Kitchen Remodel Week 6 - It's Coming Together

 

I waited an hour too long to order my appliances last week, so last week and most of this one was a bust.  They couldn't do anything (so they said) because they needed the appliances in before they did anything.  I'm not really sure why they couldn't do the backsplash and some of the minor details, but it's finally coming together.

They finished up the backsplash yesterday.  Today, the appliances came and the electrician mostly hooked them up.  There is a problem with the hood and garbage disposal install, but they said they should get that done first thing next week. There are some minor details to go (like trim, some backsplash tiles are missing too) but hopefully it will be inspected and released next week.  I'll go into detail on some of the appliances, design thoughts and special touches when it's ready to go.

My Menu:

Some of the stuff I ate this week:

Hummus, not the kind with listeria.

Sandwiches, an old standby.

Black bean enchiladas

I also made some drawer dividers.  You can buy drawers with dividers built in, but that cost a lot.  I had to trim the budget somewhere.  Buying the gourmet range really tipped my budget into the danger category, so I didn't get all the fancy add-ons with the cabinets.  These are pretty easy to make (and I made two different types).  When I get the kitchen together, I'll write up a little tutorial on them.

I am waiting to put the drawers together until they are finished making dust in there.  As you can see, when I designed the dividers, the drawer pulls weren't even on.  They were added today.

Kitchen Remodel Week 5: Countertops and Sink

 At least we're making progress.  This week they added the sink and finally the countertops.   That being said, they didn't come everyday this week.  It was my fault.  They asked me to order my appliance before noon on Tuesday and I didn't get the message until 12:30.

Because I didn't order my appliance, they won't be until May 22.  That's fine.  It will just be a bit longer to finish up.

The countertops are contrasting colors or quartz by Cambria. 

Oh, and the sink actually works.  I can't tell you how much of a difference a sink makes.   I think kitchen designers should actually try to install a working sink as soon into the process as they can.

Kitchen Remodel Week 3 and 4 - My Rival Roaster

I didn't write about my kitchen last week because they didn't do much.  This week they've been moving right along.  Cabinets are installed, flooring is set and I finished painting, except for the trim.  I'm sure next week will be slow because they have to order and get the countertops.

I was going to document what I ate everyday of the remodel, but to  be quite honest, the past few weeks has been mostly sandwiches.  Those are quite boring to photograph.  Plus, the last week was a week when I worked all night, so I was really too tired (they are quite loud) to even care if I ate.

Kitchen remodel = A whole lot of sandwiches

This is actually leftover Chinese rice with some fresh steamed veggies.  Yup, I ate Chinese takeout.  I'm not ashamed.

But, I do need to sing the praises of my Rival Roaster Oven.  I bought this last year on sale at Wal-Mart (for $10) and I've only used it once since I bought it.  I used it to keep stuff warm at Thanksgiving.  I've always thought it was a useless and big, and mostly takes up space (it doesn't even really have a place to live.  It was above my washer and dryer). I decided to try it out during the kitchen remodel and this thing is great.


I already wrote about baking bread in it, which is pretty amazing.  This week I made Hasselbeck potatoes in it.  You can't do that well in a microwave.  They were perfectly crispy on the outside and done on the inside.  It took about an hour, but that's about the same for a regular oven.  The ones I make in the oven seem to separate and fan out more, but they were still delicious.

I also made baked ziti.  This one has Greek yogurt, some frozen mixed vegetables ad spinach baked in.  It got all crispy on top too.  It was great.

 

I had to cook the pasta to almost done in the microwave, but I don't think fully microwaved ziti would taste as great as real baked ziti.  I know I couldn't do the enchiladas I had last week, bread or hasselbeck potatoes in a microwave.  The other option would be the outdoor grill, but it's been rainy and yucky.

If you're having your kitchen redone, I highly recommend  one of these things!