With the holiday season upon us, many people are getting ready to cook large meals for family gatherings in Lake Havasu City and elsewhere. Organizing your kitchen will make the task of cooking and enjoying company so much easier. Here are a few tips to make your holiday food preparation go smoothly:
Kitchen Stations - There are five basic "stations" to keep in mind when organizing your Lake Havasu kitchen. Keep the equipment you use for these particular duties near its "station" to make these tasks easier to perform
- Cleaning - dishwasher, trash can, sponges, cleaners, etc
- Cooking food - stove, microwave, toaster, pots and pans
- Preparing food - mixing bowls, blender, food processor, measuring utensils, etc
- Storing food - refrigerator, Tupperware, etc
- Serving food - dishes, forks knives, spoons, glasses, linens, etc
Kitchen "Triangle" - Next time you are in the kitchen preparing a meal, pay attention to how you move from one task to the next. This is typically in a triangle pattern: refrigerator, sink and stove. Keep the area clear and make sure you reach each station in only a few steps.
Cabinet and Pantry Organization - Depending on how crowded they are, you may spend a little time in the beginning organizing your cabinets and pantry but it will pay off in time savings later. Here are a few tips to keep in mind:
- Store dishes separately from food items.
- Store like items together on separate shelves: dishes on one, glasses on another, bowls on another shelf altogether.
- Group like food items together, ie canned vegetables together, canned fruit in another area, breakfast foods (cereal, breakfast bars, oatmeal) together, baking goods in another area, etc.
- Place small packets of sauces, Jell-O, etc in a basket for easy storage.
- Alphabetize spices so they are easier to locate when you need them.
Check for Freshness - Periodically go through your cabinets and make sure to get rid of those items that have gone bad. Even non-perishable food items will go bad. Here are a few basic guidelines to follow when determining whether a kitchen item has exceeded its freshness date:
- Canned foods - good for 2 to 5 years
- Cereal - good for 6 months
- Condiments - good for 1 year
- Dried herbs - good for 6 months
- Flour - good for 3 to 6 months
- Grains and beans - good for 1 year
- Pasta - good for 1 year
- Spices - good for 6 months to 1 year
Before you get going on your holiday cooking and baking in Havasu, take a few moments to start organizing your kitchen. It will make the food preparation process go much more smoothly so you can spend more time with your family. Happy holidays, everyone!
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