Survival Mode Food Prep

Okay, peeps.

Let’s talk about how scared I am to be entering this next, very major, stage of our home restoration.

The stage where we lose our entire kitchen.

Cabinets, appliances, countertops, and the freaking sink. It’s all gotta go to make way for the hardwood flooring installation.

We’ve held on to functionality for as long as possible, but...the. time. has. come. (So scared).

Now.

You might think I’d be throwing a parade right about now. Hanging up my (nonexistent) apron, kicking my heels up, and refreshing my food delivery apps. Settling in for a forced hiatus from exhaustive meal duty. Amen, hallelujah. 

Alas...NOPE.

Not our reality, round these parts.

As I’ve mentioned oodles of times on this here blog, we are deep in the weeds of an investigative health year for my hubby, relating to looooooong term food issues. Immunologist, rheumatologists, gastroenterologists, nutritionists, allergists, general practitioners. I mean...you name it, we’ve been pursuing it. And his diet is about as restrictive as it gets.

Just think of a meal you love to eat or cook, and I can GUARANTEE YOU there are many, many ingredients in there that he can’t have.

In fact, it’s easier to list the things he can eat than make a list of his exclusions.

Oye, oye, oye, oye, oye.

It’s a good thing he’s so funny and handsome. ‘Cause he is HIGH MAINTENANCE.

And my panic over losing our kitchen and still being able to shove enough food his way is REAL.

So, today, I dragged the kiddos to a super-speedy round of grocery shopping after school, and then spent two hours deep in the weeds of survival cooking.

Meal prep for at least the next week of dinners that I can literally pull out of the garage freezer and dump into a crockpot (with a liner, as I won’t have a kitchen sink or garbage disposal), and plug that handy dandy slow cooker in ANYWHERE there is a construction-free zone.

At least it will be one daily, hubby-safe meal we can count on. 

These are my new favorite, clutch kitchen gadgets. These stands that can hold open a bag (of any size, as they are adjustable), so you load your meal, leftovers, what-have-you while it’s standing. And it’s hands-free. Brilliant!





And here are the meals I’ve locked and loaded. Please note: food photographer, I am NOT. And these are all reusable gallon-sized baggies, despite the angle that makes them seem deceptively small, so trust me when I say they are PACKED with ingredients.

A roast with potatoes, carrots and mushrooms:




Orange kitchen (before the marinade):




Cranberry BBQ chicken (before the marinade):




Pineapple chicken:




Beef vegetable  soup, with potatoes, carrots, peas, zucchini, squash and celery:




Chicken sausage and peppers (and bonus green beans):




And lemon artichoke chicken:

Oye.

It was ALOTTA work. But I’m hoping it will help us manage. Until this time next week, when I’ll have to figure out how to prep another week’s worth without any sort of kitchen.

Gonna get creative up in here.

Definitely not the first time we’ve survived home renovation craziness, but definitely the toughest time with the hubby’s food restrictions.

So...wish us luck.

Countertops are being removed in the morning. Heeeeere we go.

(Off to go back some more dishes up.)

Over and out.