We are anticipating being without a kitchen for about a month. I know, these things usually take longer than expected, but that’s our best guess based on the people we’ve talked to. So how do we eat, without spending as much on dining out as the kitchen costs, or resorting to Bagel Bites and Easy Mac?

I’m going to cook—a LOT—now. This week I am cooking up some casseroles, soups, baked goods, and some other things that can be frozen and reheated in the microwave or toaster oven. I may have to buy some storage containers, but we should still come out ahead as opposed to eating out all the time.

Here are some of the things I’m planning to make:

• Chicken Rice Casserole
• Skillet Tamale Pie
• Spinach Manicotti
• Baked Ziti
• Macaroni and Cheese
• Vegetable Beef Soup
• Chili
• Freezer Twice Baked Potatoes
• Baked Goods:
  • Banana Bread
  • Oatmeal Raisin Bread
  • Cranberry Orange Muffins
  • Apple Muffins
  • Oatmeal Raisin and Snickerdoodle Cookie Dough (rolled into balls and frozen)

For veggies to go with the meals, I guess I’ll steam them in the microwave—not my preferred method, but better than nothing. We’ll use store-bought bread and rolls. Then there are things like cereal, yogurt, fresh salads, baked potatoes, grilled cheese (we have a griddle), fresh fruits and veggies, etc.

When I looked online for ideas about how to eat during a kitchen remodel, there was a lot of advice about using a hot plate, slow cooker, outdoor grill, and so forth. Yes, it’s possible to cook using those things, but it still seems like prep and clean-up would be a major pain, trying to prep in the family room and wash dishes in the little bathroom sink. I want to have as much ready to eat as possible. We’ll supplement with eating out some, and if we run out of food, maybe I can have another cooking day at someone else’s house and fill up those containers again.

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We are about to embark on a big adventure, the likes of which we have never experienced before and probably won’t ever wish to again once it’s all said and done: the total kitchen remodel! We are still in the planning stages and are gathering quotes from various folks, but we hope to get started in the next couple of weeks so we can finish before the baby comes in October.

The kitchen is small with minimal counter and cabinet space, but there is an adjoining formal dining room that we plan to take in and make part of the kitchen. (We really don’t want nor need a formal dining room.) The dining room is conveniently the same width as the kitchen, so it will be a long galley-style kitchen when it is done, with plenty of cabinets for storage and counters for prep. This will also enable us to shift the work area down a little bit to make the eat-in area of the kitchen larger. It is currently pretty tight (our table has to be pushed up against a wall), and we’d like to be able to seat more than four people. Also, the laundry room doorway is right in the eat-in area, and we plan to wall it off and move the doorway to go directly to the adjoining family room. (You’ll see what I’m talking about when you get to the photos.) This will also allow the family room to be used for overflow dining space when necessary, plus it just makes a lot more sense for traffic flow.

Our goal is something functional here. We don’t want fancy fixtures, ornate moldings, and elaborate decór. We want something basic, surfaces that are easy to clean and maintain, design that lends itself to cooking efficiently, and materials/appliances that are not top-of-the-line but still good enough quality to last a while. Also, we’re going to try to be eco-friendly when possible, and I’ll be pointing that out in the choices we make.

I hope to document the process along the way. First, maybe this will help someone else who plans to go through the same thing, and second, I need to be better about blogging and this seems like a good thing to blog about.

Now, for some “before” pictures!

The eat-in area:

View looking from the formal dining room:

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