Meal Ideas If There's a Power Outage in NJ This Weekend

I'm still trying to hold out hope that this weekend's Nor'easter is a bust (come onnnn Heat Miser), but it's looking likely that we're going to get a good amount of snow, and at the very least, very strong winds and coastal flooding are likely.

That means power outages are possible, so in the interest of being prepared for anything, I've thought of a few meal options. They can be whipped up with pantry items you might even already have!

Now, I'm gonna lay this out there, these meals aren't gourmet (or ideal, but then again, neither is a power outage.) They are easy enough to get you through a day or two in the dark.

Also, if you don't have a manual can opener...get one.

bhofack2

1
Peanut butter and banana on crackers
First things first, if you're allergic to peanuts, you can sub it for almond butter, soy nut butter, sunflower butter, or whatever will keep you from yelling at me about not being allergy friendly. As for the crackers, use what you have! You can obviously just use bread if you have it, but it also works with Ritz crackers, graham crackers, saltines, etc. You can also swap out bananas for Nutella, marshmallow fluff, or jelly, of course. (Note: jams/jellies SHOULD be refrigerated after opening, so...throw it in the snow?)
2
Bean salad with tuna or chicken
Assuming you have a decently stocked pantry, you might have everything you need for this. Mix a drained can of beans (like cannellini or garbanzo) and a drained can of green beans with a diced tomato and half a red onion. Add in a drained can of tuna/salmon/chicken/etc. Make a simple dressing of olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, and granulated garlic, and toss it all together.
3
No-mayo deviled eggs with pita chips
This requires some pre-planning in the form of hard-boiling some eggs. You could simply eat a plain hard-boiled egg with crackers/pita chips, or step it up a notch with these no-mayo deviled eggs. Slice boiled eggs in half, and carefully remove yolks. Mix the yolks with oil, vinegar, dijon mustard, salt, pepper, worcestershire sauce, and maybe a touch of sugar. Combine it all and pipe/spoon it back into the egg whites. Sprinkle with paprika if you want to be fancy.
4
Cereal
No frills here. Shelf-stable milk is the best option...or keep a cooler and lots of ice (snow?) handy!
5
Protein/meal replacement bars
I mean, this is really the lamest option, but whatever, it'll keep you from starving, right? (On that note, let's not be overly dramatic. You won't shrivel away if you go more than 24 hours without a hot meal.)
6
Wine. and cookies.
When all else fails, it's time to get happy. A big part of my storm prep involves two bottles of Pinot Noir and a box of Cinnamon Bun Oreos. (Review on those coming your way shortly!) Snow day = excuse to eat poorly. It's a rule.