I'm eating a LOT of pizza. Or eating at friends and relative's houses.

I don't know what your demo is looking like, but I was able to put the range back in the kitchen pretty quickly. Its in there with the fridge, in an otherwise empty room. Once my range went back in (even though there is a big hole in the floor and no counters), I could make most of what I usually make. I just use half the rangetop for prep and cook on the other side. If you've got a microwave, well, there are plenty of microwave meals...not exactly exciting or even nutritious, but okay. I think there's a whole aisle for microwave meals at my grocery store - "convenience foods".

I'd love to know what everyone else is eating! I'm getting a little tired of pizza...and the delivery guy knows me by name.

Sadly, no possible way to hook up the range! Our floors (including sub floors) are all on their way out! So, grill, micro, toaster, crockpot are about all we have access to! But, you reminded me of pizza bagels and pita pizzas! I can definately do some stuff with those! :-)

Just made this today as I knew it was going to be a busy one, even the 6 y.o. likes it!

Wash Day Stew

1.5-2 lbs. lean lamb or beef stew meat
2 - 15 oz. cans garbanzo beans, drained
2 - 15 oz. cans white beans, drained (we like cannellini)
2 med. onions, peeled and quartered (I like a bit smaller slivers)
1 qt. water
1 tsp. salt
1 tomato, peeled and quartered (no good fresh ones right now, so just threw in a can of stewed tomatoes that I had in pantry)
1 tsp. turmeric
3 T. fresh lemon juice
8-10 pita pockets

makes 8-10 servings - this is a big recipe, but freezes well or can be cut down.

Combine all through lemon juice in crock pot. Cover, cook on high 6-7 hours. Lift stew from cooker with strainer and stuff in pita pockets.

My variations - use a can of beef broth and 2 c. water, I don't add the salt in the recipe when I do this. I do serve it as a stew and make pita crisps from the pockets - split and quarter pitas, brush with olive oil and sprinkle with some garlic powder - crisp them in a hot toaster oven and add some hummus on the side. Super easy!

Hang in there - we, too, were without kitchen for about three months. I could not wait to make something "fresh" once I could cook again. The good news, food will taste exceptionally good when cooked in your new space! Good luck!

We spent the evening before the range was going away making a few meals that we could re-heat. We made a big lasagna and a big stew and some simple sides then put them together into ready to (h)eat packs. Needless to say, that didn't last long. Now I BBQ pretty much exclusively. I just made a pizza out of some crust that we got at Trader Joes, but I think I ruined the pan I cooked it on (but the pizza was delicious :). You can make just about anything on a BBQ, meats are obvious, sides are a bit of a challenge. The life-saver is having a grill basket to roast vegetables in. Here's a couple of ideas that we've had in the last week with just a BBQ, cutting board and a knife (seriously, we eat on the cutting board, who says romance is gone?):

1. Grilled, boneless, dry rubbed pork chops (I like a sweet aromatic rub, the one I make is a bit like jerk seasoning) sliced and set on a romaine salad with whatever veggies you like. Also get a good crusty bread to heat up in foil with the butter/oil between the slices.
2. Peppered and Grilled rib eye with chunky cut bell peppers, thinly sliced red onions, and quartered brussel sprouts drizzled in olive oil, your favorite vinegar, salt, pepper and herbs de provence and grilled in the basket. Make sure and use enough oil so they don't burn. That's all we had, but you could throw in a potato wrapped in foil if you need some carbs.
3. Grilled chicken fajitas with sliced onions and roasted bell peppers. I grill them in the basket, but if you keep the onion slices whole, you can grill them just like a burger if you're careful. The chicken is drenched in a spicy rub recipe from Emeril that I don't know the name of, but I make more whenever we run out (it's hand copied, sorry).

Squash and sweet potatoes come out great on the grill too.

Our oven is actually on a dolly and can be hooked back up, but the drywall crew have been mudding and painting so un-wrapping everything just to cook dinner is too much of a hassle.

I'm one of the lucky ones that has a working kitchen during the building of our home, but as a crazed SAHM, I rely upon easy meals everyday!!

Here's a very simple crockpot meal I did a couple of weeks ago - went over very well with the whole family.

boneless pork roast
1 can jellied cranberries
1/2 cup cranberry juice
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
salt
pepper

cook on low for 6-8 hours. I took out the juices and made a gravy with it (cornstarch & water), and served with mashed potatoes (you could always get the store bought kind) Or if you have a steamer/rice cooker do it over rice!! Actually you could probably get a lot of meals with a steamer by doing rice and veggies together, micro a can of black beans - voila...dinner!

Hope your kitchen gets back together quickly

You can "roast" a whole chicken in your crockpot. It comes out nice and tender.

Do you have a George Foreman grill? You can do burgers or anything on that. Grilled cheese, paninis, pork chops, chicken breasts,....
Here's my easiest, most popular crockpot recipe.
Chicken Taco Soup
1 can black beans (drained)
1 can white beans (drained)
1/2 bag frozen white shoepeg corn (slightly blanched)
1 package Ranch dressing mix
1 package Taco seasoning mix
4 chicken breasts (cooked and shredded)
2 cans tomatoes with green chilies
Let cook for several hours, it will make its' own juice.
Serve with sour cream & shredded cheese. Also good with tortilla strips if you can find them in your local deli!

Good luck with the demo!

Microwave pasta, courtesy of Pbrisjar...

1. Take a large microwave-safe lidded dish and put in some water (maybe about 1/3-less than 1/2 full) and salt and / or spices if you want.

2. Place in microwave and cook until hot (about 5 minutes for the size I cook).

3. Take out of microwave and add pasta until the water just covers it. DO NOT overfill your container. Leave room for the bubbling/boiling action.

4. Cook for about 18 minutes.

5. The water should become completely absorbed by the pasta. If it's not quite cooked enough, you can add a little more water and cook for about 4-5 minutes more.

Here are some useful threads:

Wish you had not packed away

Tips for living without a sink for a week?

What/how do you eat when you have no kitchen?
temporary kitchen must-haves

Demo Now Days Away--Getting Cold Feet

Thread: Great ideas for coping during construction (it's no longer available on GW, so I copied & pasted it from my files)

Posted by imrainey (My Page) on Thu, Aug 2, 07 at 14:21

We're getting close. I've got appliances in but not their front panels and handles. Yesterday the counter went on and we could no longer wedge our fingers between the door of the dishwasher and the gasket to open it and use it. My daughter suggested large Command hooks (the kind that you pull a tab to release the adhesive completely and mess-free).

We installed two hooks with a 5 lb. pull strength upside down on the unfinished front. Magic! Only about $5, we can now open it with ease and we'll be able to reuse the hooks for something else when the panels and handles go on. I'm off to get two more for the front of the fridge and freezer. Wish she had suggested it a week ago! I might even take up mountain climbing now that I've become so adept at wedging my fingertips in tiny spaces to pull. ;>

Who's come up with other make-dos and work arounds? Let's get them all in one spot to make it easier for the guys just starting out.

Follow-Up Postings:

Posted by aliceinwonderland_id (My Page) on Thu, Aug 2, 07 at 15:00

#1: Maintain a sense of humor.

#2: I had a portable dishwasher and hooked it up in the bathroom while the kitchen was a mess. The only modification I needed to make was to replace the aerator on the bathroom faucet with one that fit the dishwasher attachment.

#3: Keep the margarita glasses handy.

Posted by chmpgntst (My Page) on Thu, Aug 2, 07 at 15:18

Oh my gosh, the portable dishwasher idea is genius. For me, the hardest part of the reno was doing dishes in subprime environments (i.e., powder room pedestal sink).

I have two small children, and for others in that situation, I recommend signing up for classes (we did soccer and tumbling), and hunting down every library and nature center in the area. I'd pack PBJ, fruit and drinks (Horizon makes shelf-stable milk boxes -- so convenient!) and we'd have picnics -- sometimes just on the front lawn.

Oh, and, keep the margarita glasses handy. ;-)

Posted by decodilly (My Page) on Thu, Aug 2, 07 at 16:08

Pre-made food from Trader Joes

paper plates, cups and plastic utensils

2 buck chuck to offset the price spent on dinner out

a coffee station in the diningroom

bring in laundry to the cleaners- love their fluff and fold service...beats the Laundromat (our laundry is also non-functional)

plastic margarita glasses? :)

Posted by cat_mom (My Page) on Thu, Aug 2, 07 at 16:15

Wine glasses, too, and a fully stocked wine rack!

Posted by beatrix_in_canada (My Page) on Thu, Aug 2, 07 at 16:40

We were able to turn the rumpus room in the basement into a very functional kitchen. It has a small bar area with a tiny sink. The sink is basically useless but it gives us water and the dishwasher could be installed!! We paid $150 to get an electrician to wire 240V for the old stove to be moved down. Very good investment! The old fridge was moved down as well.

It is dark and cold (60-65 F most of the year) down there but very functional.

Posted by kkcooks (My Page) on Thu, Aug 2, 07 at 17:01

Our tear-out starts next week, while we are on vacation. I (sadly) packed up the wineglasses last night. DH, however, remembered that we had some plastic ones from years ago. They will be much used in our temporary kitchen (newly-renovated screened porch). The GC is moving our fridge there--and we have lots of paper and plastic ware. I saved a few real plates in case I reach my limit with paper. I tried one dishwashing escapade in the bathroom sink--that was enough to convince me that paper is the way to go.

Those of you that can use a portable DW--how lucky! As always, it is so helpful to read about others' coping strategies for this exiciting but stressful adventure.

I went without for 3 years! I purchased a cheap hot plate from Walmart and had an electric skillet from my last reno. Those items and a grill, toaster oven, and rice cooker saved my life. They were set up in the dining room (not the grill, obviously!) and I was able to use the utility sink in the laundry room to wash dishes. Here are a couple of our favorites.

Grill ideas:
1. Fish & Veggies in a Foil Packet:
Rip some aluminum foil squares.
In the center of each, put diced sundried tomatoes, baby spinach, fresh basil, chopped onions, minced garlic, diced olives and a drizzle of olive oil.
Place a cod fillet over the veggies. Sprinkle with salt & pepper.
Seal the foil and grill.
Serve over rice (I had a rice cooker) or with bread.

2. Toss boneless chicken thighs with olive oil, minced garlic, fresh rosemary, salt & pepper. Grill.
Brush asparagus with olive oil and sprinkle salt & pepper. Grill.
Grill portobello mushroom caps, gill side down. Flip them over and fill with a mixture of parmesan, thyme and pepper. Grill some more.

Electic skillet ideas:
Tacos - or make taco salad with tortilla chips.
Sloppy joes.
Breaded chicken cutlets or fish filets to put over salad with side of bread.
Fried eggs.
Whenever I was feeling ambitious, I would make a pasta sauce in the electric skillet and pasta on the hot plate.

Hope this helps...
Bebe

You folks are amazing! This has been such a helpful bunch of posts! I copied all of them and saved them in a document that I can print! Now I just need to head to the grocery store to get all the supplies!!! :-)
THANKS!!!

For easy Beef Stew - throw beef cubes and large bite size chucks of potato, carrot, onion and mushrooms in a crockpot with a can (or two depending on amount of ingredients) of undiluted Campbell's Golden Mushroom Soup (must be golden mushroom, not plain mushroom) and a splash (a couple Tlbs.) of dry sherry (optional). Stir to coat all ingredients with soup and let it cook all day. Yum! The beef juices mix with the soup and make the most delicious gravy!

We also enjoyed a big (meal-sized) tossed salad topped with meat - beef or chicken on the grill, or frozen breaded chicken breast fillets cooked in the toaster oven or microwave.

We seem to be eating a lot salads and toss in grilled meats. One of our favourites is chicken caesar salad. Quick and easy!

i second the forman grill. we did a lot of paninis....you can get pretty creative with different meats, cheeses and veggies and the kids always like a good old fashioned grilled cheese!

i found the hardest part of demo is not having a sink. even when they hooked mine up during construction, it's just so dusty, i didn't really like rinsing meat or cleaning up in the workzone. we do have a first floor laundry room which made it easier, but there's also just something about having food where my dirty clothes are that creeps me out!!!!!!!!