In addition to the usual (food, water, batteries), here's a few tips not mentioned above: - Have a fair amount of cash on hand (including some small bills). - Make copies of your insurance policy and other necessary documents and keep them in an accessible (preferably waterproof). I've scanned mine and emailed them to myself as well. - Make sure you have some non-electronic entertainment (books, games, cards) in case you're housebound without power for a while. - I'm sure everyone knows this, but take shelter well before, and do not go outside until well after the storm has passed - and even then, avoid moving around as much as possible. Many hurricane injuries occur immediately before and after the storm itself, as people rush their preparations or go outside to "tour" the damage. Alan

The info is all over the place because coffee varies, peoples' tastes vary, even the pots vary! Is there someone around who used them before who might know what they've used in the past? Otherwise, get the make and model and go online and see about an instruction book for a suggestion, which will vary a lot too. Or, try making the test pot but I'd do about 1/4 of it and see how it comes out so you don't waste as much if you don't like it or don't need it. Most people don't really know the difference in it and can handle it at various strengths anyway, short of it being a slightly off color water! And there's those who pollute coffee with "cream" and sugar too so they can't tell the difference between good and bad coffee. (I usually suggest they stick to hot chocolate!) One other suggestion: Perhaps run some vinegar/water through there to clean the pot before using. That can help make much better coffee! FWIW the "cost club" size can of Folgers claims (up to) 380 cups from 3# of coffee. Interestingly the previous size of 3# 4oz size would make (up to) 360 cups of coffee, both in 6 oz cup measurements. If the company who makes coffee can't make up their mind, I have no hope for a universal standard! LOL

The best lasagna I've ever made was in the Nesco using regular noodles. Diluted the sauce with a bit of water (or was it beer?), had plenty of sauce and of course the Nesco keeps it moist. In the oven, cover the noodles with sauce, cover the pan with foil (tightly sealed) and bake it. Several people I know and have read who've used the no-boil don't like the texture. Never tried them, probably never will. But my lasagna is generally quite expensive. But really, it feeds a lot of people, or a few people a lot of times and hey, good is good, you need to treat yourself right on occasion. When I'm going to cook elsewhere I usually bring cookware, utensils and definitely spices. I never assume anything. And I had the reverse experience cooking at my brother's place and a friend's cabin, both of which had cheap gas stoves while I was used to a pretty good electric stove. My old stove had two ovens, the top one had just one ordinary dial while the bottom one had the temperature separate, but the knob was a choice of preheat and bake, and I think there was another option or two but I can't remember what it was right now. I replaced it just short of a year ago. The worst part of it was the corningware top on it. Awful. Prewash dishes? Often! Especially at my dad's. My sister an I would occasionally go over when he was away and do some cleaning. One vivid memory was cleaning the stove. Reminder to people with gas stoves with pilot lights: Aerosol Dow Bathroom Cleaner, now known as "Scrubbing Bubbles" *likes* pilot lights. Very much. Whoa, very very much. I have grown back my eyebrows. But it was a sight to behold. Flames reminded me of campfires I used to build... Oh, I think I remember at least one of the other positions - timed bake. It didn't have a self cleaning so that wasn't it. I didn't use the bigger oven very often so I don't really remember it much. But I do have to wonder, since you were traveling to the land of where yur bruther's yur cuzin! uh, didn't you pick up some roadkill along the way to cook up fer the kinfolk? And BTW, I've owned and used microwaves of that vintage. I usually liked using them. Hope she likes the Bunn coffeemaker. When I tried to show my dad how to use the Norelco coffeemaker I had given my mother years before, (pour water in here, insert filter & put some coffee in here and flip this switch), his response? Oh... that's too much fussing... I don't tink I'll be using dat'n. So he occasionally used a little stovetop percolator. Or had an excuse to go out "for coffee". Argh! And I can't believe you didn't ask for the pie recipe! Don't you know you're supposed to *share*?

Egg in coffee? That brings me back 50 years. We had a friend that entertained a lot, she's still around but not in great health. She put out a "perfect" cup of coffee. One day I asked her secret and she said it was the egg shells she put in the coffee pot. She used a stove top percolator, she said it didn't matter what you use. She threw in the egg shells with the coffee grounds and percolated away until the color was right. She did it camping in a pot or kettle and it all turned out the same. She didn't strain the coffee, grounds settled on the bottom, I don't remember any sludge. And, she always had a pot of coffee on the stove that tasted like she just got through making it. I never did try it, DH and I always had it at work and I could always take it or leave it. I wised up when I started having extreme headaches on weekends when I was skipping the coffee, jeeze.