People in the middle of the US- think floods or tornadoes or blizzard. You're stuck at home (or not) with power (or not) and nothing much coming in or going out.
And the whole time, every golden retriever within 50 miles is freaking out and trying to climb under you and jump through windows at the same time.
It's actually storming here now. Difference is, I have power.
What does this have to do with my food budget? Simple-
If we get a hurricane (and it's been light up the East Coast the last couple years), I need stuff to eat, drink, and bribe wild roommates with. Oh, and it has to be super easy to cook, 'cause I'll most likely be cooking over a fire or a camp stove, or a small charcoal hibachi-type thing - or not at all.
So what kinda easy to cook stuff keeps well, travels well, and and is super cheap?
I'm thinking the kinda stuff I'd take camping. Oatmeal, dehydrated refried beans, hummus or falafel mix, pasta, and some ramen. Luckily I have a pretty much inexhaustible supply of empty bottles, so water will be cheap to work out.
The mixes I'll be getting from a bulk bin- not super transportable, but I'm high enough inland that it shouldn't matter too much. They're much much cheaper bulk than in the little boxes you might find at the grocery store. Ramen is cheap just about any where.
And of course, I make my own bread, don't drink milk, and can't afford beer, so I won't have to make the crazy "ZOMG there's a hurricane" grocery trip.
Now I just have to work that stuff into my budget. And not eat it the second I get it home.
Food Yesterday-
I finished off the onion fritter things- had one left about 4" in diameter (that's 10cm for you metric types), and around an inch deep. Made a tasty breakfast, if not too healthy.
Then for dinner I made Black Bean Soup with the beans from last week (or was it the week before....)
- 1.5C cooked black beans (approx.)
- 1.5C bean cooking broth (with salt and garlic)
- 2C water (+/-)
- 2T oil
- 1T salt
- 1 med. onion, chopped
- 1/2 head garlic, peeled/ diced
- 1 roma tomato, chopped
Fry the onion in oil with salt until soft and starting to lightly brown. Add garlic and mix/ cook until it's *just* not raw- don't burn it. Add beans, broth, water, and boil on high until the beans heat through and the liquid level drops a bit. Add the tomato, stirring to mix it in. Serve hot.
Options-
- More garlic
- More onion
- Cooking wine added with broth
- chili for spice
- chicken broth instead of bean cooking juice
- chunks of chicken or other meat
- sour cream added at serving (dairy or vegan)
- cilantro
- Bread
- less garlic or onion (why??!???)
It was super tasty as written, filled my little white bowl twice, and could easily have had twice as much tasty garlic in it. And yes, it says half a *head* of garlic. It was somewhere between 1/4 and 1/3 C diced garlic. It got really mild when I cooked it, but it's good for you, tastes good, and keeps garlic hating people away. So win on all fronts!
Now I'm going to enjoy the storm, and *not* envy all the people I know with thunder storm anxiety-having dogs. I knew the whole "no pets" thing would have an up-side.
I envy you.I like you love garlic. My wife hates garlic with a purple passion. She has a nose like a blood hound and everything in the world stinks. If I use one clove she strokes out. I love black beans and that soup sounds like garlic heaven
ReplyDeleteMy parent's golden, who usually sleeps at the foot of their bed, jumps in between them and buries his under the pillow when there is the slightest hint of a storm. It's hilarious.
ReplyDeleteLovin' all the garlic in that soup. ;)
Mmmm black bean soup :)
ReplyDeletehow long have you found cooked beans to keep? I always end up cooking too much or too little, and throw out unused stuff after a week or so in the fridge (because my mother is OCDish)-- so it isn't something I've tried.
crossing my fingers for calm weather on your end!
Leonard- sorry you can't use garlic. I'm told subtlety has its' place in cooking too, I just don't know where.
ReplyDeleteAlyse- Yeah, the hiders are cute. Velcro dogs, diggers, and jumpers not so much. 65lbs of slobbering terror is no fun to cook around, 'specially when it's trying to escape *thru* either a plate glass window or a nice tile floor. So let doggie dosing season begin!
theresa- you probably should only keep them a week, or freeze them in baggies/ jars. I like to live dangerously, though. Those beans were probably in there for a week and a half or two weeks. Some day I might get food poisoning from my ultra lazy leftover ways, but in the meantime it keeps my guts strong and prepared for anything.
RM#1 let/ had me mow the lawn. With a self propelled gas mower that weighs about as much as I do. No people were harmed in the mowing of the lawn, but the lawn doesn't look so good.
I had a sheltie that used to go out during thunderstorms and try to catch the lightning. She'd literally chase it across the yard and then jump and snap.
ReplyDeleteI make something similar with black beans, but I make it more of a stew than a soup - I still eat it over rice, though. It freezes pretty well.
Francis is okay with storms, as long as he doesn't have to go into The Big Wet. He'll hold his potty forever if need be.
ReplyDeleteI too have really bad leftover habits, and I firmly believe it makes my tummy stronger.
With you on the food storage thing - I keep hundreds of pounds of food in the house, and I try to keep the majority of it in the form of pantry foods that can be used without power.