Nine Easy Ways to Prepare Your Kitchen for Summer

Summer cooking usually means less time inside the kitchen, withmore time cooking on a grill outdoors or even setting up an outdoor picnic. Since you’ll be preparing a lot of your food and specialties in the kitchen, maybe it’s time to do a little organizing, rearranging, and prep work to keep things running smoothly and efficiently. Here are just nine ways to prepare your kitchen for some summer fun:

1. Get that blender out of the cupboard!

Summer time naturally calls for chilled drinks, tasty smoothies, and exotic cocktails; pull out that blender to whip up your favorite concotion with ease, and have it clean and ready on your countertop. The latest trends in frozen drinks include flavored margaritas, or frozen fruit and juice combos.

2. Stock up on Tupperware.

An easy way to spend less time in the kitchen: prepare meals ahead of time. Just pick up an assortment of sectioned containers, and make 2-3 meals that last throughout the week. You’ll spend less time stressing about what’s for dinner when something is already prepared in the refrigerator or freezer.

3. Buy a fruit bowl.

This is the season to enjoy nature’s finest picks, and you can set up a fruit bowl with fresh fruit as a centerpiece on the countertop. Besides, just having it within reach will increase your chances of grabbing a healthy snack.

4. Start an herb garden.

The kitchen windowsill is the perfect spot for a miniature herb garden, and you an throw these into your recipes with ease. Dust off that kitchen window and make room for your own miniature greenhouse.

5. Restructure your cleaning routine.

With higher humidity and heat levels, you’ll need to clean the kitchen much more often. Invest in some valuable cleaning tools; look for mops, brushes, and other supplies that will make your cleaning routine that much easier.

6. Buy a countertop pizza oven.

Summertime isn’t exactly baking season, and you’ll want to limit the use of your oven as much as possible (unless you enjoy a second sauna in the house). If you’re making homemeade pizza on a regular basis, invest in a miniature pizza oven; these can cook up your favorite much more efficiently, and will lower the heat factor tenfold.

7. Stock up on ice.

Even if you have a home ice maker, a bag of ice chips on hand will always provide a valuable backup.

8. Clean out the freezer.

You’ll need more freezer space for all your summer treats, so take stock of that freezer inventory and throw out anything you don’t plan to eat within the next couple of months. Maximize that space!

9. Stock up on some healthy basics.

Fresh veggies, your favorite fruit, plenty of lean meats, and some healthy snacks can help with your healthy-eating habits. Make room for some fresh selections each week for variety.

Summer preparations can begin well before Memorial Day; as the temperatures soar, it’s a good idea to do some cleaning and organizing! Keep an eye out for bulk sales and coupon specials for larger purchases, and you’ll maximize your grocery savings too.