# Suggest a "buy now, eat in 4 months" meal **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 19, 2016, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-buy-now-eat-in-4-months-meal/746534 "2016-02-19T08:24:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-buy-now-eat-in-4-months-meal/746534/21 "2016-02-19T20:01:56Z")
We do this with our cottage, in the event we ever arrive at weird hours and can’t shop (or can’t shop due to weather, but unlike Hawaii, our weather would be blizzard conditions 🙂 ). We have boxed crackers, canned tuna, and mayo. We’ll also keep some snack food like boxed cookies and graham crackers or goldfish crackers. Canned soup, oatmeal packets, tea, pickles/olives, maybe some bar chocolate (I don’t want to be deprived, even in the event of an emergency!) and nuts. A sealed jar of something like roasted red peppers will last just fine. Everything not in an actual metal can goes inside a sealed Tupperware in case of vermin. When we arrive, usually with plenty of time to shop, I will still make sure that we eat our “emergency” rations fairly early on, so that I can restock it just before we depart. That way, nothing is every more than, say, six months old. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-buy-now-eat-in-4-months-meal/746534/22 "2016-02-19T20:10:35Z")
My votes: anything with the ramen. Quick, easy to fix. Canned chicken or dried shrimp to throw in? I like the Spam option but not everyone does. Protein bars. My kiddos will eat the Met-Rx bars. How much are you really going to want to do at midnight? A bar, in the flavor of your choice, and bed sound pretty good. Cereal, but I would also put it in Tupperware, to help preserve it. Dried milk, if you can find a brand you like. In line with things to eat with crackers (Tupperware again), smoked oysters, sardines. Canned soup. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-buy-now-eat-in-4-months-meal/746534/23 "2016-02-19T20:12:31Z")
I don’t think the OP needs to stock dry milk. Instead, I’d keep a couple of quarts of UHT milk in Tetrapak containers. That will keep unrefrigerated and will taste more like real milk. ---
**Author:** ![umop\_ap\_sdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/dbc845/32.png) [@umop\_ap\_sdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/umop_ap_sdn)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-buy-now-eat-in-4-months-meal/746534/24 "2016-02-19T20:41:25Z")
Your local grocery store should have pouches or boxes of instant red beans & rice, that sort of thing. Zatarain’s is one brand that comes to mind. If you can mail order something in advance, you could try [Honeyville Farms’](http://www.honeyville.com) website for ideas. They cater mostly to the end-of-the-world-preparedness crowd by selling giant cans of dried food that keep unopened at room temperature for years and years. Most of the products are just add hot water. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-buy-now-eat-in-4-months-meal/746534/25 "2016-02-19T20:54:38Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Yep. Canned soup, canned stew, canned chili, canned beans, canned tuna, canned Spam, canned Chef Boy-ar-dee-style pasta, or dry pasta and canned/jarred sauce, canned fruit, canned veggies… Just don’t forget your can opener! Yeah, basically just anything you’d keep in your pantry. If one needs ideas, just look up a survivalist website. But basically, I’d just keep a bunch of pasta, sauce, tuna and various canned fishes, canned meats, rice-a-roni, pasta-roni, etc. There’s literally thousands of things you can stock up on. If it’s sitting on an unrefrigerated shelf in the supermarket, it should last fine for months. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-buy-now-eat-in-4-months-meal/746534/26 "2016-02-19T20:56:52Z")
[Jim Bakker’s got you covered.](http://boingboing.net/2015/08/13/disgraced-televangelist-jim-ba.html) ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-buy-now-eat-in-4-months-meal/746534/27 "2016-02-19T21:21:53Z")
Dried penne pasta, tin of whole baby carrots, tin of sliced (not shredded) green beans, small jar of Caesar Salad Dressing, (something thick or oil based), package of bacon bits, shaker of Kraft Parmesan Cheese (unopened), and three tins/ jars of prepared shrimp/ can of spam. Boil pasta, in the last two minutes toss in drained carrots and beans. Drain, add salad dressing and bacon bits, add Parmesan cheese. Now throw in drained and rinsed shrimp. Mix well, serve topped with fresh ground pepper and more Parmesan. Penne pasta, with vegetables and shrimp in garlic Parmesan sauce! (And it all cooks in one pot!) But seriously, who wants to cook? Get the cabbie to stop at the take out you desire! (Source out what, and where that is!) Get lots, so there’s leftovers! ---
**Author:** ![Heart\_of\_Dorkness](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/4bbf92/32.png) [@Heart\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heart_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-buy-now-eat-in-4-months-meal/746534/28 "2016-02-19T21:33:33Z")
My first thought was tuna and mayo on crackers, but then it occurred to me, if it’s just for one meal, and you’re going to be dead tired, why not make it a meal to really look forward to? There are all kinds of little luxuries in jars, cans, and shelf-stable packs that I’m always looking for an excuse to splurge on. I’m thinking things like smoked salmon, anchovies, caviar, olives, capers, roasted red peppers, good mustard, all kinds of tapenades and savory spreads, and then on the sweet side, fruit preserves, fig paste, honey, nutella, almond butter, and so on. Get yourself a variety of good crackers to slather it all onto, and add in some nuts and dried fruits, maybe some gingersnaps or what have you, and you’re in business. You might even be able to get away with a hard cheese like a parmesan if it’s whole and still in the rind (although the reason it keeps so long may be the fact that it’s largely cellulose…). Top it all off with a nice wine or some fancy sparkling fruit sodas, and you’ve got yourself a lovely meal. And the best part: no cooking or even preparation required. Just open and serve. ---
**Author:** ![sitchensis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sitchensis/32/4892_2.png) [@sitchensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sitchensis)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-buy-now-eat-in-4-months-meal/746534/29 "2016-02-19T22:15:42Z")
[Bear Creek](https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=bear+creek+soup) soups are awesome. One package make 8 cups of really good soup with a pretty low calorie load. My mom does Weight Watchers and I keep a bunch around for when she comes over. To make the soup really good it’s nice to have a few things to bulk them up with. The tortilla soup is great with a can of chicken and a can of black beans. I throw some shrimp or sausage in with the gumbo, ham with the potato, maybe hamburger with the cheese based ones to make cheeseburger soup. For your needs I’d just get a chicken based one and keep a few cans of chicken around to bulk it up with. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2016, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-buy-now-eat-in-4-months-meal/746534/30 "2016-02-22T01:11:14Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Tuna noodle casserole out of cans. > > You will need: > > Dried noodles (I usually use macaroni, but almost any pasta will do) > Canned vegees - any sort will do > Can of cream of mushroom soup > Couple cans of tuna > > (You can also top with things like bread crumbs or what not). And if you don’t like tuna, canned chicken works just as well. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2016, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-buy-now-eat-in-4-months-meal/746534/31 "2016-02-22T01:42:24Z")
…or if you don’t like mushroom soup (my son has a strong aversion to mushrooms), something like cream of chicken makes a good substitute. I’ve been thinking more about this question as something of a culinary challenge. As a practical matter, what I’ll actually do is go for the simple stuff - spaghetti and a jar of sauce, or a casserole of the sort Broomstick suggested. However, just for fun…suppose you wanted to make something as close as possible to a nice meal? Here’s what I’ve come up with, utilizing ingredients that I’m sure I could easily buy on the Big Island: [ul] [li] **Spam musubi** and **tuna rolls** (requires Spam, nori, rice, salt, sugar, rice vinegar, wasabi, soy sauce, canned tuna, mayo, and sesame seeds)[/li] [li] **Three bean salad** (using cans of chickpeas, green or yellow beans, and kidney beans, plus a dressing of vinegar, oil, and desired seasonings)[/li] [li] **Pineapple upside down cake** (using canned ghee or corn oil instead of butter and following one of the easily found eggless recipes on line)[/li] [li] **Beverages** are easy - tea, coffee, wine, fruit juice…[/li][/ul] I’m not going to do all that, of course. But it is an amusing thought experiment. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2016, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-buy-now-eat-in-4-months-meal/746534/32 "2016-02-22T02:33:22Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > …or if you don’t like mushroom soup (my son has a strong aversion to mushrooms), something like cream of chicken makes a good substitute. Actually, pretty much any “cream of–” soup will work. When I’ve been out of cream of mushroom I’ve used cream of chicken and cream of celery with good results. ---
**Author:** ![bytheway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/df705f/32.png) [@bytheway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bytheway)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2016, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-buy-now-eat-in-4-months-meal/746534/33 "2016-02-22T07:57:29Z")
Some ideas: Creamed tuna. Jarred pasta sauce with dry pasta. In the Asian food section of grocery stores on Oahu are pouches of curry sauce and vegetables that just need to be warmed in hot water or in the microwave. Not sure if stores over there would have those. Canned chili or beef stew. Costco has microwaveable containers of rice. ---
**Author:** ![armedmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2016, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-buy-now-eat-in-4-months-meal/746534/34 "2016-02-22T18:05:28Z")
[MRE’s](http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=mres+meals+ready-to-eat&tag=googhydr-20&index=sporting&hvadid=97396158247&hvpos=1t3&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=9010544560948990305&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_5yvyykfj92_b). Seriously. They’re actually pretty good, and they keep for almost forever. ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2016, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-buy-now-eat-in-4-months-meal/746534/35 "2016-02-22T18:38:13Z")
As someone else mentioned, avoid foods in boxes and bags. Mice and bugs will find them way too easy to get into. All it takes is one trailblazing ant or mouse to wander in and you’ve lost your whole stash. A couple of cans of soup is all you need - enough to stave off hunger until you can get to a store or restaurant. I wouldn’t to rely on things in the freezer, as your power can go out at any time. If you do go that route, keep a ziploc bag of ice cubes in the freezer with your foods. If you return to find the ice cubes have melted and refrozen into a solid mass, don’t trust the food to still be safe to eat. ---
**Author:** ![actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/actualliberalnotoneofthose)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2016, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-buy-now-eat-in-4-months-meal/746534/36 "2016-02-23T02:32:28Z")
> [@Motorgirl](#): > > A couple of cans of soup is all you need - enough to stave off hunger until you can get to a store or restaurant. Tastes vary, of course, but that’s all I’d care to do and then not think any more of it. I wouldn’t go out of my way to eat anything I wouldn’t normally eat (canned soup isn’t a regular selection but it’s not of of the ordinary for me) just to try to use as many canned foods or things I hated as a child as possible. Plus, if I got in late enough that stores are closed I might just go to bed hungry and wake up to something better. ---
**Author:** ![zombywoof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/9e8a1a/32.png) [@zombywoof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zombywoof)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2016, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-buy-now-eat-in-4-months-meal/746534/37 "2016-02-23T02:55:37Z")
(Dried) pasta with (jarred) tomato sauce and (canned) tuna. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2016, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-buy-now-eat-in-4-months-meal/746534/38 "2016-02-23T16:30:45Z")
I’ve never been to the Big Island, but in my head, it’s pretty much closed down after 9 p.m. as far as retail establishments are concerned. ---
**Author:** ![stillownedbysetters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/41988e/32.png) [@stillownedbysetters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stillownedbysetters)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2016, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-buy-now-eat-in-4-months-meal/746534/39 "2016-02-23T16:55:04Z")
Our family had a lake cabin when I was growing up. Everyone in the family shared it. We always left some food there for anyone who showed up late. The little local town rolled up the sidewalks after 7 pm, so if you arrived late, there was no place to eat. Mice could be a problem, so we purchased a rodent-proof chest and stocked it with canned chili, dry pasta, spaghetti sauce, canned mushrooms, unopened little shaker of Parm cheese, canned tuna, powdered milk, Tang, powdered eggs (awful, but if you were desperate), and that date bread that used to come in a can (I’ve forgotten what it was called). There would also be a few canned veggies and fruit, a box of Velveeta cheese, instant rice, quick-cooking oatmeal, canned soup, unopened box of saltine crackers, salt, pepper, sometimes other spices. With all of that, we could rustle up a breakfast or dinner as needed upon arrival and the next morning, too. It was the responsibility of whomever used the cabin to restock before they left (there was a list we kept on the lid of the container) and to toss or take with them any opened boxes of food. Worked pretty well as a system over the years. Oops, forgot the canned Pet condensed milk. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2016, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-buy-now-eat-in-4-months-meal/746534/40 "2016-02-23T18:59:35Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > I’ve never been to the Big Island, but in my head, it’s pretty much closed down after 9 p.m. as far as retail establishments are concerned. Yes indeedy. For an island that relies largely on tourism, it is oddly free of nightlife.Plus, our place is remote enough that we are out of range of most delivery options anyway, even if they were open when we arrived. I didn’t want to be rude to the posters who said “eh, just stop on the way and get take out or have a pizza delivered” by saying “no, no, you have NO IDEA!” but since you’ve given me an opening, I will 🙂 Seriously, the Big Island is a pretty quiet place with a lot more lava fields, mountains, and forests than commercial activity. That was an important factor in our choosing it as a place to call home. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-buy-now-eat-in-4-months-meal/746534.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-a-buy-now-eat-in-4-months-meal/746534.md?page=3)