“Everything happens in the kitchen. Life happens in the kitchen.” – Andrew Zimmern

While your kitchen is a work in progress, you have limited access to one of your home’s most frequently used spaces, yet the daily question of “What’s for dinner tonight?” never seems to take a break!

Stress during a kitchen remodel is normal and may be unavoidable. However, there are certainly ways you can minimize the impact on your daily life as much as possible during this busy time. Here are some helpful tips to make cooking and cleaning during your renovation a breeze!

Temporary Kitchen Corner

Eating out every meal can become quite expensive during a kitchen renovation, especially for a large family. We are often asked for suggestions on feeding the family at home without access to a cooktop or oven. Our answer is always a kitchen corner! Identify a space in your home that can house a folding table, some electric kitchen appliances, and your refrigerator. This could be a corner of your living or dining room, a spare room, or even a spacious closet. The folding table gives you space to store pantry items, dishes, food preparation utensils, and any small kitchen appliances that will be useful while the rest of your kitchen is packed away in boxes. At the beginning of your renovation, we will relocate your fridge to your kitchen corner. See our Meal Planning section below for more suggestions for cooking without a kitchen! Here are some electric appliances to consider for your temporary kitchen.

  • Countertop Microwave
  • Crock Pot
  • Instant Pot
  • Air Fryer
  • Blender

Dishes

Doing the dishes hardly counts as fun- even with a dishwasher and a functional kitchen sink., It quickly loses even more appeal when you have to cart dirty dishes into the bathroom for a scrub-down in the shallow bathroom sink (or bathtub)! Consider stocking up on disposable kitchen items, such as paper plates, paper towels, and plastic cutlery, and reduce the need to wash. A more sustainable option is to set out a “dirty dish bin” in your kitchen corner to collect plates and cutlery used over a couple of days, and ask a friendly neighbor or family member to allow you access to a dishwasher cycle every few days. Also, an often forgotten item is your kitchen trash can. If you have a trash can built into your cabinet, you’ll want to purchase a portable one that can make due until you’re back in your kitchen! Below is a quick list of some items to have on hand.

  • Trash Can
  • Clorox Wipes
  • Solo Cups
  • Plastic Cutlery
  • Paper Plates
  • Paper Towels
  • Dirty Dish Bin

In the time leading up to your renovation, start paying close attention to which kitchen items and spices you use most frequently. Do you have a favorite knife you always use during food prep? Perhaps you use that one Cajun seasoning in just about everything? Do you find yourself reaching for the cutting board or the air fryer? Pick these items and plan on setting them aside for easy access. To make it even easier, consider purchasing a see-through storage container for your kitchen corner that you can easily label. It can slide under your folding table to be out of the way yet quickly accessible.

Coffee

Did you know that in the United States, 64% of Americans drink coffee? According to a study by the National Coffee Association, 79% of people who drank coffee within the last day brewed their coffee at home. As you prepare to be out of the kitchen for a while, don’t forget the coffee! If your kitchen corner is already full, consider utilizing your dining table as a stand-in coffee bar, complete with your favorite Keurig or french press. Alternatively, stock up on gift cards for your favorite local coffee joint! It’s a win-win; you get fresh coffee while supporting your local baristas.

Meal Planning

Since you may have to say goodbye to using your stove, oven, or other built-in appliances for a little while, consider starting a Pinterest board with some delicious-looking Instant Pot or CrockPot recipes. We recommend preparing some freezer meals ahead of time that could be tossed in a crock pot or electric pressure cooker straight from the freezer. This is a great way to reduce the meal prep dishes and feed the family at home! As a bonus, this saves precious evening meal-prep time for a busy family. If you need some meal prep inspiration, check out Power Meal Prep for some delicious recipes to get you started!

If you have leftovers from your Crockpot dinner, consider investing in some good Tupperware for freezing leftovers. Soups and stews freeze well and are quick and easy to reheat in the microwave.

For sides, it may be helpful to start considering what foods can be bought, canned, or pre-made from the grocery store. Doing this will help reduce the time you spend on meal prep, reducing those dishes! However, that doesn’t mean it’ll be chips and fruit snacks as a side every day (sorry, kids)! For example, a bag of pita chips or pretzels and some pre-made hummus make for a quick and delicious lunchtime side. If your microwave is available, frozen bags of veggies that steam themselves in the microwave are perfect for a dinner side that negates the need for any vegetable peeling, washing, or stove use.

Treat Yourself!

Of course, even with all the meal prep in the world, cooking and the following clean-up can be exhausting. Don’t forget to give yourself a break and go out and support some local restaurants! Maybe escape for a date night or get the kids out of the house to blow off some steam. There are plenty of fantastic dining options in Denton County. Here are some of our favorites!

*Restaurants below being added to Google Map*

Denton:

  • LSA Burger Co.
  • Seven Mile Cafe
  • 940’s Kitchen and Cocktails
  • Rusty Taco
  • Barley & Board

Argyle:

  • Earl’s 377 Pizza
  • 407 BBQ
  • Kimzey’s Coffee
  • Bumbershoot BBQ

Flower Mound/Bartonville:

  • Marty B’s
  • Verf’s Grill & Tavern
  • Prime Farm to Table
  • Hillside Fine Grill
  • Enzo’s NY Pizzeria

Give Yourself Some Grace

We understand how stressful of a time this can be and want you to know that we’re here with you every step of the way. Remember, each dish washed in the bathroom sink and each cup of coffee you make in the dining room is getting you one step closer to that first meal in your dream kitchen. This renovation won’t last forever!

For helpful hints and imp information, visit us at www.irwinbuilds.com or find us on social media!

[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]