Feeding 9 People Without Access to a Kitchen

Mike sanded and stained the kitchen floor on Wednesday and Thursday. We didn't have access to the stove, freezer or refrigerator. I took the homeschooled children to MacDonald's for lunch Wednesday, which they thought was a real treat. Wednesday night we had burgers on the grill, carrots, apples, and chips for supper. Rain started falling Thursday morning and continued through Saturday night. Grilling became more difficult, until we put the grill on the front porch Saturday.

Thursday, everyone had granola bars and pop tarts for breakfast with an apple. Mac Donald's for lunch and supper that night was pizza from Little Caesars with carrots and celery. I could feel my arteries hardening and was dying for more fresh, real food.

Friday, we once again ate granola bars or pop tarts for breakfast with bananas. I picked up a cooler, ice, and ingredients for subs for lunch. We had hot
dogs cooked on the grill for dinner Friday night. Joe (my hero) grilled the hot dogs in the pouring rain, using the lid to the sandbox as an umbrella.

Saturday was another granola and pop tarts morning with apples. We had subs for lunch and salad with rotisserie chicken from the grocery store for supper. Joe went mushroom hunting and gathered a bag of mushrooms which he cooked in a fry pan on the grill.

Sunday everyone had fruit for breakfast. Could it be that my children were finally sick and tired of granola bars and pop tarts? We had left over hot dogs, subs or chicken for lunch and a fresh rotissorie chicken with cottage cheese, apples and broccoli for supper.

Sunday evening when Mike came home from work, he went over the still tacky floor with mineral spirits, so we could walk on the kitchen again. I spent several hours cleaning dust (from sanding the floors) off of the counters, cabinet doors and appliances.

It was wonderful to have all my appliances, running water, and dishes at my disposal again. Next time we do work on flooring, I hope to have more time to prepare for being kitchen-less. I might even move the refrigerator into the dining room temporarily.

The kitchen floor didn't turn out the way we had wanted. Mike knows how to fix it, but has decided that he doesn't want to strip the floors again and put the kitchen off limits for several days. Probably next month, he'll install the same flooring that we put into the dining room and bathroom. I feel bad that he worked so hard and put in so much time on this floor and still has more work to do.