This is my kitchen.

For those of you who are wise to the ways of the kitchen, you may notice that we are missing a few key essentials. Specifically, we have no sink, oven or stove. We are also missing walls, floors and cabinets, but we do have a pair of beautiful new windows.

So, for the time being, this is my kitchen.

Amid the dust and debris, we still have a refrigerator, toaster, coffee maker and microwave/convection oven (not pictured here). It is this last appliance that we are relying on most heavily to keep us from eating out every single night.

During our last kitchen remodel (over 7 years ago - different house), I discovered that there are certain things you can, and cannot, cook within a microwave. French fries or other "fried" foods never did very well, neither did anything that had to be truly cooked (rather than reheated or re-hydrated) like pasta or chicken.

But that was then. While wandering the aisles of Bed, Bath & Beyond, I discovered there are several new gadgets designed to allow you to cook more in your microwave. So I loaded up my cart - I can only imagine what the cashier thought – and gave them a try:

Progressive Microwave Popcorn Popper ($14.99)
One of my few culinary accomplishments is that I can make popcorn in a pan, no special equipment needed, and almost always end with a nearly perfect pan of popped corn. I prefer it to microwave pop corn because I can control the amount of butter and salt, and I think it tastes better. I also make it pretty frequently for family movies or after school snacks, so you can imagine that, for this reason alone, I was pretty sad to lose my stove.

With the Progressive Microwave Popcorn Popper, I can use my microwave to pop the corn without using any oil or additive. It makes 4 cups of popped corn (1/4 cup unpopped) in 3-4 minutes and didn't burn a single piece.

Pasta 'n More ($19.99)
My 3-year old daughter's favorite food is pasta with butter (she likes to eat leftovers for breakfast). Simple and easy if you have a stove, but impossible if don't have a way to boil water! The Pasta 'n More box claimed that it would allow me to cook dried and frozen pasta in my microwave with out "stirring breaking or sticking."

I used the pot last night to cook frozen tortellini, and it worked pretty much as advertised. The handles and drainer lid made it easy to move the pot around without spilling, and the tortellini cooked through (although it was a little sticky). The pot also comes with a cookbook with recipes for meatloaf and other non-pasta dishes which I'm pretty sure I'm never going to try.

Tovolo Microwave Collapsible Food Cover ($6.99)
While my daughter may like butter on her pasta, her father and I like spaghetti sauce. Red, rich, and easily splattered when cooking within a microwave. In the past I would have draped a damp paper over the bowl of cooking sauce to prevent the splatter. But then I found these collapsible food covers which protect the inside of your microwave while allowing steam to escape through the vents in the top. The covers are 10.5" in diameter and collapse for easy storage.

MiracleWare® Meals in Minutes Microwave Food Containers ($3.99-8.99)
During my shopping excursion, I also found these containers for cooking eggs, fish and bacon, but I refrained from buying them (for now).

Have you ever lived out of your microwave? Any tips for how I can survive the next 6 weeks on more than frozen lasagnas and take-out?