Creating an Efficient Kitchen

Featured Clients,

February 16, 2011

On February 16, 2011, TheMotherhood hosted its fourth Cooking Connections class, focused on Creating an Efficient Kitchen. The session was hosted by the amazing Tricia Callahan (Once A Month Mom), Sommer Collier (A Spicy Perspective) and Jodi Grundig (Mom’s Favorite Stuff.)

http://youtu.be/0DPsdUmh8eY

The tips and suggestions flew fast – but organized – during the hour-long class. We’ve gathered the best ideas in this summary, but if you want to catch absolutely everything, be sure to click here and read the whole conversation!

Setting your kitchen up for success

Tricia offered up some of her own tips for organizing a kitchen:

– Clear off counters and workspace. Cluttered space = cluttered cooking.
– Remove all toys, etc., from underfoot.
– If it is a long cooking time, wear comfortable shoes and an apron.
– When you can, chop ahead of time.
– Get out all the ingredients you are going to need to cook so it is conveniently at hand.

To completely overhaul the kitchen workspace, Sommer had this suggestion:

Go through ALL your cabinets, getting rid of random gadgets you’ve never used. As you place things back into the cabinets, put the items you will use the very most in the spaces around the stove and sink. All other appliances and tools that are only pulled out few times a year should go in those hard to reach cabinets.

Co-hosts and participants also shared advice:

Keep plastic containers in check: I stack my [plastic] containers & then I have a Rubbermaid tub where I stick all the lids- it’s much neater than if I tried to place them together! (Not Quite Susie)

Organize spices: I had several square or rectangular containers that I divided my spices into (leave off the lid). I could pull the containers out to find what I needed. Organize them by spices you use the most, spices used in baking, Indian spices, etc. (Priscilla Willis, She’s Cookin’)

Clear the counter: One tip I found really useful was taking a hard look at which appliances deserve real estate. So, on the counter, we have a counter microwave, a toaster oven, a coffee maker, and the drainboard. The George Foreman, waffle maker went to the basement, the Kitchenaid is in a high cabinet, etc. (Christina)

Pick and choose: It’s so much easier to be organized when you keep only the things you love. Kitchen gadgets are fun, but often unnecessary. (Diane Campagna, Main Street Mommy)

Cooking efficiently

Work ahead: I try to chop onions, carrots, and celery every Sunday so that it’s handy for weekday cooking. (Melanie Feehan, The Coupon Goddess)

Take stock: Getting everything out before you start is also a good way of making sure you actually HAVE everything you need. (magpie)

Consolidate: Something that works for me is having a medium size container on my counter where I throw my trash, and at the end I just toss it all into the garbage can! (Silvia Martinez, Mama Latina Tips)

Clean as you go: I clean the counter as I go, but the dishes wait till the end, unless I need to wash & reuse something. (Jenn Fowler, Frugal Upstate)

If your kitchen is tiny

Prep big batches: Chop/ prep items ahead of time and freeze them. For example, make up a hamburger mixture and make a meat loaf, meatballs, taco meat, etc., at the same time and freeze it. When you are making something, make it count by preparing several different versions. (1Chef)

Expand: Set up a workspace at the kitchen or dining room table. (Sylvie Shirazi, Gourmande in the Kitchen)

Create some space: Cover your sink with a board while doing prep. (Heather)

And more space: Try using a rolling cart that you can bring in just when working, and move back to dining room when you are done. (Brandie)

Meal planning and grocery shopping

Sommer provided these tips for efficient shopping trips:

– Organization is the KEY to make cooking less stressful. If you have a well-stocked kitchen and pre-selected recipes, you are less likely to make excuses not to cook.

– Consider using of your weekly grocery ads as you outline your menu. Planning your meals around what’s on sale can really help keep you on budget!

– Write down your weekly “menu” including where you found the recipe and the page number. Then post it somewhere (on the fridge or inside a cabinet door.)

– Use the recipes you selected to make your grocery list, checking your cabinets to make sure you have everything you need. This also helps to not buy things you already have!

– At the grocery store, get everything on your list. If you can’t find something, make a substitution or stop at another store on the way home. You’re more likely to cook your meals if you don’t have to go back to the store later!

– Wash all your produce before they go in the fridge. Let them air dry for a few minutes. Then wrap them in a paper [or cloth] towel to absorb excess moisture and put them in a plastic zip bag. This keeps your produce fresh and reduces prep time throughout the week.

– ALWAYS keep a “running” grocery list available in your kitchen. Every time you use up a common ingredient (olive oil, butter, flour, spices) IMMEDIATELY write it on your grocery list. That way, you won’t forget about it later!

– This is the time to invest in some good-quality stackable containers. Pouring your flours, sugars, baking soda, nuts and dried fruit in CLEAR, stackable containers not only gives them a longer shelf-life, but makes them easier to find! –
http://www.containerstore.com/shop/kitchen/foodStorage/leftoversPlastic

Jodi went grocery shopping with Supermarket Guru Phil Lempert, a ConAgra spokesperson, and he gave her some great tips:

Phil Lempert gives Jodi family grocery shopping tips.

Phil Lempert tells Jodi how to improve grocery shopping strategy.

Co-hosts and participants threw in their suggestions, too:

There’s an app for that: I use Grocery Zen on my iTouch and Grocery IQ on my Droid phone. (DiaperDiaries)

Organize your list and bring your own bags: A list is a must, AND I usually break it into sections: produce, dairy, etc. That way it’s easier to look through and see if I’ve missed something. I also bring cloth bags. You can fit way more items in reusable bags than you can in those cheap, plastic things. Less bags = less time spent carrying groceries in. (Diane Campagna, Main Street Mommy)

Organizing recipes

Create your own cookbook: I know a lot of folks who really like using a 3 ring binder with those plastic page protectors – so you can take a sheet out & have it right there w/out worrying about spills. (Jenn Fowler, Frugal Upstate)

Take notes: I have a composition notebook that I jot down recipes, notes, etc. in as well as paste in clippings from magazines, or recipes I print off the computer. (Angie Knutson, My Four Monkeys)

Money-saving tips – Stockpiling

Sommer provided these tips for stockpiling:

– Before you stock your pantry, take it ALL out!

– Check the expiration dates as you sort. It’s amazing how many items can sneak to the back and stay there permanently.

– Sort your canned and boxed goods into categories such as: baking, grains and beans, canned veggies, snacks, etc. Place each category on its own shelf or in neat pullout baskets.

– If you want to get serious about sorting and storing, you can invest in a label maker. Label each container and date the top so you know exactly how long you’ve had each item! Here is a good-quality, low cost label maker:
http://www.staples.com/Brother-PT70BM-Handheld-Label-Maker/product_723501?cmArea=SEARCH

Jodi added:

– Also know what you use regularly – staples like chicken, beef, vegetable broth, beans, pasta, rice, grains, spices.

– Follow the sales – when these items are on sale, buy them in bulk, noting expiration dates.

Money-saving tips – Shopping and Cooking

Jodi had these suggestions:

– Use beans (I like cannellini beans the best) as protein in meals instead of more expensive meats. Here’s a recipe from ReadySetEat that I like. http://www.readyseteat.com/recipes-TwoBean-Vegetable-Chili-5427.html

– Get tons of use from the meats you do buy. For example, I like to boil a chicken with veggies to make homemade stock, then I use the cooked chicken in a chicken salad.

– Spices can be relatively inexpensive in the dry form (especially since they usually last a while). Consider growing spices in the summer, and then freeze them in small batches for use throughout the year!

Co-hosts and participants had more tips:

Bulk up: I buy meat in bulk when is a very good deal, I take one day to cook it all, making different dishes. I use one that day for dinner, I freeze the other ones. I save money and I have dinner for a few days, a win-win! (Silvia Martinez, Mama Latina Tips)

Make it from scratch: I also find making things from scratch saves a ton. While I am in this chat I am making granola bars with all natural ingredients that will factor out to about $3 for 20 bars. That kills any deal at the store even with coupons. (DiaperDiaries)

Saving spices: If you want to dry [your fresh herbs and spices] – spread them on a cookie sheet and place in car sitting in the sun. They will dry very, very quickly that way! (Brandie)

Inventory: I love using Google Docs to inventory the freezer and pantry. That way even if I run to the store after work I can check what is on hand, my husband can too. Big help to avoid buying things we don’t need. (Jacky)

Freezing and food storage

Sommer gave a tutorial on freezing meals:

http://youtu.be/uFaqAdpX4co

– Cooking in bulk and freezing saves a lot of time and money. Think about it, if you’re taking the time to make homemade marinara and meatballs, why not make a GIANT pot of marinara and a quadruple batch of meatballs? It would only take you a few more minutes of prep time and save hours of cook time on other nights!

– When freezing wet items like soup, homemade stock, chili, and sauces, allow them to cool, poor them in GOOD-QUALITY freezer bags. Zip tightly and label. I try to place them in the freezer flat so they freeze in a nice shape and can be stacked. Sometimes I use airtight plastic containers, but have found the thick freezer bags work just fine.

– When freezing individual items like muffins, mini-meatloaves, stuffed chicken breasts, unbaked cookies, etc. I use a technique called Flash Freezing.

1) First, lay the individual items out a baking sheet that will fit flat in your freezer.

2) Next place the sheet in the freezer UNCOVERED for at least 30 minutes, so that the exterior of each item is frozen hard. Then place all the items in a freezer bag together. The frozen exterior will protect the items so they don’t get ugly!

3) Flash freezing also works well with garlic bread loaves and whole cakes. The key with larger items (that won’t fit in a freezer bag) is to wrap them well in plastic after they’ve been flash-frozen, then wrap them again in foil. The extra lining guards against freezer burn!

Additional suggestions from co-hosts and participants:

Stay fresh: I’ve found that an inner lining of plastic wrap, and then tin foil, really helps keep things fresh. You just need to remember to take off the plastic wrap before reheating! (Carolyn Ketchum, All Day I Dream About Food)

Prep and cook on a day off: Prepare things like soup, beans, cut veggies, salad dressing, dips and spreads, steamed and roasted vegetables and store them for the week. (Sylvie Shirazi, Gourmande in the Kitchen)

Getting creative with leftovers

While some eat leftovers for days “as is,” a number of participants admitted that they can’t stomach leftovers, and the extra food often ends up in the trash.

Jodi had suggestions for turning leftovers into a whole new meal:

– For everyone who tosses leftovers, remember that if you make something totally different, and you’ll feel like it’s a new meal (and you’ll eat it).

– Leftover fish can become fish tacos. Leftover sausage can be used in pasta.

– You can also freeze leftovers and eat them at another time. I try to remember to do this so that when my husband is traveling I don’t have to cook for myself.

Co-hosts and participants added their suggestions:

Toppings and mix-ins: Sometimes I use the meat in salads, on top of baked potato, etc. (1Chef)

Part of a complete dinner: Meats are easily made into another dish for next day’s dinner. Such as fried rice, stir fry, added to pasta and veggies. (Priscilla Willis, She’s Cookin’)

Efficient clean-up

Parchment paper: I’d love to hear people’s ideas for efficient clean up. Things like parchment paper (my best friend!), which I reuse over and over. It helps not to have to clean up the pan after cooking or baking. (Carolyn Ketchum, All Day I Dream About Food)

Silicone liners: I live by the silicone liners on baking sheets and such. They work fabulously and there is very little cleanup! (Angie Knutson, My Four Monkeys)

Soak as you go: Keep a sink full of hot sudsy water and put the dishes in while you cook so that food doesn’t have a chance to get stuck on. (Sylvie Shirazi, Gourmande in the Kitchen)

Links to Useful Resources

Stocking a healthy pantry: http://shescookin.com/2011/01/20/the-healthy-pantry/

Setting your kitchen (and yourself) up for an efficient once-a-month cooking day: http://onceamonthmom.com/preparing-for-a-successful-oam-big-day/

Why Jenn Fowler plans a weekly menu: http://www.frugalupstate.com/frugal-living/why-should-i-plan-a-weekly-menu/

Sommer’s pantry list: http://aspicyperspective.com/cooking-101

Organizing a spice cabinet, printable spice chart: http://www.goodlifeeats.com/2010/11/kitchen-tip-a-well-stocked-spice-cabinet.html

Organizing recipes into binders: http://www.howto-simplify.com/2010/07/tips-tricks-organizing-food-magazine.html

Pantry lists: http://www.workitmom.com/checklists/detail/6526/what-is-in-the-well-stocked-pantry
http://summertomato.com/how-to-get-started-eating-healthy-stock-your-pantry/

Stretch a chicken for four days: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6tox8xNvVY

Chicken salad recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/michael-chiarello/chicken-salad-with-fennel-spice-recipe/index.html

Containers for freezing: http://onceamonthmom.com/works-for-me-wednesday-freezing-containers/

Freezer-friendly recipes: http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/recipe-roundup/from-the-files-recipes-that-freeze-well-067269