Hurricane Irma Update

Living in Florida my entire life, I know that hurricanes are not often taken as seriously as they should be. Florida gets two types of hurricanes. The ones that we have "hurricane parties" for and the type of hurricane that makes even natives living in Central Florida want to evacuate. Irma was the second of the two.

If you have seen any of the damage in Central Florida it is quite amazing to see how the community comes together to help each other out. In each small town we hear the different stories of people who go out of their way to help perfectly good strangers! 

In Haines City, it looks like there were several tornadoes because of the way things have been twisted, mangled, and relocated! The eye was right above Haines City and it is quite obvious. The great news is, we have power companies out working on the lines as soon as they can get to them and it is amazing the amount of people that have already had their power restored!

 

If you are in the Florida area and are wondering what on earth to eat since we are almost all without power and restaurants are not open, here are a few ideas that you may want to try to cook on your grill, propane, or your car hood!

• Fried Spam and Eggs

• No Bake Refried Bean Dip
• 1 can refried beans
• 1 tablespoon taco seasoning mix
• Cheese
• 1 jar of salsa
• 1 cup unsalted diced tomatoes
• 1 chopped red onion
• 2.5 ounces sliced black olives
• 1 bag shredded lettuce
• Combine refried beans and taco seasoning, then spread in a dish. Add half of the cheese on top, spread salsa over the layers. Spread the chopped tomato, onion, olives, rest of the cheese, and lettuce if available. 
• You can refrigerate or eat it immediately! Chips and crackers both make this dish complete!
• Tuna Salad

• Canned Salmon and New Potatoes with Dijon Mustard, Onion and Garlic!

• Southwest Bean Salad
• 2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed if you have that ability
• 1 1/2 cups of canned corn
• 15 ounce can of diced tomatoes drained
• 1 red onion, diced
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1 teaspoon dried cilantro (if you are a fan of course)
• 1/3 cup of lime juice
• 3 tablespoon olive oil (we always have an over abundance of olive oil on hand!)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (if you are up for the challenge)
• Combine oil, lime juice, salt and cayenne pepper. In a medium bowl combine the rest of the ingredients. Pour the sauce over the bean mixture and mix it in. Marinate for 30 minutes and enjoy!

Recipes from What to cook during Hurricane Irma

I hope you are able to find things to enjoy to eat. What have you cooked through this wonderful Hurricane Irma? What are you most proud of?