On_my_own_info

Kitchen

Kitchen

Sometimes the kitchen is the hub of the home where everyone gathers. It is especially nice if you happen to have enough room for a small table and chairs. When cooking is going on or holiday baking, the kitchen, it seems is where everyone wants to congregate.

Arranging Your Kitchen

When organizing or arranging your kitchen it should be set up so that it is convenient for you. The dishes, glasses, pots, pans and other cooking utensils as well as food should be located so they are easily accessible when you are cooking or putting things away.

One way of organizing the kitchen is to put pots and pans, casserole dishes and mixing bowls in cabinets near the stove. Some stoves have drawers in the bottom of them for pans. Spatulas, knives, large spoons, ladles and other serving utensils can be placed in drawers close to the stove. Dishes, glassware and serving bowls might be placed in cabinets near the sink and dishwasher so they are easily put away when washed and dried. Some people place coffee cups and mugs in cabinets near the coffee maker.

How you decide to organize your kitchen is up to you. Canned foods and spices, however, should be placed in cooler areas of the kitchen away from the stove so they are not exposed to excessive heat.

Cleaning in the Kitchen

Because it will not scratch surfaces, baking soda can be used to clean stoves including ovens, microwaves, counters, sinks, pots and pans, bathtubs and most anything you need an abrasive cleanser for.

Vinegar is a natural disinfectant and will kill bacteria and germs. The odor will dissipate quickly. Use to wipe down counters and cabinets as well as the appliances.

After mopping the kitchen floor use vinegar water to rinse with.

Microwaves:

You can use vinegar and water to clean the microwave. Place a bowl with ½ cup
and ½ cup in it in the microwave for 1 to 1 ½ minutes or until it is bubbling. Let it stand in the microwave without opening the door for about ten minutes. You should be able to remove the bowl and wipe the walls of the microwave clean, including the top and bottom.

Remove the glass plate that sets on the turntable and either wash by hand with liquid dish detergent, rinse and dry or wash in the dishwasher: the plate only, not the turntable. If there are spots in the microwave difficult to clean put a little baking soda on a damp cloth and scrub the area. It should come clean easily and will not scratch.

Refrigerators:

Refrigerators should be cleaned on a regular basis. Wipe spills up immediately so they don’t dry or harden and become more difficult to clean up later or begin to mold and cause nasty odors.

Baking Soda and Vinegar water: Baking soda can be used to clean the refrigerator and will scrub away splatters and spills without scratching the surface. You can use a small cleaning bucket half full of warm water, a sponge or cleaning rag, baking soda and a few drops of liquid dish detergent in the water. A few drops will do.

Put a little baking soda on your damp sponge and begin cleaning. A little extra baking soda now and then will help get rid of any dried spills. Rinse the sponge in the warm water frequently.

After cleaning thoroughly with baking soda and soapy water solution (which should include washing the shelves, doors, trays and bins) rinse with clean water and 1 cup of vinegar.

When finished and every thing has been rinsed and dried, place a small open box of baking soda in the refrigerator and freezer to absorb odors. Using a marking pen, write the date on the side of the box when you put it in the refrigerator. It should be replaced every three months. Toss the old box of baking soda in the trash when you put in a new dated box. Don’t use this for anything else. The baking soda will have absorbed odors and fumes from foods in the refrigerator.

Stoves:

Clean stoves with baking soda. It acts as an abrasive but will not scratch the finish whether enamel or stainless steel. Rinse with vinegar water to kill germs and bacteria and to remove any baking soda residue.

The top of the stove can be lifted to clean under the burners. If electric, unplug the stove and remove the cooking coils from each burner. Lift the top of the stove and clean spills and grease that may have dripped under the burners. After cleaning, line the area with aluminum foil so that in the future you need only to replace the foil and wipe down with a damp cloth. If using the foil be sure not to cover any vents that may be present.

On gas ranges, the burners can also be disassembled and the stove top lifted to clean under the burners.

See the owner’s manual for your stove for complete and appropriate cleaning instructions. If you are renting and the stove has been furnished and there are no manuals ask the owner of the house or the apartment complex manager to show you how to clean under the burners.

Cookware :

Usually in the early stages of being on your own complete sets of cookware are something for the future. It isn’t uncommon to purchase a few pieces at a time.

Whether buying a complete set which would usually include several sauce pans of different sizes, at least one skillet and a Dutch oven, do read the instructions on care and proper cleaning. Sometimes even stainless steel requires special care. There are some that should not be placed in the dishwasher as the metal will become discolored.

If you should choose to use any cookware, it must be seasoned and is accompanied with instructions as to how to do this. It is discouraged from washing iron in soapy water as the soap will leach into the iron. If possible the cookware should be wiped out after using. However, there are going to be times when it will need washing BY HAND and not in the dishwasher ever! Wash quickly with hot water and a few drops of dish liquid. Don’t allow the pan to sit in water at all. Dry immediately. Place on a stove burner (eye) long enough for the pan to heat up and then turn off the burner and put a few drops of vegetable oil in the pan and wipe so that the interior of the pan is covered with oil. This will help the pan to dry more thoroughly.

You can also put the pan in a hot oven that has been turned off after it has been treated with the oil.

As you become accustomed to using recipes and experimenting with new dishes you will discovered there is a pan or pot for almost everything. There are tall steamers and short steamers, roasters, big skillets, medium sized and small. Saucepans and double-boilers along with pasta pans and casseroles are sometimes called for too. Just because all these pots and pans are available as well as the gadgets to cut, carve and serve with, it does not mean you must have every single one of them or that you can’t prepare a scrumptious meal or recipe without them.

Experiment and improvise and when you are in the financial position to afford to fully furnish your kitchen with every pot and pan or gadget available … then do.

Diapers:

Believe it or not cloth diapers make great dish towels. Compared to the costs of dish towels in the house wares section of a department store, diapers are inexpensive too.

You can buy a package of diapers in the baby department. There are usually a dozen in the package and you want to buy the kind that need to be folded. No pre-folded diapers. Before using, wash in hot soapy water and dry. They are soft and great for drying dishes and silver and using for any thing else you would use a dish towel for. They can also be bleached and will last a long time.

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