7 Day Challenge Day 5: Powerless Cooking

Welcome to the 2024 7 Day Challenge. For 7 days, we are testing our Emergency Preparedness and Food Storage Plans. Each day will bring about a NEW mini challenge that will focus on a different aspect of our preparedness plans.

In order to receive each day’s emergency scenario in your email please sign up for the 7 Day Challenge email list or subscribe via text by texting 7daychallenge to 717-788-3663.

REMEMBER: To get the most out of the challenge, don’t be too literal about the scenarios. Modify them to fit YOUR family’s situation. Also, try to actually DO each day’s challenge. Don’t try to justify why you wouldn’t “need” to. The point is to PRACTICE our skills!

DAY 5: Powerless Cooking

Powerless cooking is one of the most important preparedness skills you can learn. There are many reasons both big and small that you may find yourself needing to cook without power. It is a good idea to have supplies on hand to cook both indoors and outdoors without using electricity.

POSSIBLE SCENARIOS:

Severe Weather: Storms like hurricanes, tornadoes, or snowstorms can knock out power
Heat Waves: In extreme heat, power grids may fail due to high demand, leading to blackouts
Natural Disasters: Earthquakes, floods, or wildfires can damage power lines or power stations
Grid Failure or Blackouts: These can be regional or widespread
Planned Maintenance/Rolling Blackouts: Utility companies may shut down electricity temporarily
Forced Evacuations: Make sure to have powerless cooking supplies in your 72 hour kits
Civil Disturbances: In rare cases of civil unrest or political instability, power may be cut off
Cyberattacks on Infrastructure: These may target the power grid specifically
Fuel Shortages: During economic or fuel crises, energy supplies might be restricted
Rationing of Electricity: Governments may impose electricity rationing during an energy crisis
Broken Stove or Oven: If your oven breaks, you will need an alternative way to cook temporarily
Job Loss: If you are short on money and your power gets shut off, you will still need to cook
Summer Heat: Save money and avoid heating up your kitchen by cooking outside

MINI CHALLENGE: Cook your meals without power today

Remember the mini challenge can be done at any time during the day that fits your schedule. Take some time to actually DO the task and don’t just “think” your way through it.

🔥 Practice making at least ONE meal without using any electricity today
🏠 Cook something both indoors AND outdoors to practice both methods
🪵 Inventory your powerless cooking fuels to determine how much you currently have
🗓️ Calculate out a year supply of fuel and make a shopping list if you need more
🖥️ Review my powerless cooking class and cooking fuel overview posts to learn more
📷 Take some pictures along the way of your adventures today
🗣️ Share your experiences in our F acebook Group daily discussion thread
✔️ Go through the “evaluate” section below and look for any things missing or that need to up updated in regards to powerless cooking. Add them to your worksheets found under the “plan” section.

EVALUATE:

Inventory the resources you currently have to prepare for cooking in any powerless situation. Here are a few questions to ask yourself :

Cooking Appliances: Do you have a way to cook food indoors? Do you have a solar cooking option to conserve fuel? Can you easily boil water? Do you know how to cook with your powerless cooking tools? How many different ways do you have to cook without power? Do you know how to use the tools that you have? (view powerless cooking class here)
Cooking Fuel: Do you know which fuels can be used in each of your powerless cooking appliances? How much of each fuel do you have stored? How many meals can you cook with what you have stored? What is your plan for if/when you run out? (view cooking fuel overview)

PLAN:

Print out the worksheets below and add items you need to do, to learn, and to buy as you find holes in your preparedness plans throughout the week. Print multiple sheets as needed. These worksheets will become your road map for improving your preps over the next few months.

I will also be posting a lot on instagram (@jodi_foodstoragemadeeasy) over the next few days as I go through the challenges on my own. Come join the fun there and use hash tag #fsme7daychallenge if you are sharing your own adventures as well.