Help! Why can I cook without a kitchen and lots of other issues?

[NeatFreak]

We are having an extension built and currently have all cooking utensils, food etc in various boxes throughout the house. All I have to cook on is a small camping oven with two hobs on top and a microwave. I have a slow cooker somewhere but no idea where, it could be in storage. Our fridge is still in the kitchen. We're mainly eating food from the freezer that we can bung in the own and microwaving veg but this is losing its appeal and isn't particularly healthy! Other issues are:

I'm giving birth next week so have horrible heartburn, meaning I can't eat anything remotely spicy or tomatoey

Dh has a dairy allergy

Two dc aren't too fussy but like very different things

Kitchen is really really dusty so I try not to spend too much time in there as I end up coughing all day!

Limited prep space and builders are around until about an hour before we normally eat

There's no freezer space to batch cook healthy meals.

No running water downstairs so washing up messy cookery, pots etc is really hard.

Any tips would be appreciated- it is likely to be like this for several weeks more... and did I mention I am having our third baby in less than a week?!

Eeek! Have or - your choice.

We lived on a fairly restricted diet when we had no kitchen. Lots of fruit, salad vegetables, loads of pasta - a bit like our camping diet really. Sorry not to be more useful.

Would love some wine and am off tea/coffee due to pregnancy insomnia! Our takeaway consumption will be increasing

Tell your friends and family that if they want to visit the baby, they have to bring a ready-cooked microwaveable meal!

Early evening meals at local pubs, as a change from takewaways?

Tilda rice - the microwave ones, the pilau one is really nice. Much nicer than uncle bens ones as they are a bit dry

Fish - ( put on foil/ or wrapped in foil in oven, only about 15 mins)

Pre chopped veg that steams in microwave in the bag you buy in. Usually green beans/ brocoli/ etc

Scrambled egg made in microwave on toast. Or beans on toast.

None of above really leaves washing up.

Just spotted typo in thread title, oops!

Good ideas thanks, especially the rice as I had been doing that then forgot about it!

It is so bad that I won't be having visitors round after the baby is born. Family live far away so will be staying in a hotel if they want to visit and friends are aware of the situation so have been inviting me round. However, after next week I won't be ale to drive for a few weeks and I hate relying n people too much

Make it simple though.

Say:
one night something on toast
One night something with jacket potatoe
Pizza and salad another
Eat out once at least
Leaving 3 nights to make something else, less if you can order in again or eat at friends/ family

Buy lots of fruit and raw veg to munch on and everyone will survive a month .

Find your slow cooker. You can roast meat in it, cook stews and put it on before the builders arrive.

Fresh prepared veg from the supermarket can be microwaved, open the bag, add a bit of water and microwave.

Invest in a steamer. You can wrap meat or chicken in foil with herbs / lemon / seasoning and cook veg and rice all at the same time.

Fish rice and orange juice.

Smoked haddock (or your choice) basmatti rice and a 50/50 mix of OJ and water, put it all in a pan and boil/simmer for 14 mins.

Do you have a toaster? Buy some toaster bags and have toasted cheese and ham sandwiches.

One evening have supermarket roast, buy a rotisserie chicken and roast potatoes and microwave some veg, use gravy granules for convenience.

Have a snacks and dips night, get pate, bread, prepped carrots for dipping, dips, sausage rolls, nachos and just snack.

If you have a lidl near and you don't already own one get a raclette

My kitchen is getting pulled out on Monday so I feel your pain! And I only have a microwave. I've frozen a few things, we'll eat out, do things on toast etc and the rotisserie chicken idea is great, thanks ssash!

I also have friends who have promised me the use of their kitchen, so plan to go out every week and cook a couple of re-heatable things. And do the washing.

barbecue? meat, fish, veg (big mushrooms, corn on cob). put in foil if you get fed up with BBQ flavour.

agree, you should find your slow cooker.

doesn't your local supermarket do pre cooked meat joints?

look on the camping thread for ideas. stir fry's, omlette, trying to remember the other things we have when camping. But with a BBQ and camping cooker you should be able to do a wide variety of things - meat/fish on BBQ and vegetables on stove.

jacket pots and all sorts of fillings - done in microwave and then crisped up for 20 mins in oven.

risotto...thats easy. have you read some of the meal planners? The steamer idea is good, as you can do your fish/chicken etc,veg all in the one pan and is obviously very healthy

BBQ agree ..you can do loads even make an ' oven' on it. Or get a steamer 3 tier one and do fish / meat / veg ..You could have mine but I am in Italy so a bit hard to send on !!

Thanks for all the tips, am making notes!

We have a gas BBQ so will check how much gas there is and try that this weekend. It's not just the lack of inspiration and space but having to clean up dust and rubble from the floor and tables/ limited equipment we have before starting to do any prep that puts me off cooking. I am being lazy but at 38+2 weeks pg I challenge anyone to say that to my face . Dh will be on paternity leave soon so I think I will hand over cooking responsibilities to him for a while.

We are meeting the kitchen planner at the end of next week so hopefully it won't be for too much longer...