The holidays are just around the corner, and yet your kitchen is still chaotic and disorganised. You might want to do something about that, and that is why we have written several ideas and ways that will help your prepare for the holidays.
Clearing Out
This is one of the first tasks that you will do. This involves you clearing out all the food that was inside of your fridge, pantry and freezer, and thus creating space where you can store all the culinary items that you will create for the special holidays. Moreover, you will be able to remove all the expired and junk that you would’ve forgotten about.
This is one of the good things about clearing out. You should set aside an afternoon for you to this job. There will be a lot of items that you would have to clear such as pickles and other dishes which were made for a particular season that has gone by.
You can take a notch up further by wiping the shelves and drawers. You can increase the spaces by taking food items out of their large bulky box packaging and keeping them in reusable plastic bags. If you see any food that shows sign of freezer burn then you should discard them as well. Also, you can place the things that you will immediately need by placing them up front.
Checking the Spices
Of course, you won’t be able to make good and tasty dishes without any spices, would you? When you come across spice cans which do not give that spicy aroma, then it is better that you throw them out and replace with new ones. Also, when you come across spice cans which are more than a year old, then it is better to throw them away as well, as these won’t help you give the taste.
So you might wonder what kind of spices you would need for this holiday week. Well, here is a list of the spices that you might need.
- Rosemary
- Sage
- Parsley
- Garlic
- Nutmeg
- Ginger
- Cinnamon
- Thyme
Clean the Oven and Dishwasher
Cleaning the oven and dishwasher is relatively easy
The Oven
You can clean the oven by using its self-cleaning mechanism to clean itself, although this would create a lot of stenches. This is why you should clean only when it is possible for you to endure the smell or by being not around it. You can apply an all cleaning solution on the insides of it and allow the solution to dissolve the grease.
The Dishwasher
The dishwasher can be cleaned by first cleaning it up by running it through once and not having any plate or dish still inside of it. Once you have done, you need to take out all the racks that were inside of that. Use the all cleaning solution along with the mop or a micro fibre cloth to clean the edges of each rack, and then you can have the clear out ay storage of built up of food particles at the bottom/ You should also clean out the filters if these are indeed attached.
Making an Inventory of the Cookware
Your cookware arranged in the form of an inventory will help you with the holiday preparation and at the time when everyone gathers to eat. The food can be served right onto the plates that are at that precise moment.
The best way for you to organise and arrange these items is to have them attached with huge post-it notes which will help you gather them together at the precise locations and at the precise when you need during the course of a meal.
You should also make sure that everything that the cooking gear is of immaculate state so that you don’t get stuck in the middle of cooking with a broken saucepan handle or a blunt knife. Make sure you got the silverware, the dishes and the platters ready.
Dishes, Flatware, Linens, and Glasses
For holidays, all of you will have special dishes and glasses and other complementary items that you won’t be used until the season comes. This means that they will be idle and gathering dust. Therefore you should go out and have them cleaned as soon as possible so that you won’t have to do that in the midst of holiday cooking. Similarly, it is also time for you to clean the napkins and the tablecloths.
Declutter
This is one of the most important things for you to do because when you start the preparation of food, you’ll really appreciate the fact that there is enough space for you to work. When you get things out of the way on the countertops and the table, then you’ll really appreciate the fact that there is space. Take all the things and keep them is storage so that you can place them back once the holidays are over.
Stocking up on the things that you need
You can really save some time when you are certain that you have all the basic supplies stocked up and ready. This is not something that is necessary for the holidays but can be done for all the days in fact.
Here is a list of things that you should make that you have for the holiday season:
- Kitchen Strings
- Plastic Bags
- Garbage Bags
- Aluminium Foil
- Roasting Pan
- Leftovers
- Dish Soap
- Batteries
- Napkins
- Paper Towels
- Plastic Wrap
- Toothpicks