Here come our favorite months of the year. There’s no denying that holidays and hectic kitchens are the majestic duos of December and January. In fact, these months are the highlights of grandiose celebrations in Filipino culture.
If you’re planning to host the holiday gathering this year, don’t worry because here are some of the tips that can help your kitchen become “Holiday-Ready”.
1. Make a checklist of the dishes that you’re planning to prepare
Always be prepared. It’s essential for a holiday host to plan ahead of time. If possible, as early as the first week of December, you should’ve already written down all of the dishes that you’re planning to cook. And if you’re that kind of a person, consider preparing a cooking schedule. Determine what goes in and what goes out first of the oven and cooking pots.
A week before the celebration, check out the basic kitchen necessities: cooking oil, spices, and condiments. Make sure that you have enough in stock to prevent shortage. This will minimize your grocery load comes the holidays.
2. Do an initial kitchen assessment
With our love for great food as well as our open doors for our valued extended family, Noche Buena and Media Noche wouldn’t be that complete without a busy running kitchen. Don’t forget to conduct a mandatory inventory of your kitchen tools and see if you’re all set for the big day. Check if your kitchen knives need some sharpening. Plus, you can also do an LPG tank-inspection to make sure that you have enough gas for the holidays.
Make sure that all of your appliances are still in good working condition. Take some time to clean your fridge and your microwave before the holidays. Also, assess if they are more than capable to withstand notable amounts of stress, if not, consider replacing them ahead of time.
3. Do a thorough fridge raid
Expired food? Throw them away. Just so you know, fried chicken and cooked beef may last for 2-3 days, pizza for 3-4 days, sandwiches for 2 days, soup for 3-4 days, pasta for 1 week, pies for 3-4 days and take out meals for 2-3 days (theindianspot.com).
Keeping spoiled food inside the fridge may cause molds to multiply and spread throughout your space. Identify what goods can still make their way to 2020. Purge those perishables that are no longer in need.
By eliminating unnecessary food items, you can also guarantee that you will have enough space for fresh food this coming holiday. In fact, an 8 cubic ft refrigerator can fit up to 10 lasagna trays, or 25 bottles of 1.5L soda; 15 bottles of wine and 10 kilos of fruits.
4. Keep an extra food cooler
May there be a time when space will become a major issue, make sure that you have a backup plan. Always keep a large extra food cooler where you can temporarily store up food. Having extra storage to accommodate food and beverages can help you beat out the holiday stress.
5. Organize your cookware and disposables
Say goodbye to your old habits! The best way to prevent chaos in the kitchen this holiday season is by sorting out stuff. Make sure to keep your kitchen away from clutter. Learn to organize your cookware, arrange your kitchen items, put your utensils and serve ware in place and make everything visible to the eye.
If you’re planning to use disposables, don’t forget the trash bags. And, if you don’t want that much waste, and you intend to use reusables, make sure that you have enough dishwashing supplies.
There you have it! Here are 5 helpful tips that can help you prepare for this year’s holiday gathering.
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