Congratulations, you are getting the new kitchen that you have dreamed of for many years! Amidst the excitement you may also be worried about how you are going to feed your family without your kitchen. A little planning ahead and an open mind will help you keep your sanity.
We all know eating out every night is expensive and not always the healthiest option. Let’s talk about things you can do to not only survive your renovation but, possibly have a little fun in the process.
Set up a temporary kitchen – find a location separate from the construction. This may be in your garage or basement. Ideally, you would want to have a water source for cooking and washing dishes. If you don’t have an area with a sink you can always use bottled water and bowls or buckets. You will also need a flat work surface so set up a table in the space you designate as your kitchen.
Bring out the small appliances – Microwaves, crockpots, pressure cookers, toaster ovens, hot plates and electric skillets are all easy to set up in a temporary space to give you a hot home cooked meal.
Relocate your fridge and freezer so that you can have a place to store your groceries, leftovers and meals that you have prepped. A mini fridge may be a better option if space is limited.
Storage solutions – Put your most utilized utensils in clear plastic bins or bags so you can find them easily when they are needed, and the bins/bags will also keep them clean until you need them next time.
Get out the grill – If you have weather on your side, bring out the grill to cook your meals. Most meals that you can cook in an oven can also be cooked on a grill. And who doesn’t love a good picnic!
Keep things quick and easy – You won’t have a full kitchen to utilize so think easy meals both in the sense of preparation and of clean up. If you are cooking with a crock pot invest in some crock pot liners which leaves you almost no clean up. Use paper plates and plastic flatware that you don’t have to wash or worry about breaking. There are many options that are recyclable.
Meal prep – Use the time before your renovation starts to meal prep. Create meals that you can freeze and cook later in your pressure cooker or crock pot. This will leave you almost no dishes from meal prep each day and you will have a home cooked meal during your renovation.
Grocery stores – Many grocery stores have hot food bar, salad bars and soup stations that you can grab lunch or dinner.
Remember the renovation will not last forever and in the end you will have a beautiful and functional kitchen. Try and have fun during the process and be sure to share any tips you have with our team!