12 Walmart Items That Make Hot Meals Without Power

When a winter storm takes the power down, the range, the microwave, the toaster oven and the coffee maker all go dark at once. Here are 12 things you can buy at Walmart that still put a hot meal on the table, and not one of them plugs in. No batteries, no power stations, nothing with a screen. All 12 came to just over $300 on Walmart.com in early October, and about a quarter of that is one item. The list: 12. Firebrick: a safe floor for the coals 11. Charcoal briquettes, and the cold-weather mistake that sends people to the ER 10. A charcoal chimney starter and a long lighter 9. Leather welding gloves 8. A Dutch oven lid lifter 7. Heavy-duty aluminum foil: the simplest hot supper 6. A cast iron pie iron 5. A cast iron skillet 4. A dial food thermometer: 40, 140 and 165 degrees 3. A wool blanket to keep a pot hot after the fire is out 2. A Thermos food jar: cook at noon, eat hot at night 1. A cast iron camp Dutch oven: pot, oven and warm box in one Safety note: Charcoal stays outdoors, away from the house. Never burn charcoal or use a grill in your home, garage, carport, or near doors, windows or vents, even with the door open. Keep a battery-powered carbon monoxide alarm in your home. Keep water and a shovel nearby, and don't cook on windy days. Prices change, so check yours before you buy. Sources: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, CDC, National Fire Protection Association, USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, U.S. Forest Service (Smokey Bear), U.S. Energy Information Administration, MedlinePlus (NIH), Lodge, Thermos. Subscribe for calm, practical ways to get your home ready for winter power outages. #poweroutage #winterpreparedness #emergencypreparedness