30 Day Grid Down Food Prep Challenge.

[Camelfilter]

...The Keurig is going to miss me. The instant coffee will be excited to see me.

Depending upon how much coffee you drink, and wether or not you enjoy a "good" cup or not, plenty of time to secure an inexpensive means for your challenge.

Simplest is pour over. Either using a standard coffee maker, or a reasonably inexpensive specialty made pour over coffee funnel & filters. Ground coffee of your choosing. Pour near boiling water over. Wait. Enjoy.

https://www.amazon.com/Melitta-Coffee-Single-Pour-Over-Brewer/dp/B0014CVEH6

Or similar may be available at local grocers.

Close to same price would be a used coffee maker from Goodwill.

We've had an older version of this one bought from REI for over a decade:

GSI Outdoors JavaDrip Coffee Maker - 50 fl. oz. | REI Co-op

Bringing the inviting scent of fresh-brewed coffee to the campsite, the 50 fl. oz. GSI Outdoors JavaDrip coffee maker enables you to enjoy the ease and familiarity of your home coffee experience.

www.rei.com

The insulation sleeve keeps the extra hot for round 2 for a good bit. Excellent feature. Alternatively just fill a preheated thermos from however method you make coffee. Jet boil pot/burner & minj butane/isobutane canister fit inside ready to go at all times...

There's also stove top espresso makers, Vietnamese mini press', and French Press options. Not fans of French press ourselves, but that's simply personal preference.

Instant? Absolutely! However that's a LAST RESORT. For us.

-About any brew method will likely beat Keurig type systems cost wise. Exponentially if one enjoys drinking a bit of coffee per day-

 

[BigDog67]

Perhaps a french press? That is my camping go to. Perked coffee is fine, but you have to SMELL it for too long before you can DRINK it. When it comes to my coffee I am not a patient man, I want "instant caffeination"!

 

[Member 5605]

I wish I could do that.
Not that I'm not physically able to but wife and kid wouldn't go for it.

 

[Xaevian]

Wish you luck. Keep things simple. Having done this to varying degrees both by choice and not, it is very doable. You want a real challenge, turn off the heat. Up the ante by making the rest of the family suffer through it. The stress that causes would quickly dwarf the loss of comfort in no time. Fun times.

 

[Camelfilter]

Wish you luck. Keep things simple. Having done this to varying degrees both by choice and not, it is very doable. You want a real challenge, turn off the heat. Up the ante by making the rest of the family suffer through it. The stress that causes would quickly dwarf the loss of comfort in no time. Fun times.

Sounds as his fam isn't on board, & that's fine.

However along those lines it'd seem difficult to stay within the parameters.

EG: lighting, recharging electronic doodads & such.

 

[ROC]

Consider sprouts -

- https://foodtolive.com/product-category/seeds/sprouting-seeds/


Jar lids -

Sprout Lid: Sprouting Jar Strainer Lid for Sprouts by Handy Pantry | True Leaf Market Seed Company

Sprout lids are perfect for those using the jar method in sprouting. This sprout lid is made of durable food-grade plastic that won't rust or tarnish.

www.trueleafmarket.com

 

[bgdawgrr]

Only read a few pages, sorry if I repeated. Have the staples for the calories and keeping the belly full etc. Now I'm in the "keep it simple and easy" phase.

I've been adding lots of soups to the storage whenever on sale. I prefer Chunky brand soups, I go for the kinds with the most calories, fat and protein.
Also canned chili, cornbeef hash, Dinty Moore stew. If you like it, Spam. I do DAK hams.
If you can find it, Costco canned beef is excellent. Same category as canned tuna and chicken.
All can quickly be cooked in the can on a fire, propane stove or eaten cold. Lots of variety, decent nutrition, stable almost indefinitely.

Don't overthink it.
Great idea to practice.

 

[mrblond]

I plan on getting a couple of cans of the canned cheese. Winco's store brand is pretty good and much cheaper than the name brand. I love block chesse though so I am going to buy a couple of two pound blocks and see how they hold up on garage shelf. I am also wondering how long I could store eggs on the garage shelf. They are pretty cheap these days and cook fast.

 

[bill1225]

Well, I'll admit that the idea of going 30 days with no power is intriguing, I did that as a kid when we were homeless. We called that camping I currently spend more time out in the deep woods - off trail, than about 90 percent of Americans, so I haven't forgotten many of the lessons learned so many years ago. When hitchhiking I'll still take spit baths in gas station restrooms, including washing my cloths in the sink at times although I can afford nice vehicals and haven't resorted to that for a long while now.

I'll follow along and I commend you for going for it. Turning off the main circuit breaker would get you part way there. Remember, playing cards, chore lists and games should be part of your preps or the 30 days will be long. Unless it's "no power" only for food. In which case, with a tv and computer...well.....hmmm.

 

[arakboss]

Well, I'll admit that the idea of going 30 days with no power is intriguing, I did that as a kid when we were homeless. We called that camping I currently spend more time out in the deep woods - off trail, than about 90 percent of Americans, so I haven't forgotten many of the lessons learned so many years ago. When hitchhiking I'll still take spit baths in gas station restrooms, including washing my cloths in the sink at times although I can aford cars and haven't resorted to that for a long while now.

I'll follow along and I commend you for going for it. Turning off the main circuit breaker would get you part way there. Remember, playing cards, chore lists and games should be part of your preps or the 30 days will be long. Unless it's "no power" only for food. In which case, with a tv and computer...well.....hmmm.

While living with no power sounds adventurous, that is not my intention for this challenge. I am only eliminating electricity use for cooking, preparation and storage of food. That may not seem like much of a hardship but I suspect it will be more difficult than it appears.

 

[arakboss]

Sounds as his fam isn't on board, & that's fine.

However along those lines it'd seem difficult to stay within the parameters.

EG: lighting, recharging electronic doodads & such.

To clarify the elimination of power for my challenge is only going to be related to electricty use for cooking, preparation and storage of food and beverages.

 

[41mag]

I have to figure out a fast way to cook them though, maybe shredded like hash browns.

have you read up on the 'cooked on the manifold' technique while bracing about in your Bentley town car?
I've seen a number of easy recipes, & had a couple of my old hobo friends speak highly of it.

 

[41mag]

I am only eliminating electricity use for cooking, preparation and storage of food

have you read up on the 'raw food diet' material? how about yogurts/kefir/etc?
You can definitely use plain water on your morning Holy Shredded Wheat. Any berrys/bananas/spoonful of pnut butter stirred in contributes. Smoothies are an art form to study, adding no cold storage adds considerable challenge.

 

[arakboss]

have you read up on the 'raw food diet' material? how about yogurts/kefir/etc?
You can definitely use plain water on your morning Holy Shredded Wheat. Any berrys/bananas/spoonful of pnut butter stirred in contributes. Smoothies are an art form to study, adding no cold storage adds considerable challenge.

Not much of a raw foodie. I would be interested in store bought yogurt that in single serving forms are shelf stable. I haven't seen any at the grocery stores I visit.

I might pick up some shelf stable pudding cups now that I think about it.

 

[arakboss]

have you read up on the 'cooked on the manifold' technique while bracing about in your Bentley town car?
I've seen a number of easy recipes, & had a couple of my old hobo friends speak highly of it.

I would hate to lose my burrito on I5 driving to work at night

 

[Holepuncher]

Well, I'll admit that the idea of going 30 days with no power is intriguing, I did that as a kid when we were homeless. We called that camping I currently spend more time out in the deep woods - off trail, than about 90 percent of Americans, so I haven't forgotten many of the lessons learned so many years ago. When hitchhiking I'll still take spit baths in gas station restrooms, including washing my cloths in the sink at times although I can afford nice vehicals and haven't resorted to that for a long while now.

I'll follow along and I commend you for going for it. Turning off the main circuit breaker would get you part way there. Remember, playing cards, chore lists and games should be part of your preps or the 30 days will be long. Unless it's "no power" only for food. In which case, with a tv and computer...well.....hmmm.

I get a kick out of people who are going camping..... they've got a 25' fully stocked trailer with heat, AC, running water, toilet, shower, electricity, hot water, TV, furniture, etc.

 

[Holepuncher]

I would hate to lose my burrito on I5 driving to work at night

I'm sure someone living in a tent next to I-5 would enjoy that lost burrito!

 

[arakboss]

I get a kick out of people who are going camping..... they've got a 25' fully stocked trailer with heat, AC, running water, toilet, shower, electricity, hot water, TV, furniture, etc.

It's funny that the rv campers are going to be in a better position than I will be for the month of march in regards to cooking and storing food.

 

[arakboss]

Has anybody tried cooking with summer sausage (shelf stable varieties)? I was thinking about picking up some of those shelf stable gift packs that come with hard cheese and sausage but was wondering how that sausage could be used in hot dishes.

Here is one recipe that looks good (minus the broccoli). I would have dip in to a can of evaporated milk but I could time this meal for a day where I was going to use some milk in another meal.

Summer Sausage Hot Dish | Old Wisconsin

Combine diced summer sausage, frozen veggies, egg noodles and cream of mushroom soup for a one-of-a-kind dish that might just become a family favorite.

www.oldwisconsin.com

 

[Xaevian]

While living with no power sounds adventurous, that is not my intention for this challenge. I am only eliminating electricity use for cooking, preparation and storage of food. That may not seem like much of a hardship but I suspect it will be more difficult than it appears.

No problem, then friend. With that in mind, let me give you the best advice that hasn't been mentioned. Please please please limit your indoor cooking with CO producing devices. I DO NOT want to read about another family that succumbed to carbon monoxide poisoning, especially if it is just an experiment. If you do, please pick up some CO alarms just to be safe.