We are entering week four of no kitchen due to our water heater leak.
Our kitchen is in the middle of remediation, and we got insurance approval Friday, so I’m hoping that this will be our last week sans kitchen. It’s very frustrating. My oven and stove are inaccessible, so I’m relying a lot on my sweet air fryer/convection oven/toaster combo (Like this one, but ours is bigger), microwave, and fridge for this week (and probably next week too). I planned, but I’m not 100% committed to anything. I took the big kid grocery shopping on Saturday to pick up lunch food and find some stuff to keep their little tummies full. I’m trying really hard to have food at home that the kids can eat, so we aren’t going out to eat.
Our veggies and fruit are delivered by Yasukochi Family Farms CSA. For $28, it’s a great deal. I don’t have to pick anything, go to the store, or carry it upstairs. I can’t go to the store and get the same amount we get weekly for $25. Seriously. It’s a deal. They email a preview of what will be in the boxes over the weekend, so I can start thinking about what I’d like to make.
We’ve been trying a lot of new foods lately, thanks to the really great freebies from Social Nature lately too. It’s fun to try new foods.
For those of you that are new to meal planning, I’ve got an easy 101 style post here with super easy tips and steps. After you get that down, here is info about batch or freezer cooking.
I’ve gotten a pretty good inventory of the pantry, freezer, and fridge done (I try to update it after every shopping trip), so I’m able to plan meals and use up what we’ve got with little waste.
I only post our dinner plans for the week, because our other meals are usually the same each day.
Breakfast: Coffee with 1/2 and 1/2 for me, and pancakes or something along those lines for the kids. They are also into fruit and bagels for breakfast. Lately, the big kid has been digging protein shakes in the morning. This is his favorite kind.
Lunch: I have a plastic tote in the cupboard full of self-serve snacks. I buy treats and snacks in bulk and fill up snack-sized zip-top bags. I’m back to packing lunches again. However, school lunches are free this year- Little Bit has been buying her lunch and expanding her palate.
Dinner: I’m leaning heavily on the CSA box this week, and what’s in the fridge. All of my pantry is packed up, and I don’t have access to 90% of my kitchen. I will be taking my CSA box over to my mom’s house today or tomorrow to do some prep- roasting veggies, making salad.
- Monday: Nug night- crinkle fries, apple slices & strawberries
- Tuesday: Soup, fruit, and bagels
- Wednesday: Mac n’ Cheese (I got some frozen Stouffer’s brand at the grocery store), veggies (cucumbers and carrots), fruit salad, and toast
- Thursday: I really want to make a pot roast in the crock pot, but I don’t know what box mine is packed into. So we may end up grazing.
- Friday: Takeout night!
- Saturday: Leftovers
- Sunday: Who Knows, by Sunday I may have lost my marbles if the kitchen isn’t done.
Our floor has been installed in the kitchen, and the stove has been reinstalled. Check out my lovely new tile, and my stunning kitchen rug. We have the same pattern rugs in different sizes in the hallway and the entryway.
We’re getting towards the end of our reconstruction. I know I said that last week, but there isn’t much left. The cabinets will be installed next, and then the water heater can be installed.
One thing I’ve been doing is reframing chores and tasks around the home as Care Tasks. This makes them morally neutral. There is no shame, no guilt. These are tasks we do to take care of our home and our family. Thanks to KC Davis (You may know her as Domestic Blisters on TikTok, her website is 
