Appliance Holiday Cooking Tips

       Don’t think of a holiday meal as a one-day cooking project that will only take a few hours to cook. Be prepared and start in advance. Our advise to you is to Prep, Prep, Prep!

       Start a couple of days ahead of time. Plan what you are going to make way in advance, make your grocery list a week before the event, and start getting some of your items ready just a few days before the big holiday feast. Here are some helpful tips of things that you can do with your appliances to make it easier for you on those big important holiday meals.

Refrigerator

       About a week in advance, clean out your refrigerator. The best time to do this is right before you go grocery shopping. This will make it easier for you because all of the things that you do have will be fresh in your mind.

       Make sure to start unthawing your turkey about 4-5 days before the feast. That big turkey will take a lot of room in your refrigerator, so utilize your refrigerator's special features like the extra shelves, airtight crisper drawers, herb storage, or the adjustable fridge freezer compartment. If you still find yourself not having enough storage space, utilize a second refrigerator stored in the garage or basement.

       A few days in advance, you can start cutting your produce and store them in air tight containers in your refrigerator.

       You can organize your refrigerator by putting the ingredients that take the longest to cook in the front of your refrigerator. The things that take the least amount of time to cook can be stored in the back of your fridge.

Range

       Preheating your oven can sometimes be a struggle. A great tip for preheating your turkey is to have the temperature at about 500 degrees Fahrenheit while it's preheating and then lower it back to the cooking temperature at around 350 degrees Fahrenheit when you put your turkey in. Because the turkey is so big and cold, it sometimes can shock your oven and make the temperature decrease even as low as 90 degrees Fahrenheit making cooking times even longer. So to avoid longer cooking times, make sure your oven is at the right temperature at the beginning.

       On the day of cooking, more burners can be a blessing on a busy day in the kitchen.  If you can, consider adding an induction cook top to your Kitchen. What I like about induction cooking is there’s no flame, so you’re keeping the surface area cool making it safer making sure none of the kids or guests get hurt. It’s going to be more efficient than gas, and it can be as precise. If you want to melt chocolate, it can set it at 78-79 degrees. It’s more about the precision temperature than anything else. Of course, if you use induction cooking, you’ll need cookware made from cast iron or another magnetic material.

       Some ranges have a fifth burner in the middle and/ or a griddle on gas burners. The griddle is nice because you can just place some of your food directly on the surface without using pans. As an extra bonus your meat and veggies can have those nice grill marks on them to make them look like you grilled them outside.

       At the bottom of most ranges is a warming drawer. Utilize this space for big meals by placing bread in there to rise the dough before you cook it and keep it warm after they are done.

Microwave

       A week before your event, make sure to clean inside and outside of your microwave. This appliance is sometimes the thing that we forget about during the holidays. None of your guests want to open up a dirty microwave.

       A microwave oven is made for a Thanksgiving feast! Microwave ovens use the precision of convection cooking with an element and fan the distribute the heat better. This speeds up cooking times three times faster than conventional microwave cooking.

Dishwasher

       About a week before your holiday feast, clean your dishwasher. Use an Affresh dishwasher cleaner tablet and have your dishwasher run a cycle with no dishes in it. This cleaning product will take out any mineral build-up and will clean inside of the machine making it work more effectively.

       Make sure that your dishwasher is completely empty at the beginning of the day of your feast. That way it is ready for new dishes.

       On the day of, pre-wash your dishes while you are cooking by filling half of your sink with hot soapy water. Once they have soaked for a little bit, place them in your dishwasher.

       If you have a quiet dishwasher (a sound rating of about 46 dba or lower) will make your life so much easier on event day. Once everyone is done eating and you load up your dishwasher, you can run it while mingling with your guests. It is so quiet, no one will even know that it's running.

       With these tips, you will be ready to tackle the challenge of cooking for 10 plus people. You can always have helpers in the kitchen and remember to have fun!

5 Tips to De-Stress Your Holidays

The holiday season can be a magical time full of fun and excitement- the music, lights and infectious excitement can all add up to a beautiful season that is truly the most wonderful time of the year! However, with all the events, food, parties and gift-giving, the winter holidays can also take their toll on your emotional and physical well-being. Here are some tips for taking the stress out of your festivities so you can be free to deck the halls and light the lights while hanging onto your own inner joy,

Take Time for Yourself- The holiday season is all about spending time with cherished friends and loved ones: family gatherings, big parties and outings with the kids all make the season bright. But in all the hustle and bustle, it can be hard to find time to connect with the most important person- yourself! Taking a little “me-time” out of each day can go a long way towards keeping you centered and free of stress or anxiety as the holidays hit a fever pitch. Whether you choose to unwind with a relaxing bubble bath, cozy up by the fire with a good book, or make it to your morning yoga class, make sure to do something just for you each day so you can combat the delightful chaos of the holidays.

Healthy Holidays- Fun and festive treats are a big part of what makes the holiday season so special. Homemade pumpkin pie, iced sugar cookies and gingerbread are everywhere during this time of year, and candy is literally hanging from the trees, so you can’t blame yourself for indulging in yummy baked goods and sweets a little more than usual. However, if too many visions of sugarplums are dancing in your head, it could be detrimental to your health. Try to space out the sweet treats and stick to a healthy diet in order to feel your best during the holidays. Heavy, sugar- and butter-filled holiday recipes can leave you feeling sluggish, tired and bloated if you overdo it. Try to even it out with fresh fruits and veggies and lean meats, and drink plenty of water- you’ll be amazed by how much more energetic you’ll feel!

Plan Ahead- We all have that one relative whose holiday shopping begins in August, and that other relative who starts buying gifts for loved ones at around 8 PM on Christmas Eve. You can save yourself a lot of stress and hassle by splitting the difference, planning ahead for what you need to do and pacing yourself in the weeks leading up to the big day. Try to begin checking items off of your holiday to-do list earlier than you normally do, so you aren’t overwhelmed by the mountain of tasks that await you as the season ramps up.

Say “No”- With the holidays comes a truckload of events, activities, parties and other commitments that you will be tempted to try to fit in, even if that means having to sacrifice all your free time. Just remember, it’s OK to say no to some of these events! In fact, turning down a party invite here and skipping a holiday craft fair there may end up being more rewarding by allowing you to truly enjoy yourself at the events you do attend. As long as you make sure to make it to the most important holiday events, like your kids’ Christmas program or your best friend’s annual bash, you’ll be able to find the balance that will give you the most cheer!

Stick to the Budget- When you’re in the middle of a beautifully-decorated department store at the mall, or when your favorite shopping site is offering 50% off of everything during their Black Friday sale, it’s hard not to whip out the credit card and start checking off your gift-giving list. However, you’ll feel a lot less merry when you get hit with that credit card bill in January! By creating a holiday shopping budget and sticking to it, you can make sure you don’t overspend and end up in debt, which will lessen your stress considerably!

What’s your favorite way to take the stress out of the holiday season? Please share with us in the comments section.