The End- Last Post

We could keep this going forever, but all good things must end.  There are a few very small odds and ends for the contractor to finish up, but for the most part, our remodel is complete.  This will be my last post on this blog. The end result is beyond my wildest expectations and imagination.  Every time I walk into the kitchen, I am amazed by how beautiful the space is.  I feel like I'm living in a showroom!  We still have tons of boxes to move and unpack.  I've been surprised at how much I use both of the ovens- in the old kitchen, I think I compromised on temperature with multiple items more than I realized.  The simmer burners on the new cooktop are simply amazing- there is more gas coming in, but the Dacor burners control the temperature so much better than the JenAir.   The counter space is perfect, even though I keep thinking the fridge is in the old space!!!

We toasted the end with a sparkling wine from Domaine Ste. Michelle. 

We pondered our final dinner for the last post for over a month.  In the end, we chose crab and brie stuffed halibut with a white wine buerre blanc sauce from my Jake's cookbook paired with  Lange Reserve Pinot Gris.  I've made this recipe many times over the years, but it was fabulous tonight- I credit the Dacor. 

My reflection over the last 13 weeks... there is an "industry standard" for everything.  Know what that is, and if you are going outside the standard, make sure what you want is what you get.  Make sure you don't cause any delays.  Pick the right contractor.  All things being equal, pick someone that you would imagine being friends with.  You will spend lots of time with them, they'll be in your home for weeks.  Picture yourself seeing them every morning.  If there are problems, who do you want to deal with?  If you like them, chances are, you'll like their subs too.  Did our project go perfectly- you already know not so much.  We've never regretted our choice in contractor.  Mike Holmes- do it right, meet Steve Heiteen Portland Remodel- do it right.  We've already asked him to help us with another project.  No regrets.

5S at Home

There are some people who think there is no place for Lean at home.  Just like those who say you can't bake without ovens, I have to prove how mistaken some can be.  I've applied 5S to the kitchen.  It takes a bit longer, but I think the results will be better.
Sort- as I packed everything, I sorted through and got rid of things that were old and we don't use.
Shine- as everything is being put back, it's being cleaned and shined.
Set in order and Standardize- check out the pictures below!  Why wouldn't you keep things together- rice with the rice cooker.  Just saying. 
Sustain- I think we're going to make this work!

Q1

We have officially ended week twelve.  The good news is that it appears to be week twelve of thirteen!  We received a gift for the kitchen of an Angel of the Kitchen (thanks Paula)- I'm thinking it will bring good luck!  All appliances are in and working.  The plumbing is complete.  The floors received their final coat on Thursday.  Yesterday we moved some of our furniture back in- what we can move ourselves.  We had company for dinner last night and ate at the kitchen table in the kitchen!  I am typing this at my new kitchen counter, sipping a freshly brewed cup of coffee and the TV is playing in the background.  The crew is scheduled to return tomorrow to finish up a few final details.  They'll move the larger furniture, and they'll will also haul away the old refrigerator that is still sitting in the dining room.  And now the slow process of moving back in begins.  What goes where is going to take some time!

And The Answer Is...

The first thing I made in the new ovens was cinnamon rolls.  Used my old recipe, but used the "proof" option on the ovens, ready to bake in 20 minutes!  I would have liked to bake more, but I was back on painting duty.  Not sure when construction will be complete, but based on all the boxes I dug through this weekend looking for various items, the reload of the kitchen will not be completed overnight!

While the proofing option on the oven worked really well, the simmer option on the range top was a complete surprise.  How a 18,000 btu burner can also slowly simmer BBQ sauce without boiling for 2 hours is beyond me, but it works!  Never happened on the JennAir.

It was Master's Weekend, which is James' Super Bowl stretched out over multiple days.  I'm not sure if he's really that into watching, or rather enjoying the food fest that he partakes in each year...  Link to the meal log:  Meal Log

Another One Bites The Dust...

Another week down, week eleven to be specific.  We had some significant events this week.  The range top has been permanently installed; gas and downdraft working.  We officially cooked with gas on Thursday night.  How fitting that I made stir fry the first night in the temporary kitchen and stir fry was on the menu for the first night on the new stove.  There is a lot of gas coming out of that 3/4" dedicated line!  I'm pondering what to bake first in the oven.

The range top was a move forward, but we also have re-work too.  The dry wall guy was back to do some patching.  You know what that means...  I'm back in my painting clothes, repainting several walls.  It was much less stressful when there was nothing in the kitchen.

There will be no more delivery people skipping to the loo in front of our house, the porta potty was hauled off as well.  Not sure where the postman will be reading our magazines. 

The list is much smaller than it was, but there are a few key elements that keep us from fully moving back in, like cabinet doors...  The floors need the finish coat.  We are hoping soon, but are trying not to get too excited.

On to week twelve...

The Thrill is Gone

Sorry BB, nothing personal.  As we begin Week Eleven (of we aren't sure how many), it has officially gotten old.  We've conquered all sorts of odd baking in the Traeger, and have run out of new ideas.  We've found some interesting ways to use the rice cooker/steamer/slow cooker.  We've discovered a few times that our dining room was not really wired to run a refrigerator, a microwave and an induction burner all at the same time.  The living room is not wired to support television electronics, reading lights and the coffee roaster either.

Dinner is cooking in the kitchen tonight (in the slow cooker, don't get too excited), we're going to throw caution to the wind and eat in the kitchen tonight, and use real dishes (because we've been using the dishwasher appliance for a few days), and we don't care who you tell!

Today marks the official end of Spring Break here, so we're expecting to see the action pick up dramatically in the coming days.  At our last tally, all the subs will have to return with the exception of the tile and counter guys.  We're thinking two more weeks, but we've been wrong before...

Here's a link to the latest meal log:  http://talesofaremodel.blogspot.com/2012/01/meal-log.html

Handles and Knobs are...

On the cabinets!  Well some of them anyway.  The installer forgot the door from before, and the electricians weren't as careful as they should have been, so a couple doors and drawer fronts will be replaced.  Other than that, we like how the hardware looks on the cabinets instead of just sitting on a shelf in the cabinets!  We decided to go with knobs for cabinets, and handles for the drawers.  We have been cleared to begin to put things back into the cabinets that are complete.  My shoe rack may soon be converting back from it's pantry duties!

We've opted to leave the protective plastic film on the ovens and not use them.  Lesson learned from the electricians and the cabinets...  I have used the microwave a couple times. 

The range top was taken out and put back in several more times this week.  The painter stopped by to get a sample of the trim color he needs to match.  He said he'll be back on Monday morning to paint the  trim.  Today the gas line was run into the house into the shut off valve, the duct work was installed for the downdraft, the pressure regulator was installed, the line was pressurized and now we wait for an inspection before it can actually be hooked up.  We are still waiting to cook with gas...  

Tonight I was able to park in the garage, the first time in over a month.  I might have to wash it this weekend to celebrate.  And thus marks the end of week ten of eight.

She's Gonna Blow!

No, not Jeanne, sorry.  Today the remote blower was set into place.  When we looked at our options for a downdraft (instead of a hood), we had two choices; either sacrifice island space for an inside blower, or get a remote one.  We opted for the remote blower with no idea what it would look like or how it will work.  When the appliances were delivered, we saw the size, but a picture paints a thousand words, check out the size of the blower.  Electricity isn't hooked to it yet, so we don't yet have an idea of the noise level.  That's for another post.

The guy doing the install is over 6'...  It's a little muddy in the yard, and as he was finishing up outside, he slipped and got a little muddy so no more indoor work today at our house.  We are hopeful that this will be the final week, but we'll see.

Week Nine

Was an evolution.  We started the week not knowing the schedule, and by Tuesday, we were planning on spending a couple nights in a hotel so that the floor could be re-sanded, stained, and sealed.  Since one of us has to work, we stayed close to home.  As you can see from the meal log, our dinners out increased dramatically.

And so we begin Week Ten.  I broke open my emergency remodel kit yesterday and spent the afternoon today enjoying some pampering at my favorite spa.  I think I'm ready for the week to come.  We have no schedule (long list of things to be done), but we are planning to offset our dining out with more home cooking this week.

Here's the link to the Meal Log:  http://talesofaremodel.blogspot.com/2012/01/meal-log.html

What would you do?

It's the end of week nine of eight.  The floors have been redone.  It's March and 63 degrees outside and sunny.  What would you do?  I'll tell you what I did:  broke open the "Emergency Remodel" kit James gave me for Christmas and I followed the advice of my friend Lori.  I went for the Patron.  My daughter Lori would have never given this advice as she was hoping the Patron would make it to her place.

Did I mention it's the end of week nine of eight...

One step forward, two steps back...

Today, the tile guy came back to seal the back splash in the kitchen and remove row six of the splash in the powder room.  We'd asked for five, and he thought it was an error, not so much.  The electricians got to work, finishing the cans, and adding wall switches, hooking up the dishwasher, and putting in the wall ovens!!!  The best part of the day was the phone call where I got to explain to them how the existing dimmers worked.  I do know my electrics!

The under cabinet lights look really good, they'll be framed in by some sort of panel by the cabinet people.

You can see the wall ovens in the photo below, and they look fantastic.  They'll look much better when we remove the protective covering, but that will wait.  You'll also notice in that photo that the floors look like the stain has been sanded off.  Well, it has.  We had the flooring contractor start all over.  Our contractor titled this effort the "ripple removal project".  We have every confidence that the second time will be the charm.

First

Like a baby's first tooth, we have our first... ice cube.  In week nine of eight, it's the little things that keep you sane.

Week Eight

We have now crossed week eight off the calendar.  This was originally the last week of the schedule, but we have discovered that one small delay can quickly push the other "subs" out on the schedule.  It's quite interesting to watch the juggling of everyone's schedules, not to mention the careful sequencing of activities to ensure everything is done right.  We don't have a new schedule because at this point, it depends...

The window has been framed in.  I'm very pleased with how it looks.  We had this odd tile sill in the old kitchen.  It looks much cleaner to have the window just framed.  It will be painted the trim color at some point.  After the delivery of the fridge, the plumber arrived to hook water up to it, as well as install the faucet.  We have running water in the sink!!!  Dish washing may have to relocate to real sinks.  The tumbled travertine back splash was installed, and next week will be sealed.  Electrical has also been scheduled for next week.

Meal log has been updated, click here for link:  http://talesofaremodel.blogspot.com/2012_01_01_archive.html

?? Weeks left.

Another delivery- no install

How ironic that after eight weeks, we've had multiple appliance deliveries, and not one has been installed and functional.  Today the refrigerator was suppose to be delivered and installed.  It's been delivered and placed into position, that's it.  It's quite complicated, the timing and staging of everything.  Still happy with what we've chosen, but cabin fever is running rampant...

Shhhhh, don't tell anyone

Now that we have countertops and stools, we ate dinner in the kitchen for the first time in seven weeks.  Hopefully we removed all the evidence...  We still don't have a dishwasher (not counting James), so pardon the paper plates.  We never ate dinner at the old island, so it was fun to sit at the new island and enjoy the food and the new view!  We both have the itch for this to be completed, but really like our cabinet, counter, flooring and appliance selections!

Ovens for Sale- Never Used

We misguidedly thought that a kitchen needs at least one oven.  We've found over the past seven weeks, not so much.  What do you need an oven for- baking cookies- nope, grill works.  Chicken wings- nope, grill works.  Baked potatoes- nope, slow cooker works for those.  Pizza- nope, grill works.  Meatloaf- nope, grill works.  Roasting vegetables- nope, grill works.  Creme Brulee- nope, grill works.  Back up- Creme Brulee???  Yup, that was the last thing we thought we needed an oven for, and as it turns out, the grill worked just fine.  We'll keep the ovens anyway, after all, we have a hole in the cabinets where they are suppose to be.

In other random items, the new barstools arrived this week.  We picked them up today, they are exactly what we ordered.  They look nice at the island and are quite comfy.  I'll have to enjoy them now, since I'll be on the "working side" after the kitchen is done!

The refrigerator will be delivered and INSTALLED on Tuesday.  The old one gets hauled away, bringing us a little closer to complete.

Porta Potty update, our neighbors are having their roof replaced.  I hope they got a nice discount because they didn't have to provide a porta potty.   You guessed it, they too were in line over here.

Two more weeks.  Wasn't that a line from a movie?!


Here's the link to the meal log: http://talesofaremodel.blogspot.com/2012_01_01_archive.html

 

Week Seven

Of Eight Nine.  If you read the earlier post, we've been pushed out a week.  The counterops went in today.  We spent about 2 hours straight standing in the kitchen admiring the beauty of the granite we selected.  As a couple, we've done a good job over the years of finding something we both like.  I wanted dark granite, he wanted something that wasn't solid black, but had some texture.  We made multiple visits to multiple granite places over December to find something we would both like.  We found a granite called Black Pearl at a place in Portland OR called Intrepid that was unlike anything we had seen.  You pick the slabs out vertical.  Then later, you see them horizontal and they don't look the same...  but luckily ours looked exactly like what we wanted- dark, but not plain black!  Love the fabricators at Stone Center (Jose), they did a great job, and the installers Jose and David.  Great attention to detail.  Would highly recommend.  We even got a great gift- a lazy Susan crafted from our own granite!  Two more weeks to go...

The countertops were cast in stone

But the schedule wasn't.  The countertops were scheduled to be installed on Monday, with everything tightly backed up to that event.  There was a delay and they won't be installed until today (Friday)...  Everything else had to be rescheduled...  The eight week project has quickly become a nine week project.  For the second time, two more weeks to go.  We still believe that we picked the right contractor, and that this isn't Ground Hog day.

Week Six- Complete

We have completed week six.  The floors were sanded, stained, and sealed over the past few days.  Since we decided to have the wood in the entryway and hall done, this meant that we had to find somewhere else to stay for a few nights.  We didn't feel we could travel too far, in case there were questions or last minute calls to be made.  So, we decided to do something different- we headed downtown to the big city for the weekend!  There wasn't even a toll for us burb dwellers.  We went shopping at some small shops, went to Saturday Market (the opening day!), and enjoyed some great coffee.  All our nights of eating at home were blown to pieces, as we dined out and had fabulous meals.  A little mini vacation, and we decided it was a great way to spend our time away.  All the windows are currently open to air the house out.

The next two weeks should be pretty insane with countertops, back splash, electrical, plumbing, appliance install, handles, knobs, trim, etc.  We apparently remain on schedule.  Wish us luck!

The meal log wasn't too exciting last week, it's a bit hard to top Traeger cookies, but here's the link.
http://talesofaremodel.blogspot.com/2012_01_01_archive.html

Before and After floors

Sh#$$er's Full!

If you've seen Christmas Vacation, you know what I mean.  If not, go watch it now.  Not much going on this week, so this won't have any pictures or big flashy updates.  Since things were ahead of schedule, and I chose to do most of the painting, this week was in a holding pattern until the floor people were available.   If you know me very well, you know I'm getting a bit of living/dining room fever.  Hurry up and wait are not terms in my vocabulary.  I might have to tap into my Christmas "remodel survival kit" that James gave me, choosing between Patron, Advil or spa...   Seems like the majority of the project currently rides squarely on the shoulders of the flooring and countertop sub's.  The granite we selected comes in quite large pieces, so if you are in need of some Black Pearl granite, we can make a deal.  Progress seems to wait for those two key elements.  Weeks 7 & 8 will be crazy.

I mentioned earlier that we had a lovely porta potty/honey bucket (insert your personal favorite) in the driveway for the workers.  It was for the workers of our remodel, but frankly, it has become quite popular with all workers.  UPS, FedEx, USPS...  seems that anyone who drives around delivering things for a living has somehow discovered (there must be an app for that) that if they need to relieve themselves, stop by our place and unload.  When the company came to clean it, they had to wait for the UPS guy to finish his business!  Our mailman stops by hours before he actually delivers on our street.  It could provide hours of amusement to just watch the trucks come and go.  We talked about installing a coin slot to offset the cost of the remodel, but we're too cheap to spring for that.  Casey (our project supervisor) said if you did, they'd just tip it over, and our driveway slopes towards the house, so no. 

Gotta go...

Bucket List

We wrapped up week five by baking cookies on the Traeger- cross one more thing off the Bucket List!  They are pretty tasty, no smoke at all.  It took a couple batches to get the timing down.  Saved some dough for later baking.

Week five was somewhat non-eventful since the cabinets were installed early.   The ovens weren't installed since the electrician didn't install the plugs yet.  Templates were made for the countertops, they will arrive in a couple weeks.  This coming week should be trim painted and installed.  Painting will be done by the professionals on that one.  The floors will be sanded, stained and sealed.  I'm thinking weeks 7&8 are going to be CRAZY!

Cooking adventures for the week besides the cookies; we found this great slow cooker recipe for Tinga (thank you Tammy).  It's cooking as I make this update and smells incredible.  It called for roasted peppers, so I pulled out the electric burner, cranked it to high and a few minutes later, we had roasted peppers.  The rice cooker/slow cooker was also responsible for yummy baked potatoes for last night's dinner.  I just washed up a couple russet's, poked a few holes and cooked them for a couple hours. We had our second restaurant meal of the remodel.   Here's a link to the meal log: 
http://talesofaremodel.blogspot.com/2012/01/meal-log.html

Three more weeks...

Range Top Is In

Apparently they had to get the range to out of it's box and place it in it's future home on the island to create the template for the countertop.  I'm pretty sure that the shims and extra chunks of wood holding it up will not be there when permanently installed.  It's a cruel trick so close and yet so far away...  I hear MC Hammer saying "can't touch this"

Appliances are in!

The garage that is, the car is not...  Plumbing fixtures appeared yesterday, just in time for the templates to be made for the counter tops tomorrow.  We are still on schedule.

Halfway Home

The end of week four- the official halfway mark.  We haven't killed each other or anyone else yet!  Things are going pretty well, in main part due to all the months of planning, picking the right contractor, and we're fortunate enough not to have to live in the actual space that's being worked on.  Having the cabinets in is a bit deceiving, it seems like we should be moving back in sooner than we will be.  We were in there talking over espresso this morning, and for a fleeting second I thought I'd put my cup in the kitchen sink.  Luckily it was only a thought cuz there is no sink...

Home cooking continues, no eating out last week.  We've decided to try and use the Traeger (pellet grill) as an oven- we may have to bake cookies just to say we did.  This week we roasted vegetables in it- they were delicious, just a little hint of smoke.  Keeping to one pot per meal has been working out pretty well.  I got a couple slow cooker ideas this weekend, so the rice cooker/steamer/slow cooker may be getting even more of a workout.  Here's a link to the meal log:   http://talesofaremodel.blogspot.com/2012/01/meal-log.html

Upcoming this week, templates will be made for the countertops.  We spent the better part of the weekend with our faux island top to finalize the exact placement of the island and size of the countertop.  Most of our appliances will be delivered this week- and possibly some might even be installed.

Change is Good

Things have changed dramatically in the last 24 hours.  The cabinets were suppose to be delivered today and installed on Monday and Tuesday.  Surprise- the installers came along with the cabinets.  They are in!!!  All we can say is "wow, we have good taste"!  The bubbly tonight will celebrate the halfway point on the calendar, and now our beautiful cabinets.  Tons more work to come, but it's coming together.  Here's a link to the before: http://talesofaremodel.blogspot.com/2012/01/final-weekend.html

Simple Update- no pictures

We're in the middle of week four.  I made a command decision that Friday night should entail a bit of bubbly to celebrate the halfway mark on the scheduled remodel!  The floors are going in this week, cabinets next week.  The flooring is really going far in joining the look of the kitchen and family rooms and making the space look larger.  My vision is coming to life!  I managed to get the ceiling finished with primer and paint.  Took the evening off from painting to enjoy a relaxing Valentines Day.  Put the final coat of "Serious Grey" in the powder room tonight.  Think I'll wait till the weekend to finish the walls in the kitchen.  You'll all have to wait to see if the kitchen walls end up the same vibrant color as the family room or the crisper color of the kitchen ceiling.  Stay tuned!

Busy Weekend

What a day.  It started innocent enough, I opted to do some of the painting.  The 8 week schedule doesn't have painting until week 6, but since the floors aren't in yet, I thought I'd save myself some drop cloths and get busy painting.  I had to wait until Sunday for the texture to cure/dry.  Roller in hand at 6:30am, I spent the better part of the day priming and painting.  I am exhausted and realize why I only painted the kitchen ceiling once since moving in!  The walls will have to wait.  I am glad I skipped my gym workout this morning...  James was great morale support, he ran out and bought more primer and then caught me in the act.

Normally after painting for two days (Friday and Sunday), my hands would be stiff and sore from the paint brush.  On a whim, I bought one of those new short handle brushes that are suppose to be comfortable, Highly recommend, and if you are reading this and need a spokesperson, for a price, I'm your woman.  

Be sure to check out the updated Meal Log below; here's a link  http://talesofaremodel.blogspot.com/2012/01/meal-log.html.  We had fun this past week experimenting with alternate cooking methods to some long time favorites.  We even ate off real plates one night!

Floors are in...

The wood for the floors arrived today.  It gets to spend the weekend "acclimating" before getting installed next week.  The drywall and texture is complete.  We are pleased with how the pot lights turned out, plenty of light for a grey day.  The texture is "curing" until Sunday when I can begin painting.  In a feeble attempt to keep costs down, I signed up for painting the walls, I'll gladly pay to have someone do the trim work!  I just finished taping off the trim.  Tomorrow I'll cover the green, and Sunday complete as much as I can.  Painting isn't officially on the schedule for a few more weeks, but I thought I'd get a head start before I have to worry about covering floors, cabinets, etc.

Drywall Day

We passed the plumbing inspection (new connection that runs under the house for fridge) and electrical (new run for the wall ovens).  The new drywall is up and all mudded in.  Most of the signs of the old kitchen are gone.  You'd never know where there had been a pantry before. It's starting to come together visually.   It was a late night for the drywall guys, and a late dinner for the home cooked meal we were invited for.  Tomorrow is texture.

Weekly Reflection

The kitchen is a challenging room to do without.  As you can tell from the first temporary kitchen photo, I'd tried to create a space to cook in for eight weeks.  I set things up initially, and then on a weekly basis, look at what's working and what's not, then adjust.  Some of you will appreciate PDCA and hansei in action, have to keep practicing my skills.  The remaining appliances have been moved around, and my shoe rack has now become pantry shelves!  The rice cooker has been the handiest appliance, between making rice and steaming fish.  Still looking for some slow cooker recipes that catch my interest to add yet another task to the handy rice cooker.  The induction burner has been a real workhorse too- they really can boil water in 90 seconds.  It works best with the cast iron wok, so we're thinking of more dishes that we (I) can use the wok for.  The Meal Log has been updated with the meals from the past week, don't forget to scroll down to check it out; here's a link  http://talesofaremodel.blogspot.com/2012/01/meal-log.html.  We are still tracking to the schedule posted on the fridge.  Next week is drywall...

Pot Lights and More

Thought I would channel my inner Canadian for the title of this post.  It has been an extremely busy week for me at work (not home until after 7pm... someone has to pay for all this), so I have not had much time to oversee "my remodel", much less post about it.  So I am sorry for the lack of updates, and even more sorry and appreciative for all that James has had to suffer this week.  This week saw the plumbing and electrical put into place.  Not much to show there.  The water line for the refrigerator runs under the floor.  We are now proud owners of a brand new 3/4" gas line dedicated to the new cook top.  Not very sexy looking, but one fine day (cue the Chiffons), we'll be cooking with gas on the jet engine range top.  The cans (pot lights) are in place to compliment the placement of the cabinets, wall ovens and island cooktop.  Or at least the tape measure says they are in the right place.  Regardless, we are very happy with the amount of light.  Looks good- yes?  Dish washing continues in the laundry room.  Trying to cook meals that entail no more than one pot per night to keep the James from revolting.  Next week is dry wall.   Six weeks more to go...

Meal Log

Some have asked what we are doing for dinners in our temporary kitchen.  I'll keep this updated by week.

Week Eleven:
Smoked Salmon
Delicious homemade tamales with tomatillo salsa (Thank you to Tammy and Lori)
Smoked salmon omlettes
Red curry stir fry
Spaghetti
Chicken wings on the Traeger and salad
James special BBQ ribs

Week Ten:
Fresh crab with tortellini
Shrimp stir fry with fresh asparagus
Wasabi Salmon with baby bok choy and shitake mushrooms
Pancakes with Trager cooked bacon
Last turkey pot pie meal
Yummy Mexican with our good friends (Thank you Sherry and Steven)
Lasagne- my old recipe modified and cooked in the slow cooker

Week Nine:
Excellent Sushi @Syun
Grilled Halibut
Chicken Burgers
Happy Hour @ DeCarli's
Chinese @ Taste of Sichuan
Grilled pork tenderlion
Marinated grilled chicken with pasta and tomato sauce, Japanese Leek salad

Week Eight:
Smoked Salmon
Salmon Omlettes
Costco Chicken (late night with the flooring contractor)
Fresh crab
Out to dinner with friends
Over to friends for fabulous Irish dinner (Thank you Patty and David)
Chicken chili with Traeger cornbread

Week Seven:
Pork tenderloin
Steamed talipia (I'm done with steamed fish for awhile)
Marinated and grilled chicken breasts (yummy marinade we bought at Home and Garden show)
Shrimp stir fry (fresh asparagus is too delicious to pass up)
Pizza (on the grill)
Lamb chops, baked potatoes and creme brulee for dessert
Meatloaf and grilled vegetables and creme brulee for dessert

Week Six:
Steamed Talipia
Grilled Sirloin burgers
Stir fry- Tangerine Beef
Pancakes
Out to dinner- twice
Marinated pork kebobs

Week Five:
Grilled chicken breasts
Shrimp stir fry
Out to Thailand Restaurant (if you're in the Portland area, a must go)
Smoked salmon
Smoked salmon omelettes
Steak (Thank you Jerry and Paul, marinated in homemade teriyaki) and baked potatoes
Pork tinga taco's

Week Four:
Chicken burgers
Valentine Dinner- steak with homemade green peppercorn sauce, salad and "baked" potatoes
Stir Fry
Halibut steamed in rice cooker with homemade pesto from the freezer this summer
Meatloaf- made before the remodel
Black Peppercorn seared Ahi Tuna with Wasabi Mayo- photo above
Teriyaki (homemade) marinated pork tenderloin with roasted vegetables and sauteed cabbage

Week Three:
Turkey Pot Pie (still have one more safely tucked in the freezer!)
Out for dinner- Chicken Curry (daughter invited us and we had yummy leftovers too!)
Stir Fry
Smoked Salmon- on the Weber
Pizza- on the Weber
Lamb Chops with Rosemary Green Peppercorn Sauce (photo above, the induction burner works perfect for sauce)
Chicken Thighs- in the slow cooker using a stove top recipe I normally make

Week Two:
Smoked Salmon- on the Weber
Salmon Omelettes
Out for Thai food (planned in advance, but turned out I needed some Thai comfort food)
Steamed Tilapia (steamed in the rice cooker), couscous and beans cooked in the microwave (see photo above)
Crab with tortellini and blue cheese
Grilled Pork Tenderloin
Super Bowl Sunday- hot wings cooked in the Traeger

Week One:
Chicken stir fry
Turkey Pot pie (we had a late night finalizing cabinets- made a few weeks before the tear out, and frozen)
Tilapia (steamed in the rice cooker)
One pot spaghetti
Grilled crab and cheese sandwiches
Steak and baked potatoes
Grilled marinated chicken with garlic mashed potatoes (garlic roasted the last weekend before the demo and frozen)

We have survived the first week.  The debris has been hauled away.  We managed home cooked meals every night in our temporary kitchen.  It had it's own remodel this weekend, albeit on a much smaller scale.  The guest bath has been converted into "Barrista Central" for our morning espresso.  We have to figure out the best location for the lighting as the electrical is this week.  A real nail biter.

I wasn't sure anyone was even looking at this, but today I found out we have followers!  I feel so Julie like (movie: Julie and Julia)  We spent yesterday evening finalizing our cabinets, so no posts for you!  The old kitchen is completely gone (except for the pile of debris in the driveway)  The structure seems to be in good condition, so nothing unexpected yet- it is after all, only the first few days!  Cooking is going fairly well, I've even had leftovers for lunch all week.  May not be anything to photograph for the next few days.

Cooking dinner on the first night went pretty well- food was tasty, and we even had leftovers.  Sorry for showing off!

I don't know why anyone would want a new kitchen with this set-up.  It will be interesting to see how much the set up changes over the next couple months...

Day One will mean multiple posts... So, I drive towards home and see a sign and the entire kitchen in the driveway...  Change is coming!  Change is good!  And then coming inside, clearly the old kitchen is gone.  It is officially too late to turn back now (Cornelius Brothers and Sister Rose)