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Maybe not all in a row like it used to be, but between family celebrations, friend celebrations, church celebrations, work celebrations, kids' celebrations... that's at least 12 days of Christmas-ing, and folks with food allergies don't get a seasonal reprieve from their special diet. Hopefully, this will help those with food allergies, and those who care for them, navigate feeding themselves and still feeling like the season is special and magical. Is feeding yourself starting to feel overwhelming in the Muchness of the holiday season? Check out my No-Effort Pantry Food Ideas For One post for very simple and nutritious food ideas you can eat almost immediately. Better to eat ~something, than not enough nutrition going in at all! Holiday Road Trip: The Snackle Box WaterTok But Make It Healthier: Christmas in Your Stanley (coming soon!) Christmas Coffee Syrup (coming soon!) Christmas Eve: After a lot of experimentation, my very culturally American family settled on "The IKEA Dinner" as our Christmas Eve meal, eaten before we open gifts. If that isn't American to the core, I don't know what is. Swedish Meatballs Creamy Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes Dilled Peas Bread The Scandi Board If this isn't your kind of thing, for Option 2, I recommend BYO Tiny Sammies!! Christmas Morning: French Toast Casserole Breakfast Tamale Pie Casserole Maple Spice Instant Oatmeal Bagels, English Muffins, Sweet Rolls  (it's all the same dough...) Bagel Schmear: Allium-Free Hummus Bagel Schmear: Lemon-Dill White Bean Spread Bagel Schmear: Jaffa Cake Spread Christmas Dinner: Appetizer: Midwest Crudite Board Mains & The Fixins: Roasted Whole Turkey Maple Mustard Ham Glaze Dijon Steak Marinade is great for both beef & venison steaks Sweet Apple Marinade is great for both pork & venison steaks Turkey & Bacon Gravy Sides: Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Delicata Squash in a Balsamic Maple Glaze Viral "Boiled Onion" Bread & Sausage Stuffing Creamy Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes Three Bean Salad Dinner Rolls Desserts: Cranberry & Pear Jelly Dessert Baked Apples & Pears Berry Crumble Cookies & other treats: Chocolate Bark Fruit Balls SunButter Balls Sugar Cookies Oatmeal Raisin Bars Did you appreciate this allergy friendly Christmas recipe roundup? Support yr very appreciative Auntie with a tip at ko-fi.com/yrauntie

If you follow Auntie's New Hip , you'll know I'm the newest, youngest bionic hip recipient as of six days before this writing. Having gone through major surgery before, but not having to have dealt with the food allergies the last time I went under the knife, I knew I was going to do some serious meal prep in the weeks before surgery, as well as keep certain "convenience" foods on hand for quick, easy nutrients in the days after. I documented the prep process on my surgery blog, now you get the full guide to filling your freezer and pantry for feeding your body in recovery. Stocking your kitchen: Your body is going to crave what it needs to heal, and the best way to give it to your body is in nutritionally varied ways. You'll want to have on hand: Carbs. They'll load you up with them right before surgery, and your body will keep wanting a steady flow in the days immediately post-op. You'll want varied sources, I stocked a lot of homemade bread, oatmeal, and potatoes for baking, as well as cooked with a lot of brown rice, and am eating a lot of bananas, dried fruit, and allergy-safe granola bars. Your favorite sources of both meat, and plant based proteins. Preferably in the same dish, like using pea flour as your meatloaf binder. Microwave steamable frozen veggies, and salad mixes. Dairy-free yogurt alternative, and favorite dietary fiber source. They give you antibiotics as a matter of course on surgery day, you'll need to build your gut biome back up while combating opioid constipation after that. Electrolytes. I was told the number one cause of ER visits after joint replacement surgery is dehydration. Make the water easy for your body to absorb! Give your body vitamins and minerals it needs to heal! As for specific products I made sure to have on hand (none of these brands sponsor this post) : Instant Bone Broth Sticks Allergy-Free Granola Bars Dried Fruit Packs Electrolytes Instant coffee/tea sticks How to post-op meal prep: This doesn't have to be the grab-and-go kind of meal prep you're used to for the gym or office, nor do you need a chest freezer for putting away frozen casseroles in bulk. Here's how I did it: I made a 6-9 portion serving dish for each prepped meal. I let it cool completely. I sliced it into individual servings, if needed. I froze the individual slices on baking sheets lined with parchment paper, and covered with parchment paper as well. Once the portions are frozen, they're transferred to a labelled gallon-size freezer bag, and stored flat, stacked on each other. To reheat: If all you have is a microwave, place your individual frozen portions on a microwave-safe dish, cover with a microwave-safe lid, and run your meal on the quick thaw setting before reheating it for 3-5 minutes, until it's your preferred temperature. But my favorite way to reheat them is to portion them into a small metal baking dish, cover with foil, and bake from frozen in a pre-heated 450 °F toaster oven for about 30 minutes. What I prepped for my own post-op: Dijon marinated pan-fried chicken breasts, with Bread & Sausage Stuffing made without the sausage or lentils, and with half a loaf of Pinto Bean Bread . Sausage, Brown Rice & Mushroom Meatloaf , to be reheated alongside a baking potato and served with a side salad. Sardine & Brown Rice Croquettes , to be served with steamed veggies and a salad. This averages out to around 8 portions prepped per meal, so 24 meals set aside to reheat over those first few weeks. It's taking up a fraction of the standard-sized kitchen freezer my family of five shares. Other good prep recipes: Steak & Pinto Beans with Cornbread (these will have to be individually pre-portioned to freeze) Birria rice & frijoles negros  with steak  or fajita meat (same as above) Lentil Burgers Meatballs Rice Cooker Meals: Days before surgery, my mom ordered a simple rice cooker on after-holiday sale, and picked up individually-wrapped frozen fish fillets from the grocery store. This is exactly the kind of simple that I can do post-op, and fish and rice is the kind of BRAT combo of carbs and protein my body wants right now. Salmon & Shiitake Mushroom Rice Cooker Bowl Coconut Curry Cod Rice Cooker Bowl Easy Breakfasts: Auntie's Restorative Bone Broth Auntie's Restorative Avocado-Berry Smoothie Maple Spice Instant Oatmeal Honey Berry Instant Oatmeal Banana-Seed Parfait And don't forget your no-effort go-to foods ! All good small meals for easing into a little more food prep as your energy picks up. Homemade healthier sweet treats to prep: Fruit Balls SunButter Balls Did you appreciate this allergy friendly body healing recipe roundup? Support yr very appreciative Auntie with a tip at ko-fi.com/yrauntie

5 cups all purpose flour (wheat, or gluten-free mix) 1 cup plain oats 1 cup pork lard, beef tallow, or flavorless cooking oil 1/2 cup brown sugar, or to taste 2 cups oat milk (or 1 cup oat milk + 1 cup dairy-free heavy whipping cream) 2 teaspoons raw apple cider vinegar 4 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon sea salt 1 1/2-2 cups raisins or currants Preheat oven to 375 °F. Measure out your oat milk or oat milk/whipping cream mix, and add two teaspoons of raw apple cider vinegar to the milk. Whisk together, and set aside, the mixture will start to foam a little as the milk sours. Sift your flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda into a large mixing bowl. Cut the lard or tallow into the flour mixture until it's the texture of sand, or mix the oil in until it's incorporated into the flour. Add the oats and raisins or currants into the bowl and mix thoroughly before adding the soured oat milk to the bowl and mixing/kneading everything together to make a dough. Turn your scone dough out onto a floured surface, and with a floured rolling pin roll to about 3/4" thick before cutting scones with a biscuit cutter or small drinking glass. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets, and bake until the bottoms are lightly golden brown, about 15-25 minutes, depending on the size of your scone and how crowded your oven is (more pans = more time). Yields 2 to 3 dozen, depending on the size you cut your scones. Can be served with your favorite fruit preserves, whipped dairy-free heavy whipping cream, or Jaffa Cake Spread . Did you enjoy this recipe? Support yr very appreciative Auntie with a tip at ko-fi.com/yrauntie

yr Auntie is from Michigan, and has had a medical marijuana (MMJ) card since 2017, so this post is coming from a legal place, physically and metaphorically speaking! April 20th is approaching, and you want to celebrate... but you have a ton of food allergies, and would prefer to enjoy the vibe while not in the ER because you ate a dispo freebie you shouldn't have. So, you get yourself a Magical Butter Machine (not a sponsored link, but I have one and it's absolutely worth it) or your favorite infusion method (that link goes to a WikiHow page, if you don't have a favorite method), a quarter of your favorite strain, and 16oz of your favorite cooking fat: coconut oil, beef tallow, SunButter, olive oil, avocado oil, etc... This guide will be in two parts: recipes to use your infused fat in to create your own edibles, and recipes to combat the munchies or bring you down if you get a little too high 😅😅 The Edibles: So, you want gummies, but you're allergic to gelatin, vegan, or want to boost your dietary fiber? Try agar agar (a seaweed) based recipes like the Honeybee Jelly Squares (yeah, I know honey isn't vegan, you can make it maple chamomile peach flavored if you want). Best with 1/4 cup of infused coconut or avocado oil added to the recipe. So, you want to make magic brownies, but can't use dairy, egg, soy, nuts of any kind, or gluten? Try the Espresso Brownies with 1/4 to 1/2 cup of infused beef tallow or avocado oil replacing that much of the un-infused in the recipe. You can leave the coffee granules out of the recipe if you want... but we all know coffee and weed are the perfect pair ❤️❤️ You're not a brownie person? How about an Oatmeal Raisin Bar or a Chocolate Chip Cookie Bar ? These recipes have smaller yields than the brownies, so I would recommend no more than 1/4 cup infused tallow or oil replacing the un-infused in the recipe... unless you and your people have some serious tolerance. So, you have a bunch of infused SunButter, and don't really want to just eat it by the spoonful out of the jar? Make some of it into SunButter Balls ! Or perhaps use it as schmear on your morning toast or bagels? Or as the filling of a SunButter and Cinnamon Roll? All of the preceding recipes are just variations of my Master Dough Recipe , and I explain how to do all of them in the master dough master post. Or add a tablespoon to your morning smoothie . Non-sweet foods to use infused cooking fat in, for an "infused meal" : Roasted Whole Turkey (or roasted whole chickens) with gravy . I recommend baking a loaf of sandwich bread with the master dough or pinto bean bread , and use your roasted bird in the infused oil, and your gravy made with infused drippings, to make a hot chicken or hot turkey sandwich, an old diner favorite with enough bread to keep you from eating too much infused food. Serve with a scoop of mashed potatoes or rice on the side, which you can infuse or not at your discretion. Lentil Burgers , which can be grilled or pan fried, and eaten with buns made with the master dough recipe, above. The Viral "Boiled Onion " , which you can roast alongside the turkey, or grill before you put the lentil burgers on. "Michigan Gold" Barbecue Sauce , with 1/4 cup of infused olive or avocado oil added to the recipe, can be used as an infused sauce on any barbecued meat (or the lentil burgers), or can be used to make Honey Mustard BBQ Baked Beans . The Munchies: You need lots of snacks around! Don't forget to have your Snackle Box ready for munchies on the fly, a Midwest Crudite spread for the crunch and the dippy-dip (that you can make with infused oil, if you want to!), and if you're hosting a group sesh, a BYO Tiny Sammies spread will inspire some seriously epic stoner sandwich creations. If you're having an infused cookout, and the main dishes and the desserts are all infused, you'll probably want some non-infused, carb-laden side dishes like a Hawaiian-style Macaroni Salad , Dill Pickle Potato Salad , Curried Potato Salad , or a Cornbread . If you'd like a non-mayonnaise based cookout salad, check out the Three-Bean Salad , that you can easily make days ahead so you can just pop it out of the refrigerator when dinner is served. If your celebratory sesh is around a campfire or bonfire, as so many in Michigan are, don't forget the hot dogs and buns! When it comes to hot dogs, spend the money and get the good stuff, particularly hot dogs or sausages made without nitrates. When it comes to buns, again, the master dough recipe covers how to make that, too. And if you want some dips for chips, check out my Fermented Not Salsa or Cowboy Caviar for tortilla chips, or my Creamy Barbecue Horseradish Dip for pork rinds. Did you appreciate this allergy friendly 420 recipe roundup? Support yr very appreciative Auntie with a tip at ko-fi.com/yrauntie

The scene: it's 2026. The price of food is the highest it's ever been in America, while wages have been stagnant for decades. The winter has been marked by deadly snow and ice storms and the wind chills are still sub-zero in the middle of February, which isn't keeping the protesters off the streets. Not like you can go out to eat anyway, your boo has so many food allergies, you can't trust you won't spend the rest of the night in the ER with them after a food oops... talk about a mood killer. yr Auntie may be very aromantic, but she's also very knowledgeable about two things - food, and romantic tropes. And one of those tropes is a home-cooked meal thinking specifically about their favorite foods and their dietary needs. Step 1: identify their dietary needs. Have them send you a text or email, or hand them your phone with the Notes app open, and have them write down their food allergies, so you have them to refer to as you're creating your menu and doing your shopping. If this meal is a Valentines surprise, honestly, it's not hard to come up with an excuse for this, you just in general don't want to kill your partner, after all. Like I said, I'm a trope expert at this point. It happens when you're an ace/aro anthropologist, you start to identify patterns as you're reading your books and watching your shows and movies... Anyway, based on said romantic tropes, I'll recommend a few menus for some Netflix and Chill dates, but I fully intend these to be inspirations to give you ideas on how to menu plan for your boo! Obviously, make sure you're cooking their favorite foods for them, maybe having a cute little date before Valentine's Day where they show you how they make their favorite food is in order, as they'll know how to cook to their allergies. And if you have questions on how to make something allergy-safe you don't want to ask them, my Signal contact info is in the "AuntieLinks" part of my banner up there. Dinner for Two, number 1: The Aphrodisiac Safecuterie Of course, the most commonly regarded aphrodisiac foods are also fairly common allergens, so obviously omit anything in this list that there's an allergy to: Chocolate Avocado Honey Figs Strawberries Oysters As for how to serve these ingredients: This chocolate pudding recipe incorporates chocolate, avocado, and honey, and is delicious served with sliced strawberries. If you want to serve chocolate candy, make sure it's from an allergen-free brand like Enjoy Life (not a sponsored link). If your boo can do wheat and soy, Fig Newtons are an option here. If they can't, there are many recipes for homemade versions out there, including gluten-free. Chocolate fondue for the strawberries and figs is an option here. Just melt 12oz of allergy safe chocolate chips with 1 1/4 cups plant milk, and 2 tablespoons of avocado oil in a double boiler (or in a heat-safe glass mixing bowl over a saucepan of water, like I do), and serve in a fondue pot over a tealight or small sterno to keep it hot and melty. For some easy homemade candies, check out the recipes for Chocolate Bark , Fruit Balls , and SunButter Balls . For a savory bruschetta, make or buy a loaf of their favorite bread, and toast it to top with avocados and pickled onions, or the smoked oysters tapenade, both from the BYO Sammies Safecuterie Board . Dinner for Two, number 2: The Romantic Bistro Spaghetti (or the closest gluten free alternative, if needed) with Pumpkin Pasta Sauce . Meatballs , or chicken breasts or thighs in Dijon Marinade . Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Delicata Squash with a Maple Balsamic Glaze . Fresh artisan bread with herbed olive oil for dipping (that's just putting sea salt and Italian seasoning in a shallow bowl of olive oil, to dip your bread in) Espresso brownies . Dinner for Two, number 3: The Steak Dinner So, you really need to stretch your budget here, and can't splurge at all? Here's how to cook a cheap cut of steak so it's tender . You got some mid-grade steaks, and would like a good marinade? Try this Dijon Marinade . Cream of Mushroom Soup either served in a bread bowl, or with a side of dinner rolls . Creamy Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes . Your date can't have nightshades, like potatoes? Za'atar Rice . Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Delicata Squash with a Maple Balsamic Glaze . Baked Apples or Pears , or a Berry Crumble . Dinner for Two, number 4: The "Indoor Picnic:" I mean that, clear out your living room floor, put down a picnic blanket, pillows, the whole setup, and serve a picnic meal. Lentil Burgers , with hamburger buns . Honey Mustard BBQ Baked Beans . Dill Pickle Potato Salad . Classic Coleslaw . Hawaiian-style Macaroni Salad . Three Bean Salad . Don't forget the picnic snacks! Especially pork rinds and Creamy Barbecue Dip , and tomato-free " Not Salsa " and tortilla chips. Chocolate Pudding is a pretty classic picnic dessert, Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars , Oatmeal Raisin Bars , or a Berry Crumble are all also great dessert ideas. Did Auntie have your back with these Valentine's date meal idea recipe roundups? Support yr very appreciative Auntie with a tip at ko-fi.com/yrauntie

1/2 cup uncooked rice 1 cup broth or reconstituted bullion, your choice of flavor 1 tablespoon olive or avocado oil 1 teaspoon raw apple cider vinegar 1/2 teaspoon Birria seasoning, or to taste 1/2 teaspoon onion powder 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder Salt to taste 1 15oz can black beans or pinto beans (optional) Chopped cilantro, diced onion, and lime wedges, for garnish (optional) Rinse your rice well under cold water, until the water runs clear, before adding the rice to the rice cooker bowl. Add your broth, oil, vinegar, and Birria seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt to the rice cooker bowl, and still well to disperse the seasonings. If you're using the beans, drain and rinse them well before adding them to the rice cooker bowl and mixing them in with the rest of the ingredients. Set your rice cooker to the "Cook" setting and cook until the rice absorbs all of the liquid, about 20-25 minutes. Turn your rice cooker off, and serve your cooked rice immediately with garnishes, if using. Did you enjoy this recipe? Support yr very appreciative Auntie with a tip at ko-fi.com/yrauntie

2 cans of red kidney beans, undrained (preferably dark red kidney beans, but they're hard to find up north where I am) 2 cups Andouille sausage coins or 1 can of SPAM, cut into small cubes (optional) 2 ribs of celery, finely chopped 1 small/medium green pepper, finely chopped 1/2 white onion, finely chopped 8-10 oz. broth flavor of choice 3-5 tablespoons cooking oil or fat Cajun seasoning to taste Liquid smoke to taste Heat your cooking oil in your largest skillet or soup pot, and saute your onion, celery, and green pepper until the onion is translucent and the pepper and celery are tender. Add the meat to the pan, and saute until it's golden brown. De-glaze the pan with the broth, and add the entire contents of the cans of beans to the pan - the aquafaba, or bean juice will thicken the sauce. Add your Cajun seasoning and liquid smoke to taste, and allow the mixture to simmer and reduce down to a thick gravy. Serve with a scoop of cooked white rice, and a slice of cornbread and a bottle of Crystal hot sauce on the side. Did you enjoy this recipe? Support yr very appreciative Auntie with a tip at ko-fi.com/yrauntie

1 15 oz can yellow corn 1 15 oz can black beans 1/3 cup finely diced red onion 1/2 teaspoon salt Everything from here is entirely optional, and based on your preferences, and what you have on hand when you're making this: 1 4 oz can green chiles 1-2 fresh jalapenos, finely diced 1/2 cup chopped cilantro 1 large avocado, cubed Rinse your corn and black beans and make sure there's no excess water in the strainer before adding them to a medium-sized mixing bowl with a lid. Add your onions and salt. Of everything that you're using of the above optional ingredients, put it in your mixing bowl with the rest of the salad ingredients. For the dressing: 2 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar 1 tablespoon lime juice 1 tablespoon olive or avocado oil Whisk together before adding to the salad bowl, and mixing in thoroughly with the rest of the ingredients. Cover, and let chill for 1-2 hours before serving with tortilla chips, or fresh tortilla for dipping. Be sure to mix the salad well just before serving, to freshly coat with the dressing. Did you enjoy this recipe? Support yr very appreciative Auntie with a tip at ko-fi.com/yrauntie

1 instant bone broth serving (not a sponsored link) + 1 1/2 cup hot water to rehydrate, or 1 1/2 cups of prepared bone broth 1 tablespoon coconut aminos 1 teaspoon fresh or powdered ginger (depending on what you have, and your taste preference) 1 teaspoon lime juice 1/2 teaspoon MSG 1/2 teaspoon fish sauce (contains anchovy) 1/2 teaspoon roasted sesame oil 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder Salt to taste Hot pepper, to taste Any cooked meat, or vegetables you'd like to add to the soup. Add your bone broth, coconut aminos, ginger, MSG, fish sauce, sesame oil, garlic powder, salt, and peppers to a medium saucepan, and bring just to a boil over medium-low heat. Remove from the heat, and add your lime juice and cooked rice noodles before serving hot. Serves 2. Did you enjoy this recipe? Support yr very appreciative Auntie with a tip at ko-fi.com/yrauntie

I write this as Michigan is four days into a six day blizzard event, and the event is headed all the way down the deep south to the Gulf Coast. Videos of empty grocery shelves are all over social media right now, particularly when it comes to bread and milk, and people south of the Mason-Dixon Line are sharing their Snowpocalypse grocery hauls... y'all are not used to this, and boy is it obvious. I am used to this. My mother taught me how to do this as a young child (this was part of how you trained your daughters to be tradwives back in the day). This is a normal survival skill up here. This is part of my "Building an Ingredients Kitchen" series because that's a huge part of it. You don't have to get ready if you stay ready. And blizzards aren't our only weather concern, the other eight months of the year we get to worry about severe thunderstorms and tornadoes. It's literally the only downside to living so close to Lake Michigan, the most perfect body of water in the world. I may be biased. The Basics: If possible, keep a steady drip of water going from every water faucet, to keep your pipes from freezing and bursting. Stock 1 gallon of potable water per person per day. That's the calculation for both drinking and cooking, you'll want to stock more for hygiene if that's something you need. If this is something you're storing long-term, be sure to re-up with a fresh supply every six months. If you have a generator, make sure you have the gas to run it for every predicted day of the storm, + a couple of days past to give the electrical crews time to work. Same for any propane, butane, or wood/wood pellet device you plan on using, have the same amount of fuel budgeted for each as you would a generator. Have fresh batteries in your smoke detectors, and at least one fresh fire extinguisher, and give the whole family a reminder on how to use it. House fires spike during blizzards, because people are burning tons of candles, and using old, faulty space heaters. Don't be a casualty. Have fresh, working carbon monoxide detectors in your space. CM poisoning deaths also spike, for all the reasons house fires do. Make sure you have a stocked first aid kit on hand, and that you refill all your prescriptions before the storm hits. Campers know: good lanterns, and battery charging packs, are necessary for no electricity situations. Headlamps are also good for midnight toilet runs. Make sure all of these have a fresh charge before the storm hits. Lanterns often double as battery chargers nowadays, but everyone with a phone needs a solar power battery charger on hand for emergencies... and outdoor activities in less turbulent times. Toilet paper. So dumb, right? We started buying the club sized box and just storing it - it'll all be used eventually, and we don't have to worry about panic buying. At least keep a few emergency rolls tucked away with your water. On the TP note... so your toilet is on an electric water source, and your tank won't fill with the power out? Drain the bowl, line it with a heavy-duty trash can liner and fill the liner 1/3 way with cat litter or cedar shavings. "If it's yellow, let it mellow" applies here, but you'll want to take the bag to the dumpster and set this up again after a BM. Speaking of candles and space heaters, and old Michigander trick: Get an unscented pillar candle (a 7 Day Candle in a glass jar will not work for this), and an empty METAL coffee can that the candle fits completely into, flame and all. Remove the paper label, the can will get hot. Place the candle in the coffee can, and light the candle. Obviously, don't put the lid on the coffee can unless you're storing this setup. One of these will heat a car. If you see an unlabeled metal coffee can with a new pillar candle and a lighter or matchbook inside in the backseat of a Michigander's car, now you know - they're preparing to be stuck in a ditch for 12 hours at -15 °F. You'll need more like four or five to heat a room. Again, carbon monoxide poisoning is an issue with this technique, make sure you vent your space regularly and have detectors close with fresh batteries. And you're dealing with an open flame, so all precautions apply - full supervision at all times, safe, non-flammable surface, etc. And do not use this in a tent! How to sleep warm: Wear all your warmest clothes. I'm talking 2-3 layers of sweaters, sweatpants, and socks, as well as your winter coat if needed. Do not forget to keep your head well covered at all times, that's where you lose the most heat. Concentrate your living to the main area of the house, literally close the doors to the bedrooms and any other rooms you're not using. Everyone sleeps in the living room. Preferably in the same bed. Other than the kitchen and one bathroom, that's where you're concentrated while the power is out, to maximize your body heat. If you camp, pitch your tent in the living room, and cover it with a few of your largest, warmest blankets. Everyone sleeps in the closed tent. The trapped body heat will keep the tent a comfortable temperature. Again, no candles in a tent! Now is the time to pull out every single blanket you own. More blankets do keep you warmer. Same for sleeping bags, if you have them. Make sure you use a few to cover the windows and any drafty doors. Keep in mind that blankets and sleeping bags work by trapping your body heat, which you lose from everywhere, even the bits in contact with your sleeping surface. Make sure you "burrito roll" yourself, or sleep in a heavy blanket "sandwich" so you're preserving all your body heat. The Pantry Stock: So, you missed the bread and milk... Not an issue if you have powdered milk, and bread flour and instant yeast on hand. But you have an electric oven? Do you have a grill? You can bake a sandwich loaf. Do you have a camp burner? You can make pita or tortilla. I highly recommend keeping at least a little backpacker's burner (not sponsored) ( another not sponsored option ) ( a not sponsored wood fuel option ) and fuel on hand for emergency situations, they're not an expensive investment, and they don't take a lot of space to store. Again, be mindful of carbon monoxide levels as you use it in an enclosed space! Use it near a cracked window and a detector! Your Pantry Stock List: Obviously, most of this is meant to be consumed regularly, you just want to keep it in amounts that will get you through at least a few days if you need to shelter in place, like in a blizzard. Essentially, make sure you never run out of these. Buy ahead when you're getting low. Powdered or shelf-stable milk. Shelf-stable powdered eggs, or ground flax seed for the folks with egg allergies. Canned meat products: tuna, sardines, smoked oysters, canned chicken, SPAM, corned beef, etc. Rice. I buy basmati, jasmine, and brown in 10lb bags for my regular consumption, but ymmv on how much rice you eat or how much pantry space you have. Beans and lentils. I keep dried green lentils, dried red lentils, dried green peas, and dried pinto beans on hand in 5lb jars, and red kidney, cannellini, chickpeas, and black beans in cans for quick, easy meals. Crushed tomatoes and tomato paste. I know, I know, this is a tomato-free blog, but it's a weird allergy, and chili is a classic snow day meal. Plus, you can make your own spaghetti sauce with these ingredients and some Italian Seasoning and a dash of red wine vinegar and olive oil, skip the expensive pre-made stuff in the jars. If you're like me and you do have a tomato allergy, I got you - here's recipes for Not Chili and Pumpkin Pasta Sauce . Noodles. Whatever noodles you like. Spaghetti noodles? Elbow mac? Rice noodles? Ramen? Fideo Noodles? Noodles. Flour & other baking mediums: I keep all-purpose flour, bread flour, yellow cornmeal, PAN arepa flour (I'm better at arepas than tortillas, so I keep this over masa harina), chickpea flour for a plant protein binder & scrambled egg substitute, tapioca flour for fruit pie filling, and sweet rice flour mostly for kimchi making. Obviously, I'm kind of excessive thanks to allergies and having to make everything from scratch, flour and cornmeal (or your favorite gluten-free baking mix, and millet flour, if you're gluten or corn free) alone is fine and will provide you with at least flatbread and pones throughout the storm. Salt, sugar, instant yeast, baking soda, and baking powder. Make sure you have fresh going into storm season. Cooking oil, white vinegar (also important for sanitizing!), and raw apple cider vinegar. Broth or bullion. Again, it's tradition up here to spend our snow days making and eating giant pots of soup. You want to be ready for spontaneous soup between September-March. Popcorn kernels. Why pay for the pre-popped, bagged stuff, when you can make it fresh and hot? SunButter, or peanut butter. And preserves, if you're PB&J (or SB&J) people. Coffee in a METAL can, and/or your favorite hot beverage. Kids love a good hot chocolate after coming in from playing in the snow, which if you stock ahead you may want to keep hidden until it magically appears when the snow flies. Pet food. They WILL eat you if there's nothing else to eat in an emergency situation. This all assumes a fully stocked spice cabinet , of course. The Freezer Stock: You may wonder why I would suggest stocking perishable foods for a snowstorm. That would be because the entire outdoors is your freezer during a snowstorm. As long as it's below 32 °F, you can store your frozen foods in a tote in your garage or on your patio, or in the trunk of your car. Just make sure you focus on eating it during the storm, and that you return it to a freezer (or at least a good ice-packed cooler) once it gets warmer again. Frozen vegetables. Just in case you get stuck before you can make a fresh food run. Frozen meat. Particularly your favorite meat for chili or your favorite soup. What to buy during that pre-pocalypse grocery run: Assuming you have all of the above on hand, of course. Fresh vegetables, especially what you need to make your planned snow day soups and casseroles (we're also Midwestern, we do those, too). Fresh meat, if you'd rather not eat what's in your freezer. Fresh fruits, for snacking. Marshmallows for hot chocolate. Double the marshmallows, as well as your favorite butter or butter substitute and favorite cereal if you want to make cereal "krispies" treats with the kids (or for yourself!). The recipe is on every marshmallow bag, and you can do it on a burner. What to buy during that pre-pocalypse Dollar Tree or Five Below run: A few pillar candles. You may want to bring your coffee can to make sure they're the right size. BBQ lighters or stove matches, for your gas burner and coffee can/candle setup. Cleansing wipes. You will not want to get wet if you have no heat in a snowstorm. Comfort snacks. Puzzle books & pencils. Jigsaw puzzles. Board games. A new deck of playing cards, or Uno, Old Maid, etc. Physical book copies. Coloring books with crayons/colored pencils. Craft kits. Art supplies. What to buy during that pre-pocalypse Party Store or dispo run: haha, that might be a bit specific to Michigan... What to download: Look, iPad kids are a reality. I'm not particularly proud of how some of my generation has been parenting, but I also have had to detox from screen addiction myself as a full adult, and that was tough af. I couldn't imagine dealing with it with the brain of a 5 year old. And an emergency situation is not the time to DT a toddler. Everyone, parental status regardless, should have a good solar powered battery charger on hand for an emergency. That's how you're going to keep your phone powered up so you can stay in touch with your loved ones, weather reports, and emergency services and notifications. And if you have an iPad kid, you're going to need at least 2 more for them. I'd say a main and a backup per iPad kid. Probably excessive, but I've seen what these kids do without their iPads right there... And you cannot expect to have internet access, so you will need to download everything they'll need for 3-5 days. TV show episodes & movies. Music playlists. Games. Anything else they use their tablet for. Remember to go into the storm with the tablet(s), headphones, and all chargers fully charged - solar chargers also have a quick wall charger option. Meanwhile, if you're a reasonable adult with a music service subscription, make sure you update your playlists and downloads before the storm hits, and charge your speakers and headphones. Downloaded music takes the teeniest of battery use, and having a good playlist makes those analog activities you picked up a lot more fun. Same goes for Mp3 players. If you're using a Discman, get LOTS of batteries, those things were huge battery sucks. Did you find this guide useful? Support yr very appreciative Auntie with a tip at ko-fi.com/yrauntie

1/4 cup red lentils 1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth 1 teaspoon Za'atar seasoning blend 1/2 teaspoon onion powder 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon lemon juice Salt to taste Pita chips and chopped parsley garnish (optional) Rinse your lentils and add them to the rice cooker bowl with the rest of the ingredients. Cover, and set to "cook," stirring the bowl occasionally as the lentils cook. The soup is ready when the "cook" cycle is finished, stir in the lemon juice, and serve immediately topped with chopped parsley and pita chips as garnish, if desired. Serves 1. Did you enjoy this recipe? Support yr very appreciative Auntie with a tip at ko-fi.com/yrauntie

1 cup water 1/3 cup plain instant oats 1/2 cup frozen mixed berries 1/4 cup dairy, soy, nut free yogurt alternative 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds 2 tablespoons raw, local honey Dash sea salt Place the oats, frozen berries, ground flax seeds, and sea salt in a microwave safe bowl, cover, and microwave on high heat for 1 minute 30 seconds. Stir the contents of the bowl, and microwave again for 30-45 seconds. Add the yogurt alternative and raw honey, and serve immediately. Serves 1. Did you enjoy this recipe? Support yr very appreciative Auntie with a tip at ko-fi.com/yrauntie