no kitchen-what to eat?

I could live on cheese ploughman's washed down with ginger beer - yes I know it sounds like an Enid a Blyton picnic.

Mine is nearly 30 years old (we have had a new cooker, tiles and worktop.)

My kitchen is nearly 20 years old. The cooker I bought then has given up the ghost. A couple of years ago after two £150 repairs we decided the next big repair meant replacement. Well, the electronic timer went a couple of months ago putting the oven it controlled out of action so we decided that it had reached the end of its useful life. The cost of a new clock, could we find a compatible one, would be extortionate. let alone the cost of fitting it, so the new cooker arrives at the end of the month.

We are now in the early stages of considering replacing the kitchen. Several hinges have gone, the worktop is damaged and several of the base cupboard doors are disintegrating. It was quite an expensive kitchen when installed but the manufacturer has since got so expensive that while I would like a new kitchen from the same manufacturer, I cannot now afford it.

Given the time it usually takes us to go from first contemplating doing something like renewing the kitchen to actually doing it. The kitchen is going to be with me for another three or four years.

I once bought a kitchen from MFI and the drawer runners had all come off within two years. That was 20 years ago.

Must have been lucky then, my drawers are fine!

We often moved to houses where no-one cooked. I have always made all my own pickles/jams/bread and use a dehydrator, I need a lot of storage. So small cupboards out, large cupboards in. Plus we are now in our 12th house in 20 years.

But the cupboards don't seem to be lasting as long now. Drawer runners fall off, veneers peel away and so on. I shan't replace mine, I shall paint it all and freshen it up and DBH always fixes it - one fell off the wall one night. One unit is coming away from the back very slowly. Maybe it's the installers rather than the manufacturers, but I doubt it. Because after all they will want us to have to replace our kitchens.

Why do you all need new kitchens?

I'm still living with the one we had fitted nearly 20 years ago and there's nothing wrong with it. I have had a new fridge-freezer and cooker during that time, but that's all!

Seven years ago here!

But it's looking really tired now. They don't make them like they used to. [soundofviolinstrings] Either that or I have been forced to do far too much cooking.

Maybe that's it - kitchens nowadays are only meant to look nice and heat up ready meals!

No, not for the last eight years!

No! Only new tops on my 20yearold kitchen

I am getting thoroughly depressed now.

Everyone has had a new kitchen.

I've just had, smoked salmon and avocado.

Pompa that's the first time ive ever agreed with you. lol

I had my kitchen done and it just took 4 days but I made breakfast before the workmen came, they let me have electric and water on all night and fixed my cooker (gas) up every night till the new unit was fitted, they undid it each day. for lunch I just made sandwiches or salad, the workmen obligingly turned water on for me to make a drink and at night I waited till they had the cooker back on before I made my dinner. Those guys were fabulous, however I realise that Jools may be having much more work done than I had so I think that if it took weeks I would stick to sandwiches or toast for lunch and follow Pompas advice for evening meal.
When my kitchen was finished was the hardest as I had to get used to a temperamental lob and a fan oven which was much hotter than the old gas range, so much burned offerings at first.

I even managed to cook spaghetti in the microwave when we moved here and were cookerless for three weeks. I boiled the water in the kettle, poured it over the pasta and carried on microwaving it. I didn't even have the luxury of pre-cooked meals as we had been in a rented house between sales. The odd microwavable ready meal, lots of fish and chicken. Veg is brilliant in a microwave. Rice is fine. Scrambled egg, omelette, all ok too. Tomatoes, mushrooms, you can even 'fry' onions by chopping them, putting them in a bowl with oil and just keeping on cooking them until they go crispy at the edges. It does take a bit longer but you get used to it. One meal a week out minimum, or I would have gone mad, but I had a 12 year at home at the time so doing that too often wasn't an option. Bacon is good if you cook it in a plastic toast rack on its side.

Pompa has the best idea! but we managed well with take aways, the pub and the microwave when forced to do so. And a few bottles in the fridge in the garage....

My son and DIL moved in to a house that needed major renovation last May and are still without a kitchen! They seem to be doing what pompa suggested as they have hardly taken up any of my offers to come to eat - too busy renovating and decorating. Still it is beginning to look delightful - Edwardian and Arts and Craft.

My halogen oven is big enough to roast a leg of lamb but I do have the metal ring which goes on top to make it deeper. They are economical to use and handy when you need extra oven space.
The only thing I have not been so happy with is baking a cake or scones.

My SIL has a halogen oven and swears by it. I have no idea how it works, except that it plugs in and isn't very large.

some great ideas here. many thanks. i think im leaning towards the eating out school of thought. hope the bank balance can stand it

That's the spirit vegas!

I'll second those of the Why Bother brigade. When mine was being done - 3 weeks of a job - I took to going out for a late breakfast mid-morning. The trouble was that when the job was finished I still had a hankering for a full English every morning and had to take myself in hand.

We had ours done last year, and lived in the front room with a kettle and microwave. I'm with pompa and whenim - microwave, takeaways and the pub. I found MnS ready food pretty good, and we have a Le Reuter Bangladeshi take away down the road, plus excellent pub food. I was ready for home cooking by the time the kitchen was done though

I bought a cheap mini oven when ours was redone a few years ago and found it invaluable. I loaned it to a few people in the same situation afterwards but the last people who borrowed it never returned it!!

We had ours done last year and ate out a lot, mostly at lunchtimes to get away from the noise and mess in the house. Once we'd had a pub lunch or whatever we didn't need a big cooked meal in the evening. We also got invites from friends and neighbours which we accepted. We stocked up on M and S dine out stuff when they had offers. And we did stock up on our own cooked meals in the freezer. Got to quite enjoy tinned soup and baked beans. It wasn't that bad an experience!

Great suggestions, I think cooking now and freezing in individual portions...cottage pie, spag bog (for baked potatoes), casseroles, soups.
Buy nice fresh crusty bread.
McCain's frozen baked potatoes are ok in an emergency.