astrid Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 I have: No stove No sink/running water No dishwasher No table And the refrigerator is in the hallway. I DO have a crockpot BUT, all the things I make in the crockpot involve prepping with the use of a stove: browning ground beef, a roast, etc. What can I make that does not involve ANY kitchen appliances? And if you've lived through a floor-to-ceiling kitchen renovation (about a month in duration) what did you eat? thanks, astrid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer in MI Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 I've always just thrown a frozen roast into a crock pot. Throw in onions, a little water, and vinegar. Shred and serve on buns. YUM!! Throw a chicken in a crock pot with a little water. Cook all day. Chicken dinner. Then, throw the bones in with water and a little vinegar and you'll make broth for the next day. Do you have a microwave? If so, buy frozen veggies to have each night. Salad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardening momma Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 I've always just thrown a frozen roast into a crock pot. Throw in onions, a little water, and vinegar. Shred and serve on buns. YUM!! Throw a chicken in a crock pot with a little water. Cook all day. Chicken dinner. Then, throw the bones in with water and a little vinegar and you'll make broth for the next day. What does the vinegar do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer in MI Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 Vinegar when making broth draws out the marrow from the bones. Makes it healthier! (showing my stupidity - draws out the calcium from the bones, right? Anyone?) When adding it to the beef, it just gives it a tang that's good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissel Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 What does the vinegar do? Helps leach the minerals and gelatin from the bones to make the broth more nutritious. Here's one--A can of corn, a can of rinsed black beans, and a jar of salsa. At room temp, it's a nice little salad. I also agree about salads. Can you use a cooler to keep some things cold overnight occasionally? How about a BBQ? I like tuna/salmon straight from the can myself--maybe add a little curry powder? I'd imagine you're going to be eating a lot of canned things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lara in Colo Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 pork with bbq sauce= pulled pork sandwiches. Do you have a portable burner ($25) or an electric skillet? (pancakes, eggs etc,,,) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 Buy a campstove, one of those cool Coleman ones. I guarentee you'll use it for years. Get extra fuel. This is for boiling water for coffee, for making vegetables, and boiling pasta. It doesn't really get hot enough for stir fry, though. Buy an electric frying pan. Be sure to get one with a nice high lid. You can brown things in it to cook in the crockpot, and you can also cook a pot roast in it if you feel like it. In the summer you'll love being able to put in on an extension cord out on the back porch and keep the heat and cooking smells out of your home. This might be just the time to explore the wonderful world of little foil packets. Yes, those chili seasoning packets actually make really good chili. Use the electric frying pan for the whole thing. Chicken in the electic frying pan several ways: 1. Chicken parts with the skin and bone still present--brown in olive oil lightly on all sides, sprinkle with ground dried mixed herbs--oregano, basil, and marjoram--to the point where they look a little light greenish all over, then cover parts with diced onions. Cook over low heat for 40 minutes. So good. 2. Easy one: Skinless boneless chicken breasts to cover the bottom of the pan--brown very lightly, just tan really, then cover with as many cans of undiluted Campbell's Healthy Request Cream of Chicken soup as needed to cover them thickly, cover and cook for 40 minutes. Make rice on the Coleman stove. The soup will make its own gravy. It's also quite healthy. -------------------------------- Eat salads a lot. A big salad with veggies with 'bite' like fennel, red peppers, raw baby turnips, raw baby beets, mushrooms, and also some diced very sharp cheddar cheese and a good vinaigrette can serve as a light meal very well. Van Camp's Pork n Beans can be heated on the Coleman and served poured over hamburger buns for a hearty meal when it's cold out. The only canned veggie worth eating in the world is corn. That is all. However, you can thaw frozen veggies in warm water, crisp them in cold water, spin them dry in a salad spinner, and add to salads, I hear. I have never tried that. Like my veggies fresh, darn it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeidiKC Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 You sure don't have to brown meat before using the crockpot. I never do. I make a pork chop thing that all my kids love - no browning, and takes me about 5 minutes to get the stuff into the crockpot. Do you have a microwave? If so, I'm thinking "baked" potato bar kind of stuff. You could do rice/couscous in microwave and add canned black beans, tomatoes, green chilies and mexican-type ingredients for a great black beans and rice/couscous dish. More microwave: Scrambled eggs on a toasted English Muffin with a slice of cheese and (cold) Candian Bacon (that'll warm up in a sec on the muffin!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarlaS Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 Vinegar when making broth draws out the marrow from the bones. Makes it healthier! (showing my stupidity - draws out the calcium from the bones, right? Anyone?) When adding it to the beef, it just gives it a tang that's good! I'm making a mental note of this. I bet this would be well loved by a family that likes to drown their meat in A1 sauce--no matter how tender and nice it turns out. :tongue_smilie: Oh, and the broth idea is something that never occurred to me--even though I think we've done a similar science experiment... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyandbob Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 besides a crock pot can you get a toaster oven and/or a microwave. I do a lot of meals in the crock without browning. We have a toaster oven to take with us on trips (my kids have allergies and we can't always stay in a hotel suite, but we still need to have meals). You can make many things in the toaster oven. There are whole cookbooks devoted to the microwave. You can check one out from the library for a few weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarlaS Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 I have: No stove No sink/running water No dishwasher No table And the refrigerator is in the hallway. I DO have a crockpot BUT, all the things I make in the crockpot involve prepping with the use of a stove: browning ground beef, a roast, etc. What can I make that does not involve ANY kitchen appliances? And if you've lived through a floor-to-ceiling kitchen renovation (about a month in duration) what did you eat? thanks, astrid Oh, and I sure hope your renovations goes swimmingly! We're planning to rip ours out fairly soon too. I'm trying not to think about it too much right now. It will probably take us much longer than a month... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitten18 Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 For the crockpot - put in frozen chicken breasts, cover with a jar of salsa, cook all day. Shred or chop for tacos or nachos. I love my toaster oven, I use it all the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SailorMom Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 We're in the middle of ours. Kitchen was down to concete and bare/new drywall. We have our microwave, toaster, and fridge. We also use our BBQ grill which is gas and charcoal, and has a small gas burner on one side. That burner has been a lifesaver. Thankfully, I did the once a month cooking thing right before we started, and we have been eating pretty well... If you have a bbq, you can make (in addition to grilled meat) garlic bread (wrap it in foil and rotate), and use heavy camping pots to cook. Toaster waffles, bagles, etc in the toaster. Microwave - well - almost anything. They now have great side dishes and veggies that come in microwave steam bags - same with rice. Even with that -about twice a week we have caved and gotten pizza or something at the deli..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 Get one of these: http://www.amazon.com/Camp-Chef-Explorer-EX-60LW-2-Burner/dp/B0006VORDY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1303179741&sr=8-1 Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 I ahve NEVER been so volatile in my life as when my kitchen was being redone. 6 weeks turned to 9 and I *hated* those men and wanted to kill them. Do yourself a favor and get a camp stove. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mama Geek Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 If you have a grill you can also do veggies & potatoes on the grill. We are without any appliances right now and will be until the painting is done and the floor is installed throughout the house. We are living out of 2 coolers and depending on a grill crockpot, and a 1 burner butane stove. I also end up making 1 trip out a day for ice and enough meat for 3-4 meals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MelanieM Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 Do you have a blender? I'd make lots of green smoothies, raw puddings, etc. Fresh fruits and veggies, nuts and seeds, crackers, breads, cheese trays, cold meats (you could buy a whole roasted turkey -- yum!), salads... I could happily eat like this most every day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SailorMom Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 Also - we are doing dishes in a bathroom sink. Yep, I know - but we can't throw away our pans ;) We are trying to use disposable for other stuff, but obviously that is not an option for everything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFSinIL Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 Take-out. Can you plug in a microwave anywhere to nuke stuff? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JessReplanted Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 Take-out. Can you plug in a microwave anywhere to nuke stuff? :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KatieJ Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 We did a full kitchen remodel 2 years ago. We were without a fully function kitchen for about 2 months. I did not have all my kids at home anymore, so it was just my hubby and one son. We used a recently empty bedroom at kitchen center, and washed dishes in my laundry room tub. (I used as much paper as I could, and washed only once a day.) I don't acutally recall what we ate, but we ate simply and I did have a married daughter and a couple of friends who occastionally would bring us a meal. I didn't use my grill even tho it was summer, as getting to it thru the kitchen mess was just not feasable. One thing I wish I had utilized was my electric tea pot. I could have made rice,hardboiled eggs and possibly some pasta type of dishes. I think we ate mostly salads, sandwiches, etc. I did have a few meals in the freezer that I could heat up in the microwave or my toaster/convection oven. It was the electric fry pan and the toaster/convection oven that got us thru for the most part. Pasta keeps well in the fridge or freezer..could you possibly have a friend cook some up for you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meriwether Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 I have: No stove No sink/running water No dishwasher No table And the refrigerator is in the hallway. I DO have a crockpot BUT, all the things I make in the crockpot involve prepping with the use of a stove: browning ground beef, a roast, etc. What can I make that does not involve ANY kitchen appliances? And if you've lived through a floor-to-ceiling kitchen renovation (about a month in duration) what did you eat? thanks, astrid We lived in a basement for over a month while Dad got the rest of the house livable. Mom used an electric skillet for almost every meal. You could do eggs and sausage for breakfast or pancakes for breakfast. We did a lot of hamburger meals and pork chops. I think it would be worth the investment if you don't already have one. We were fortunate that we had a wood stove in the basement and she would set pots on that to boil water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plansrme Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 (edited) For the crockpot - put in frozen chicken breasts, cover with a jar of salsa, cook all day. Shred or chop for tacos or nachos. I love my toaster oven, I use it all the time. This recipe above, but you also can add corn and, at the end, a block of cream cheese. I lived without a kitchen for almost 6 months during a renovation, and here are my best tips: 1. Buy a rice cooker if you do not have one. This was good for crock pot meals. 2. I bought had one of those electric griddles but almost never used it because it was so hard to wash in the sink or tub. 3. Do you have an outdoor grill? I cooked all sorts of things on mine: quesadillas, pizza (frozen--no way I was making my own with no dishwasher), and anything that I could put in an iron skillet, even scrambled eggs. 4. Cut-up fruit from the produce section is your friend. Our renovation was mostly during the winter, and every single one of us got sick due, I've always suspected, to our poor nutrition, especially our lack of fruits and veggies. 5. Do you have a waffle maker? Mickey waffles are a fun treat. By the way, add me to those who never brown meat before cooking it in the crock pot. It's lucky if it gets thawed first! Terri Edited April 19, 2011 by plansrme Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plansrme Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 I also bought an electric kettle for teas and such, and there was much rejoicing in my house the day it dawned on me that we could make boiled eggs in it. Terri Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amira Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 I suggest a camp stove too and at least a card table. I'm currently using a kitchen that has three tables, one fridge, and one stove. That's it. No sink, no drain, no running water, no appliances. I have a bucket of water on one of the tables with a dipper in it, and a smaller bucket for doing the dishes. And I've found there really is nothing I can't cook. But if I didn't have a table and a stove, I don't know what I'd do. I'd rather be without the fridge than the stove or a table. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mejane Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 Use your grill. It's finally warm enough to get out there. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astrid Posted April 19, 2011 Author Share Posted April 19, 2011 Trouble is, a couple years ago in a fit of I-Don't-Know-What, we needed to replace our worn-out gas grill. We were so sick of constantly repairing/replacing gas grills that we bought a big charcoal grill. We love it, but it's just not practical on nights we need to be rushing out the door to 4-H or training class, as it takes an hour to heat! I work part time so I'm often racing in, cooking, then racing out with Molly to some obligation. We were out of town last week when the demolition and electrical took place, and the built-in seating was built yesterday, but we've still got flooring, cabinets, countertops, etc. Last night was the first night of microwave Stouffers meals and I swear we'll die before it's over with! :blink: Sorry-- I am whining. I realize it will be spectacular when it's done, and the reno was SO sorely needed, so I'm really not ungrateful--- just ready to be done already! Thanks for all the great ideas! My 77 year old mother lives with us and she's not much into Mexican/Tex-Mex, which seems to be a lot of what you suggested, but we can adapt some I"m sure. astrid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wabi Sabi Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 Another vote here for picking up a few inexpensive small appliances: an electric tea kettle, maybe an electric skillet, a George Foreman style grill, maybe a camp stove or a toaster oven. I'd imagine that even $20 at Goodwill or another thrift store could get you several items that would be adequate for a short period of time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 I would, some night when you have time, grill a bunch of chicken breasts. You can use them over salad, in sandwiches, and microwaved quickly to warm with cheese over them (& serve with marinara sauce). I would also see if you could prep a couple of things at a friend's house to bring home--hardboiled eggs, some pasta, etc. You could do all of your prep work in an hour or so and eat more easily through the week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jules Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 Here's a quick crock pot recipes without needing other appliances.... 1 large can chicken and rice soup 1 can black beans 1 can corn 1 can salsa 1 t. cumin I drain the corn and the beans, so it is a bit thicker, to use as a dip with the toritillas. We use this as a quick meal on the weekends. Let simmer in the crock pot and then serve with tortilla chips. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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