Our Makeshift Kitchen

"How are you living without a kitchen?"  I have been asked this question A LOT.  We are actually living through more than just a kitchen renovation, but I get the gist of the inquiry. :)

Welcome to our makeshift kitchen, aka the most embarrassing and untouched section of the house!  I didn't even bother to clean it up before I snapped this photo. :)  We set-up a kitchen/pantry/eating area just outside our master bedroom.  For the most part, the toaster oven and microwave, as well as a kettle (to make hot water), have gotten us through the renovation.  The old refrigerator didn't fit back here, so it is stationed in a corner of the living room...

In the photo above, you can see where the new hardwood and original wood floors meet.  There will eventually be a wall there to delineate the areas since the empty space will become the master bathroom en-suite (the wall behind the folding table will be removed).  This area has definitely come in handy during our kitchen renovation.  We opted to continue the new wood towards the master bedroom since it comes off the hallway.

Here's the other side of the current makeshift kitchen/future master bathroom.  The wall behind the dresser actually housed a bathroom vanity before we moved in.  It was separated from the toilet and shower, which is behind that door/wall.  We didn't understand why the vanity was separated, so we removed it before we moved in and will address the entire bathroom layout when we build the en-suite.  We kept the plumbing lines exposed for future needs.  I placed a dresser there to "cover" up the pipes.  We also use this area as a mini mudroom (since we enter/exit the house through here) - which is why you see a pile of shoes and stuff strewn about!

One of the most difficult aspects of living through a kitchen renovation, aside from the inevitable dust and inconvenience, is not having a proper sink.  Paper plates have been a lifesaver during our kitchen reno.  But for the inevitable dishwashing that must still be done, we designated one of the two sinks in our main bathroom as the "kitchen sink" during the reno.  So glad we plumbed for an additional sink when we remodeled that bathroom!

In terms of meals, we keep things pretty simple - which is how we do meals anyway.  Breakfast and lunch are easy.  My kids do eat a "hearty" breakfast, but it's usually a combination of cereal, yogurt, fruit, AND some sort of fiber (toast, waffles, etc.).  We typically have pancakes and bacon on the weekends.  Lunch usually consists of sandwiches, soft tacos... or leftovers.  Dinner is the hard part.  I try to buy the "healthiest" frozen dishes I can find and pair it with veggies.  Rotisserie chickens, salads, fish sticks (for tacos), and anything that can be made in the toaster oven have pretty much been in our dinner rotation this summer.  I've cooked/broiled meat, chicken, fish in the toaster oven too.  We do eat out or pick up food a couple times a week usually weekends.  Thank you to our friends who have also prepared food for us!  (Tip: I highly recommend having a grill during a kitchen reno to help "cook" meals, assuming you don't mind washing dishes in the tub or a non-kitchen sink.  Unfortunately, we had sold our grill before we moved here, and have since gone without one.)

Fortunately, we are now over the hump with the main construction of the kitchen.  My kids/hubby have been troopers, but three months into the process, we are all definitely ready to have the kitchen back... SOON.