|
Post by 950nancy on Apr 2, 2022 22:08:31 GMT
Have you thought about preparing 30 days of precooked dinners and freezing them? Then you pull them, defrost them and put them in the crockpot or microwave. The thought of having to do this makes me want to cry! I will prep some meals, but 30? Yikes.
|
|
|
Post by 950nancy on Apr 2, 2022 22:14:38 GMT
Count on it taking twice as long as estimated. If you plan for that it will be less of a shock when the timeline pushes out. All of our contractors are locked in for specific dates. I know that isn't a 100% guarantee, but we went with a specific kitchen cabinet company because we used them before and they have already given us the dates the cabinets will arrive (and then they even push this out another 2 weeks to be certain they arrive on time). We ordered the cabinets in December. Even our floor guy gave us a two week wait time in-between tear our and cabinet installation just in case there were delays with contractors. We have all of the materials needed on site right now. I am using the Oprah "imagine it to achieve it" right now and hoping things go okay. I was surprised it would take so long in the first place. I know people who have had their kitchen completely redone in 2 weeks.
|
|
|
Post by 950nancy on Apr 2, 2022 22:18:15 GMT
What appliances will you have use of? I’d probably schedule a nice long vacation at a Vrbo during part of that time lol. We have our fridge, a 3 in 1 combo microwave, a hot plate, George Forman grill, big outdoor grill, and thinking about getting a toaster oven or borrowing a camping oven. I also have a sous vide I haven't ever used. Need to break that out.
|
|
|
Post by flanz on Apr 2, 2022 22:18:32 GMT
But why spend 30 minutes driving if you have someone across the street or next door that would help out? Of course we don't all have neighbors we are comfortable asking for help such as this. I'm glad you have a son so close! Our closest kiddo is 6 hrs by car.
|
|
|
Post by 950nancy on Apr 2, 2022 22:22:53 GMT
Oh my good grief! Mine is being torn out on Monday and they hope to finish in a week/10 days. I have a portable electric 2 ring hob I’ll be using in the utility to cook on, along with the toaster and George Foreman. I don’t think the microwave will fit in there too. Washing up will be done in the utility sink, it never occurred to me to use anything than normal crockery. I’m planning spag Bol, chicken pad Thai, curry, stew, sausage and mash. All easy stuff. They all need just two rings and the Foreman. Lunches will be something on toast or soup. Good luck to both of us! Ours is going with ceiling, lighting, a wall, and the floors will all be torn out and new subfloor will go in. Just to wait for the countertop to be laser measured and cut takes 2 weeks. They won't even start to measure until every last cabinet is in. It will be a shell for a few weeks.
|
|
|
Post by 950nancy on Apr 2, 2022 22:24:46 GMT
I do need to find some different grilling ideas. There are only so many burgers and brats I can eat. What would you normally cook for a meal? In summer I often use a slow cooker &/or a portable oven on our deck. Have made delicious oatmeal in the slow cooker. Also rice pudding.
For clean up, can you get your hands on a couple of old fashioned dish pans? For clean up on the deck, we fill one with soapy water and the other with hot water for rinsing. Or we plug in the electric kettle, wash dishes in one dishpan, stack them in a drying rack in the second pan, and then scald them with the boiling water. You could prob do this on the dining room table. Just need some plastic cover to avoid soaking the wood.
We use Hello Fresh. Everything comes in a box with exact measurements and no waste. Will try that for washing dishes. I think I will miss my sink more than my oven or stove.
|
|
|
Post by 950nancy on Apr 2, 2022 22:26:23 GMT
We spent 6 weeks in a hotel when we moved to Belgium. We had a small fridge/freezer, a hot plate, and a microwave. I bought a crock pot and we did quite well. The crockpot works like a mini oven if there isn’t liquid in it. I made baked potatoes, roasted chicken, pork chops, ribs, meatloaf, ribs, etc all in the crockpot. I also made the obvious like pulled pork, beef au jus, soups, chili, etc. (it was fall) I also had a big frying pan with a lid and could do seared chicken breasts, hamburger helper, a box mix of dirty rice with seared sausage slices, burgers, pancakes, … Honestly, the hardest part was juggling the main/sides/veg because I couldn’t sauté two things or bake (crockpot) two things. I had to bake one thing, microwave another, and sauté a third or eat something at room temp. Also it takes a while to bake things in the crockpot and we weren’t always home mid day to start the crockpot. Well, that and washing dishes. Our little kitchenette sink wasn’t big enough for even a dinner plate, so we washed dishes in the bathroom sink. If you have to do that, be sure to clean the sink or bathtub prior to use each time, as it’s a sanitary issue with a flushing toilet nearby. (Luckily, our bathroom sink in the hotel was outside the bathroom.) I have two crock pots. Forgot about these friends. Will Pinterest some good recipes.
|
|
|
Post by 950nancy on Apr 2, 2022 22:28:24 GMT
My parents went through a 2 month kitchen remodel this fall. They set up a mini kitchen in another area. One long table for groceries storage and another for prep & cooking area. They still had access to the fridge for most of it. Used an old dorm fridge for the short time they didn’t. Used their Ninja air fryer instapot thing a lot. If it’s nice enough weather & you can grill that helps a lot! This will be our set up as well. Our dining room is large, so we'll have plenty of room. We do have dogs, and one can get on a table if she's motivated enough! We have two corner hutches I think I'll use for food storage.
|
|
|
Post by ~summer~ on Apr 2, 2022 22:30:54 GMT
My biggest concern would be if I could continue to eat healthy and not resort to take out every night (which I’d certainly be tempted to do!)
If you have a sous vide - can’t you do healthy sous vide egg bites in a big batch then microwave them in the morning? South Beach Egg Bites are probably my favorite breakfast.
|
|
|
Post by 950nancy on Apr 2, 2022 22:31:46 GMT
We ended up being out of the kitchen for about 8 weeks - 2 weeks longer because of an issue with the new stove. I used the crock pot a lot. I would make the entree in the crock pot. If I needed rice, I used a microwave bag type and also used the microwave for vegetables. It's a nuisance to use a sink in another room but it is manageable. The thing I missed the most was my stove, particularly the oven. Now I have a Breville oven and wish I'd had it then. Getting a hot plate is a good idea, I wish I had done that. Label the boxes of what you are storing thoroughly. There may be something you think you won't want or need that you really get a craving for and can't find. Oh, I am a labeler for sure. For our move, all boxes were color coded with 13 colors for each room or area. My husband made fun of me, but it made moving so much easier. We had 4 adult kids helping us and I didn't need to tell anyone where to put things.
|
|
|
Post by 950nancy on Apr 2, 2022 22:33:32 GMT
My biggest concern would be if I could continue to eat healthy and not resort to take out every night (which I’d certainly be tempted to do!) If you have a sous vide - can’t you do healthy sous vide egg bites in a big batch then microwave them in the morning? South Beach Egg Bites are probably my favorite breakfast. I'll look these up. I don't love eggs, but my husband does. I am happy with a grilled cheese or cereal at night, but my husband does like a filling meal. I figure I'll cook or have something planned for 4-5 nights a week.
|
|
|
Post by ~summer~ on Apr 2, 2022 22:36:31 GMT
One of my boys’ favorite lunches are sandwiches on sourdough or rye with our panini press - pastrami, pickles, cheese, sauerkraut yum…served with a green salad with balsamic and oil
|
|
|
Post by 950nancy on Apr 2, 2022 22:37:23 GMT
All I can add is that I read this as "Loosing my kitten for seven weeks" and thought that was very strange. Not gunna lie, I am probably more stressed about having my dogs in the house during this 8 weeks. One will make a dash for the door if she can. When we added on another bedroom and deck (three month project), our builder and sheltie became besties. He'd take her outside when the guys all had lunch and they'd just hang out for a half an hour together. She gained a few pounds, but I think she was sad when the project was finally done and outdoor lunches were no longer a thing.
|
|
|
Post by 950nancy on Apr 2, 2022 22:44:04 GMT
All I have to add is YAY! for your new kitchen! Maybe you can share a pic when it is done, Oh, I will. If you're ever in my town, I'll give you a tour. I am so excited for this project. When we bought this house in October, I loved it all except the kitchen. The kitchen tile is 2 inch square tile that came with the house in 1987. It is cracked, the grout is about 5 different colors and someone decided to just caulk areas of the kitchen countertop tile. It is seriously GROSS. The lady who lived here prior to us is an infectious disease dr. and I do not know how she did it. There is a pull out cutting board that has been in this house since it was built. I could make a horror movie just about that. The cabinets have drawers that squeak and will give you splinters. Half of the cabinets do not shut completely and when you walk away, they open even further. Someone decided to put a small cooktop island in the middle of the kitchen so opening the fridge is a struggle. The kitchen does have three walls of windows and doors that face out into tons of oak and pine trees. It is just a gorgeous picture... looking outside.
|
|
|
Post by 950nancy on Apr 2, 2022 22:47:00 GMT
Uber Eats, drive thru, and snacks. I'm pretty sure I'd never notice if my kitchen went missing for 7 weeks 🤣 The only thing that makes this hard is having a husband who likes cooked meals. If it were just me, I'd be right there with you!
|
|
|
Post by magoosangel on Apr 2, 2022 22:57:44 GMT
I would use passionate penny pincher freezer recipes to prep what I could head of time. Then just stick I;oven to cook. That’s if you have a freezer. Also, crock pot meals and paper plates. Good luck!
|
|
|
Post by malibou on Apr 2, 2022 23:27:12 GMT
My bestie was without her kitchen for 3 months. She is IN LOVE with her sous vide!
|
|
|
Post by lisacharlotte on Apr 3, 2022 14:27:00 GMT
|
|
carhoch
Pearl Clutcher
Be yourself everybody else is already taken
Posts: 3,028
Location: We’re RV’s so It change all the time .
Jun 28, 2014 21:46:39 GMT
|
Post by carhoch on Apr 3, 2022 21:51:11 GMT
7 week s is a long time , I would buy a portable dual induction plate (around $200) and a air fryer / toaster oven thing.
|
|
|
Post by 950nancy on Apr 3, 2022 22:03:28 GMT
7 week s is a long time , I would buy a portable dual induction plate (around $200) and a air fryer / toaster oven thing. We're buying a new induction cooktop to put in the kitchen and our microwave is also an air fryer. I am hoping it works well. It is still in the box.
|
|
|
Post by 950nancy on Apr 4, 2022 1:36:50 GMT
But why spend 30 minutes driving if you have someone across the street or next door that would help out? Of course we don't all have neighbors we are comfortable asking for help such as this. I'm glad you have a son so close! Our closest kiddo is 6 hrs by car. We're new to this neighborhood. Probably not going to ask neighbors for anything until we have more than just a "hello" relationship. Haha.
|
|
Jili
Pearl Clutcher
SLPea
Posts: 4,366
Jun 26, 2014 1:26:48 GMT
|
Post by Jili on Apr 4, 2022 5:27:59 GMT
I haven't read all of the replies. We did this about a decade ago. We revamped our kitchen and main bathroom, and put in new floors in those rooms, plus the living room/dining room area. It was a long summer.
We have a bi-level/raised ranch home. We were able to continue to sleep in our bedrooms, but otherwise we relocated to our first floor, where we had the family room and our office space (and a bathroom with a shower). The office served as our 'kitchen'. We had a table and the microwave in there, as well as pantry foods that we would use (other pantry items were packed away in boxes until it was time to move into the kitchen again). Fridge went out to the garage. We went to Costco and bought a huge stack of paper plates and plastic cutlery/cups.
I did prepare meals, but we kept it super simple because all we had to wash dishes was a single bathroom sink. No bathtub, either. The bathroom we used has a stall shower. We did some grilling, but again, kept it simple (hot dogs, hamburgers, brats) so we didn't have to wash up much later on. The only appliance I had was the microwave. We ate a lot of sandwich/salad type meals, and toward the end of the summer I even did things like microwave some larger-size frozen meals (think Stouffers lasagna), which I normally wouldn't do. We ate out a lot (this was in the days before Uber Eats).
It was really hard, but it was also quite the adventure.
|
|
|
Post by deekaye on Apr 4, 2022 5:43:49 GMT
We gutted our kitchen and it took almost four months to get back in working order. We pulled the travel trailer in to the driveway and worked out of there. We also grilled a lot. I set up the toaster, microwave and coffee pot in our laundry room for quick toast/coffee, etc. but found that we didn't use the microwave much in the laundry room (house) because the food was all in the trailer!
I thought we would eat out more than we actually did. Congrats on the kitchen remodel and just know that it will be worth the hassle. I love, love, LOVE our kitchen!
Edited: four WEEKS, not MONTHS!
|
|
|
Post by Crack-a-lackin on Apr 4, 2022 6:41:02 GMT
I was without mine for 5 weeks. I had planned on staging everything in the dining room but my house is so small that was really the only place for the refrigerator and all of the contractor’s tools so I couldn’t easily reach my nicely planned set up. The cabinets were all over the living room (too cold to keep them in the garage) so we ended up with very little usable space outside of the bedrooms. Next time I would definitely: Board the dog M-F instead of daycare Hotel stay for the more stressful times Buy catered meals and not try to go as much cooking as I had planned Get a small fridge for the bedroom or other private area
Good luck! It’s a bit stressful for sure but you seem to have the right attitude.
|
|
maryannscraps
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,791
Aug 28, 2017 12:51:28 GMT
|
Post by maryannscraps on Apr 4, 2022 11:13:24 GMT
Just went through this myself. Our "4 week" renovation dragged on for almost 4 months. You just get into a routine. Stop at Costco and pick up some prepared meals. Grill chicken and shrimp if you're tired of burgers. We made a ton of salads topped with protein. As many paper goods as you can get your hands on. Washing dishes in the bathroom sink was a pain, but we tried to keep the number of dishes to a minimum. We picked up takeout a few times a week. It was easy to make smoothies, cereal with fruit, yogurt, and other simple things for breakfast. Sandwiches or takeout soups/salads for lunches (there's a soup and salad shop at the end of my street.)
The dust was a problem, even with the kitchen sealed off. The worst was when the plasterers were working. They made a GIGANTIC mess. We vacuumed, mopped, and dusted everything when they left and it stayed pretty good after that. The floors didn't kick up that much dust - they used equipment that vacuumed as they sanded.
Good luck! We're so happy with our new kitchen.
|
|
|
Post by crazy4scraps on Apr 4, 2022 14:33:22 GMT
We survived our kitchen build out at the lake cabin with a grill, microwave, air fryer and an Instant Pot. We spent a lot of time there because we did quite a bit of the work ourselves, plus it was right when Covid closed everything down so we didn’t have the option of going to restaurants really. We had a fridge in the basement but only a bathroom sink and no dishwasher to wash dishes in so I’ll second investing in paper plates and bowls. Silverware is easy enough to wash in a sink or basin.
We used our Instant Pot A LOT. We were really surprised by how much we used it. There is such a variety of things you can make in it, you’re cooking at home and you only have the one pot to wash after. Win-win-win. Sometimes we would cook one thing on the grill and something else in the IP or microwave so it would all be done at the same time. We also ate stuff that was fast and easy to microwave like canned soup, macaroni and cheese and our kid ate a ton of Spaghettios, LOL.
Someone mentioned making 30 freezer meals, but really you wouldn’t need to make that many full meals for just two people. For example, a 9x13 pan of lasagna could feed two people for three nights. Just cook it and freeze it into three dinner sized portions. One meal=3 nights of dinners. Cooking ten full sized meals could easily equal 30 dinners.
|
|
|
Post by 950nancy on Apr 12, 2022 2:07:29 GMT
I was without mine for 5 weeks. I had planned on staging everything in the dining room but my house is so small that was really the only place for the refrigerator and all of the contractor’s tools so I couldn’t easily reach my nicely planned set up. The cabinets were all over the living room (too cold to keep them in the garage) so we ended up with very little usable space outside of the bedrooms. Next time I would definitely: Board the dog M-F instead of daycare Hotel stay for the more stressful times Buy catered meals and not try to go as much cooking as I had planned Get a small fridge for the bedroom or other private area Good luck! It’s a bit stressful for sure but you seem to have the right attitude. Not worried about where to put everything. Our main level (kitchen level) has a large dining room, a big living room and another living room we call the the parlor. Contractor asked for a stall in the garage, so the big stuff can go out there. They also said they'll use our deck if the weather is nice. It's a good 10 feet in the air with no stairs.
|
|
|
Post by 950nancy on Apr 12, 2022 2:37:18 GMT
We have 6 more days until the cabinets get torn out. We're planning on emptying the kitchen this Saturday.
My husband made fun of my prepping skills and just said we'll deal with it when the time comes. Challenge accepted. I have decided that I will let him take the lead on meals. He does the grocery shopping anyway, so he can see how fun it is to plan for meals. I did buy a toaster oven today. So I am just letting go of the whole idea of planning meals and prepping. I won't miss having to cook for 7 weeks. Hopefully we'll still be married after all of this is over.
|
|
Deleted
Posts: 0
Oct 7, 2024 9:26:24 GMT
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 12, 2022 4:32:03 GMT
If you do get a camp stove, I absolutely love my jet boil. So quick to use .
|
|