As we prepare to move south I am dreaming and planning for my outdoor kitchen I plan to have once we get settled. Since we will be renting a house down south I plan on making my out door kitchen a portable one. I don't want to have any thing that is permanent in case we decide to look for another place later on.
I can see it all laid out in my mind. I want three layer brick rocket stoves (which I have two of already) but instead of placing them on the ground like they are now I am going to raise them up using 2 - 3 cement blocks for each rocket stove making it less back breaking to feed the fire and cook the food. No more bending over.
I have two turkey fryers that I am going to place on cement blocks to use for canning. That should make canning easier because I won't have to stand on my tip toes to reach the jars inside my big canner.
I want a fire fed brick oven for making breads, pizza and maybe roasting meats in so I plan on using a nice size marble slab we already have. I will be placing it on stacked bricks and then laying down a layer of fire brick. Then I will start stacking bricks in a 3 sided square to make the oven. Once it is tall enough I plan on taking an old set of bed rails made from angle iron and using it to hold the top layer of bricks to make the ceiling of the oven.
Next will be building a "table" for using my Nesco roaster oven on. Two or three stacks of 3 high cement blocks should take care of that.
Next up in my plans will be making a dutch oven coal cook table. I haven't quite worked it out in my mind as how I will be able to do that but I know I will come up with something. I am pretty good at inventing things I want. They may not look pretty or fancy but they always to the job I want.
The last thing will be making a "sink" wash up area. I have it all planned out. Make a stand out of wood big enough to old two dish tubs and a dish strainer.
Add a thick piece of wood to make the top. Cut holes big enough to hold each tub. Cut a small hole in the bottom of each tub and attach a drain pipe to each tub. Buy sink plugs to keep the water in the tubs till I am done then pulling them out to let the water drain down into 5 gallon buckets placed under the tubs.
All the above will be placed under a 10 ft x 20 ft metal pole and tarp canopy that we already have making a nice shady area for me to cook. I will also be able to cook outside on mild rainy days.
Some of the benefits of having a big outdoor kitchen will be that I won't have to heat up the house cooking and it will help lower the AC bill. I will still be able to cook during power outages. The house we will be renting is all electric so I will not be able to use the oven or stove top for cooking during power outages. I can use free fuel by collecting fallen limbs or getting scraps of lumber free from a local sawmill or lumber place. And if S*** ever does hit the fan I won't have to hustle looking for a way to cook for my family.
We do have a big gas grill that I will be adding to the kitchen but I do not want to depend on it to much. Once what gas we have stocked up runs out I will not be able to use it. I do plan on buying a charcoal grill after we get moved. If S*** does hit the fan I can make my own charcoal to use in it. Hey I just had an idea! I can take the grills out of the charcoal grill and use it for a dutch oven table. That solves that problem. :)
If you don't have a out door kitchen set up now you might want to think of doing it.
They can come in handy for many things. Even a big cook out for family and friends on a holiday or what ever you might be celebrating. You can be out with your family and friends while you are cooking instead of being stuck in the kitchen away from all the fun going on. And who knows. Maybe others will want to chip in and help with the cooking. :)
Prepping Granny
I can see it all laid out in my mind. I want three layer brick rocket stoves (which I have two of already) but instead of placing them on the ground like they are now I am going to raise them up using 2 - 3 cement blocks for each rocket stove making it less back breaking to feed the fire and cook the food. No more bending over.
I have two turkey fryers that I am going to place on cement blocks to use for canning. That should make canning easier because I won't have to stand on my tip toes to reach the jars inside my big canner.
I want a fire fed brick oven for making breads, pizza and maybe roasting meats in so I plan on using a nice size marble slab we already have. I will be placing it on stacked bricks and then laying down a layer of fire brick. Then I will start stacking bricks in a 3 sided square to make the oven. Once it is tall enough I plan on taking an old set of bed rails made from angle iron and using it to hold the top layer of bricks to make the ceiling of the oven.
Next will be building a "table" for using my Nesco roaster oven on. Two or three stacks of 3 high cement blocks should take care of that.
Next up in my plans will be making a dutch oven coal cook table. I haven't quite worked it out in my mind as how I will be able to do that but I know I will come up with something. I am pretty good at inventing things I want. They may not look pretty or fancy but they always to the job I want.
The last thing will be making a "sink" wash up area. I have it all planned out. Make a stand out of wood big enough to old two dish tubs and a dish strainer.
Add a thick piece of wood to make the top. Cut holes big enough to hold each tub. Cut a small hole in the bottom of each tub and attach a drain pipe to each tub. Buy sink plugs to keep the water in the tubs till I am done then pulling them out to let the water drain down into 5 gallon buckets placed under the tubs.
All the above will be placed under a 10 ft x 20 ft metal pole and tarp canopy that we already have making a nice shady area for me to cook. I will also be able to cook outside on mild rainy days.
Some of the benefits of having a big outdoor kitchen will be that I won't have to heat up the house cooking and it will help lower the AC bill. I will still be able to cook during power outages. The house we will be renting is all electric so I will not be able to use the oven or stove top for cooking during power outages. I can use free fuel by collecting fallen limbs or getting scraps of lumber free from a local sawmill or lumber place. And if S*** ever does hit the fan I won't have to hustle looking for a way to cook for my family.
We do have a big gas grill that I will be adding to the kitchen but I do not want to depend on it to much. Once what gas we have stocked up runs out I will not be able to use it. I do plan on buying a charcoal grill after we get moved. If S*** does hit the fan I can make my own charcoal to use in it. Hey I just had an idea! I can take the grills out of the charcoal grill and use it for a dutch oven table. That solves that problem. :)
If you don't have a out door kitchen set up now you might want to think of doing it.
They can come in handy for many things. Even a big cook out for family and friends on a holiday or what ever you might be celebrating. You can be out with your family and friends while you are cooking instead of being stuck in the kitchen away from all the fun going on. And who knows. Maybe others will want to chip in and help with the cooking. :)
Prepping Granny