For last night’s dinner I managed to have a trifecta of non-kitchen appliance use. Here’s what I did:
- Cooked pork in the Crock-Pot. (It’s the salad-dressing recipe, which my husband announced he no longer likes. Great.)
- Steamed broccoli in the rice cooker (yet another misnomer)
- Baked potatoes on the grill
The only problem with this scenario? Our grill quite literally went down in flames last night. How do you know your grill is done for? When there are flames shooting out the back and the bottom falls out–still flaming. Thankfully we got 12 inches of snow this weekend so the fire got doused on contact. Unfortunately, the flames were also shooting around inside the grill, leaving us with potatoes that were quite toasty and burned–but still somewhat yummy.
I’ve got meatballs in the freezer that I think I’ll cook, with pasta, in the rice cooker for tomorrow’s dinner. With my grill out of commission, I have one less option for cooking meat.
This whole “cooking without a kitchen” has been an interesting experiment in being frugal–and not taking the easy way out and getting take out–but I must admit that the novelty has officially worn off.
READ LEAH ON HOME GOES STRONG
You’re coping much better than I would have — I surely would be relying far too heavily on the microwave for meals.
How much longer until you have a functioning kitchen again?
Jen:
We have a freezer full of Lean Cuisines (got them for $1.66 on sale at ShopRite), and I’m thinking this might be the dinner option for the next few days.
We are having the floors redone this week, then they have to “cure” for another week, so by the end of February we should be able to start installing the kitchen cabinets. So maybe the first week of March I’ll be cooking WITH a kitchen again?!
Leah,
You are being such a good sport about this. And you still have the offer of my kitchen. Try doing baked potatoes or sweet potatoes in your fireplace. Just wrap them in foil and lay them near the coals for about an hour. You can eat them that night or reheat them in the microwave the next day. I do it all the time.
Hi, Dee Dee:
I never thought about potatoes in the fireplace. I’m going to have to try that!
Thank you for the offer of your oven, too!
Leah
Big fan of your blog and wanted to share a recipe I found on all recipes that you can modify in alot of ways!
Chicken breasts in the crockpot with 2 cups of broth, a cup of water. Poultry seasoning, garlic (cloves or seasoning) salt pepper cook on low 5-6 hrs or high 2-3…(we sometimes put oregano in it too smell good)
This is our favorite chicken not moist in the middle but goes with rice, pasta (creamy pesto is favorite) or just about anything! So easy and so good…hope maybe this would help your husband!
Good luck! My mother tore out a 60 year old kitchen and lived with an oven in a barn for a month!
Thanks for the chicken recipe. I’ll give that one a go!
Leah
I’m new to your blog and not sure if you’re an iPhone user, but Crock Pot has a free app that has tons of recipes. It’s helped me figure out quick, healthy dinners at least once a week since I started using it.
I am NOT an iPhone user-I much prefer Verizon over AT&T–but it’s good to know that app is out there. I wonder if it works on ALL Smart Phones? Thanks for sharing that tip.
Leah
You should recognize that the purchase of a new grill is actually the frugal response to this situation. For the cost of 1 or 2 meals out for you and the family — depending on how frugally you eat out — you can purchase a mid-range Weber grill that will last for years.
Also, when we were without a stove (long story — don’t ask) I learned to cook salmon in the dishwasher. season a skinless fillet (I bought them frozen at Costco.) with salt and pepper and whatever herbs and spices you like. place in a ziplock bag (I add a tablespoon of white wine), squeeze the air out, then double wrap it completely and tightly in foil. Place in the upper rack of the dishwasher and set it for heated dry. Let her rip!
Aidan:
Great suggestions. We actually have a mini Weber “clamshell” grill in the shed that we’re planning to put into rotation. Love the idea of salmon in the dishwasher but how do you prevent the dishes from smelling fishy?
Leah