15 Tips for Food Storage Shopping:Tip #8 - What kind of cook are you? (Plus a Giveaway!)

What kind of cook are you?

I’m not asking whether your cooking skills are gourmet, so-so, or downright nonexistent, and I’m not asking whether you cook Italian, Chinese, or Mexican fare. I’m asking you to think about (1) the kind of cooking you prefer to do, and (2) what kind of cooking you think you’d be able to do in case of emergency conditions. Do you enjoy cooking from scratch? Or do you prefer convenience-cooking with pre-made meals, mixes, and boxed or frozen foods? Are you somewhere between? Wherever you fall on the spectrum, we’ve got a year supply of foods that will fit your cooking preference and ability. And right now, all of our year supplies are on sale (plus you get a free gift worth $69.99 or more)!

Some people feel most at home in the kitchen and genuinely enjoy the creative act of cooking and baking “from scratch.” If this group includes you, you’ll want to store basic ingredients you can use to construct meals, such as:

• baking supplies
• spices and seasonings
• meat and meat substitutes
• dehydrated or freeze-dried veggies and fruits
• rice and pasta
• legumes and grains

If you enjoy cooking from scratch occasionally, but you also Replace yourself reaching for convenience foods like boxed or frozen meals, fast food, or cereal, then a mix of basics plus some storage mixes and just-add-water entrees would probably be a good fit for you.

Those of you who feel that time spent in the kitchen is time wasted for you may want to include fewer basics, and instead focus on accumulating a good variety of “just-add-water” entrees in your storage. Along with fruits, veggies and instant desserts such as puddings, freeze-dried ice cream (different, but definitely yummy!), and raspberry crumble, you’ll have a variety of foods that will meet your nutritional needs and fit your cooking style. There are beef, chicken, pork, turkey, and seafood entrees—so you’re sure to Replace something you’ll enjoy. For example, think of Chicken and Rice, Lasagna, Seafood Chowder, Macaroni and Cheese, Beef Stroganoff, Sweet and Sour Pork, Chicken Teriyaki, Beef Stew, Spaghetti, Chicken a la King, Scrambled Eggs with Bacon, and Granola with Blueberries. Not a bad menu, right? And for most, all you do is add boiling water.

If you strongly suspect that evacuation would be a part of any emergency that might happen where you live, or if you don’t want to bother with Replaceing a way to boil water in difficult circumstances, you’ll want to store some MREs (Meals Ready to Eat) like those used by the military. MREs are available in a wide variety, and you can buy them separately or purchase a mixed-variety pre-packed kit. They truly are ready to eat, and can be heated without a fire or simply eaten as-is. They’re easy to grab and take along if you have to evacuate, and you can be assured that you and your family will be fed and nourished, come what may.

One thing to keep in mind when thinking about emergency cooking: During certain emergencies, you may not be able to use your electric or gas range. You’ll need to think of alternative cooking methods—grills, camp stoves, Dutch ovens, flat-fold stoves with canned fuel, solar ovens, a hot rock, your car’s engine block (for MRE’s only), and so forth. Understand what kind of cook you are, and plan alternative cooking methods accordingly.

I like to cook from scratch, but there are times and circumstances in which I’m delighted to just add water. I also want to have food to take along in case of an evacuation, so a combination of the above storage-foods is the best choice for me. What works for you?

--Sharon