Have you heard of a haybox?

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I have had a lovely discussion with @Raelove on her post 'And Speaking of Cooking'. We were discussing the old wood and oil stoves which wives and mothers had to contend with years ago. I asked Rachel if she had ever heard of a 'haybox' and promised to write about it when I found out more information. So here it is. Basically a hay or strawbox uses the hot food to complete the cooking process. Foods are heated to boiling point then insulated so that the trapped heat finishes the cooking process. This type of cooking has been described as the non-electric version of the crockpot. It is suitable for any recipe that is boiled, simmered, roasted or steamed. You can find lots of information on Google but here is one way of going about making a haybox cooker. Find or build an almost airtight box out of tongue and groove timber. It needs to be nearly airtight with a tight-fitting hinged lid. A 30 inches high, deep and wide box (a cube) is a good size to take a 2 ½ quart Dutch oven. Glue heavy paper to the inside surfaces, overlapping the paper to cover any openings. Pack the box three parts full with fresh hay. It needs to be fine hay, not coarse or clover hay. Hollow out a nest to hold the cooking utensil. A heavy metal pot will give best results as this will retrain heat better than most other materials. Sew a casing out of strong fabric, stuff with hay and pack in around and over the casserole or Dutch oven. Then close the lid. That's about all there is to it. Start the evening meal in the morning. There won't be any evaporation so you won't need as much liquid. Ensure the food is well and truly boiling before transferring the dish to the haybox. A good haybox will hold usable heat for up to 8 hours. I realise this is probably of little use to anyone but it IS interesting and perfectly feasible. The photo is of a planter box but this is the sort of box you'd need with the right dimensions and a lid. I wonder if I can talk Vince into making me one?