How to Prepare Your Kitchen for the Holidays
Although there isn’t much of a fall season in the southeast, the *slightly* cooler temperatures and shorter days still mark the beginning of the holiday season. With the holidays comes lots of gatherings, catching up with extended family, and a copious amount of kitchen activities.
Before all the festivities begin, you might want to do your future self a favor and prepare your kitchen for the holidays. Here are a few small tips that can go a long way in making your kitchen run as smoothly as possible during the holiday season.
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Really, actually, seriously clean the countertop.
Throughout the year, the standard countertop cleaning has probably been sneaking around the major appliances, like the toaster, and other random items that find their way into a permanent position on the counter. The kitchen is arguably one of the busiest rooms in the home, so papers pile up in the corners, and spills and stains may be overlooked. What we mean by a serious cleaning of the countertop is removing absolutely everything then cleaning. Take off the toaster, remove all the random knick-knacks sprinkled about, and get to work.
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Clean appliances.
Starting with a clean workspace does wonders. Deeply clean the microwave (removing any forgotten, encrusted spaghetti sauce splatters); scrap off the burned bits of bread at the bottom of the toaster; take apart your stove-top to clean underneath, around, and every bit of your burners; and don’t forget the oven. However, it’s recommended that you not run the “self-cleaning cycle” on the oven until you’re chowing down on leftovers after the holidays are over, as it’s actually quite taxing for the machine.
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Do a food purge.
If you peer into the deepest depths of your freezer, you might be surprised (or maybe disturbed) by what you’ll find. Take an hour (or two depending on what awaits you), and go through your freezer, refrigerator, cabinets, and pantry. Throw out food that’s expired. We tend to overlook spaces when we food purge, but they too have an expiration date. If you can’t smell the spice when you open the container, it’s probably time to throw it out. Make room for all the ingredients that you’ll need for the dishes you’re making as well as their leftovers!
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Inventory everything.
Once you’ve done the great food purge of the season, it’s time to make a detailed list of the foods you want to create as well as all the ingredients you’ll need. You’ll also need to take stock of the cook and bakeware that you own (or need) as well as plates, platters, and utensils, and all the other eating essentials.
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Time to shop.
If you’ve been waiting for the right time to buy a new stove, replace or reseal your countertop, or splurge on that island your kitchen desperately needs, now is the perfect time. You want all your appliances running perfectly and your kitchen looking its best when guests start to arrive. (Oh, and don’t forget to replenish your pantry!)
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Are you building a new house or renovating your kitchen and want to learn more about your countertop options? MultiStone has a wide number of styles and our countertop experts can help design and install the perfect countertop for your kitchen or bathroom.