{"id":98945,"date":"2020-04-28T12:30:43","date_gmt":"2020-04-28T16:30:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/valorguardians.com\/blog\/?p=98945"},"modified":"2020-04-28T12:03:05","modified_gmt":"2020-04-28T16:03:05","slug":"if-youre-looking-for-something-to-do","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/?p=98945","title":{"rendered":"If You’re Looking For Something To Do…."},"content":{"rendered":"
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15-bean mix pack<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What you should really hoard for an emergency \u2013 for coming weeks of sheer boredom – isn’t just paper products. Other than paper products, which seem to have struck a note of panic in people, there are other things you might want to consider hoarding for future pandemics and other inconveniences and emergencies.<\/p>\n

Dry beans \u2013 cheaper than canned beans and easy to store in rodent-proof containers like big pickle jars. Dry lentil peas and other such dried foods are always a good idea to have on hand.<\/p>\n

Rice \u2013 Always have this on hand, and get some of the different varieties, which are available on store shelves. Wild rice is always good, as is red rice if you can find it.<\/p>\n

Instant mashed potatoes \u2013 quicker and easier to use than peeling and boiling fresh potatoes and also easier to store in rodent-proof containers. And the instant version won’t start growing shoots after a while.\u00a0 Frozen stuff is fine, but if the power is out, you can more easily make potato pancakes with instant mashed taters.<\/p>\n

Pancake mix and maple syrup – I think this speaks for itself.<\/p>\n

Instant nonfat milk powder \u2013 Carnation still makes this, and while it does have a shelf life, you can also make a sort of slushy ice cream-like treat with this and fruit like peaches or frozen strawberries.<\/p>\n

Dried fruit and freeze-dried vegetables \u2013 if it\u2019s freeze-dried, it keeps really well. North Bay Trading up in Wisconsin carries a wide variety of dry beans and freeze-dried fruits and veggies.\u00a0 https:\/\/www.northbaytrading.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Powdered eggs \u2013 yes, I know: it\u2019s enough to gag you when you consider that those scrambled eggs in the chow hall were made from powdered eggs. Just add water, right? Right. Yummy! No, there are much better recipe for the use of powdered eggs, but basically, what you end up with is scrambled eggs. Think\/act accordingly. Nothing says you can\u2019t use them in a casserole.<\/p>\n

Bacon \u2013 you can freeze this, so buy it in bulk if you can. This is where having a 5.0cf\u00a0 or larger freezer chest comes in handy, or a larger one if you have room for it. Ditto, butter: you can freeze butter for future use, and having 10 pounds of butter on hand during a pandemic (Stay Indoors or Else!) panic episode going on provides a good excuse to have a short stack of pancakes with syrup and butter, and bacon on the side.<\/p>\n

Chicken \u2013 this is freezable, but wrap the pieces individually in plastic wrap, then bag and freeze them. A whole, uncut chicken takes a while to thaw. Ditto, turkeys. Also, canned chicken is available on the store shelves, comes is several sizes and makes everything from chicken soup to casseroles and salads.<\/p>\n

Ham \u2013 this can be sliced ham or ham on the bone. Ham can also be frozen, but if you\u2019re going to do that, might be a good idea to portion and wrap it first. Hint: deviled ham is still available and can be stretch with relish, chopped celery and onions, and a little imagination.<\/p>\n

Beef \u2013 if you intend to make various dishes with this, portion it before you freeze it, and use freezer bags to hold the portions, which should be wrapped separately in plastic wrap. And use it up so that it doesn\u2019t become stale.<\/p>\n

Dried beef, chicken, tuna and salmon are all available in canned versions and have been for a very long time. Don’t be shy about stocking this stuff.<\/p>\n

You can also freeze bread as long as you leave it in the original packaging. If you\u2019re only going to make toast or stuffing with it, it works well. It does work okay for sandwiches if it\u2019s allowed to thaw properly, meaning leave it in the packaging.\u00a0 Crackers of any kind: leave them in the packaging and use them up. If you\u2019re worried about rodents, a metal container should shut that off.\u00a0 In fact, you can freeze just about anything, including bacon, so bear that in mind when you shop.<\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s the canned stuff.\u00a0 A well-stocked pantry should have everything from canned fruits and mushrooms to canned tomatoes and Spam. Yes, Spam: the staple of WWII diets was meant to replace the meats being sent to the military. I did ask my mother about this: if everything was rationed, and butter was hard to get, and the frontline troops didn\u2019t get it, where did it go? Her answer: Nobody knows! But Spam is simply ground pork shoulder, cooked into a loaf form and canned for future use. It can apparently last up to 47 years, if the seal and can have not been punched, although I\u2019d have some reservations about that.<\/p>\n

So canned stuff includes everything that is on the store shelves. Just check the can bottoms to see if there is any corrosion on them. If so, don\u2019t take it home. Campbell\u2019s canned concentrated soups are good to go, too, because they can be used as the basis for stovetop cookery, like that classic casserole of green beans with mushroom soup. In addition, while there is plenty of prepared broth and stock (beef, chicken and veggie versions), there is also the powdered bouillon in jars, sold by two different companies, Knorr and Mazola. ANd there are still bouillon cubes available. I use the chicken and the beef powdered bouillon if I\u2019m making a small batch of something, or just to bump up the flavor a tad.<\/p>\n

Did I mention noodles and pasta? They come in every possible shape, style and form, and they are simply flour, water and possibly some seasoning like dried herbs. They are great as fillers in any kind of soup or casserole or main course dishes, and have a long, long shelf life.<\/p>\n

And let\u2019s remember the herbs and spices that we take for granted in those little jars with the flip lids. They are necessary for our happiness. They fill your food with flavor. Garlic in all its forms, dried and grated lemon, dried onion, cracked pepper, sea salt \u2013 everything is available now, including dried dill and dried parsley. I\u2019d stock up on these things, too, meaning get another jar of whatever spices and herbs you like every time you shop.\u00a0 And remember to get iodized salt, too. Iodized salt will keep your thyroid happy and not give you a nasty case of goiter, which might scare your doctor to pieces. This isn\u2019t hoarding. Herbs, salt, and spices like peppercorns were considered a form of currency in Them There Olden Times. Sulfur from volcanic vents was used in antique medicines. Salt came from flat coastal areas and was literally used as a form of currency.<\/p>\n

Did I mention cheese at all? It has a shelf life, but if kept in a closed container in the fridge it keeps fresh longer. What to do if the power goes out for some inexcusable reason? Keep the fridge doors shut, or get out the crackers and eat the cheese. Make grilled cheese sandwiches, and use that cast iron cookware in the fireplace to cook up a good casserole with cheese in it. Just set the pot on an iron hod and turn it occasionally to give even heat. You can also roast meat in the fireplace if you have room for a spit and a drip pan.<\/p>\n

And speaking of the power going out, which has happened around here a couple of times, if you have a gas stove with a convection oven, the gas valves won\u2019t open on the stovetop in an outage and that means you can\u2019t heat up water for tea or coffee, or cook anything on the stovetop.\u00a0 The old stoves from the 1930s, which are now antiques and in demand, had pilot lights and sometimes had ovens that had to be lit with a match. Think about that for a minute. My grandma\u2019s old Roper 4-burner was up on cabriolet legs, with the oven to the right of the stovetop, and she cooked on that until the day she had to give up and go live in assisted care. Frankly, I would almost give a fat wad of cash to have that stove in my possession right now. Old stoves can be completely rehabbed and might be a better choice than the yuppie-uppie modern versions. As it is, I will never give up my 1998 GE stove, because it has strikers and no convection stuff, and that means when the power goes out, I can still cook on the stovetop and enjoy one of my books by the light of an oil lamp while I’m having chicken and mashed taters.<\/p>\n

There are several books you might want to put on your bookshelf, along with the videos and junk you spent too much money on, so here they are.<\/p>\n

The Art of Cookery by Hannah Glasse. \u00a0\u00a0https:\/\/store.doverpublications.com\/0486795764.html<\/a> \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Originally written by Mrs. Glasse in the\u00a0 mid-1770s and published quickly, it proved to be so popular that it was reissued in 1805, and is still in publication through Dover Books. She refers to having a \u201cquick oven\u201d or a \u201cslow oven\u201d, and how to tell if bulk meat is fresh or stale by the appearance of blood vessels in the flesh. With no refrigeration other than possibly an icehouse, which the wealthier people could afford, her advices were of enormous help to housewives back then, and still hold value for us now, especially when our power sources fail. Just to let you know, closed stoves that we take for granted now didn’t come into existence until very late in the 18th and very early 19th centuries. They were considered to be a luxury. Now, we just assume a stove is a piece of kitchen furniture.<\/p>\n

The 1896 Fanny Farmer Cookbook \u2013 another classic, also still published\u00a0by Dover Books. There is an updated version available, as well. https:\/\/store.doverpublications.com\/0486296970.html<\/a><\/u> \u00a0 She covered everything, from family meals to formal dinners, at a time when iceboxes were becoming part of the kitchen furniture.<\/p>\n

Stocking Up by Carol Hupping \u2013 this one covers everything from canning and preserving to pickling and freezing, with recipes for many, many dishes. https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Stocking-Up-Americas-Classic-Preserving\/dp\/0671693956<\/a><\/u><\/p>\n

Another resource for old-fashioned stuff is Lehman\u2019s Store in Ohio. https:\/\/www.lehmans.com\/<\/a> \u00a0\u00a0They carry everything from oil lamps and the parts for them, as well as lamp oil and wicks, to beeswax furniture polish and stoneware dishes, and all sorts of kitchenware like grain mills, for those of you who want to buy and mill your own wheat, oats, and corn. They even have all those old-fashioned toys for kids, things like the log cabin sets that kids used to get for Christmas, Tiddlywinks and yo-yos. Anything that doesn\u2019t require charging or a battery should work.<\/p>\n

Now, that should keep you all busy getting ready for the next, unannounced pandemic attack, shouldn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What you should really hoard for an emergency \u2013 for coming weeks of sheer boredom – … If You’re Looking For Something To Do….<\/span>Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":653,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[220,484,11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-98945","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-floggings-will-continue-until-morale-improves","category-covid-19","category-economy"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98945","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/653"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=98945"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98945\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":98946,"href":"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98945\/revisions\/98946"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=98945"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=98945"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=98945"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}