Kitchen Organization Tips for a Less Stressful Holiday

Kitchen Organization Tips for a Less Stressful Holiday

The holidays are a wonderful time when families can get together and enjoy each other's company. However, it is sometimes a source of stress, especially if you're the person hosting a group and preparing the food. Here are some hints for a stress-free holiday.

Create Prep-and-Serve Stations: Work from your menu and create stations to prepare and serve items. If your kitchen design includes an island, schedule how you will use it. The night before the big meal, it is the perfect place to prepare your make-ahead side dishes, but during the actual holiday it will have multiple uses. For example, early in the day it can hold plates of appetizers and snacks. Pull a couple of stools up to the island so your "helpers" can sit and chat with the cook while you continue preparations. Later in the day, use the island as your dessert and coffee bar.

Dedicate Refrigerator Space: A couple of days before the holiday you should make sure your fridge is ready. Toss old food and clean out the shelves and drawers. Organize all of the things you'll need for the big meal in one location so they're easy to find. Be sure to put the items you'll use first nearest to the front of the fridge. Leave lots of room to store dishes both before and after dinner; remember, there are bound to be leftovers!

Maximize Counter Space: Put away items that you won't need on the big day; that will give you more space to work. Then think about how you're going to use the existing counter space. If you are short on counter space, consider setting up a card table for the day and/or placing a large cutting board over your sink. Get everything ready that you will need from saucepans to serving platters in advance. Make sure carving knives (that you've sharpened), potholders, and cutting boards are within easy reach. HINT: Keep hand sanitizer, paper towels, and disinfectant spray next to the sink to keep your counters germ free.

Anticipate a Mess: Take out the trash and recycling before the meal so you'll have plenty of room for scraps and garbage. Run the dishwasher (even if it's not full) and put away the clean dishes. Figure out where you will put leftovers and dirty dishes. Have containers and foil ready to store the leftovers or to send them home with guests.

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