The Coming Storm

Last year we had a storm. A hurricane. Much of the Northeast laughed it off as an overblown rain event. We had a slightly different experience.

After having this hurricane do severe damage to us financially we are not prepared to take any more risks in the future. It seems silly now that there was a time when we were perched in the upper hallway of the apartment looking down and wondering if we would make it out alive. Knowing what we know now it seems crazy. However, if we'd known that last year things would have turned out a lot differently.

We have a hurricane, Sandy, which is threatening to pick up where Irene left off over a year ago. Apparently it's teamed up with a nasty winter storm and is headed straight our way. Much like last time we're preparing a plan. Last time I was most interested in a plan for how to use up the food in the fridge to minimize spoilage in the event of a power outage. I laughed at Jen when she prepared a "Go Bag" for the emergency. Luckily things were too dire for her to say "I told you so" as we dashed out the door with the "Go Bag" on our way to a police rescue boat.


Things are a bit more complicated this time around with the Wombats on board. Since the last time ended so poorly we are in the midst of formulating a plan where Jen can escape with the babies and I can be left behind to hopefully not go down with the ship.

Even if this storm is only 50% as bad as the last one we really don't want to be stuck here with the Wombats.

Of course this doesn't mean I didn't snap into action to start clearing out the fridge!


The problem is, like usual, the fridge is fairly full. We're going to have to burn through some serious food to have it empty of all perishables by Sunday.

I started by cooking some onion and garlic from the farm in some butter than adding in chopped cauliflower that we'd purchased at the farmer's market last week. I cooked it down until tender then added milk and cream, cooked it some more, and then pureed the mixture to make essentially a thick cauliflower soup.


I poured this into the plate then topped with the collard greens which were cooked in rendered bacon, olive oil and onion with a splash of lemon juice. I served these both along with chicken breast which I butterflied, pounded, and quickly pan roasted.


For beer I cracked open this Harvest Pumpkin Ale from Samuel Adams. After having all of these pumpkin beers this season I've come to the following conclusion: I don't really care for regular pumpkin beers. The Imperial Pumpkins are really good. I Imperial Pumpkins both as a beer and as the name for a band. The regular pumpkins are just always a little weak to me. A little thin, and uninteresting.

This one, however, was toward the top of the pack for the "regular" pumpkin ales. It was a bit heavy on the molasses taste and had some of that strange acidity that comes along with most pumpkin beers but it was decent.

2012 Pumpkin Beer Standings

1. Shipyard Brewing Company Smashed Pumpkin - more pumpkin than spice
   
2. Samuel Adams Fat Jack Double Pumpkin Ale - rich maltiness
   
3. Southern Tier Brewing Company Pumking - fresh pumpkin muffin batter
   
4. Long Trail Brewmasters Series Imperial Pumpkin - dubbel-style malt
   
5. Uinta Brewing Company Punk'n - nicely balanced
   
6. Samuel Adams Harvest Pumpkin Ale - creamy head and molasses
   
7. New Holland Brewing Company Ichabod Ale - heavy spice
   
8. Captain Lawrence Brewing Company Pumpkin Ale - slightly sour
   
9. Fire Island Beer Company Pumpkin Barrel Ale - too much cinnamon
   

After dinner we are into full storm-preparation mode. This meant plotting out our course of action should the storm take the one of fifty-seven predicted paths and slam directly into us. Unfortunately for us we are exactly in the middle of all the predicted paths so the likelihood of it hitting us is fairly high. After the prospect of clearing out the basement and packing up stuff for us in the babies became coo much Jen remembered the the World Series was on! So it was that the boys got their first taste of Major League Baseball. Martin was transfixed.
Elliott seeemd to hate it.

Elliott was able to bring Martin over to his way of thinking and they erupted into a frenzied fuss which lasted from the second through the sixth innings. They calmed down considerably the seventh inning stretch and after a bath and additional feeding. I can only assume they didn't like the call they made on Prince Fielder.

Sorry guys, he was clearly out.

The storm plans continue.