Hurricane food- what do you buy?

[starry_solo]

If you get earthquakes, don't light matches as, if there is a gas leak, it may create a gas explosion.

Hence, no using the gas stove. I guess if the big one hits (knock on wood), we will be eating cold canned food

 

[LongLiveRafiki]

Maybe I'm weird, but I've eaten corn (regular and cream), green beans, peas, carrots, baked and refried beans, spaghetti's, and other chef boyardee style canned meals straight out of the can. Sure, they're better heated, but not horrible at room temp. You can also buy shelf-stable pre-cooked pasta in pouches and pour some jarred sauce over it and eat it at room temp. You can buy quarts of shelf-stable soy and almond milk, applesauce cups or pouches, jello, cereal, jerky, fresh or dried fruit, granola and protein bars, pb or cheese crackers, bread, muffins, bagels. Go to an Army/Navy Surplus style store and see if they have any civilian-equivalent MREs. Many do. You can also sometimes find those kinds of meals in the camping section of places like Walmart, Meijer, etc and Outdoor World always has that kind of stuff.

 

[luvsJack]

After Katrina, lots of people had MREs. We have a major training base close by and they provided a lot of them to the area. All I can say is YUCK.

All the kids were excited to have them. Until they ate one! Lol.

I mean they will do in a desperate situation but simply have not reached that level.

Maybe the civilian type ones are better?

 

[LSUmiss]

A little off topic but another thing we do is turn the a/c down as low as we can stand it so when power goes out, it’s a little while before the heat is unbearable.

 

[SaintsManiac]

After Katrina, lots of people had MREs. We have a major training base close by and they provided a lot of them to the area. All I can say is YUCK.

All the kids were excited to have them. Until they ate one! Lol.

I mean they will do in a desperate situation but simply have not reached that level.

Maybe the civilian type ones are better?

We got two boxes of them after Gustav. My husband ate every last one, because he can’t handle wasting food. Lol so gross.

 

[LongLiveRafiki]

After Katrina, lots of people had MREs. We have a major training base close by and they provided a lot of them to the area. All I can say is YUCK.

All the kids were excited to have them. Until they ate one! Lol.

I mean they will do in a desperate situation but simply have not reached that level.

Maybe the civilian type ones are better?

Haha. I haven't tried any of the civilian ones. The military vegetarian MREs are all good with the exception of the cheese omelet. I can't personally speak to the meat ones, but DH loves a few of them. We don't exactly have refined tastes though.

 

[Imzadi]

Everyone has mentioned sterno and candles. Be careful. If there is a lot of trees down, a fire truck will have trouble getting to you.
That’s why we prefer just to use the grill.

I used to do a lot of catering. Those chafing dishes on long buffet tables and the big silver urns of coffee are all kept heated by cans of sterno. Sterno is used all the time indoors. Both the chafing dishes & coffee urns are on banquet, cloth tablecloths.

Just make sure the cans of Sterno are on a (flameproof) ceramic bread plate flipped upside down. Put them out by placing the cover, or another butter dish over it to smother the flames. Be careful moving the cans as they will still be very hot. NEVER move/walk with them lit. You trip and the flaming Sterno fuel goes flying.

Here are SIX Sterno cans sitting next to each other on one cloth covered table:

Instead of chafing pans, just place the Sterno on the bottom floor of your oven. Move the oven rack low enough to the flames. Place your food in ovensafe dishes or pans with ovenproof handles and allow the Sterno to heat the food (in place of your normal heat, gas or electric.) Flame too hot, Raise the oven rack or put out some of the Sterno cans. Oven heat to low, add more cans of Sterno.

The chefs at my former catering company used to cook the foods in closed sheet pan cabinets that way all the time.

Racks of food on sheet pans & underneath each tray of food would be another sheet pan, about 4 inches below, filled with the Sterno.

 

[Imzadi]

Another thing to get: if you currently have a landline phone line with a cordless phone connected to it, the cordless phone won't work when the power goes out. You need an old fashioned, corded phone with a phone line to plug directly into the phone jack in the wall. Sometimes the electricity goes out, but the landline phone lines will still work. Different lines, different power sources.

 

[LovesTimone]

Florida girl born and raised...

Have a plan... If they tell you to go... GO!!! don't wait Please go.. Take important paper, insurance paper, vehicle registration and insurance paper, medical insurance. A list of your doctors, dental, and eye offices with phone numbers and any prescriptions you might take. If possible get refills ahead of time, also any OTC medicine you might take or use regularly.

If you are going to a shelter, blankets, blow up beds, food and water, something to keep the kids busy, flash light and extra batteries, and toilet paper, paper towels and soap. A couple of bath towels and shampoo and any other personal needs.

Take pictures out of the frames, and any family heirlooms, grandmas necklace, the family bible, a quilt that your mom made.

If your at home where are you going if your in the path of a tornado? everyone needs to know where to go.

Enough water for everyone for at least 3 to 4 days,

Don't forget about your pets they need water and food.

Fill the tubs with water for flushing toilets, and washing off.

Canned chicken, tuna, soup that you can warm up on the grill. Peanut butter and jelly, bread, lots of snacks, drinks Gatorade, soda, canned ravioli and stuff that can be heated up on the grill,

extra propane tank and/or charcoal for the grill.

Cook ahead, see whats in the freezer and use it up.

Ice and more Ice.... then more Ice... Don't throw the melted ice water away, it can be used for drinking if needed ..

Clean out you coolers with hot water and bleach, same for your tubs or anything you are going to put water into.

Have plenty of dish soap, hand soap, kitchen wipes with bleach, bleach for the toilets, a large pot for heating water on the grill to wash dishes, and your self if needed.

Candles, flashlights, lanterns, extra batteries, cords to charge your phone in the cars, battery operated fans, or generator... If you have one make sure it runs now, gas for it, along with a chain and lock so it doesn't disappear, know where you are going to put it. If its new, get it out of the box and know how to use it... NOT IN OR NEAR THE HOUSE....

Chainsaw with gas for it.. Please know how to use it...

Talk to your neighbor's so everyone knows who stayed at home and who left... Just in case and god forbid you neighborhood takes a direct hit or the flooding, you know who to look for. Also neighbors phone numbers and such.

Wash all your clothes, towels, sheets, ahead of time.

Stock up on paper plates, napkins, paper towels, throw away cutlery, toilet paper, Kleenex, trash bags for in house use as well as outdoor ones for clean up after the storm.

 

[lovin'fl]

Well I bought three boxes of Atkins snack bars and DH ate one whole box already...for breakfasts the past couple days...instead of, say, eggs and sausage in fridge that need to be eaten in case we lose power. Ugghh.

 

[Frozen Canuck]

Chainsaw with gas for it.. Please know how to use it...

+1 Knowing how to use it is soooooo important! A chainsaw isn't like a toaster that you just plug in and can intuitively operate after having seen it done.

I just want to add that if you get or have a chainsaw, please be sure that you have the proper protective gear to wear as well when you use it. Safety goggles, or better yet, the full-face screens that protect your face, should the chain break and fly back at you, are essential, as are hearing protection and heavy gloves. Also make sure that you have chain oil.

Now, getting back on the food topic...if you will be using your grill, be sure that you have grill-safe cookware to use on it, such as cast iron, as some cookware that is able to work on a traditional range, would be damaged on a barbecue grill. Stock up on tin foil for use on the grill, even some foil pans, depending upon what you will be heating or cooking.

You can cook, cool, and freeze things like chicken ahead of time, for use in salads, sandwiches, and soups, and then you don't have to deal with raw, smelly, meat packaging or raw meat defrosting and contaminating other foods. You simply reheat and eat or thaw and chop. If the meat does spoil, it will also not be as drippy to dispose of. Having pre-cooked proteins generally means that you can reduce the amount of time and fuel you use to prepare your meals.

The same thing can be done with bacon. Cook some up and dispose of the mess ahead of time, then wrap and freeze the cooked bacon, which can be reheated for breakfast, used in bacon and tomato sandwiches, etc.

 

[jo-jo]

Everyone has mentioned sterno and candles. Be careful. If there is a lot of trees down, a fire truck will have trouble getting to you.
That’s why we prefer just to use the grill.

Well, I would use a couple sterno inside the charcoal grill (without charcoal). Besides , no sense adding more heat to inside the house. And I was talking for heating up a can of soup or pot of water. I don't think I'd try to grill meats over a couple of cans of sterno, For that, I'd use the grill with charcoal.

 

[HeatherC]

OP..if you have a grill you can pretty much cook anything...especially a propane one with a side burner. But even charcoal grill you can use to make anything you would on a stove top. Boil water for pasta, coffe, oatmeal, rice dishes, etc., stirfry, meats, veggies. No reason to live on canned goods alone.

Because my morning coffe is critical I would make sure I had my French press or old fashioned metal stovetop percolator ready to go along with some canned evaporated milk.

Stay safe!!

 

[lovin'fl]

Can put lots of things on grill in aluminum foil and on grill. I have a bag of meatballs in freezer that I will do that with if power goes. Veges can go in foil too.

 

[Deb & Bill]

What I really want to store up is bottles of cold air for all the days the AC is going to be out.

 

[bcla]

OP..if you have a grill you can pretty much cook anything...especially a propane one with a side burner. But even charcoal grill you can use to make anything you would on a stove top. Boil water for pasta, coffe, oatmeal, rice dishes, etc., stirfry, meats, veggies. No reason to live on canned goods alone.

Because my morning coffe is critical I would make sure I had my French press or old fashioned metal stovetop percolator ready to go along with some canned evaporated milk.

Stay safe!!

I worked with a group of Italians, and one time I bought an inexpensive moka pot that we used to make espresso at a company picnic where the location was a municipal park. I used a portable gas stove, but I think in a pinch we could have used it on the grill over charcoal.

The biggest issue with using charcoal is heat control. I've heard of people melting pots - especially aluminum. Also damaging handles. In the end a gas camping stove is probably the best solution if there aren't any issues with ruptured gas lines where fire could be dangerous.

So everyone riding out the storm - be safe. I get all the uncertainty over what might happen.

 

[NYCgrrl]

We have a charcoal grill but I am scared to use it the way hubby uses a chimney thing to light it. Guess we can get some lighter fluid for me to use if he isn’t home.

My girls don’t like cold cuts but I guess if they are hungry enough they might.

I am going to make a big pasta salad to keep in the cooler.

Chimney lighting a grill or campfire is easy peasy. Set the kids to roll and crumple the newspaper strips, stuff the exterior base chamber with the paper and light using fireplace matches or a long lighter (the ones with flexible necks are the best), load the upper container with charcoal, and fire up the lower chamber. The biggest trick is to remember basic science and ensure the paper chamber allows air in to ignite the fire.

There's lots of youtube vids on the how to so you can amaze your hubby w/ your new found skills.

PS- you can bake custardy type desserts (fruit clafouti, creme brule, flan, etc) on top a chimney starter.

As for the cold cuts, DGD, will eat the homemade roasts I make and slice as cold cuts but has issues with the pre-packed supermarket variety. When choices are limited been known to fool her by cutting the supermarket meat into shapes (cookie cutters can be your friend) or knife cutting the slices into chunks and strips for salads, tacos and omelettes.

 

[NYCgrrl]

I worked with a group of Italians, and one time I bought an inexpensive moka pot that we used to make espresso at a company picnic where the location was a municipal park. I used a portable gas stove, but I think in a pinch we could have used it on the grill over charcoal.

The biggest issue with using charcoal is heat control. I've heard of people melting pots - especially aluminum. Also damaging handles. In the end a gas camping stove is probably the best solution if there aren't any issues with ruptured gas lines where fire could be dangerous.

So everyone riding out the storm - be safe. I get all the uncertainty over what might happen.

Heat control is easy on a charcoal grill if you learn the basics of direct and indirect grilling. Direct heat means all the charcoal is laid in an even row. Great for high heat grilling but uses a lot of fuel. Indirect heat means you bank the charcoal into "hills" with 3 different levels. This allows you to cook items at different temperatures and gives you the opportunity to reheat pre-cooked dishes and keep newly cooked items warm whilst using a minimum of fuel. Errrrr I like live heat cooking during our outdoor summer vacations in part because it's difficult to accomplish in the city.

I'm the tea and hot water drinker while the man is the coffee drinker. Tried many methods to make his morning coffee including a moka pot but gave it up when he switched to decaf. Simplified my outdoor life since one simple pot to boil water took care of all our needs; now he drinks Starbuck's Via decaf and all are happy.

 

[luvsJack]

I used to do a lot of catering. Those chafing dishes on long buffet tables and the big silver urns of coffee are all kept heated by cans of sterno. Sterno is used all the time indoors. Both the chafing dishes & coffee urns are on banquet, cloth tablecloths.

Just make sure the cans of Sterno are on a (flameproof) ceramic bread plate flipped upside down. Put them out by placing the cover, or another butter dish over it to smother the flames. Be careful moving the cans as they will still be very hot. NEVER move/walk with them lit. You trip and the flaming Sterno fuel goes flying.

Here are SIX Sterno cans sitting next to each other on one cloth covered table:

Instead of chafing pans, just place the Sterno on the bottom floor of your oven. Move the oven rack low enough to the flames. Place your food in ovensafe dishes or pans with ovenproof handles and allow the Sterno to heat the food (in place of your normal heat, gas or electric.) Flame too hot, Raise the oven rack or put out some of the Sterno cans. Oven heat to low, add more cans of Sterno.

The chefs at my former catering company used to cook the foods in closed sheet pan cabinets that way all the time.

Racks of food on sheet pans & underneath each tray of food would be another sheet pan, about 4 inches below, filled with the Sterno.

Oh yeah, I have used them many times. We use them at home at holiday gatherings. At athletic banquets and of course at the restaurants I worked for.

I would not use them to cook. Maybe to heat but not cook. Not enough heat. But if was the only way to have coffee, I would certainly use one.

Not saying they are dangerous, but they are an open flame of sorts. Just a reminder to be careful. Any use of an open flame inside at a time when the fires department cannot get to you, should be done with caution.

 

[Planogirl]

I don't know if it was mentioned but fill up your car(s) with gasoline. Also buy (or freeze) as much ice as you think you'll need and then buy even more. Also make sure you have a good camplight or two and plenty of batteries. I read a lot during power outages.