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When the power goes out, my kids tend to think it’s party time. They like it because it means that we are definitely going to play some games, do some arts and crafts, and eat some food we don’t normally indulge in.
Of course we have back-up cooking methods for heating food when the electricity goes out, We became accustomed to it, since it happens with relative frequency, but in our old house in the city it wasn’t so easy. Still, in the summer, we don’t want to fire up the woodstove and during a storm, we don’t want to stand outside in the rain cooking on the barbecue. So, during a short term power outage, it makes life easier in many cases to eat things that don’t require much in the way of preparation. We have specific preps for this situation that require no cooking. It’s probably the only time we regularly consume food that hasn’t been made from scratch, so for the girls, it’s a bit of a treat.
I like to keep the refrigerator door closed so it depends on the expected length of the outage whether or not we take things from there. If we do get items from the refrigerator, I plan it out so I can quickly grab all the things and then close the door again, to help maintain the temperature.
At our cabin, the pump goes out when the power goes out, so we have no running water. (I rent so this is not something I can upgrade at this time.) To circumvent a few difficulties, we stock up on disposable goods to use during power outages:
In our cupboard, most of the following items are the organic version. Some exceptions are graham crackers and saltines, which can’t be found organic in our rural area. (I avoid purchasing non-organic items that contain corn, even for the “Lights Out” stockpile, since nearly all corn grown in North America is genetically modified.)
Following are some “recipes” for power outage food. Okay, “recipe” is a stretch – perhaps just some “tasty combinations”. :)
Layer organic tortilla chips with canned cheese sauce, salsa, and canned jalepenos
Top graham crackers with Nutella (or other chocolate-nut spread) and marshmallow fluff
Soft tortillas filled with canned meat, a touch of mustard or mayo, and veggies from the fridge
Soft tortillas with canned meat (we use our home canned chicken or taco meat for this), salsa, and canned cheese sauce
Combine a can of tuna, a can of white beans, chopped onion, chopped peppers and chopped black olives (veggies are optional). Top with Italian dressing mixed with dijon mustard to taste.
Drain canned fruit of choice and stir it into vanilla pudding. Serve in ice cream cones for a kid-friendly treat. (We do this with yogurt also.)
Combine 1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed; with 1 can of organic corn, drained. For the dressing mix 1/2 jar of salsa; 1/2 tsp each of chili powder, onion powder, and garlic powder; 3 tbsp of lemon juice. Toss well. Serve as a salad, in a soft tortilla or mixed with a pouch of pre-cooked rice.
Do you have any no-cook ideas for the stockpile? Please share them in the comments section!
This article is an updated version of one that was
originally published on February 6, 2013.
Delivered by The Daily Sheeple
Contributed by Daisy Luther of The Organic Prepper.
Daisy Luther is a freelance writer and editor. Her website, The Organic Prepper, offers information on healthy prepping, including premium nutritional choices, general wellness and non-tech solutions. You can follow Daisy on Facebook and Twitter, and you can email her at [email protected]
I really don’t understand your logic. You wont eat corn because it is a hybrid. but you eat caned meat and cheese. Both of so many preservatives that it would make an undertaker blush. Baked beans and ham? The ham again has a lot of nitrates and other junk that is not good for you. Make your own and can them.
White potatoes and wheat are two more hybrid varieties that will cause you grief. If you have to consume them, grow your own non hybrid.
I am getting the feeling that people are interchanging the words GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms) and Hybrid. Hybrids are varieties within a species and don’t reproduce themselves. In the animal kingdom a hybrid would be like mixing a horse and a donkey to make a mule. A GMO is where they splice gene’s like a scorpion gene with a daffodil then splice that with something else to make a plant (or animal creature).
Can your own meat. Chicken, beef, venison, and others are easy to can, make meatballs, or whatever. They are easy to can, and require NO electricity to keep. Easy to warm with little heat. You can even bake bread in a canning jar and seal it while it is still hot. Keeps for a long time on a shelf with no preservatives. Boil a dozen or more eggs and keep them in a jar in the fridge, makes a quick meal. Make your own mayonnaise, it is mostly oil and a fresh egg. buy a hand cranked mixer if you don’t have one for when the lights go out.