This article is part of a complete guide to preparedness - Getting Prepared, An Untrained Housewife's Guide. Everything you need to have a simple survival plan for you and your family!
photo credit to Vasenka on Flickr
At the Survival Spot, they have a list of the Top 100 Items to Disappear First During a National Disaster. High on their list is something I have failed to give much attention to, but I’m glad they have reminded me. If we are forced to live without electricity for several days or weeks, what kitchen utensils would we want the most?
Can Opener
Do you have an electric can opener? That’s great! But do you have a manual can opener Just In Case? With a manual can opener, you can open any canned food and eat it straight out of the can without heat. So in this scenario, what is more important – a heat source or a can opener? A manual can opener wins hands down!
Mixers
How many meals can you prepare without mixing something up? Do you have an electric mixer? I have two – one Bosch and one hand mixer. I use them both a lot. But what if my power is out for any length of time? Homestyle Mercantile has an adapter to turn their electric mixer in to a hand crank mixer. A plain, old hand whisk will replace your hand mixer in most cases, and you can never go wrong having a supply of wooden spoons in a drawer somewhere.
Grinders and Blenders
Are you ready to make your own flour if necessary? Having 40 pounds of wheat and a hand grinder is practical, common sense. Even if you don’t want to make your own breads on a regular basis, I recommend learning how and stocking up on the supplies and equipment, Just In Case. What do you use your electric blender for? Everything I use mine for, and I don’t use it often, my family can easily do without during a major power outage. So I have no alternative plans for my blender. What about you?
Electric Griddles, Roasters, and Crock Pots
photo credit to Dakota Kingfisher on Flickr
I am going to guess that all of you rely heavily on either a griddle, a roaster or a crockpot. I use all three! I recommend planning out a month’s worth of menus that will consolidate your cooking method into one. (Don’t forget to have all of the ingredients stocked up.) For instance, a month’s worth of meals that can be cooked in one pot: soups, stews, grain cereals, etc. Then have the necessary pot and a way to use it on hand. Perhaps you would want a tripod that hangs over a wood fire and prepare to cook all meals outside. Perhaps you would like a course in dutch oven cooking. A campstove is a good idea, but be sure you have a month’s supply of fuel. The camping section of most stores carry griddles to be used on a campstove or on an open fire. Survival Spot suggests that charcoal and lighter fluid will be some of the items that are hard to find in an emergency. If you do not have access to wood, then stockpiling a supply of charcoal – and lighter! – will be a necessity if you want any HOT foods. The key to getting through a long power outage is preparedness. Think about it now, get prepared, and then hope and pray that your electricity stays on!!
Great article! Also, non perishable items like our all natural alternative to beef jerky may be a good product to have on hand. It also lends itself well to recipes to be an added protein ingredient.