Well, with Felicia, another bullet dodged us.

But that's no reason not to heed the advice of those who tell us we need to be prepared for disaster. After my July 29 column on my plan to finally put together a disaster pantry (and, truly, I had no advance knowledge of Felicia), I got some good tips from readers.

• One said to stock up on sprout seed kits and grow sprout seeds in a jar, because fresh veggies could be scarce. Good idea. Seed packets for quick-growing greens might also work.

• Another advised using biodegradable paper plates (that Diamond brand with which we're all familiar). This reader, who signed her e-mail only "Cathy," said that when she lived through Iniki on Kaua'i, she found out that trash can quickly become a concern. And you know, though it doesn't sound appetizing, those firm paper plates can actually be brushed off or even sponged off and used again in an emergency.

• Another reader suggests stocking up on fruit cups, pudding cups, Vienna sausage and low-salt/low-fat Spam.

• And a friend e-mailed to suggest (not a food item but ...) a lantern that runs on four D batteries and operates like a fluorescent lamp ("you can actually READ by it"). She found hers at Costco for about $16.

She also suggested that, as soon you get news of an approaching storm, you prepare food that will sustain you in the first couple days. She boiled a dozen eggs and roasted a chicken and she and her cats ate well during the power outage on O'ahu in 2006.

She cracked me up when she noted that "you can come up with some really gross menus for powerless days if you try hard enough."

Meanwhile, nostalgic pleas continue to come in. This one is from Pat Morishige: "I would love to know what kind of meat the old Woolworth's used to use for their delicious roast beef sandwich. I would also like to know if anyone remembers Jarrett Intermediate School's chili soup? It was sooo good. Oh, this was back in the day 1964-1966."

As for me, there are two establishments I would give my Grandma's good china to have the recipes for: Woolworth's and the Alexander-Young hotel. I get more requests for these than for any other and the recipes are just not available.

And I owe an apology to Kilani Bakery in Wahiawa: Last weekend, they celebrated their 50th anniversary just days after I mistakenly labeled them as "now-gone," based on a misunderstanding of some requests for their recipes that I had received. Reports of their demise were greatly exaggerated! I wish them a happy golden jubilee! (And could you share the recipe for Havana squares?)