We stock up with milk,eggs, bread , and booze... our pantry/freezer are stocked. And we have a generator to run if needed. We also heat with wood. Biggest pain is hooking up generator to pump the well for flushing...
An edit...I never thought of French Toast....just eggs served any which way,sandwiches with canned tuna(or eggs), and milk for coffee.. and well booze is self explanatory.
Perishables other than the gin...
Lucky you for all the stuff. If the big storm really hit and I am stuck (not able to go to work), then I will use the time to make some tasty long simmering stock or soup (6+ hours simmering).
<We stock up with milk,eggs, bread , and booze>
I see eggnogs and French toasts.... lots of them. :) Eat French toasts and drink eggnogs. What a life!
And a good boozy bread pudding with creme caramel sauce.
I have potato and leek soup under construction and bread rising. Fortunately, I work from home but clients will most likely cancel for tomorrow since I'm so isolated out here. Actually, I hope they do. Sleep late, bake bread, light a fire, eat soup, watch snow fall while listening to Vivaldi and crack open the Armagnac. That's the plan for the day. We all need one of those once in a while.
CP
<And a good boozy bread pudding>
Oh my. Yes. I actually learn about the English bread pudding from Chowhound. Someone was kind enough to give me a link to a couple of recipes, and I tried it too. It is actually very tasty and very "homey". You know.
I know.... I am actually hoping that I don't have to go to work tomorrow. :) Need to wake up and call the company phone center to see if I need to go to work.
You win for best snow day. Please accept my reservation now. ;)
Can I come over? I'll load my trunk with firewood.
Unfortunately, we won't be able to miss this one as it's coming farther upstate here in NY.
Ugh, the grocery store was packed. It's been so cold, if we lose power we'll stick stuff in the screened porch to keep. We have someone who can plow our long driveway, thank God.
Well, if we lose power, the fireplace will come into service. We keep our house chilly-ish as it is, we're used to piling on layers. Canine and feline portable heaters are deployed. ;)
Dual fuel means no baking, but at least I can cook. We finally have a home with public water, so that's a plus.
That's always my biggest concern. Our heat and water supply are electric and when the power goes out (which is often in this kind of weather), we generally check out of the house and into a nearby hotel.
Cindy,
Why not get a small generator to run the furnace, refrigerator, water pump etc.?
That is a question we entertain every year around this time. We have a geothermal heat pump which requires both water and electricity to function. Maybe this is the year we actually do something about it.
I got mine because I don't want to have to "bug out" during a power outage when the temperatures are frigid and be forced to drive on icy roads to an area that has power and find a hotel that accepts dogs. It's 7,500 watts and it's hooked up to the furnace, sump pump, refrigerators and a few outlets, enough power to survive an extended outage. I have a gas range so I can cook on that. The prices have really come down over the last few years. I just saw a 10K unit for $600.00 in my supermarket's flyer for next week. Five years ago that would have cost twice that.
New York City is expecting 20-30+ inches of snow and may break some records in areas. I joined the hordes this morning @ the supermarket. Bought a lot of comfort food to prepare. Good thing it's not next Sunday because you'd have all the Super Bowl shoppers there too. We'll be fine as long as we don't lose power which is a distinct possibility with gusts predicted up to 50 mph. I love to watch the neighborhood fill up with snow but 3' is a little scary. I have a generator but don't know for sure if I know how to use it. I bought it 3 years ago and we haven't loss power since then. Thankfully, I converted my stove from electric to propane
I would suggest trying out the generator this week, before the fun happens. It's not so much fun when the power is out and you have forgotten how, and all heck is breaking loose. We do an annual practice run, including electrical cord deployment to needed areas, so when life happens, we will not have a repeat of that very bad weekend several years ago (no power equals no sump pumps. Loss of a freezer of food was the least of my worries. . .)
We bought a generator after Sandy and of course haven't had to use it. But this one seems like it's gonna be scary. My husband claims he knows how to use...hopefully we won't have to find out. We have an electric stove and oven and those aren't hooked up to the generator anyway. But the microwave is and I guess if we have to dig it out, we have a gas grill.
But, as you say, food is pretty much the least of the worries. We have tons of stuff. Loss of freezer food is annoying but it's those darn sump pumps that cause the stress!
Just did a test run with the generator. I think I'm good.
My daughter, who lives in the LES, decided to leave for Mexico this morning, three days earlier than originally planned. As long as she has a phone and WiFi she can still be "at work."
at least you've made the French Toast run. :)
Seriously -- y'all be careful and be safe -- and stay warm.
We got started yesterday with about 5 inches. Sweet treat . . . I slept in and when I awoke around 9:00 my BIL was shoveling my very long driveway. So he got coffee, eggs over easy, bacon, toast and jam and more coffee.
This morning's news forecast another few inches tomorrow and up to 20 inches Mon night to Tues morning. Thankfully the local Giant had every lane open each with its own bagger. Chicken to roast, stewing beef with all the trimmings, PA Dutch sausage and the peppers and rolls to accompany. Grapefruits, applesauce, bacon & eggs for breakfasts (BIL ate into my bacon & egg stash ;). Pitas and two flavors of hummus to snack. A box of duraflames.
Irish whiskey, spiced rum and some merlots from the local state store. As PA has only select stores open on Sundays, that store also had every register open and was more of a zoo than the grocery store.
I'm going to the store tomorrow and will buy enough food to last for several days. The storm should be done by Wednesday, but getting around on foot (as I do, with my preferred grocery store about a mile away) after a big snowfall is a nightmare for several days after.
Off-topic: I get annoyed by the faux outrage people display over the fact that milk, bread and eggs are common food items on grocery lists.
no outrage, faux or genuine. Just a little humor in the face of a mildly scary situation.
I thought it was funny when some comedian called it the French Toast Supply List.
Eggs, milk and bread are the staples most people go through the fastest.
Guess what people on the Gulf Coast buy when there's a tropical storm or hurricane on the way -- yep. Eggs, milk, and bread.
I jokingly make French Toast every morning it snows. Rarely occurs to me to make any other time, but I always have bread, milk and eggs (and maple syrup) on hand. And snow days are French Toast holidays.
more than enough in the fridge, freezer and cupboard to last a couple of days if need be. and looking those turkey thighs i was planning to cook on thursday will likely get braised on tuesday instead.
Our old house had a gas fired 12kW backup system that came on automatically - wasn't designed to power the whole house but would handle a couple of rooms (including the kitchen) and also power some essential sump pumps (long story). Now, all we have is our Cobra jump starter and air pump with 400 watts of 120V output. We still have gas for heat.
There is NOTHING to do...people can't survive 48 hrs without going to a store?! Our forefathers would be ashamed. Grab a shovel, it's just snow. Help a neighbor too
not everybody keeps 48hrs of food in the house, for lots of reasons.
You should see the stores here in FL when there's a hurricane brewing -- along with milk, eggs, and bread, things that don't have to be cooked at all fly off the shelves, and bottled water becomes gold.
Really? Even my great grandparents didn't shop day to day. Different people, different ethic, different mentality I guess
Things are different now. But back in the day, everyone expected hardship. Hoarding simply meant providing means for existing as best one can. That behavior still exists today, clearly.
You honestly can't live on peanut butter/crackers, canned soup, whatever's in your freezer for 3 or 4 days? Staples? Make a loaf of bread? Especially as a CH? This isn't hoarding behavior, just running an efficient household, clearly :)
I could eat peanut butter crackers and drink the vodka in my freezer, sure. But....why? What's the point when buying good food to cook is also an option?
I'm not a "scared kitten, but 2+ feet of snow followed by below freezing temperatures makes walking to the grocery store (about a mile away) a real pain for several days after a storm. I'm stocking up so I can avoid that trek for several days.
Ah, I see. I live in a small, backward, little town, but I must say, I've never seen 2 feet of snow on the road.
Most roads get plowed. Not all sidewalks get shoveled, and even when they do, the constant melting and refreezing can make getting around my city dicey, since I don't have a car and get around primarily on foot.
Oh, my. Then you may want to shut it down and be glad you aren't needing to "grab a shovel. It's just snow."
Do you not shovel your sidewalk? "Ask not..." and all that?
Two feet of snow in manhattan is no picnic either. Since most of us rely on walking or public transportation going just a few blocks in sideways blowing wet snow isn't something you want to do...
Did you not read my first sentence??? I never indicated that "I" have a hoarding behavior.
Did you not read any of the previous posts in this thread before spewing your observation?
Yes, really. We buy our canned goods and items like butter and milk on Sunday. We will also pick up the fresh food items we need for Sunday and Monday. We then go back on Tuesday and Thursday to get the other fresh items for the week, as well as things like milk or other items we are running low on. Much less food waste that way. Yes,I do understand that time is money but fresh food and no waste is money too.
no generator...will be restocking the kitchen with milk, frozen pizza, bread, and chocolate chips (will need to entertain the kids during the anticipated snow days - chocolate chip cookies anyone?)
I remember, 20 years ago, sometime after we moved to a "new" house, how disappointed I was during the first power outage. Power outages/snow days were always marked by cookie-baking. Power goes out, crank up the oven, bake cookies; kill 2 birds with one stone. "New" house, however, had an oven controlled with an electric thermostat, and the oven was unusable when the power was out. This was terribly disappointing to me and the kids.
Oh my god. Really? I am in NJ too. I just went to Philadelphia for grocery shopping (Reading Terminal Market and Philly Chinatown). It wasn't anything like that.
that's from today? we had pix like that last year when some towns/stores went several days without power, but for today that seems madness.
we got 6 inches last night and may get 24-36 inches starting tomorrow we went to the indoor farmers market today and supermarket on friday. all our power lines are underground so losing power is highly unlikely.
my boss already called me off for tuesday. :) but since the b/f works from home he'll be slaving away.
i have some goat that needs braising so will enjoy that!
Who knows, maybe it's from some other storm! It was on a weather site but it is entirely possible it's from another day.
I was at the store early yesterday and it was pretty crazy but when I went back to the same shopping center later in the day to go to CVS, the parking lot was so insane that I wouldn't be surprised if the shelves looked like that by the evening.
I'm in the snow zone, but I'm far enough south that I plan on doing a home version of CHOPPED if it comes to that. lol I will grab 4 ingredients out of the cupboards and 3... 2... 1... bam, interesting deliciousness abounds.
Now, if I lived further north, I'd totally be getting bread, extra PB, batteries, candles, water, eggs, and an extra carton or two of UHT milk that is self stable. UHT milk tastes terrible, but if the power goes out... :) Or I guess, I could use the outside as my "fridge." And if it lasts really long, then out comes the camping stuff to have a snow party along with the grill I put up. Cause, food is necessary.
I really miss having a real wood fire place. Really miss it.
There are two types of people I can't really understand.
The people who rush to supermarket and buy everything in sight for the coming storm. and those people who buy http://www.costco.com/.product.117634...
from Costco and actually review them online.
and even then the reviews are mostly crabbing about the Koolaid-type stuff and nobody's tried the meals...
They look so colorful. I like them already. :)
Wow. I live in a teeny tiny unheated, storage less apartment in the Bay Area. I would freeze to death and/or starve if a storm came through. That said, I would feel so guilty and wasteful buying sustainable food I will never truly need when so many people on the planet DO need it. I think that people are bored and simply like to imagine that something one of a kind and exciting--like a zombie apocalypse or what ever nonsense people are so interested in--is about to happen.
If a storm rolls through I'll just go on one of those $200 3-day juice cleanses, obviously.
Honda Snow Thrower and generator are all ready. Gas cans and car are full.
Lots of leftovers from the weekend and frozen stuff to rediscover.
Got toilet paper too!!
Got a few mindless DVDs from the liberry.
I'm ready!!
Amazingly enough the high winds blew the snow off the driveway and up against the house in 3 foot drifts.
Of course the plows left me with a 4 foot pile at the end of the drive. Gotta clear a path to the bird feeders too. First I have to find the barrel with the bird seed. It's under a huge drift.
Drive to the office, NOT!
Ran to Costco yesterday to pick up contacts and didn't see the hoard that I expected (historically bad snow storm!! Pats Superbowl next sun), but we did get there early. Today stopped at library (books and Breaking Bad season 5) and Trader Joe's for a hard to find beer (Enjoy by 12/14). Last thing to do is take trash and recycling out before the storm hits.
I just get amused seeing people beat each other to a pulp at the super market, the day before a storm is predicted, for a gallon of milk and a loaf of bread. Like people, take a look in your cabinets, got a jar of peanut butter and jelly or a can of tuna. And with great anticipation and experience, the storm and roads are cleared the next day. Whew!!!
We ended up being banned from driving for three days here...not that we starved in any sense.
I hope you had marshmallows for the hot chocolate.
Oh I didn't think of hot chocolate for some reason! I had found a half bag of marshmallows in the pantry during the last storm, so yesterday I bought a giant Hershey dark chocolate bar and some Graham crackers. All set for today's storm...and Sunday's....and so on. The other day, I just toasted a few in the fireplace,which was OK. But I haven't had s'mores since maybe when I was a Girl Scout!! Can't wait til later on, I might just make that as my dinner.
I'll be over for toasted marshmallows tonight.
;-)
At home I use one of the chop sticks I get from the Chinese take out place and toast marshmallows on the stove top.
Nothing wrong with that! I'd probably dress them with some soy sauce!!
I'm actually not a marshmallow fanatic (unlike my Mom, watch out for your Peeps if she's around, they mysteriously disappear). I think I originally bought the marshmallows to make Grasshopper Pie for some occasion last year...St Paddys Day maybe?
I'm toasting marshmallow lately only because I might as well make use of the fire, besides just enjoying it for what it is. My husband always spoke nostalgically of the swing out roasting device they had at their house in Brooklyn when he was young, which inspired us years ago to try "grilling" really nice steaks using the grill basket you usually use outside. They only needed a minute or two per side, then perfection. Forgot all about that, hmmmm. When's the next snow storm, Monday? Might have to hit the butcher.
In the Boston burbs this afternoon, I was surprised at how well-stocked most of my local Market Basket is. There were no long lines, either. I did not need French Toast supplies but did notice plenty of bread and milk on the shelves (didn't pay attention to eggs).
I have an all-electric house. I have learned to put several jar candles into a stockpot, with a cake cooling rack laid over the top.
Open a can of soup or Dinty Moore, leaving the lid slightly attached so it functions like a slightly-ajar lid. Set it on the rack. The candles will heat it up in a half hour, give or take.
For the ground-feeding birds and squirrels, when the snow's too deep for scattering seed, fill clean tetrapaks, waxed cartons, or deli containers with seed, then fill to almost the top with plain water, or hot water in which you've dissolved nut butter. Seal, (cool if hot) and freeze. When frozen, peel off the carton or pop from the container, and toss on partially-cleared ground, deck, or walk. Keeps the squirrels busy enough that they don't hog the bird feeders as much.
I was at Shoprite today. I was going to buy a couple of cans (just for the heck of emergency), but instead, I bought a frozen pizza, a lot of apples, pasta sauce, cod fish....etc because they just kind of called out to me.
Anyway, a guy was behind me in the line and he must have bought 4 cases of water bottles.
So in light of this, I just filled up my stock pot with filtered tap water. So I have a week worth of emergency water in case it will take the emergency workers this long to find me. :P
Panic, if I interpret the national news correctly.
We don't get snow much in the Bay Area, but we do have earthquakes, and I did grow up in Buffalo, where most of my family still live. (I can hear my sister, who got 7+ feet back in November, snorting about downstate wimps). I keep three days worth of food and water on hand as my quake supply, including canned soup that can be eaten straight out of the can if need be.
If you have 3-5 days of supplies (including any necessary meds, diapers if you have babies) and you have a source for power and water that won't be affected by the snow you should be ok. When I lived in Buffalo one big problem was ice bringing down power lines, so a supply of flashlight batteries or candles is helpful. And if you can't go anywhere take advantage of the quiet time to catch up with your reading or hobbies or family.
Well. Update from upstate NY: whopping 1/2 inch of snow. Our local school district didn't even delay opening. (I can imagine the kids are PO'd.) Only schools in the tri-city area that are closed are the ones that jumped the gun last night.
We are grateful, again, that we dodged another bullet. Whew!
We dodged it too in southeastern PA -- not a flake fell here in one of Philly's "western 'burbs."
9:30 am in boston and we have at least a foot. :)
i will be starting my goat stew in a little bit.
in Northern NJ and we have at least...oh, I don't know, it doesn't look to be too bad..I will be starting my ox tail stew in a little bit.
5:00. we have 30 inches and it is still coming down!
just put on some coconut rice to have with the goat later.
wow..30 inches??? snowed new england looks so pretty until you have to clean it.
just had ox tail with brown rice and sauteed bokchoi cooked in duck fat from Sunday night dinner of roasted duck breast.
total was just shy of 3 feet!! parking ban still in effect in my town and seriously no way to park on-street anyway. all the space number markers are buried in plowed snow!
more predicted for friday and monday. :(
c'mon down -- it was 72 and sunny here today. Not beach weather, but definitely better than what you've got!
all that nice weather makes people soft. :P
All I know is that I'd hate to deal with frozen homes and banging shards of ice out of my living room. That has to be a bitch.
some guy got a broken nose because a wave broke through his house during the storm. :0
just like the california homes that go *poof* off the map during mudslides and fires, i am not overly sympathetic to folks who build in these danger zones.
my urban neighborhood is barely passable. street intersections are FULL of mountains of plowed snow and rush hour seemed to start at 3:00. metered parking, while technically allowed, is impossible because all the meters are buried, lol.
more snow on the way! w00t!
what shall i braise this weekend? goat was excellent, btw.
I know, right?
I grew up where lake-effect snows were a fact of life. Figured out I don't like being cold, and hated spending most of my time recuperating from the disease du jour and moved to where it's warm 12 months out of the year.
South of the city and while we have drifts that over 2 feet it pretty much feels like a regular old snow storm
We are on the Northern edge of the clipper, tonight, pan seared venison steaks, mashed potatoes, steamed spinach, sauteed onions and garlic..
My turn, have to cook the deer... NOW HONEY...
I estimate 30 inches in my front yard. Some of the drifts are over my head.
No work again today!! :-)
I made beef stew which was mighty tasty after 4 hours of shoveling
I do have to say this was a very interesting read AFTER the Snowmageddon that hit the Boston area and totally missed the NY/NJ area.
I went out on Sunday last weekend because I had to get some veggies, and I actually did need bread and milk. I didn't think I had enough eggs so I bought a half dozen. Turns out I had a dozen - so French toast *was* made on Tuesday morning. But otherwise, I was well stocked with plenty of food - either cookable or uncookable (I had roasted a chicken on Sunday, so I had enough for sandwiches should the power go out.)
With the very high winds we had, I'm very thankful that the power stayed on. All electric at my condo north of Boston, so I would have been SOOL had the power gone out. I did fill up a few gallon containers and put them in my downstairs fridge as a "just in case".
My area didn't get quite as much as hotoynoodle - about 26" for me. My condo's plow guys kept up with it pretty well, and we (or most of us) were back at work on Wednesday.
And while I know Buffalo residents were mocking us, 30" of snow in a town like Boston is nothing to sneeze at. The town is more tightly packed than others, with narrower streets, so it often can become impassable until cars are dug out. (I'm very thankful for a garage in my complex!)
I hate to be contentious, but the blizzard did NOT miss NY, at least not the eastern end of Long Island, not by a long shot! We got it here just as bad as you. Still hard to drive your car due to all the snow piles the plows left behind on every street corner. Snowing here again right now but doesn't look drastic this time at least.
Sorry. I was thinking Manhattan, because THAT is what the news was showing (for the most part) when Manhattan didn't get hit as hard as they expected. Talk about the road ban being lifted; the subways running first thing the next morning (when we were still getting hit with the brunt of the storm in the Boston area).
Yes, I know that Long Island got hit hard. My apologies.
My beef as a pedestrian is that bus stops and walk signal poles are plowed in, and the sidewalks melt a bit by day only to refreeze when the sun goes down, so getting around this week has been....challenging. I am glad I did a huge shop last week!
Ohhhh yeah. I called my town's DPW and left them a message that while I really appreciate them clearing the roads, they *really* have to plow the corners where roads intersect. A lot of snow is being left in a triangle on the road at intersections, so if you're making a right turn, you have to go way out into traffic to make that turn. If that freezes over tonight, it's going to be a real hazard.
not to mention the sight lines at an intersection when there's a huge pile of snow sitting at the corner...no visibility and the ever-present risk of icy roads = ugly.
I know--lack of shoveled intersections means I walk in the street and hope for the best.
It just underscores all the naysayers who mock those who "stock up" before a storm that ostensibly ends within 24 hours. Do all your shopping on foot in my neighborhood and then tell me how much you want to do it after a storm.
I see the same issues in the city I work in...crosswalks aren't completely clean, but hey, you can't be a delicate flower. It isn't exactly the Rubicon Trail. It sure didn't stop the drunks or tweakers on the corner. After the bulk of the snow fell, I didn't wring my hands and pewl at the lack of someone coming to my rescue. I cut and cleared a downed tree across my road, and dug out the fire hydrant on the next street. Some are more rugged and adaptable than others!
Something like 6 to 12 inches of snow headed for Michigan in the next 24 hours. I have split pea soup coming together, and plans for a roasted chicken & caramelized onion risotto tomorrow. The liquor cabinet is full. I have bacon and eggs on hand for Sunday brunch. I even have a Swiss Army Knife. I'm ready for anything!
Bought extra wine ;) (northern Ohio is getting a lot of snow)
I didn't get anything else.
Well except more cheese and olives pretzel crackers and hummus. I'm fine as far as food goes. I just can't imagine being stuck with out my snacks.
We we missed the big storm last week, but now we are looking at 10-14 inches.
Went to Weggies yesterday for our usual big shop. Hit the liquor store on the way home.
We usually have a couple of slices each of pizza for lunch when we shop at Weggies. They are now $2.99 a slice plain or fancy. We figured out that if we call from the car on the way we could order a whole pie of 8 slices for $10.00 plain. Now we have four "free"slices in the reefer! What a deal!
Here we go again!
We're expecting anywhere from 8-12 inches, which really isn't so bad, considering what others have been through.
Husband went to the store earlier, and between the Super Bowl shoppers and predicted storm, every checkout was open and the store was mobbed.
Lasagna for tonight, leftover roasted potatoes in a frittata for "storm" night tomorrow.
Plenty of wine on hand, and he picked up some Sambuca too!
Good luck to all.
8 to 12 for me too, just came from a store, and I see none of the kookiness from last week. Folks must have realized what jackasses they were
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