Storm

[In the Kitchen]

How many of you have had their electric off for 3 full days and had to throw out all their food? I have two refrigerators and one freezer. Everything spoiled. Throwing out things that I bought on sale is hard to take. I was brought up to 'clean my plate' and this is really working on me to throw this away. I have loaded four trash cans with food. i tried to use some of it only to have realized after I fixed it that it too was bad. This is so upsetting to me. I hope none of you experience this. The only comfort I have is seeing how Katrina ruined other people's lives and how fortunate I am to only have my food go bad. I do know that it could have been worse and to realize this only makes me grateful. I just have hard time listing all the items for insurance. Each item has to be recorded. Procrastination is really hard thing to battle.

 

[GB]

In The Kitchen I am so sorry you have to go through that! I have never had to though food out because of a power failure thankfully. I wish you did not either!

I am moving this thread to the Off Topic Chat forum.

 

[In the Kitchen]

Gb

Thanks for attention. I guess I am not really familiar with where to put things. This forum changes so often. Unless you read it daily, you are lost. Was just curious if anyone knew how I feel. Thanks. I am sure this board keeps you busy. Thanks

 

[GB]

Don't worry if you put something in the wrong place. That is what we are here for. We will just move it for you and let you know where it's new home is

You have more important things to worry about right now anyway.

 

[Raine]

When HUGO blew through we were without power for 3 weeks. As our food and our neighborsfood starting thawing, we cooked it up outside on the grills and smokers. Fed all our neighbors. Thanks goodness for for propane and charcoal!

 

[middie]

kitchen i too have been in your situation and it stinks ! but you're right it could have been so much worse. keep focusing on that. that's what got me through our flood last week

 

[In the Kitchen]

Raine

Wasn't that a good idea? Have to remember that. Another reason to get outside help. We don't have grill or anything. Just like cell phone, I didn't have one and tried to use public telephone to call for help. Some elderly lady told me, dear those are outdated. They hardly have them anymore. I felt like I dropped out of the world not to be able to use public phone. After that incident, they decided to order cell phone for me. BUT only to use for emergency. Are there times when you wonder how times change without you realizing it?

 

[In the Kitchen]

Do you believe?

When I put the garbage (spoiled food) out to curb, the garbage man started going through them. I walked down and asked what he planned on doing with it? He said he was going to bring it to homeless. I said that it had been out of refrigeration for 3 full days. He said it doesn't smell bad. I told him I wouldn't have thrown it out if I knew it was good. In other words, having someone get sick over spoiled food would bother me. He continued to go through it and whether he was telling me the truth or not, i still don't think he should try to eat it. Wouldn't this bother you? There was so much that I had to get rid of it truly bothered me. I know people have hard times but eating someting bad and getting sick, I don't think it is worth it. I would fill up on crackers or something not bad food. He can't tell anybody I gave it to him can he? I feel so bad about this whole mess. Anyone who tries to save would feel the same way. As I said, I was always told to clean my plate.

 

[licia]

When Dora hit our area in 1964, we were without power for a week. We cooked all we had on a Coleman stove and the grill. We used the boat battery to hook up lights and a radio. We were able to get dry ice to keep a few things in the cooler but the food in the fridge and the freezer was used up. Last year when the storm hit, we were only without power less than a day and the freezers were full so they stayed completely frozen. We lost very little from the fridge. I dumped the ice in a cooler and stored as much as I could there. The 3rd second harvest truck from our area is to pull out tomorrow morning.

 

[Claire]

I've actually had to go over a week without electricity once, and once without for 5 days (all in Hawaii). Have gone a couple of days without a few times.

Number one is that if you know this is potential (for example, if you live in hurricane land), you fill each inch of your freezer space with ice. This isn't difficult. Every time you empty a plastic bottle, you fill it with water and toss it into the freezer. If a disaster ever happens, you have these great ice water bottles to toss into your coolers when you go on picnics, and in the fall, when disaster season is over, your drain them and start again. They were great to have. I wish someone had told me this about power outages when I was young and lived without power for a week after hurricane Iwa in Hawaii.

Have a way to cook food ... and then, cook it. I think a biggie here is to get to know your neighbors. If you cook it and share it, you don't have to throw it out. Get together with your neighbors and decide who has what that will spoil first. When three hurricanes hit Florida last year, my sisters did this. Neighborhoods get together,and whoever has something that will spoil first, they throw it on the gas/charcoal and all eat together.

If you can't stand to live together, it isn't going to happen.

And, when all else fails, think of those New Orleans people who are are sitting on roofs without water and food for several days. The water isn't receding, and it is putrid with ... well, let's not go there.

Go get some propane and charcoal, cook everything you own. Then, when your electricity comes back, you freeze it. I often cooked meat that thawed in my freezer during those electrical outages, cooked it, then re-froze it. Used it for chili and spagetti sauce.

 

[In the Kitchen]

Lesson

Thank you all for posting all your experiences and suggestions. They are so valuable and I hope others will make note of this. One never knows when this will happen. If you have food stored up for later date this is a real heartache when it gets spoiled. I usually buy this on sale and store up. Now, for what? What is so ironic about this whole senario is my neighbors either go out to eat and most of them buy from one day to next. Why this outage only happened to me must be some kind of message. Not to plan in advance? I just can't imagine what these people in New Orleans feel. One never has to look far to understand it could have been worse. You all share my loss and offer advice which I do appreciate. THanks I am grateful to be able to come here and express my frustration.