A Good Hot Meal

These days it's hard to have a hot meal, especially if you're still weathering Hurricane Sandy and her after effects. yet whatever the meal, a good solid plate of something hot is beneficial. It helps in  creating more normalcy in a disrupted routine.It also helps to gather your family and friends around just to give thanks and enjoy conversation.

Breakfast is always the most important meal and a good one means a good day ahead. Even having a hot breakfast sandwich at McDonald's is still a hot breakfast, complete with orange juice and fruit. The kids will love it . Most motel rooms have microwaves and you can always microwave eggs and bacon in it as well.Your best bet is a nearby diner. There you can get everything from oatmeal to omelets along with pancakes -a kid favorite .You can also get fresh squeezed juice there and bran muffins. too

Lunch is another matter. Most people will usually settle for a sandwich.If you can settle for burgers which are considered a hot and fun along with a salad, then you've got something good to eat.fast food places are a good place especially if you have picky eaters in your caravan.You can also consider again the diner or bringing in microwaveable meals.Dinner too can be found in your frozen food section(that is if your supermarket is open)Another idea is trying local pizzerias and Chinese takeout. You can eat healthy in both, along with just eating old fashioned pizza and fried rice, comfort foods much needed in these times.

A good hot meal means everything to those who are displaced.Whether it be  breakfast,lunch or dinner, it means the world to those who are now living in motels,hotel, and even shelter. It;s a way of being at home even though you're not.

Motel Eating

Thanks to Hurricane Sandy I am now lodged in a motel a mile from my house. It has heat (a blessing) and TV(even more of a blessing). However the kitchen is lacking though I'm not complaining. Yet there is a problem with eating right in situations like this.

Most of the stores in my area have been closed now for a few days. That poses a problem for anything fresh from meats to fruits to vegetables. If you're in that situation think about canned. There are enough varieties of food that can be got form a simple tin.Most motels and hotels have microwaves in them,. Buy a few containers (trust me you'll use them later at home) and heat up a veggie or beef  barley soup. Having a hot meal also gives a sense of normalcy if you have kids. Sitting them down to dinner or lunch, even at a motel table brings it home for them.

As for snacking -if it makes you and your family happy then go for it. Usually drugstores like CVS Walgreen's and Rite Aid have the best and still a wide variety of snacks. Crackers are OK  as are pretzels. Any kind of small cracker like goldfish or CVS/ cheddar stars are fun. There are also fruit chews that may cause th e kids to bounce off the walls, but at least they're eating (because of enormous upheavals, kids  may lose their appetites and just swear off food all together)A lot of hotels and motels do have juice bars or juice machines. Keep them away from soda and iced coffee drinks.Boxed milk, whether plain or chocolate flavored ,is a better bet.

These are rough times for all of here in the tri state area. It's hard to have a normal diet, especially when you have to move to a motel or deal with closed groceries or supermarkets. Bear up.Just go with the flow and just eat to survive no matter what you eat.

Halloween Treats Adult Style

Today is Halloween. a time usually reserved for all those sugary sweet. Treats. melisa Clark wrote about it today in her column A Good Appetite. instead of Mars Bars and M&M s she create decadent ,sophisticated treats for the adult palate. She has some amazing recipes. One is a home made caramels but with a twist .They have bourbon. And a crushed pepper in them for bite. These would be a good after dinner treat with a strong, black coffee.Other treats include a bark with a goat cheese. There's also a licorice themed treat based on the Brazilian bonboniere.this requires melting licorice coffee and dark chocolate together. Balls are formed and then rolled or dipped into chocolate sprinkles and jimmies. I imagine these would be great gracing a small bowl of coffee ice cream. Halloween is a wonderful time for treats, both sweet and savory .Try these as a solution to both. They're a wonderful combo.

A Short Pantry

I'm writing this a mile from my home. Thanks to Hurricane Sandy we have noWiFi so I'm writing this in a Dunkin Donuts on Rte 46 . it is packed because there is no electricity in our area and people meed a good cup of coffee to survive. I have gas so I. Can get coffee , tea and hot cocoa any time. As for my readers outside the East Coast ,Just bear with me for the next few days.I do not know what will happen.I 'll try to write as much as I can.

Hurricane Eating Safety Tips

Now that Sandy is in our midst, it's time to think about beating safely.There are so many factors to consider.Hopefully this will only be until Wednesday .Until then here are some tips. Water is one of your most vital essentials during this time.Make sure everyone, including animal companions have at least one gallon of water per each day.This can be used for coffee and tea as well.If you run out and there,s a problem either boil it or put an eyedropper full of bleach to decontaminate it. Juice and even Gatorade are good energy boosters.Have boxed milk for kids and toddlers in case the stores are flooded out for a few days. As for food every fridge should have the basics right now.Make sure you have eggs and milk along with bread.If anything you can always make French toast even if you just have oil to fry it.Any kind of block cheese is good as well.One, it keeps, and two it's a good source of protein. It's also versatile because you can have it hot or cold.Fruit and some veggies will keep.Have pears ,apples and plums around because these can be kept for a few days without rotting. They're also a good source of natural sugar, excellent for an energy boost. For all my readers stuck in this cataclysmic event ,please don't panic .It will get better.If you're lucky to be at home ride it out with the above hurricane essentials.Stay safe.Stay dry,Stay well fed.

Hurricane Cuisine

Thanks to Hurricane Sandy, most of the East Coast will experience hurricane cuisine  tinned food and bottled water mixed with whatever is in the freezer. Anyone can get creative with whatever is in their kitchen, providing they have gas and/or electricity.It's also a time to take out the grill again if need be.

Usually a freezer can keep its 'temps until the second day without power. Don't keep opening it otherwise you'll lose the food inside. Instead concentration what's in the refrigerator part. If you're lucky you 'll have eggs. Paired with almost anything, from meats to cheese to veggies, you can create a nice omelet that the family can enjoy. Cheeses can be melted and made into a Welsh rarebit or fondue.Again bread can be dipped into this as well as boiled potatoes. You can also use the extra veggies along with tinned tuna  or any meat as a hearty salad.

What happens when the freezer goes? Again try to be creative.TV dinners may be hard to cook because they may require the microwave. You can cook some in your oven if you do have a gas stove. For some of the other frozen foods, you;re going to have to get creative and possibly drag out the grill. Frozen burgers can be thawed and cooked , if you have a gas grill. If you have an electric try to use a neighbor's hibachi of there is one. Freezers also keep all that extra sauce you made with your tomato harvest. Thaw it out and make either soup or sauce.Ice cream melted down can be mixed with milk for a malted.

Hurricane cuisine can be much like the phenomena itself, wild daring , outrageous. Yet out of that can come substantial and, yes, even nutritious food, Don't fear it. work with it.

Peanut Butter And Pickles

Peanut butter is great on its' own .It'a phenomenal with chocolate and even bananas. With pickles? Surprisingly yes. More an dmore people are going for a pickle and peanut butter combo.

This crazy combo was a feature of Wednesday's New York Times DIning section. Dwight Garner, who seems new to The Times experimented with it in the DeGustibus column,It actually has been around for generations, wit h Mr. Garner's father eating it durng his law school days. Even Southern grannies have made this for lunches and snacks .If it's still gross imagine as a sophisticated version of PB & J.

How the sandiwch is made is important  Mr. Garner suggests Clausen's or any pickle that has a slight sweetness. (I would suggest the sugary gherkins) to itl Bread and butter pickles work just fine as well. It should be crunchy and hold up to the creaminess of the peanut butter. As for the peanut butter itself, stay away from crunchy and try a classic like Smuckers.Also put it all on a good white breadsuch as Arnold's.

Peanut butter is good. So are pickles. Together they create an interesting treat.