With the threat of hurricanes, people usually make sure they stock up on needed supplies… just in case. This means the bread shelves are wiped clean. Recently, with as Hurricane Harvey was making his approach, my co-worker encountered a mom in the grocery store who was fretting the fact that there was no bread left on the shelves. She wasn’t sure what she would feed her kids if they couldn’t get back to the store for a few days. Being the dedicated educator that she is, and always aware of those teachable moments, my co-worker spent a few minutes with the mom giving her some ideas for possibilities other than bread. As we were discussing it later, we started thinking of ways we could incorporate “survival classes”, into our mobile cooking schools. The MCS concept is already designed to teach people how to make quick, healthy meals with minimal supplies. Why not add the twist of preparing for those times a hurricane might hit literally as well as those metaphorical hurricanes we sometimes experience when life gets super hectic? Obviously in crises, getting all of your food groups in is not top priority, but being well-nourished certainly helps reduce stress on the body. Definitely, basic food safety is imperative. Knowing that it’s okay to eat beans straight from a can like those in the Chickpea and Black Bean Salad, and knowing what to look for in terms of keeping foods at the right temperature, will go a long way in ‘weathering the storm”. For “After a Disaster” information, don’t forget to refer people to www.texashelp.tamu.edu for helpful information.