How to Survive Without a Kitchen

Living without a kitchen is kind of like camping, some people hate it and some people don’t mind it. Either way, a little preparation will go a long way to making the whole experience less painful.

Step 1.

If you have the time, it’s always a great idea to do some cooking ahead. Anything that can be cooked, frozen and reheated later on is perfect because the microwave will be your new best friend! Meals like soup, chili, pulled pork, frittata, and casseroles can all be made in larger batches, and frozen in smaller portions.

Step 2.

Choose a spot to set up a temporary kitchen. Ideally you’d have a small table, microwave, toaster and a few boxes with some dishes, cutlery and other necessities. A good place to set this up would be in your living room, a spare bedroom or in your basement.

Step 3.

Think outside the box. What are some simpler meals you can make that don’t involve many dishes or steps. If you have a BBQ, it’s always easy to throw some veggies on right alongside your meat. Perhaps you don’t normally buy the bagged salad kits, but for a few weeks, they sure are easy. Maybe you have a neighbour or friend who wouldn’t mind letting you cook at their house once in a while. If you have a crockpot and it’s gathering dust somewhere, dig it out! Start googling recipe ideas; there are so many options to make complete meals all in the crockpot.

Step 4.

Remember, nobody is judging. Plastic cutlery and paper plates may be frowned upon to use on a regular basis, but during a renovation, totally acceptable. We all know how much fun it can be to wash dishes in the bathtub! This is also a time where it’s perfectly acceptable and encouraged to slack on the housecleaning. Believe me, dust floats…and despite all of the barriers we put up, you will find it creeps into everything. Until we are finished creating the dust, it will just keep accumulating, so you might as well put off some of the household cleaning.

It certainly is a bit of an adventure to live without a kitchen. We won’t blame you if you curse us during the worst of it because the dust is everywhere, we can be noisy, and your home just isn’t its usual tranquil escape from the world anymore. But we promise it really will be worth it once you are moved back into your beautiful brand new finished space.

On the other hand, maybe it really is time to take that long European vacation and just include the cost into the price of the new kitchen…