Cooking When the Power Goes Out

RE: Cooking When the Power Goes Out Post By Ross (Guest Post) (08/31/2006) I know I am a little behind in e-mail, and sure you have receveived a few solutions, but there is always the option to HAVE CHARCOAL & LIGHTER on hand! In a pinch -- even in winter, a barbecue can be used to cook! (I emphasize winter, b/c many outages occur during winter.) If you cookout a lot, I'm sure you have an open bag in your garage or storage area. If you do not, make sure you have a full bag, in addition to the started one. That way, in case of say, a 3-day outage, (God forbid) you would have enough charcoal to last you. PLUS... remember -- the very people who don't keep a supply of charcoal on hand will be the ones at the store, buying the last dozen or so bags off the shelf! Why have to fight 'em for one (or more)??? Yer NEW Hillbilly friend in TN... Ross PROUD father of an American Soldier RE: Cooking When the Power Goes Out Post by BeanTownSteve (16) | (08/15/2006) Contact Gee, all these suggestions and no one mentioned take-out?? RE: Cooking When the Power Goes Out Post By Sweet Peaches (Guest Post) (08/14/2006) I live in southern Arizona and every darned time we have a thunderstorm,our electric goes out..I have a Propane cook stove and a propane heater for the living room .we have lost our electric for 4 days one time in the wintertime when it wea 17 degrees and really cold.I usually keep bottled water in the garage and a 35 gal.plastic barrel filled to flush the toilets.I can cook and stay warm when it's cold and we bought a large Generator[diesel] some years ago from Harbor Freight and this past time when the electric was out-we were the only ones keeping cool in the 120 degree temperature from a small window air conditioner in the room used for tv viewing.were I you-I'd have a propane stove[ small apt.size would do the job just fine] in the garage for cooking and a wood heater in the living room for those days when the electric isn't working.be prepared and you won't get caught with no way to cook or stay warm in the winter. RE: Cooking When the Power Goes Out Post By Marie from N>J> (Guest Post) (08/13/2006) what about a charcoal grill. RE: Cooking When the Power Goes Out Post by camo_angels (683) | (08/12/2006) Profile | Contact Betsy LT - we used to grill ALL year in ALaska, especially for holidays and Super-Bowl! I keep extra charcoal and fluid through the winter just in case. Unfortunately, we have more rain than snow here in Oregon! RE: Cooking When the Power Goes Out Post by mef1957 (225) | (08/12/2006) Profile | Blog! | Contact Yep, I also agree a gas grill is the way to go. We also have an all electric house (I personally would prefer a gas stove but oh well....) Anyway, a gas grill is mighty handy to cook on in the heat of summer here in the deep south but it is a practical necessity after a hurricane for cooking!! RE: Cooking When the Power Goes Out Post By (Guest Post) (08/11/2006) I second a camp stove, but if you don't have one, they are expensive. try the after summer sales or go to camping stores and buy the little portable can stove/heaters. another thing you could use is the top of a wood burning stove. you can put a pot of soup on top in morning and cook all day , contain heat by covering pan with lid. and remember if the power is out and it is cold outside you can put refrigerated items on the porch inside something water and critter proof. we too were all electric, but we bought a gas range earlier this yr when income tax return time came , so now we not only can cook but also can use the oven for heat if the power goes out. which was our intention. good luck brenda-ohio RE: Cooking When the Power Goes Out Post by pam2cats (35) | (08/11/2006) Profile | Contact If a gas grill is too expensive just to have around in case of power outage you can use a charcoal grill or Hibachi. Also for outdoors but can be used just inside the (open) garage door. My mother had to do this for 10 days after hurricane Carol in 1953 RE: Cooking When the Power Goes Out Post By Margie Minard (Guest Post) (08/11/2006) Oh MY!! Did you strike a chord!!! Our power went out just before Christmas last year and was out for four days. The temp went to 10 below on Christmas eve and it was just about as cold as I EVER want to be. If you are out in the country, don't forget that your pump for water is electric, too, and you won't get water for drinking, washing anything....or worst of all....flushing!!! Make sure you stock up on bottled water for drinking and cooking. I usually have several gallons on hand. Just buy the cheap stuff at Walmart and put it in the garage or basement You won't regret it. I also fill 4 or 5 of the pickle buckets with the lids (try fast food places or bulk food stores) to keep water for flushing and any washing...anything but human consumption. I think that not enough water is just about the worst thing about power outage, We also had a power line down across our driveway, so no one could get in or out for the duration. We couldn't leave because we had several pets and about 30 chickens that would have died if we had left without some sort of heat for them. If you get power out in the winter or when it is raining, a nice fondue pot that uses sterno is very handy. I even made coffee in my fondue pot. I fixed vegetable soup and hot dogs the first night. A fireplace is a real boon in the cooler times. I made a "stove" by upturning a large bowl and upturning a large iron skillet...I used the BOTTOM of the skillet as I would the top of a stove. For hotter, I pushed the skillet into the fire and used another skillet or a pot on top. To simmer, I pulled the large skillet out a bit. On Christmas day that year, I made sausage and the BEST french toast on that fireplace stove. Later that day, I made probably the best gumbo I ever tasted. Just started to simmer water and chicken, onion, garlic, green peppers, canned tomatoes, Cajun seasoning, and ended up with brown and serve sausage and rice at the end. Our son came up with the idea to think of five things to be thankful for on Christmas, even without electric. We had no problem!!! For more ideas, just email me at jonminard AT ecr.net RE: Cooking When the Power Goes Out Post By BetsyLT (Guest Post) (08/11/2006) Consider buying a gas (propane) BBQ grill with a side burner. We used ours when we lost power in Alaska. Admittedly that sometimes meant cooking in a rain slicker or down jacket, but it worked. Hope that helps! RE: Cooking When the Power Goes Out Post by LI Roe (42) | (08/11/2006) Profile | Contact My house is also all electric and I agree with using a gas grill, only outside, if power goes out. I have a roofed over patio and it is at the end of it by the side garden so it is safe and have even used it during the winter, even if my power isn't out. Nice to barbeque and watch the snow fall lightly. Anyway, thanks for the tip about the cast iron skillets for other than just putting meat, chicken, etc on the grill. Never thought of that. LI Roe RE: Cooking When the Power Goes Out Post By ronsan (Guest Post) (08/11/2006) Grill or camp stove is right on advice as is the suggestion about using a cast-iron pan. I found a set of nested castiron skillets at a garage sale for super cheap because they were in really bad shape, but after some elbow grease, these beauties are back in use just specifically for when we have a power outage. Just make sure they are not cracked before you buy them if purchased at a garage or tag sale. RE: Cooking When the Power Goes Out Post By Michelle (Guest Post) (08/11/2006) I agree with the grill suggestion. You'll also want to have a cast-iron pan to cook in: a grill may get too hot for some cookware. RE: Cooking When the Power Goes Out Post By Jean (Guest Post) (08/11/2006) You can use a camp stove, a gas grill, or a charcoal grill OUTSIDE ONLY - NOT EVEN IN THE GARAGE - IT MUST BE AN OPEN AREA!! After Katrina, I used my gas grill for over a week - to make coffee, heat canned foods, etc. I've also done the same thing after an ice storm. It was a lifesaver!