Entertaining
It's time to put kitchen in order

Entertaining begins long before guests arrive: It starts in the pantry, kitchen and linen closet as you plan the gathering.

But it’s difficult to plan in the midst of chaos, so one of the best ways to jump-start this new year is to clean out your kitchen. Sound daunting? Then don’t do it all at once.

Start with the refrigerator, then move on to the pantry and finish with the dishes, pots and pans, and cutlery. If you put aside an hour or two every weekend, it will be done in time to throw a Super Bowl party.

When you are finished, you will have a pile of things to be donated to your favorite charity, a shopping list of needed items to take to the January sales, a whole slew of new dinner ideas and, best of all, a kitchen that functions.

Refrigerator

At this post-holiday point, your refrigerator is probably stacked with cartons of aging leftovers and your freezer is full of plastic containers of old stew, or was that Portuguese soup? Who can tell?

Dump anything that’s older than a few days. Next go through the refrigerator door. Toss out half-used jars of things you bought for a dish you will never make again. I like to consolidate bottles of salad dressing. You’d be surprised what great dressings you can create this way.

Check the produce drawer. Out goes anything that looks like it’s been there more than a week.

Now wipe it all down, the shelves and the drawers, with warm, soapy water and a sponge. (Some folks like to use a baking soda solution.)

Don’t forget the freezer. If something’s been there more than six months, toss it. If there are things that need to be used, start planning meals for the next few days.

Pantry

Remember that green stuff in the bag with the directions in Chinese? That bag you picked up last summer on a spin through an Asian market just because it looked so interesting? Well, it’s time to figure out what to do with it, or toss it.

I know how hard this is to do; it kills me too. But if you’ve had jars of herbs for more than a year and they’ve lost some of their color, you can bet they’ve lost much of their flavor, too.

Spices will last longer, but keep them out of the bright sunlight.

Now is the time to consider storing things so that you can see them. Glass, airtight canisters and jars work best. Use them for macaroni, rice, flour and beans to keep away the bugs and so that you’ll know immediately when you are running low.

You don’t need to invest in costly decorative jars; sterile mayonnaise or jam jars, or canning jars are fine. Second-hand stores can also yield some surprising finds in the jar area.

As you explore the backs of your cupboards, you’ll likely find that you’ve been doubling up on things without realizing it. Who knew you had such a thing for diced chilies, or canned tuna?

Plan meals to use up the excess. But first, check that your cans are not rusted and swollen. Toss those immediately. It’s also a good idea to question anything you’ve been holding on to for more than a year or so.

Pots, pans, etc.

This is the part that’s going to get you to the January sales with a list. You will also be dropping things off at your charity or planning a tag sale.

Begin editing your dishes. Are sets chipped and broken? Do you have 15 coffee mugs but only two people in your household?

You don’t have to give everything that doesn’t match away. Mixing and matching can be fun. Chipped dishes can go under plants, and the coffee mugs can hold pencils or chopsticks, or be filled with gourmet jelly beans and wrapped as a hostess gift.

Inventory the pots and pans. If you’ve been making do with pots that scorch and pans that are too light and thin, this may be the time to shop the sales and trade up. Is there a type of pot or pan you’ve always wanted and think you’d really use? Fill in those blanks in your collection.

Do you have a decent can opener? Is your vegetable peeler a disgrace? Are your knives sharpened? Or do you simply have too much that you never use? When was the last time you had six guests for fondue? So why keep the pot and forks? What about that dice-a-peeler you fell for at the county fair a few years back? If you don’t use it, lose it.

Storage

Begin to think of fresh ways to store kitchenware. We have so many options these days that a change doesn’t have to cost a bundle and can add some charm and convenience to daily life.

Pitchers, jars and glasses can hold utensils and silverware. You can organize your junk drawers by buying inexpensive, sectioned silverware trays. Baskets, plastic containers with lids, and storage cubes available in places like Home Depot, Costco, Ross for Less and Sam’s Club can help you arrange everything from bottles of wine to paper products.

Look for interesting shelving at yard sales or the flea market. Or look for utility shelving in hardware stores or in catalogs.

Shelving often can be added above windows and doorways, on the backs of doors and under cabinets to double storage space.

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