Kitchen being ripped out

[theskyispurple]

I've put this in DIY too!

New kitchen being put in beginning of September, including walls knocked down, everything ripped out and starting from scratch.
I think the process will
Mean at least 3-5 weeks or more without a workable kitchen.
So I'm trying to think ahead what I can do-
I have 3 kids at home, 1 autistic with food issues, currently I cook most things from
Scratch.
I have a large fridge and freezer in the garage, a microwave and a fab gas bbq that also has a saucepan ring on - with an undercover area (in case it rains ) that I can use it under.
I'm thinking of setting up a mini space maybe in the garage with the microwave, kettle etc. and prepping some meals to stick in the freezer so they are easy to cook.

Any recommendations of meals that this will work for, or ways that you have managed feeding a family without there being weeks of microwave meals or eating out?

We were without a kitchen for about 8 weeks last year, and we found our air fryer the best thing ever. So if you can beg, borrow or steal one between that and what you have, you’ve a full kitchen, and can eat as normal.

I found not having a washing machine/dishwasher/kitchen sink more challenging than the cooking facilities!

Jacket potatoes freeze really well. Then follow the microwave instructions on these www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/272423694. Baked beans, tuna mayo, coleslaw, grated cheese etc…. would all be doable.

Microwave chilli www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/microwave-chilli

Risotto ladrambay.co.uk/inspiration/easy-tomato-risotto/

Macaroni cheese www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/simple_microwave_60631

Chicken pilaf https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/microwave_chicken_pilaf_35007

Have you posted this twice? I'm sure I read this exact post on another thread 20mins ago!

What do I do when my kitchen it ripped out!!! | Mumsnet

We found our George Forman grill to be invaluable. You can do things like fish/fish fingers and burgers in it. Potato waffles can be cooked in the toaster! Microwave rice is handy and you can also microwave veg. Can you borrow a slow cooker? All it needs is a plug socket.

OP said she'd also posted in DIY.

@Whatthediddlyfeck washing machine! Omg I hadn't considered that ... this is huge news

@CC4712 yes I posted on food and diy! I did start my post of by mentioning that

Thanks all - I do have a slow cooker but never use it because I can't stand the smell throughout the day... but I guess if it's out in the garage that could work

The no water issue. Will you have water anywhere?

Easier option if fussy children is to batch cook and freeze in advance ie Bolognese or curry you know they like. Then you can just defrost and microwave that part. That will cover a couple of days a week if you make several options.

plug in single induction hob from ikea. Can then easy make fresh pasta/ rice to go with pre made frozen part.

I'm going to recommend melamine plates if you can stand them. Much easier if you end up washing up in the bathroom sink!

Water I'm assuming will only go off temporarily when things are being fitted, so yes we have a bathroom we can wash up in, and water downstairs that we can access the rest of the time.

I had thought about paper plates

I bought a cheap electric casserole and we had a pair of free standing electric rings and a microwave. We were pretty much changing the whole house and I had to reassemble some sort of kitchen every evening and weekend for about three months. We could cook pretty much anything with that equipment and didn't really change what we ate.

In the middle of having no kitchen at the moment. I took a day to batch cook Lasagne, cottage pie Tomato pasta, Filo pastry pizza, sausage and mash. Put all of them in those tin takeaway containers and froze them. I second the airfryer - it's basically all I've been using!

Buy the big bottles of water for drinking if you won't have water (we refill them with bathroom tap water for the kettle) and make sure you've got a space in your bathroom to get your dishes washed.

You could ask if your current fridge can be moved elsewhere so you can still store milk, butter, cheese etc. And ask if your washing machine can be plumbed in somewhere else temporarily.

Why are kitchens and bathrooms on MN always ripped out? Can’t you get your builder to just remove it without violence?

If you've ever had builders in, they don't mess about. Rip is in fact a very good choice of word for what they do. Expect a lot of mess and noise.

Washing up without a proper sink is a pain. There's a limit to what you can fit in the bathroom basin and the waste pipe will be narrower than the one from your kitchen sink (I think), so you don't want it to block. For that reason alone, you'd want to limit your cooking so there's nothing much to wash up at the end.

You sound very well set up already, OP. The ring on the BBQ will be particularly useful, I would imagine. As it will still be fairly warm, what about salads, bread, cold meat/fish/cheese? Omelettes?

You can do a lot with the gas rings you have. I do a great deal of cooking on the hob. Also, it's a myth that fried food is unhealthy. I often fry chicken or fish with vegetables in olive oil, either with lemon and thyme or tomato based or Indian style flavours of spices/sauces. Serve with microwave rice, and basically it's a one pan meal.

I think I'd be Investing in an air fryer and borrowing a slow cooker.