 hours but his father loves him intensely.   As his granny in another continent, I also love him.   I am devastated that he was taken from us and yet I have never seen him, never held him.   What did this little half a day old baby do to deserve all this love?   Was he good, was he smart?   Did he help others?

He did none of these things.   He was brain damaged at birth and could barely even breathe himself.   No, my son David loves him so much and always will, just because Zachary is his son.   We love him so much just because he is our grandson.

God is such a father to us.   We don’t earn His love.   He loves us just because we are His children.   There is nothing we can do to earn His love, to deserve his love.   We can’t do anything to cause Him to love us more or to love us less.   His desire is to be with us and love us just as Dave and Gayle delighted in each minute they got to spend with Zachary.   In fact God loves us so much that He gave his only begotten Son so that whoever believes in him will not die but will be with Him in heaven forever.   (John 3:16)   He wants us to be with Him always.

So Zachary, although you were only on this earth for 12 hours, you have enriched us.   You have taught me a little bit about the love of God.

When the fairy tale ends

We all started off believing in fairy tales. For little girls they go something like, I am a beautiful princess (perhaps poor, but definitely good). At some stage a handsome prince is going to come and fall in love with me, marry me and we will live happily ever after. Happily ever after includes having children (who are happy) who grow up in the same fairy tale world and get happily married and have more children.

Depending on our circumstances, the fairy tale ends sooner or later. Some people don't even remember the fairy tale because they were too young when it ended. For a new born baby the fairy tale is that I will be loved, have a mother and father who love each other and me, who look after me and care for me so I can grow to my full potential. Some babies don't get that and for them the fairy tale has ended even before they are a day old.

Others see the end of their fairy tale when they are still children: When I find out I am not as beautiful, when Daddy moves out or when my inoocence is stolen by a stranger or a family member.

I have been lucky. I almost had the fairy tale. OK I'm not beautiful, but nevertheless a handsome prince came my way, loved me and married me. We have three beautiful Christian children, two of them married to wonderful Christian partners.

All around me fairy tales were ending. The husbands who were not faithful, the children who were not perfect, cancer, bankrupcy, fraud. I realized this world is not heaven. Far from it. But for me, my own personal fairy tale was still going strong.

First grandchild. a beautiful, adorable little girl and two grandsons on the way.

Yesterday my fairy tale ended. My first grandson was born and lived but twelve hours. A beautiful little boy. So much potential. He had 25% of my genetic material. He was flesh of my flesh and blood of my blood. Yesterday 25% of me died.

Fortunately I am a Christian. I believe there is a better place, a place where I am loved like a princess and where Zachary can grow up like a beloved prince. My savior, Jesus Christ made it possible for me to get to this better place where there is no corruption, no shattering of dreams, no cruelty, no death, no crying.
Now my stake in heaven is stronger. Besides my Dad waiting for me, there will be little Zachary, probably wearing an All Black t shirt.

For now I have to live in this world. Jesus said, "in this word you will have many trials, but behold, I have overcome the world."

Zachary with Dave and Gayle

 

To my first Grandson

Dear Zachary,

Did I have a premonition?   It’s always easy to look back and say that I did.   I don’t know.   I was going to post a facebook comment to your mom’s profile saying something like I pray that Jesus would be in the hospital room with them, holding her hand and ready to receive the baby (that’s you) into His arms.  Then I thought better of it.   My Mom (that’s your great grandmother) wrote on my Dad’s obituary, “safe in the arms of Jesus”.   The connotation didn’t seem right.   So I changed my comment.

I was crying even before I heard the news of how sick you are.   Because the facebook comments seemed to suggest that a baby had been born but I had had no official proud parent announcement (------------------has been born, weighing 3.?kg, mother and baby doing well)   All sorts of dark thoughts were trying to gain ascendency in my mind.   I did remember how when your cousin, Emma, was born,  I knew that your aunt had gone into hospital but I was on a plane and I had to switch off my cell phone.  (they make you do that, you know, so that the cell phone signals don’t interfere with the communications of the plane.)   I had been imagining all the worst scenarios and how your uncle Steven would cope if he lost his wife and had a tiny baby to look after.   But it all turned out fine.   I tried to tell myself that all my fears were groundless.   After all, lots of new babies, especially early ones,  end up in a respirator.

The the SMS came from your dad.   “”Zachary Samuel Young was in distress for several hours (blood tests show) without oxygen or blood.   They say he will never breathe on his own, and will have massive brain damage.   Going to see him….”

It takes a while for a message like that to sink in.   I didn’t know what to do.

I have been reading a book called “the boy who came back from heaven” by Kevin Malarkey.   His 6 year old son was in a very serious car accident in which his spinal column was severed from his skull.   Doctors said he couldn’t possibly survive.   Six years later, he is still alive and is an inspiration to people all around the world.   During his 2 months in a coma, he was in heaven and can tell us a lot about it.   I haven’t got to much of that part yet.   I was inspired, however, how God used a tragedy to show His goodness, to bring people together.   I liked this quote from his father “My Dad doesn’t believe in the existence of a bad day.   I find that holding this philosophy makes a great difference in our state of contentment.   The tougher life became, the more good we saw in people and in God.   It’s possible to know peace and pain at the same time, believe it or not.   Life can be rough yet still feel right.   Even as I wept at times, I knew my family was aligned with the will of God.   I could say, with the old hymn, It is well with my soul……I am a child of God, destined for another world, a world before which this one pales into insignificance…”

In a way, I could say that God has been preparing me through this book and the one I read before “heaven is for real” to face this current trauma.

I have contacted everybody I know and asked them to pray for a miracle.   Miracles certainly happen today.   I don’t know whether God will grant this one, baby Zachary, but I trust him to do what is best.

Meanwhile, while I am crying uncontrollably every 5 minutes or so, the refrain going around and around in my mind is “yeah, yeah, God is good…”  Strange that.

Your dad recently sent another SMS saying that they had taken you off the respirator and had you with them in the room and that after 15 minutes you were still breathing.   What about that “will never breathe on his own'” story?   Are they right about the rest or has God already started answering our prayers?   I don’t know.

I don’t know if today will be your first and only day on earth.   If so, I’ll have to wait until I get to heaven before I meet you.   I will probably be the lady crying at everything and saying the wrong thing all the time.If God is merciful to us and answers our prayers for a miracle, I’ll see you next year about Christmas time.

Just know this, my grandson, we all love you very much and we know that Jesus loves you even more.   Granny

Green Fuzzy Panda 16

 

Ten of the Best energy efficient ways to cook...

Rice

1 cup rice, 2 cups boiling water, 1 chicken stock cube dissolved in the water. Boil on stove or gel stove for 5 minutes with the lid on, then place in hot box for an hour or more.

Butternut

Place in a black pot in a solar cooker in the sun for two or three hours

Roast Chicken

Use a Weber Braai or buy ready cooked from a supermarket.

Fried chicken.

Microwave for 5 minutes then fry in a little oil until lightly browned. Turn off the heat when one side is done and flip.

Meringues

Solar cooking can’t be beaten

Packet vanilla muffins

Add raisins and solar cook for 2 -3 hours. Brown tops under a TV grill if desired, or top with water icing

Oats

¼ cup oats, ¾ cup boiling water and microwave 2 minutes for 1 serving or boil up a family size pot and cook in a hot box overnight.

Roast

Solar cooked roasts are tender and juicy.

Cottage Pie

Use a quantity of budget mince, make up some Smash and grill under a TV grill to brown

Mealie Meal (2)

Preheat the required amount of water plus salt (in a sun stove or other method) When the water is hot, it doesn’t have to boil, add the mealie meal, stir in and leave in the sunstove to cook.

References

1. “Potjiekos” by Marlene Hammann published by Human and Rousseau pg 15

2. “Sunstove 2000 Helpful Hints and recipes” Produced by Sunstove Organisation

P.O.Box 21960 Crystal Park 1515 Tel:(011)969-2818

Green Fuzzy Panda 15 – Meringue baskets

 

(using a solar cooker only)

Meringues cooked in a solar oven are superior to those cooked in a conventional oven. They stay fluffy and white and will impress all your friends. Meringue baskets can be filled with ice cream, cream, berries or anything that your imagination can suggest. These quantities make 3 – 6 baskets depending on size.

3 egg whites

1 cup sugar or castor sugar

1tsp lemon juice

Beat egg whites with one teaspoon of the sugar until stiff. Add the rest of the sugar gradually beating well in between. Use a piping bag to form baskets onto a baking tray which fits into your solar cooker. Start with a circular base and then pipe the sides on top of the base. Make meringue triangles for garnish. Cook in the solar cooker facing the sun for two to three hours. Fill with ice cream or other filling of your choice.

Green Fuzzy Panda 14 – Carrot Pudding

Carrot Pudding

(uses a solar cooker only)

1 ½ cups cake flour 1 cup grated raw carrot

1 tsp salt 1 ½ cups finely chopped peeled apple

1 ¼ tsp cinnamon ¾ cup raisins

¼ tsp cloves 1 cup light brown sugar

½ tsp nutmeg ½ cup margarine.

Cream margarine, add sugar and beat well. Add carrot, apple and raisins and mix together well. Add the dry ingredients, mixing well. Turn into 6 individual moulds. Place in a flat bottomed black pot (eg a flat potjie pot) with half a cup of water in the bottom. Place in a solar cooker in the sun before 10am. Serve with ice cream or custard.

Green Fuzzy Panda 13 – Caramel Squares

 

Caramel squares

Uses Solar cooker only

185g flour 1 tin Caramel Treat

125g margarine 200g dark chocolate

60g castor sugar

Cream the margarine and mix in the sugar and flour. Press the mixture into a rectangular greased tin and place in a solar cooker in the sun before 10am. After about two hours break the chocolate into pieces and place in a glass or plastic bowl. Retrieve the shortbread base and place the chocolate in the solar cooker. Spread the caramel treat over the shortbread. When the chocolate has melted, pour it over the caramel and allow to cool. Before it has completely hardened, score the chocolate into squares to make cutting easier.

Fuzzy Green Panda 12 – Chicken salad

 

Chicken Salad

Uses a microwave

350g skinless boneless chicken fillets

¼ to ½ English cucumber, sliced and halved

1 pineapple cut into pieces

1 ripe avocado pear cut into pieces

2 large tomatoes cubed

Half a small lettuce washed and shredded

2 to 3 tablespoons mayonnaise (or low fat mayonnaise and low fat yoghurt mixed)

Prick the chicken well (through the packaging if appropriate) and microwave for 5 mins at 900W.

Allow to cool. Cut into cubes and toss with the other ingredients. Serve with baby potatoes.

Green Fuzzy Panda 11

 

Holiday Chicken

(using a solar cooker and an optional backup source of heat)

This recipe is based on a potjie recipe by the Van Rooyens of Garsfontein. (1) The lemon peel adds zest to the dish. The recipe serves 4-6 people and can be served with a fresh salad and homemade bread. A flat cast iron pot or other black pot can be used.

Sauce

500ml low fat natural yoghurt

250ml dry white wine

10ml dried thyme

10ml grated lemon peel

1 packet cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup powder.

Salt to taste

4 -6 deboned skinless chicken fillets

1 large onion, chopped

2 green peppers, chopped

1 small packet button mushrooms sliced in half

½ cup rice

200-300g sliced carrots

2 baby potatoes per person, cut in half

100g dried apricots

200g frozen casserole vegetables or green beans

Whisk the sauce ingredients together. Brown onions , chicken and green pepper in a little oil in a cast iron pot on electric stove or gas stove or Bioheat stove(optional). Add the rest of the ingredients. Pour the sauce over the top and replace the lid.

Place the pot in a solar cooker in the sun before 10am and leave until the potatoes are soft (3-5 hours depending on the weather). Can be placed in the sun before work and retrieved after. The solar cooker must then face north in that case. Serve with fresh bread and a green salad.

1. “Potjiekos” by Marlene Hammann published by Human and Rousseau pg 15

Green Fuzzy Panda 10

 

Granny’s Chicken

(uses a solar cooker only)

This recipe is a family favourite and is adapted from a recipe given to me by my mother-in-law. It is a simple no fuss recipe cooked in one pot. It serves 3-5 people.

1 skinned deboned chicken fillet per person

½ cup mayonnaise

½ cup chutney

2 cups water

1 pkt Brown Onion soup

40g rice per person

1 – 2 cups frozen casserole vegetables.

Place the chicken fillets at the bottom of a cast iron pot or black pot of suitable size. Mix the next four ingredients together and pour over the chicken. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix all together. Replace the lid and put the pot in a solar cooker facing the sun or facing north if you are going to be out all day. Serve with green peas and tomato wedges. Cooks in about 3 hours depending on the weather.

Green Fuzzy Panda 9

 

Budget Mince

(using a solar cooker and an optional backup source of heat)

This mince can be made in bulk and frozen in smaller portions for later use. The quantities given make for 16 people and can be divided according to your family size. You can add or subtract ingredients according to your family’s preferences.

2 onions, chopped.

500g lean beef mince.

¾ cup orange lentils, soaked overnight.

1 cup soya mince

1 cup water

4 carrots (grated) or courgettes or other vegetables of your choice

1 pkt beef and vegetable soup

2 beef stock cubes dissolved in 2 cups boiling water.

Salt and any other herbs and spices to taste.

Brown the onions and mince in a little olive oil in a cast iron pot or a large black pot (optional). Soak the soya mince in 1 cup water for 5 minutes. Drain the lentils. Add all the ingredients and stir well. Place the pot in a solar cooker facing the sun or facing north for at least three hours although it will do no harm if kept in the sun all day. If the mince is a bit watery, thicken with Bisto or corn flour. Divide the mince into containers according to the size of your family and freeze for later use.

Green Fuzzy Panda 8: The biogel stove

 

The Biogel stove

Biogel stoves became very popular during the period of load shedding in South Africa. The fuel is an ethanol gel which is a renewable energy source ie it is not a fossil fuel. Most biogel stoves are very simple, having a reservoir for the fuel, an adjustable vent and a stable base for a pot to rest on. The most popular are double plate stoves which means one can cook two separate foods at once. At the time of writing the stoves and the gel were available at Pick and Pay stores.

Advantages of a Biogel stove

The stove has a wide flat base and can’t be knocked over.

Because the fuel is a gel, not a liquid, it can’t spill.

The vent controls the amount of air getting to the fuel so the stove can be adjusted for low, medium or high cooking.

There is no unpleasant smell, just a clean alcohol smell.

The stove is portable and easy to carry.

Disadvantages of a Biogel stove

Once the food is cooked, if all the biogel has not been used up, it can’t keep in the stove as it dries up. It is necessary therefore to know exactly how long you want the flame to last for and use the appropriate amount of gel (see table below)

Biogel fuel at present is more expensive than paraffin and so is more often used as a back up for electricity cuts in urban areas than as a normal method of cooking in poorer or rural areas where the increased safety would cut down the number of fire related accidents.

Table showing amount of Biogel to use for various times of cooking (measuring cups were used to measure gel)

Volume of Gel                                          Time of burning on high (minutes)

100ml	27
200ml	54
300ml	81
400ml	108
500ml	135

Green Fuzzy Panda 7: The Solar Cooker

 

Solar cooker

The solar cooker I use is a Sunstove, available from Margaret Bennett . e mail at sunstove@iafrica.com.

This method of cooking is the only one which is totally free. It is extremely easy. Place the food in a black pot, place in the solar cooker which is facing the sun or facing north if you are going to leave it for a long time.

The Sunstove comes with a pot and an instruction booklet, including recipes. It is ideal for one pot cooking, stews, vegetables, rice, pap, mince dishes. It is not suitable for dishes requiring rapid boiling, eg pasta, frying or baking (except meringues)

A black pot is preferable, but not essential. The sunstove cooks even if there is only 30 minutes of sun per hour. Food needs to be put in the sun before 10am as that is the best time for cooking. It is also possible to place the food in the sun before work and leave the sunstove facing north. It will be ready by 2pm but still warm by 4pm. It might just need a bit of reheating later in the day.

Advantage of a solar cooker

1. Free energy
2. It is light and so portable and can be moved to where the sun is, or taken camping etc.
3. It is almost impossible to burn food.

Disadvantages of a solar cooker

1. The cooker only works when there is enough sunlight, therefore not at night and not in the rain. It cannot be used as the only source of cooking. It can only be an additional source of cooking and will always require a back-up. However, when it can be used it saves electricity or wood or other fuel.
2. Food left unattended for long periods can be stolen. (Of course if there are grannies in the community they can sit near all the solar cookers and guard the food and cookers)

General Guidelines

1. The sunstove is designed for a family of 4. It can take more than one pot but if cooking for a larger number of people it will be necessary to use more cookers.
2. For cooking fresh vegetables it is not necessary to add water. Food will cook in its own juice.
3. Food must be placed in the sun before 10am in the morning for best results.
4. (From Sunstove 2000 Booklet)(2)

a) You will need twice the normal cooking time or a bit longer

b) Stews and casseroles use less water.”

g) food will cook quicker in 2 smaller pots than one big one. Don’t leave a lot of airspace above your food.”

1. The pots will get extremely hot and the use of a pot holder or oven gloves is necessary for removing the pot from the solar cooker.

Temperatures reached by the Sun stove

Dec 29 2009                                    

Partly cloudy, Max 26°C                         

Time           Temp °C                                                                           

9.00	40
9.30	50
10.10	90
10.55	120
11.20	120
12.00	120

These were my two extremes. When there was 50% cloud cover the stove reached a maximum of 95°C, 25% cloud cover it reached a maximum of 110°C. Cooking with more than 50% cloud was not very successful and another source had to be used to complete the cooking.

Green Fuzzy Panda 6: the open fire

 

This is the most traditional method of cooking and uses wood or charcoal to cook. In rural areas wood is collected for the fire. In more affluent areas open fire cooking is more a recreational pastime as in the braai and special charcoal briquettes or bundles of firewood are bought for the fire.

Advantages of an open fire

1. In general the fuel source, wood or charcoal is a renewable source.

2. The fire gives warmth and is an area where fellowship is shared.

3. The heat is instantaneous and cooking can be fast.

4. If freely available wood is collected the energy is free.

Disadvantages of an open fire

1. Although the fuel is renewable, very often the people involved do not plant more trees but continue to ravage wooded areas.

2. An open fire can get out of control and cause death, damage and devastation.

3. Often things are burned that emit dangerous fumes eg painted wood, plastic.

4. It is very easy to burn food.

5. Usually causes pollution to the atmosphere although taken overall compared to electricity generation, the amount of pollution might not be that significant.

Green Fuzzy Panda 5. Make your own hot box

 

You will need: A square box or container at least 5 cm larger than your pot on all sides, 2-3 metres fabric, newspaper, small pieces of polystyrene as used in packing.

Method: Take the following measurements: diameter of pot = a, height of pot = b, Height of box = c , side of box = d.

Cut out 2 squares of newspaper, one with sides of a, one with sides of d. Fold them both diagonally in quarters and cut out one quarter of each.

On a large sheet of newspaper cut out the following pattern.   Add 1,5 cm all around for seams.   Using the newspaper pattern, cut 4 identical pieces from the fabric.

Sew all 4 pieces together, right sides together , leaving one diagonal open. Turn right side out. Half fill the cushion with the polystyrene and then close up the opening. Arrange the cushion in the box with the base (d) downwards. Form the narrow top part into a nest inside the cushion. It should be just big enough for your largest pot. Make another cushion for the lid out of two square pieces of material the length of the base of the box. Fill with the polystyrene. Alternatively you could use a pillow as the lid.

Green Fuzzy Panda 4

 

The Hot Box
In days gone by farmers’ wives knew that if you heated up porridge to boiling point for five minutes before bed, it would continue cooking if the pot was placed in a box and completely surrounded by hay. The next morning there would be a
warm breakfast. They called it a Hay Box. This is the basis of the Hot Box, also sometimes known as the Wonder Box. It relies on the principle of insulation. Food heated through for five or ten minutes and then well insulated, will continue
to cook as the heat is kept in.
At the simplest, place the pot on a dish cloth on the middle of a blanket. Fold the blanket around and over the pot and put it in a corner out of the way. The Wonder Box consisted of a specially shaped cushion inside a box and was  marketed by various charities. Any good insulation can be used in a Hot Box, even balls of crumpled up newspaper.

How to use a Hot Box for cooking.
Use the smallest pot that will take the amount of food you are cooking. The fuller the pot , the more efficient the cooking. Any source of heating can be used:- open fire, biogel stove, gas, paraffin or electricity. Heat the food and
enough water in the pot with the lid on and allow to boil for 5 or 10 minutes. Switch off the heat and place the pot upright in the box so that it is surrounded by the insulation or cushion. Leave for the appropriate amount of time (at least one and a half hours but it will continue to stay hot for up to 10 hours).

Recipes

Rice
Boil 2 cups of water and 1tsp salt and a stock cube. Add one cup of rice and allow to boil for another 5 minutes with the lid on but allowing a small gap for steam to escape. Place in Hot Box for an hour and a half.

Mielie meal
Use the quantities of meal and water you would normally use for the consistency you require. Boil for 5 minutes and then keep in the Hot Box for at least an hour or until required.

Chicken and Lentil soup
Add 4 cups of water to a chicken carcass, 1 tsp salt, 1 chicken stock cube, 1 cup lentils, a chopped onion, chopped or grated carrot or any vegetables of your choice. Boil for ten minutes then place in Hot Box for at least 2 hours. Can start
it before work and come back for supper. Remove the bones, scraping off any chicken still adhering to them. Liquidise if you prefer a smoother soup.

Foods that can be cooked in a Hot Box
The Hot Box is ideal for foods that cook slowly. It is excellent for rice, stews, one pot meals, dried legumes, vegetables,
mealie meal, soups. It works well at keeping most things hot and is ideal for transporting a hot dish for eating with friends. It is not suitable for foods that need brisk boiling like pasta.

Green Fuzzy Panda 3

Simple ways to save power.

· We are all aware of the fact that the pot or pan is not hot enough as soon as we switch the hot plate on. It takes a little while for the plate and pot to heat up. In the same way, it takes a little while for them to cool down so if we switch off the power about 5 minutes before the food is cooked, it will still continue cooking in the hot pot on the hot plate.

· Use the kettle sparingly. A kettle is rated at about 2 kilowatts. Boil only enough water for your needs. If you are making one cup of coffee, boil one cup of water. This reduces the amount of time the appliance is working. Another option is to use a thermos flask or pump pot. Boil a full kettle and then pour any unused boiling water into the pump pot. For the next two hours you can use the water for making coffee or if you need it really boiling for tea, pour it back into the kettle and it will take much less energy to heat it up the last couple of degrees.

· Use the microwave instead of the hot plate as often as possible. Most food cooks faster in a microwave.

· Other options are a pressure cooker (which cooks faster because the high pressure enables the temperature to get much higher) an electric frying pan or steamer, where different foods can cook at the same time by stacking up on top of one another.

· On an electric stove top, use pots and pans with flat bottoms to maximize surface area and use a hot plate the same size as the pot.

· If you have to use the oven, make sure the seals fit properly to reduce heat loss. Test by closing a piece of paper between the door and the oven. If the paper slips out, you could be losing a lot of heat. Replace the seal to avoid wasting energy and money.

· Cook more than one dish in the oven at a time or one pot dishes on a stove top.

· Consider cooking in bulk and freezing, using the microwave to heat the dish.

· Thaw food overnight in the fridge rather than in the microwave.

· Keep the lid on when possible to reduce heat loss

· Dishes requiring browning in an oven eg macaroni and cheese use a lot of electricity just to get the cheese topping browned. Five minutes under a TV grill will give the same result with far less energy consumption.

Macaroni Cheese browned under a TV grill

• It costs almost the same to buy a roast chicken from most supermarkets as a fresh one. You save not only the electricity that you would use to cook it, but also the human energy you would use.
• Use insulation. We are so used to the concept of warming up food quickly in a microwave that we no longer try to keep it hot. Any insulating material wrapped around a pot or dish will help keep it hotter for longer. Examples are – newspaper, corrugated cardboard, blankets, packaging materials. The Wonderbox is an example of how food can not only be kept warm but continue to cook without the use of any electricity at all.

Green Fuzzy Panda 2. How much energy does it use?

 

Using electricity efficiently in cooking.

The kilowatt (1000 watts) is a measure of power or energy used by electrical appliances and is usually printed on the apparatus. A small hot plate would have a rating of about 1,5kw while a large one would be closer to 2kw. We pay for electricity by the kilowatt.hour which is how much energy an appliance of 1kw will use in an hour. We can’t change the watts of our appliances, but we can change the amount of time we use them for. The following ratings have been supplied by City Power

Appliance		Rating (kw)
Stove	Small hot plate on high	1,5
	Small hot plate on low	0,35
	Large hot plate on high	2,0
	Large hot plate on low	0,5
	Oven (approximately 200° C)	2,0
Electric frying pan		1,5
Microwave		0,7 -0,9
Sandwich toaster		0,7
TV grill		1,8

It might appear from the table above that it is easy to save electricity by using hot plates on low rather than high. This would only be true if the food cooked in the same amount of time. For example if you use a hot plate of 2kw on high for 30 minutes or one on low at 0,5kw for 2 hours, you use the same amount of electricity – 1kwh. To be efficient you need to be able to optimise time as well as power.

Green Fuzzy Panda

In the next couple of blogs I am going to be looking at energy efficient cooking.

Introduction

We are all aware of the energy crisis and of the fact that electricity is going to become more and more expensive. Responsible people have already exchanged their incandescent light bulbs for the energy saving equivalent. They have turned down their geyser and insulated it with a geyser blanket. They switch off unused appliances and lights. Gas heaters have become more popular.

Energy does not only apply to electricity. Fossil fuels when burned provide heat energy. This is how we generate our electricity by burning large amounts of fossil fuels and then converting the heat energy produced to electrical energy. In the process of conversion, a lot of the energy is lost. For heating and cooking many people go the direct route and burn something to use the energy produced. People without access to electricity have only this option and they will burn wood, coal, paraffin, gas to cook food and heat their homes. Wherever there are open fires there is the danger of houses burning down, people being burnt and toxic fumes being given off. However, with proper care this can be a fairly efficient way of utilising energy, especially if the fuel is renewable eg wood, charcoal, biofuels.

Then there is human energy. In our modern hectic world, we try to conserve our energy – to do things quickly and efficiently. Cooking is no exception. We will be looking at ways to use energy efficiently in our cooking.