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Cast Iron Cookware
Setting/Cleaning Up Your Kitchen
Having your kitchen organized can save you time and money when shopping, and at every meal as you prepare them for your family. Here are a few tips from the professionals to help you accomplish this task:
*Items should be stored near the place they will be used, for instance pots and pans should be stored near the stove.
*When storing foods in your cupboard, put like items next to each other.
*Spices are easier to find when you alphabetize them in your spice rack.
*The front and door of your refrigerator should be used for the items you use the most.
*Having several sets of measuring cups and spoons eliminates the need to stop and wash them while cooking.
*Organize your shopping list the same way the isles in the market are set up.
*Keep a list of shopping needs, as you use something up, put it on the list.
*Only shop once a week, rather than making several trips to the store throughout the week, it is actually less expensive, and a real time saver.
Re-organizing and cleaning up your kitchen after each meal is just as important as the initial set up was, a well organized, clean kitchen is one that is a pleasure to cook in.
For clean up after each meal her are a few tips to follow:
*Keep a sink of hot soapy water for soaking dishes as you use them, if you have a few minutes while cooking you can even wash a few items.
*Casseroles and roasts, that dont contain tomato products, can be baked in a disposable, foil pan.
*Line your broiler pan with foil to take away the need to wash it later.
*Cleaning a grater can be a real mess, coating it with non-stick cooking spray can make the chore a lot easier.
*Marinating foods in reseal able plastic bags creates less dirty dishes for you to do later. They also work great for coating foods in flour, not as much mess on the counter.
These are all simple tips that make your cooking time more enjoyable and gives you more time to spend with your family.
See Also:
Cooking with Kids - Quick and easy recipes kids can make.
Preparing More Than One Meal at a Time
The Cost of Coffee
Efficiency will save you lots of time in the kitchen, to accomplish this, learn to do more than one thing at a time. Increased preparation time before cooking is another way to become a faster cook.
Read your recipe before starting, this will save you many headaches, like getting a dish ready and finding out you need bat wings and you dont have any! Just kidding, I dont stock bat wings in my kitchen either, but you get the idea.
Get everything you will need together, follow the order they are used in the recipe, this allows you to be sure that you have everything you will need. Once you are sure you have everything, measure out the ingredients according to the recipe.
Organize all of your ingredients on one side of the work area, as you use something, move it to the other side, lessens confusion as to whether you used it or not.
Use the cutting board for all of your non-meat items first, this avoids cross contamination. If you have to prepare the meat first, wash the cutting board thoroughly before using it for any other food items.
Keeping a sink of hot soapy water will help cleanup later on, just drop used utensils in the water and allow them to soak.
Sometimes it is better to use your hands to mix something than it is to use a utensil; it also saves time washing up later. I for one loved making mud pies when I was a child, the only difference is the mud is now hamburger and the crushed leaves are now herbs.
Salads are always mixed more evenly if they are tossed with your hands. Make sure to wash your hands thoroughly, inexpensive plastic gloves will help if you didnt like playing in the mud!
Coat measuring cups, spoons and molds with non-stick spray before putting anything sticky in them, the ingredients will slide right out. To prevent having to clean a burned on, sticky mess from your boiler pan, line the pan with foil and spray the rack with non-stick spray.
Re-sealable plastic is great for marinating and coating foods with flour or cornmeal.
Planning in advance can save you a lot of time in the kitchen opening up your evenings to spend more time with your family. |
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Planning Food for a Party
The foods you choose for your party will be decided by several considerations:
*What kind of party is it, a childs birthday, graduation, anniversary or many other celebrations?
*What time of year it is, can you get the kinds of foods you are planning?
*The number of people you will be inviting.
*Your budget.
*The kinds of food your guests enjoy.
*The theme of the party.
These are just a few of the things you will need to think about when planning your party.
A childs party can be simple or elaborate; they usually dont care as long as they have a lot of fun.
Cakes, cupcakes, pizza or any other favorite food is a possibility, making sure you have enough is the main consideration.
A graduation party for a teen can be a little more complicated when it comes to food, but again pizza is a pretty safe choice.
Poor-boy or submarine sandwiches (depending on where you live) are another hit for teens, this could also involve the ingredients for them to make their own sandwiches, a little messier, but a lot more fun for them.
An anniversary party will be planned around the couple who are celebrating their anniversary.
Usually catered, they can also be a pot-luck; each person invited brings their favorite dish. The holidays are a great time for a party, but remember that most people will be tired of turkey and maybe even ham.
Seafoods are a good alternative if you can get them in your area, always have something else available for those who cant eat seafood.
Ive heard it said that a party is only as good as the food, plan to provide a good selection to meet the tastes of those present.
Related Topics: About Beef Jerky,
Taking Control One Area at a Time, Crock Pot Cooking
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