REMODEL MENU PART 1
Isn’t she pretty? This was our kitchen during part of the renovation process. Don’t worry, there are new cabinets and countertops installed now!
A few months ago, we had the opportunity to start our kitchen renovation. We completely demolished our kitchen, and updated the flooring in our kitchen, dining, and living room. We stayed at our home for portions of the renovation when we weren’t staying with family for a reprieve. While we are a couple weeks away (hopefully) from buttoning up all of the loose ends for the renovation, living in a home that is missing some modern amenities required that we got a little creative with how we accomplished basic daily tasks.
We spent several weeks without an oven, dishwasher, kitchen cabinets, or a kitchen sink - and today I am here to share some ideas for functioning in your home during a kitchen remodel. Some of the ideas we didn’t use, and some we did, but I hope if you ever renovate your kitchen that these ideas will make your life a little easier. Let’s dive in!
Mobile Cart for Essentials: As I was preparing for the demo of our kitchen cabinets, I started removing all of the items that we didn’t use super frequently and packing them away. I started this process a couple weeks before the demolition of our cabinets was to take place, which made it fairly easy to think of what I would actually use during the renovation. I discovered what were truly essential items and our regular go-to food items. I organized these in a small rolling cart so that we could easily access what we needed from our “cabinet on wheels”, and while the contents fluctuated throughout the weeks of the renovation, it was a helpful go-to spot to have for snacks, bag clips, ziplocs, etc.
Get a version of the cart here
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Relocated Refrigerator: We ended up temporarily relocating our refrigerator into another area, and for a little bit of time kept our disposable plates in the refrigerator. This allowed for easy access, but we could also use parts of the refrigerator to “prep” food before eating or microwaving. Not ideal for energy use to have the refrigerator doors open that whole time - but it was a short season! We ended up storing the plates and disposable silverware in the dining room towards the end of the reno.
Freezer Meal Prep: We have a small deep-freezer in our garage, and so I pre-made some freezer meals that would cook in our Instant Pot - although I think I only used one of those during the process. It would be a great idea and time-saver if you have the time and ability to prepare as much as you can before hand! It was wildly more intimidating to cut vegetables and fruit without a kitchen sink than I thought it would be. We did use the Instant Pot for several meals and it sure helped having something warm to eat. The only hassle was cleaning the Instant Pot pan in a bathroom sink - or the tub/shower!
Do you have an Instant Pot? If not, get yours here! :)
The above link is an affiliate link, which means I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through them—at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Frozen Meals: While I am not a “TV Dinner” kind of gal, and would prefer to make frozen meals in the oven over the microwave (like lasagna or Salisbury steaks), we did take advantage of microwave cooking and the freezer section at the grocery store. We bought frozen ravioli, and dumped it in the Instant Pot with some water and jarred spaghetti sauce for a delicious meal with bread, and a frozen vegetable steamed in the microwave! Or another time we used frozen stir fry vegetables, with frozen grilled chicken strips, and teriyaki sauce, finished with rice for a tasty Instant Pot masterpiece. Don’t forget to lean on pre-seasoned frozen vegetables, jarred/bottled sauces/pre-prepared frozen food - although I can’t wait to go back to buying some fresh vegetables to wash in my kitchen sink, prep on the new countertops, and roast in the new oven when all of this is over!
I started writing this post thinking I would have a couple quick items to share, but I realized I had learned more than I thought in this renovation process. So, stay tuned for the next blog post - and I will share 4 more tips for your family during a kitchen renovation.
Chat soon!
