Adventures in Food
Black out dinner
Ah, it was dinner by candlelight on Tuesday night. Now before you go thinking this was some romantic meal that I planned for Mr. Squid, truth be told I have a wind-drenched snowstorm to thank for our hours by candelight. That’s right, our power was knocked out for most of the afternoon and into the evening.
The occasional power outage doesn’t bother me. I’ve got my forehead camping light stashed in my nightstand and enough candles to keep things cozy when I need to use ‘em for light. And it just so happens that I’d already put dinner in the slow cooker earlier in the day so our meal kept warm even though the power went out a few hours before dinnertime.
Our dinner? One of my favorites because it’s simple, healthy and easy enough to make with limited visibility. I add four frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts to the slow cooker along with two jars of pasta sauce (per Cooks Illustrated picks, I’ve been using Classico lately). That’s it. Let it cook on low for five to six hours and then make a pot of pasta to serve with it. Luckily, we have a gas range so I was able to light the burners no problem and even made some garlic bread for dipping.
You’ll notice the strange blue glow in the picture above. That’s not my camera flash, but the light from my forehead flashlight.
Your turn–has anyone else been without power lately?
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about 1 year ago
Lucky for you that you were so well-prepared. I know too well about power outages…not fun!
about 1 year ago
Good lord, you are so impressive in your level of preparation. I’d still be hunting for my flashlight.
about 1 year ago
Cooking by forehead flashlight… love it! And it keeps your hands free for chopping – though I’d be worried I’d still nick a finger off without bright light to guide me.
about 1 year ago
My husband is always asking me to cook in the crockpot. He would love this recipe. I’ll be trying it soon.
about 1 year ago
We haven’t lately, but 3 years ago, we had an ice storm that knocked out power for 10 days. Cooking on a woodstove was an adventure, but it got old. Now we have a generator!
about 1 year ago
Ha! I knew I bought that forehead flashlight for a reason.
about 1 year ago
Good to hear about someone making it work. Seems like all I’ve been reading lately are people lamenting power outages. How did we ever survive on the prairie??
(You’re saving those Classico jars for summertime preserving, right??)
about 1 year ago
A forehead flashlight! You’re incredibly prepared. And you’ve gotta love the crockpot for a variety of reasons, power outtages included.
about 1 year ago
i need a forehead flashlight. before christmas, we had a power outage for about 8 hours. i was REALLY cold. and our stove is electric. you made a fantastic meal!!! brava!
about 1 year ago
I was covered in blankets by the end of our outage–it can get cold. I guess I don’t get too nervous about it in our area because the outages always seem to get fixed in a hurry. And yes, you need a forehead flashlight–they’re sooo handy.
about 1 year ago
Yes, that day I was using it because I knew I wouldn’t have much energy to make a meal. I’m not always good at planning ahead, but that day thankfully I was
about 1 year ago
Oooo, I’d been recycling my jars, but that’s a great idea to save the jars!
about 1 year ago
10 days would be tough–especially in cold weather. A generator is a great idea. We had neighbors in Michigan with a generator and they were kind enough to get others tap into it.
about 1 year ago
I use mine at least once a week. It’s just so convenient.
about 1 year ago
Well, I must say it was nice to have a spotlight right on the food I was cooking!
about 1 year ago
Trail and error. I used to have hand crank flashlights (there still around here somewhere). There’s nothing worse than having to sit there cranking up the flashlight’s power in the dark. And the light is dimmer than battery-powered ones. So I got everyone in the family their own forehead flashlight awhile back and while we don’t use ‘em very often, I like having them around for emergencies.
about 1 year ago
Yes, as I said, I knew this one wouldn’t last. But days of no power, that would drive me crazy.
about 1 year ago
It sounds like you turned this blackout and meal into an experience your family will look back on fondly.
about 1 year ago
Three cheers for the slow cooker and planning ahead. If that happened now … I’d be screwed.
about 1 year ago
Picturing you with a forehead flashlight does kinda ruin the romantic candlit-mood, you’ll have to admit.
about 1 year ago
Dh insists on a gas range so that we’d always be able to cook a meal even if our electricity went out (which it rarely does…surprising given that we live in a rural area). Glad you were able to get dinner on the table! Sounds yummy too.
about 1 year ago
Mine too! Not because of the power outage issue, but he just prefers cooking with gas.