Blissspace Team | 14 December , 2020
Christmas will soon be here, bringing in your family and friends, so your kitchen is going to get busy. There will be meals to be cooked, treats to ne baked and little ones running around sneaking in to steal the titbits.
Make sure that you’re ready to manage it all. Getting your kitchen ready to handle all that activity needs preparation. Here are 5 tips to ensure that you’re set for all the kitchen demands that are thrown your way.
Organise your cutlery, plates and dishes in your cabinets and clean countertops to make space for decorations or other things. Take out your fancy serving dishes and silverware. Sharpen all your knives too, as there will be a lot of cutting. It’s always quicker and hassle free when you can easily find things right before you serve your big meal.
Check if all your appliances like your oven, microwave, dishwasher and fridge are working well. Clean the insides of your microwave and the bottom of your oven for crumbs, grease and splatter stains. Use warm water and baking soda to get rid of stubborn stains. Don’t forget to clean out your dishwasher to make sure it will run efficiently with the extra loads.
Plan what you’re going to cook on Christmas and New Year. This will allow you plenty of time to shop for those special ingredients and make changes in the menu in advance, rather than at the last moment. Check your spice and herb racks for expiry dates and quantities so you don’t run out of things in the middle of cooking your Christmas lunch. Also pay attention to certain dietary preferences and restrictions that your guests might have.
After you’ve decided what you’re going to cook, start stocking. Include aluminium foil, containers for leftovers, festive napkins, and beeswax wrap in your shopping list. Buying and storing fresh ingredients is not recommended for long durations of time. Buy non-perishables like flour, sugar, nuts, olive oil, rice and vinegar. Also stock up on spices like cinnamon, cloves, garlic, ginger and pepper. Don’t forget to stock up on alcoholic and non- alcoholic drinks – what’s a festive meal without those?
Adding decorations will definitely make your kitchen look festive. While decorating keep in mind that it shouldn’t come in the way of cooking or fall into the food. Put up a miniature Christmas tree in one corner, switch to napkins with festive designs. Use a wreath as the centrepiece on the island in your kitchen or use lights and ribbons to creatively brighten up the place and add to the festive spirit.
The festive season is a great time to organize and experiment. Use this time to plan your meals in advance and stock up your kitchen. If you haven’t decorated your home yet, read our blog post for ideas on how to decorate your house for Christmas. Want to try a new recipe? This blog post tells you just how to prepare tasty Butter Chicken at home.
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