Keep as much hooked up as possible until the last minute. Our stove was pulled out but still connected for awhile. Also, prepare lots of stuff and freeze them, lasagnas, stuffed shells, casseroles, etc. Then you can just microwave them in your temporary kitchen. Don't forget you can grill out, now that the weather is breaking.

paper plates, plastic silverware, disposable cups really are a blessing. Too hard to wash dishes in the bathroom sink.

Say yes to every invitation to dinner. You can pay them back when you are done. I also made a point to tell my son if he was going to a friend's house to make sure he said yes to any dinner invitations he received, because who knows what would be happening at our house!

Also, it's been said over and over. Wine, tequila and vodka. All work wonders.

Congrats!

Here's something the Kitchen forum put together a few years ago...

Here is a link that might be useful: The Temporary Kitchen

The thing that saved my sanity when three months in Spring turned into 10 months with no heat was flatware. I still mostly using the little cheap white paper plates (less guilt tossing), though I was hugely thankful when I stopped having to use plastic cups. I only used plastic flatware during the dirtiest dustiest part of construction when everything was sealed up tight and I wanted no part of washing anything.

If you can have a sink that isn't in a bathroom it's much easier. I had a dishpan for the flatware, but I couldn't stand preparing any food in the powder room, or taking it up stairs, so bought a lot of precut produce and premade salads.

I set up a kitchen in my dining room, but I wasn't without my range except for one day. I over prepared buying a hot plate and electric skillet that I never used. I had a utility sink in the laundry room that I used for washing. It was too low and deep making it a back killer. We missed the dishwasher most of all and were without it for the longest period of time.

We bought three of those Metro-shelving units (metal wire shelves--very sturdy) to use for storage (food, paper goods, etc) and set them up in the then LR along with our loveseat, dinette set, and the refrigerator. Microwave, toaster oven, and coffee maker were there as well, in addition to a couple of plastic 3- or 4-drawer chests from sterilite or rubbermaid.

Love the list from the Temporary Kitchen. I totally agree with all she wrote.
We have been without a kitchen since late December (we are doing a total house renovation).... We set up a temporary kitchen in our dining room (which coincidently right now is our ONLY room on the 1st floor!!) and here is what we have and swear by:
GOOD quality toaster oven (mine is a deLonghi and can fit a 12" pizza in it)
Non-stick electric skillet (I got mine for $20 at Walmart)
coffee pot
Electric kettle (if you like tea or oatmeal or ramen noodles)
Decent quality microwave (ours is sort of weak, but it was free from a friend)
Blender is good if you will use it.
Have a hot plate-- only use it to boil water for pasta (and it takes a LONG time for a big pot to boil) or make omelets (although we did find a microwave omelet pan which remains unused!)
A grill--even for the winter!
I thought I would use my crockpot, but too much prep is required and therefore too much clean up!
We moved our "old" fridge to its new permanent spot in the basement and invested in a "dorm fridge" to keep in the temp kitchen mostly for breakfast and snacks. Well worth the $150 at BJs

We have used (much to my chagrin) paper plates (recycled products where possible!) and cups and bowls. We have used plastic utensils but we wash and reuse as much as possible.

I did save real soup bowls, real wine glasses and juice glasses and real silverware cuz it is JUST NICE to have every so often- especially if you are out for a while (like us). Also, make sure you have serving plates and bowls if you want salad or for taking things off the grill or even are a nut like me and want to be able to put together a cheese platter or the like when your friends come by to see the progress.

We mades space in our DR by packing up all our good stuff and using the space for plates, etc. and food. we also brought in a small hutch that had been in our kitchen for other cooking utensils like micro-cookers, bowls, casseroles, pot holders, cutting boards, etc.

Make sure you do have a prep area where you can put a decent sized- cutting board down. I would also recommend covering your surfaces (especially if they are nice furniture) with pads and then a wipeable tablecloth or ones you can just toss later since they will be grotty!!

Be sure to keep out a cookbook or copies of your favorite recipes!!

Trader Joes has been a godsend as has take out. And anyone who invites us or brings us food (less of that, I must say) is a saint. It DOES make me realize that I should be offering my kitchen or a meal or my laundry/bathroom to any friends/neighbors under construction because it IS so NICE to have!!

Also- keep candle sticks/candles handy-- it is nice to pretend to have a nice meal ocassionally! Good Luck!!

During our 2 months without a kitchen, we had two temporary kitchens: one in the dining room and the other in the laundry room. The dining room had the refrigerator, microwave, coffee maker, bottled water, dishes, flatware, mugs, coffee and tea. It was for the workers as well as my husband and myself. I used the laundry room to wash dishes (dish drainer on top of the washer) and to store appliances: a slow cooker, hot plate, toaster and blender. I only washed dishes once a day in the evening. In the morning I carried the entire drainer into the dining room to unload. To keep the mess to a minimum I tried to prepare food in large batches: I kept a big bag of toast in the freezer and always had hard boiled eggs in the fridge. I relearned how to use the slow cooker. And one wonderful friend roasted a turkey for us. Our kitchen is nearly done now and I love it even more than I expected, but I'm strangely nostalgic for just a month ago when I was camping in my own house.