Emergency Preparedness: Saving you Food
National Emergency Preparedness Month is here and that means it’s time to rethink our emergency preparedness plans. In all the concern about losing power and buying a Generac Generator, whether whole house or portable, have you given thought to the food aspect of an emergency? You may have power, but the stores may not! You also may not be able to get to a store to get food or milk or medicines.
As you prepare for storms in any season, we recommend a few “staples” be in the pantry just in case you cannot get out or stores are closed or not able to get their deliveries. Before we begin and you comment that you would never use some of these items outside of a real need, consider each of these items a great food pantry donation before they expire – just in case you don’t use them!
Milk goes bad fast so have some Soy, Coconut, Almond, canned or Powdered Milk available for your use. Think proteins! Protein fuels your body and aids in getting through the day. At the onset of the storm or just before the storm, cook up some of that meat in the freezer and refreeze it! Warming it on the grill will be a time saver and relief as you struggle through clean up. Canned beans in variety can be used to make chili all winter long, but in a storm, they can be a welcomed side dish. Be sure to have a non-electric can opener on hand to ensure you are able to open cans if you lose power.
Be sure your freezer is packed to include water bottles so that your freezer will stay frozen longer. Good meats to keep on hand for an emergency are; chicken, ground beef or turkey and roasts. Each of these can be used in a wide variety of ways. You can pre-cook some of your meats to pull out and mix with other sides. You can pull each of these out fresh and quickly create foil packets for cooking on the grill with seasoning and fresh or frozen vegetables inside to accompany the meat. A chicken once cooked for one meal can become a leftover BBQ chicken meal with bread or rolls when adding your favorite barbecue sauce.
A favorite of many to keep in the spare freezer is a large turkey. Purchased when they are on sale, a turkey will provide many meals during a storm and in the days to come. Prepared quick breads make a quick and easy dessert for the sweet tooth in the family! Use your imagination and get creative! Back-to-School cookies baked in August can become an exciting diversion from the situation at hand for the smaller generation. Remember also that if you have a side burner on your grill you can make chocolate oatmeal no bake cookies with the kids and let them enjoy themselves and alleviate some of the stress and frustration that comes with storms like a hurricane.
Fall is a wonderful time for the apples and apple orchards, why not cut out the core, stuff the apple with a mixture of raisins, butter and brown sugar, wrap in foil and set on the grill for 30-45 minutes for an amazing treat for everyone! Got ice cream in the freezer? It won’t last long! Add some ice cream to your apple treat and enjoy!
Don’t wait until the last minute to stock your pantry with foods for a weather emergency. Plan early and you won’t be the one standing in line as the winds pick up outside. Instead, you will be safe at home with your family enjoy your last hours of power and normality! Think smart and start your pantry list of cool foods and canned goods that you can have handy for the storm! Write out recipes, write out your food plan and post it inside your pantry door. Check your storm stash often for expiration dates and donate what you don’t want to expire to your local food pantry!
