New kitchen

[rainbowstardrops]

This isn't really an AIBU but it kind of is at the same time.

The situation is, we're having a new kitchen very soon. Our old kitchen is being ripped out completely and being replaced (except for the white goods/fridge freezer etc)
What with levelling the floor, plastering the walls, new fuse boxes and then the whole refitting etc and it therefore means we're not going to have any sort of functioning kitchen for about three weeks (that's if there are no hiccups along the way). I'm dreading it.

We are lucky that we have two downstairs rooms but we obviously can't use the larger room when the floor is being levelled etc because we have to access it through the kitchen. But this room is where the fridge/freezer and all of the kitchen will be boxed up, plus the new kitchen units etc will have to be stored. I honestly don't know where we're going to put it all!
Anyway, I will have a slow cooker, an air fryer and a microwave in the larger room (somehow).
My AIBU is, how awful would it be to order a shit load of takeaways, or more importantly, what can I cook with my very limited cooking options?
It's me and two DC and an H that comes home at about 10pm
We usually rely on pasta etc but I won't have a hob.

I just need ideas for some meals please, or a thumbs up that we can all just eat shit for three weeks!
Joking. Obviously. Kind of.

I'd also get a plug in induction hob so you could then do eg rice with slow cooker dishes, pan fried food etc.
New kitchen sounds exciting!

The worst bit is washing up. Over the bath is bloody hard work. I prepped some meals for freezer, bought prepped veg and managed proper dinners most days. But HATED carrying it upstairs to wash up then bringing it down again. I would say try to prep things you can eat from the same container. Then a few decent ready meals. Then a few takeaways you don't need plates for.

We had our fridge freezer in one of the bedrooms and had a table set up in the livingroom with microwave, kettle, toaster and single induction hob. We ate a lot of stuff like cooked chicken with salad and nice bread. Bought the small new potatoes that are ready to microwave with butter and herbs on. I also cooked in advance and froze it. I made, chilli, stew, curry, bolognese and just microwaved it and used the songle halogen hob for pasta or rice. Bought the steam fresh bags of veg to microwave, ready made mash, frozen jacket potatoes, fresh pasta and sauces. Ready made fresh soup with sandwiches. Had takeaway probably couple of times a week and went out to eat a couple of times in the 5 weeks we were without a full kitchen.

You clearly have nothing constructive or helpful to say, so I hope you have a good day. Maybe try and be kind and tolerant to someone who is out of their comfort zone?

@rainbowstardrops just remembered after a few days of washing up in the bath I bought two washing up bowls and set them up on the table followed by an old bath towel folded in half. One had hot soap water from bath tap and one with plain water, I also filled an empty 2 litre bottle with fresh water so I could easily change the water if needed. Washed in the soapy bowl, then in the plain water and straight onto my towel drain board, it was so much easier than washing mugs, glasses etc in the bath.

That's really helpful, thank you. The fridge/freezer will have to stay downstairs somewhere as no room in any of the bedrooms.
I'm definitely going to look into to a plug in hob and have a look at what veggies etc you can buy pre-prepared. I'm not very mobile at the moment and undergoing tests, so I can't even have a wander round the supermarkets! I think I'm focussing too much on the food though and not enough on the washing up/silly little inconvenient things!

I think I kind of envisioned having a bowl downstairs to just put boiling water in to wash up but then most people are saying about washing up in the bath? I don't even know if there'll be enough room on the table with the microwave etc and a room full of a boxed up kitchen and boxes containing the new kitchen! We shall see!

Can you not clear a small space somewhere for the fridge. We had to shuffle things about a bit but it worked fine. Yes it was cramped and a bit of a pain but not the end of the world.

You can buy most normal veg ready prepared. Things like packs of mashed carrot, potato, brocoli, peas, Mediterranean veg that all just need microwaved. Do jacket potatoes with cheese, coleslaw, beans etc, scrambled egg done in the microwave with toast. Buy large quiche and have with crusty bread, salad, microwave new potatoes.

Washing up was done over the bath. I just had a couple of washing up bowls and washed up straight away.

*Can you not clear a small space somewhere for the fridge. We had to shuffle things about a bit but it worked fine. Yes it was cramped and a bit of a pain but not the end of the world.

You can buy most normal veg ready prepared. Things like packs of mashed carrot, potato, brocoli, peas, Mediterranean veg that all just need microwaved. Do jacket potatoes with cheese, coleslaw, beans etc, scrambled egg done in the microwave with toast. Buy large quiche and have with crusty bread, salad, microwave new potatoes.

Washing up was done over the bath. I just had a couple of washing up bowls and washed up straight away.*

Yes, we're going to have to squeeze it in somewhere. It's a large American fridge/freezer, so it'll take up quite some room but needs must and all that!
I'm a fairly good cook, (well the kids eat it!) and I'm just going to have to get my head round making shortcut tweeks to what I'd usually do. Or just buy takeaways and ready meals like I originally considered! 😁

I had to wash up in the bath, because DH had dug up the concrete kitchen floor to put in new pipes,there wasn't a water supply in there. Then he did the bathroom!! At least I had the kitchen sink to wash up in!

I have never been so grateful for a downstairs bathroom as when I had my kitchen replaced!

Lugging a bowl of dirty plates upstairs to wash them is a pain, but lugging bowls full of dirty washing up water around the house is worse. It made sense for us to wash up where the tap and plughole was. You'll figure out what works for you.

Thinking out loud, I wonder if a B&Q bucket might be better than a washing up bowl. Easier to carry for a start.

It will be worth it.

Buy a camping hob.

*Lugging a bowl of dirty plates upstairs to wash them is a pain, but lugging bowls full of dirty washing up water around the house is worse. It made sense for us to wash up where the tap and plughole was. You'll figure out what works for you.

Thinking out loud, I wonder if a B&Q bucket might be better than a washing up bowl. Easier to carry for a start.

It will be worth it.*

Yep, that makes sense. Again, hadn't bloody thought of that! Upstairs it is then!

I thought this but people have said that it should be used outside? Have been advised to maybe buy a plug in hob type thing instead 🤷🏻‍♀️

Biy a two place induction hob ... plug in. My sister has just bought one, said ut was great!

As you are having plastering done you do realise everything will smell and taste of plaster for at least a week or two....?
And you'll probably be too busy trying to keep the plaster dust from invading the rest of the house to worry about cooking 😉

This is the one I bought. I have kept it as a stand-by, just in case my hob stops working, or as additional cooking space at Christmas etc.

https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/tillreda-portable-induction-hob-2-zones-white-30593123/

My kitchen renovation took 3 and a half weeks in August 2023. It’s a small kitchen but it doesn’t necessarily mean a larger one would take longer. We had use of the fridge freezer still. We washed up in the bathroom basin and took the laundry to my dad’s house. The place was a midden but it’s all worth it.

@rainbowstardrops If it is dry weather do not discount using the barbeque! Kids might find that fun

@rainbowstardrops cooked pasta can be frozen then defrosted/warmed up in the microwave- I do this all the time. If you are going to have your freezer though, can you not just batch cook a lot before the upheaval? Curries, chilli, pasta etc then just steam veg/add salad.

We had bbq 3-4 times a week and honestly, it took about 6 weeks in reality (I was told 3)! It was 8 weeks but 2 weeks were covid isolating so not relevant now.

Forgot to mention in my previous post, but one thing that we found really valuable the thing was having a surface at the right height to put a washing up bowl on in the bathroom. I bought a cheap camping kitchen online for this. Saved our backs, and was well worth the £40 or so it cost.

Biy a two place induction hob ... plug in. My sister has just bought one, said ut was great!

You have to have certain pans for induction don't you? @ByQuaintAzureWasp

As you are having plastering done you do realise everything will smell and taste of plaster for at least a week or two....?
And you'll probably be too busy trying to keep the plaster dust from invading the rest of the house to worry about cooking 😉

Jeez!!! 😩 I'd factored in mess but not smell throughout the house as well! @grumpygrape! Takeaways are sounding more and more appealing!

We were going to buy a new one last year because our old one packed up but we didn't get around to it. Might have to invest in one soon! Mind you, it's been bloody wet and miserable here so the garden's a bit of a swamp!