Deck your halls!

Deck your halls the right way!
It is that time of year again! With so many holiday events just round the corner it is now time to get your house ready for entertaining. The kitchen becomes the main entertaining space during the holidays. Most of the cooking, cleaning and entertaining happens around the food. So to get you ready for the crowd, here are some of our simple recommendations to follow while you get ready! 

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Remove the Clutter!

The kitchen and dining area of a home are a common ground to collect junk mail, homework, art projects, jackets and so much more. Clean off your countertops and keep only the holiday necessities out! Keep the needed appliances out but hide the unused ones away. This will make your space feel bigger and run more efficiently during the holidays and make it easier to clean up! The goal is to be able to prep your meals and treats with ease and not have to work around the clutter! 

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Clean Your Appliances

Before the holidays, it is a great time to clean your appliances. Why? Your appliances will be working overload and not to mention you will have a group around. Meaning all the burnt debris in the base of your oven that you have grown accustomed to all year, will be more obvious to your guests. Also empty and clean out the fridge. Tis the season for left overs, and you will need some room! 

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Empty the Pantry

Same principle as cleaning, emptying your pantry of expired foods will open up some space for all the groceries you will be buying for the larger meals! This will also help you remain organized and have space to put your holiday ingredients away! 

Stock Up 

Major sales tend to appear during the holidays! Take advantage of the sales, and stock up on basic staples your home uses. Flour, spices and sugar will be used in larger amounts during the holidays. Buy extra to help you avoid the constant trips to the grocery stores. Also be sure to double up on trash bags, saran wrap and aluminum foil! These are always in demand!  

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Inventory Check

Dinnerware will be in high use. Whether you plan to go disposable or use the fine china, take a count to ensure you have enough for your meals and your guests. Don't forget the glasses as well! If kids will be around consider using plastic cups with anti-spilling lids and plates to ensure no major accidents occur. Don't forget to check your serving utensils! Do this before to avoid a shortage and also avoid the holiday bustle at the stores. 

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Prepare

Same as an inventory check, it is critical for smooth sailing to plan all your meals well ahead of time. Print and write down all the ingredients you need or have a few days before hand to make meal prep easy. This will help you avoid impromptu visits to the stores. Determine also if there are any meals that could be prepared a few days before your holiday event, all the way down to the meals that have to be created the day of. By creating a timeline ahead, it makes for a more relaxed host. Also will allow you free time to mingle with guests! 

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Plan a Path

Decide where and how a crowd will move through the kitchen or dinning area to get their grub! Maybe have room on each side of the table to allow two lines at one time. If room is tight have an easy entry and an easy exit to avoid crowd build up! 

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Head Count

Rarely does a host have a dinning room or a dinning table for that matter, that can accommodate an entire family or group to eat at! Take a head count and figure out if you need more tables! You can also utilize your living room as an extension. Either borrow or rent more tables to accommodate the influx of your guests. If you have TV trays think of offering these to your guests to create comfort. Also double check your chair count!

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Clean Up

If you want an efficient way to help clean up after your guests, offer them a quick easy access to garbage and recycling. Maybe have more than one trash can accessible outside the kitchen. Have a space for the dirty dinnerware.

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Follow these suggestions and you event will be sure to go off without a hitch! 

Happy Holidays!