Big storms and food

Friday was the biggest storm in Minneapolis ever.  Tree limbs 18" in diameter blocked roads.  The power was out all over.

Be prepared.

The power was out, but the gas stayed on.  We were lucky.  There was plenty of hot water.  It makes sense to keep drinking water around, and some washing water too.

Batteries are not very green, but they can be handy in emergencies.  Generators are noisy.  I don't like them.  I guess they make sense for hospitals.  So stock batteries and LED flashlights and a keep a radio handy.  The radio should be windup, or solar, or run on batteries.

My van helped too.  It has a gas fridge, which I didn't need, and an inverter which was quite handy for charging the iPhone.  It wasn't cooking, lighting, eating, or cooling we were worried about, it was internet and phone.

With little or no internet, we got a lot of reading done, and sang,  and cleared some downed limbs, and did some cooking

Now, the All-Food Diet recommends keeping your fridge mostly empty.  When the storm came, we didn't have too much food to worry about.  We made a concerted effort to identify and consume the perishables.  It's not nice to toss Mother Nature's food.  Be creative in using it up before it goes bad.  FIFO.  When it gets to be bad or questionable, toss it.  There is no point in getting ill.

All die hard adherents of the All-Food Diet have little in the freezer.  We managed to cook what needed to be et before it defrosted.

A rally against Monsanto

I bused and biked and arrived at the State Capitol in Saint Paul, books in hand.  Many people were in attendance, of a variety of ages and lifestyles.  Some were in costume, such as the Grim Reaper, who carried a pitchfork with ears of corn attached.  Rabid petitioning was in full force.

After a spell, we marched down into Saint Paul, and I spotted some Morris dancers who had gathered from states far and near.  I talked to some friends, turned around, and the parade was gone.  After wandering to the farmers market and bridge over the Mississippi, I googled and re-joined the rally at the Capitol.

Then there was music and speaking and more soliciting.   Most people I talked to were exceedingly healthy in their dietary habits.   Some ate raw food.  That sounds healthy, but I like it cooked, and we've been cooking on fire for so long that it's in our genes.  Of course there were vegans & vegetarians and gardeners.  I've been a pescetarian three times.   I don't know why I did it the first time, but it came to an end when I discovered that hamburgers were made from animals.   The second time was based on grain shortages, discipline, and peer groups.  After a while my fervor waned and I was less inclined to follow others.  The third time was related to factory farms.  Eventually, I evolved to choose foods based on their intrinsic health value, how they were created, and where they came from.  The All-Food Diet is anything but extreme.  People seem to appreciate being able to cling to their favorite foods in moderation.

It's good to know that people are thinking about food, where it comes from, how it's labeled, and what they want to put into their body.  It's strange to see people agonizing over choosing the very best motor oil for their car, and throwing any old chemical laden fried greasy sugary oily over-packaged fast food down the hatch.