Friends, I've been looking forward to this week for over 20 years. This is how my kitchen used to look...well part of it.
This is how it looks today.
I know in a month's time I will be delighted and so happy but until then I could use some help with dinners that don't take too long, are healthy, and can be cooked in a makeshift kitchen. We have little time during the week but could do more over the weekends. Help if you can. And does anyone know if you ever get used to the thin coating of white dust that is everywhere from the construction? Thanks for any tips you send my way.
Looks like washing the dishes might also be a problem. I think there are crock pot liners one can get to make that much easier. I am just now learning how to use my crock pot. For years I only used it for corned beef and maybe an occasional roast. I found an easy, really good and fairly inexpensive recipe for black bean soup.
I'll try and dig that up.
Patti
Chiliwist Valley
One of my "fond" memories from kitchen remodel was washing dishes in the bathtub and using the handheld shower head to rinse. I set the drying rack from the kitchen sink on top of a bucket. (We have two bathrooms, with one for showers and one for washing dishes. I used electric frying pan and did everything I would normally do on the stove. That combined with the microwave, we were fine... Good luck and enjoy the process. It was worth all the hassles.
stitcheraz
Mimi:And does anyone know if you ever get used to the thin coating of white dust that is everywhere from the construction? Thanks for any tips you send my way.
Hang light weight plastic tarps floor to ceiling (especially in the doorways) to keep the dust in the construction area as much as possible. It really does help!
When we were building a house once, we needed to move into the unfinished basement with no kitchen or bathroom for 6 weeks - in early winter. We used a new garbage can for our water supply, set up a temporary kitchen counter with an old door set on up-side-down garbage cans and used a camp-stove, electric frypan, etc. It wasn't pretty, but we managed. BTW, we moved into this temp situation over Thanksgiving weekend. My boys cried because we went to a restaurant for Thanksgiving Dinner and "they wouldn't have any leftovers". You never can guess what is important to little boys...LOL!
Good Luck on your remodel...you will survive and I can't wait to see your pictures! Jacy has a wonderful and very easy Taco Soup for the crockpot that I think is in the QCA Recipe section. You might look for it. If not, I have it...or maybe she will post it here. I will keep an eye out and if she doesn't, I am sure she wouldn't mind if I post it for you. ( I also have a very good Black Bean Soup recipe, but the clean up would be a bit much with your situation.)
Winthrop, WA
No you don't get used to that dust, and it goes just everywhere. If you can hang plastic sheeting across the entrances to the area, it will keep it more contained and noth thruout your whole house. Ginny
You can make anything you want with those 4 items!
Don't know what types of food you cook/eat but here are a few ideas off the top of my head---- Stir fry, fajita's and boil water for pasta in skillet. Chili, soups, stews, roasts, meatloaf, pepper steak, chicken in crock pot. Don't know what kind of toaster oven you have but in mine I can bake pretty much anything in mine (and it's not a fancy one) Microwave- I just warm things up in mine...lol
Go to Allrecipes.com or Cooks.com or your favorite recipe site and put in crock pot/ slow cooker. You should find hundreds of recipes and ideas there.
Congrats on the new kitchen! You're very brave to do it in the dead of winter! Good luck.
~♥~ PEACE- LOVE- PATCHWORK ~♥~
Jackson Co. Ohio
Black bean and sausage soup:
2 1/2 quart chicken broth
1 lb dried black beans
8 or more ounces smoked turkey sausage, sliced
cup each carrot, onion, celery
bay leaf
tsp ground cumin
tsp dried oregano leaves,
salt and pepper to taste.
tsp brown sugar, optional
2 tbs cooking sherry
lemon
put all ingredients except sherry and lemon in crock pot, cook low 6 hours plus. Add sherry at end. Serve with lemon wedges.
My favorite quickie dinner is dumping a bag of frozen meatballs into the crockpot and pouring a bottle of either BBQ sauce or Sweet and Sour sauce over the top. Cubes of cheese, a container of grape tomato and put out the crackers. Serve with toothpicks, instead of plates and forks (why not reduce the dishes/cleanup too?), and you have a feast worthy of a kitchen remodel. Congratulations on the new kitchen!
Mimi, I can't add more than what's already been said. I recently took my crock pot out and been having a ball with it. Right now I have potatoes, carrots, onions and a whole chicken skin removed in mine. Add the spices you like and a can of chicken broth and I'll have myself a few meals for the week for myself, and it's all low fat!
Millbury, MA
Mimi good luck with the Kitchen , as to foods crock pot you can cook just about anything in them .I just made beef stew In mine and it was nice.beef and Noodles are good , chili , roast chicken meatloaf ,I also use my toaster oven to bake ,french files biscuits, any feexer food like nuggets ,fish sticks can all be done in them . or even fresh fish can be cooked in the toaster oven, good luck Barbara
EAT!! SLEEP !! QUILT!!
Spanish Chicken
1 whole frier, cut up
1/2 bottle of beer - preferably stale
1 7oz jar spanish style olives (Green)
1 small can tomatoe paste
salt and pepper to taste
Season chicken w/ salt and pepper and put it in the crock pot, largest pieces on the bottom.
Whisk the tomatoe paste and beer together and pour evenly over the chicken. Dump the olives, juice and all one it. Cook on High for 4 hours or low for 4. Serve with bread, rice or, my favorite, polenta.
Quilters are people who strip so they won't go topless.
stitcheraz:One of my "fond" memories from kitchen remodel was washing dishes in the bathtub and using the handheld shower head to rinse.
Sounds like you have a very flexible back, stitcheraz. Thanks for your tips and welcome to QCA. I don't think I've seen you on before. DH is the kitchen cleaner and we have two upstairs bathrooms with double sinks. He is doing the dishes in the hall bathroom and ours is for us. Thanks again for helping me.
Donna B:we needed to move into the unfinished basement with no kitchen or bathroom for 6 weeks
Your tale makes me appreciate the things I have to work with even if I'm feeling squashed into a tiny space to do them. The server in the dining room is the counter for now. I forgot there was a recipe thread to this site. Thanks for the reminder. We've had Jacy's taco soup and absolutely love it. (Thanks for sharing, Jacy!) Of course the recipe is safely packed away in some box so I really appreciate your comment. I keep saying this too shall pass. It's so wonderful. The electrician has been here for the last two days and the cold harsh fluorescent lighting along with the dropped ceiling has finally gone. YEAH!!!
Ginny: If you can hang plastic sheeting across the entrances to the area, it will keep it more contained and noth thruout your whole house.
Ginny, our crew is so thoughtful. They have hung the plastic sheeting across the entrances. I think my problem is the forced hot air heating system and how cold the weather is right now. It's blowing the dust everywhere trying to keep us warm in this frigid time. Hope all you quilters in the central and northern parts of the country are safe and warm.
Erin:boil water for pasta in skillet.
What a great idea, Erin. I would have never thought of it. DH was happy when I told him about it. He loves his pasta. And thanks for the vote of confidence. We have been planning this since spring 2012.