Being a cook can be a challenge, whether it’s for you, your family, or a group of guests, when you don’t have your tools on hand and your kitchen in order. Here are some tips to make cooking easier!
Create a welcoming environment – Clean surfaces give your visitors (and yourself) a sense of calm and relaxation. Not to mention, it works there more efficiently as well.
- To do this: Clean the counters as much as possible.
- Remove the Kitchen Aid mixer and other small appliances that you are not using on a daily basis.
- Give incoming documents their own filing box (don’t spread out across all counters)
- Recycle magazines and catalogs as soon as possible, or put them where they will be read.
- Keep the sink clear of dishes; place dish drying rack inside sink to free up counter space.
Make sure your pantry and cupboards are well stocked and organized.
- To do this: Mix and re-store as needed.
- Mix in old spices (aka 1 year old or older), but create a shopping list as you throw them away, so you know what to buy again. When you come home with new spices, use a Sharpie marker to date them at the bottom. Store spices in a cool, dark place, not on top of the stove, where heat will affect their shelf life.
- Throw away other obsolete items that you have not used; For newer items that have a shelf life but are unlikely to be used, create a food donation box or bag on the shelves.
- Check cookbooks or recipe boxes to find your favorites and make sure those ingredients are on hand and add them to your current shopping list, rather than waiting.
- TIP: The best time to stock up on staples like flour and sugar is during the holidays (Easter / Passover, Thanksgiving, Christmas), as baking ingredients are usually on sale at that time. If you have doubts about the freshness of what you have, throw it away and buy new items; Once opened, they should be stored in airtight containers and used within the next year and a half (date each container if you can).
Clean and organize your fridge (and freezer too!)
- To do this: Mix and sort the items inside.
- Dressings, marinades, and other bottled items have a shelf life. If they’re old or haven’t been used since the summer barbecue season, it’s time to throw them out and make room for the fresh ingredients you’ll need to cook up entertaining or comforting foods.
- Clean all surfaces and restock shelves and door with food categories whenever possible: condiments; dressing rooms; ice cream toppings, etc.
- To maximize refrigerator space, buy one or two refrigerator turntable, which are perfect for storing frequently used items on the top or bottom shelves. (And they are made to withstand low temperatures.) They can be found online or in some Target or organization stores.
Have the right dishes on hand.
- To do this: Browse your collection of bowls, glassware, platters and plates and determine what you will need and when.
- Keep everyday dishes in the “prime real estate” areas of your kitchen. Dishes, appliances and other specialized devices can be stored out of reach or even in another room. TIP: Write or type a simple spreadsheet with the name and location of those external items, place the sheet in a plastic liner, and tape or tack it inside your closet for easy reference.
- Be diligent with the bakeware and the quantity you need: Eliminate rusty baking sheets or baking pans and limit the amount of “copycat” products (eg. How many muffin tins do you really need to have?)
- Keep all the paper products together (plates, cups, etc.) and do a quick count to make sure you have the colors and quantities you need.
- For large dinners, consider a dress rehearsal: scribble the names of various dishes on strips of paper and tape them inside or tape to the outside of the plates on which they will be placed. If you run out of plates before labels, it’s time to borrow or buy more, or re-evaluate your use of each item.
- Hate leftovers? Make it easy to distribute food after a big meal or party by stocking up on the plastic take-out containers available at Target and other discount stores. For your own plastic storage containers, make sure you have lids for each container you own, then separate the container lids to maximize space. Organize the closet by shape (rectangular containers; rectangular lids), and you’ll have no trouble finding the right container and its lid in no time!
