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How would you describe food prep — easy-peasey or frustrating as heck? If your answer looks more like the second option, then it’s time to get organized and create some kitchen magic!

Making Mealtime A Bit Easier

Have you ever noticed that some people manage to get a complete aerobic workout just while preparing dinner? Back and forth, back and forth — feeding your family doesn’t have to be this hard!

Today, pay attention to the way that you move while you cook — and the energy you expend in the process. How many times do you cross the length of your kitchen in one evening? Do you find yourself doing squats to get at your pans? Stretches to reach your dishes? Are you becoming a world-class hurdler, jumping over the dog’s dish every time you go from refrigerator to stove?

And what about the time it takes to get dinner on the table — how many hours have you wasted looking for the right utensil — or trying to find your double boiler in the back of an overstuffed cabinet — or making a last-minute run to the store because you ran out of a vital ingredient? Would you be more likely to cook if your pantry wasn’t cluttered with outdated canned and boxed goods that you know you’ll never use? It only takes a few minutes of cleaning out and rearranging to make your kitchen storage function more efficiently, saving you a lot of time and energy in the long run.

Five Centers

Every kitchen implement or supply that you use tends to fall into one of five categories — cleaning, food storage, cooking, food preparation, and serving. So if you can set up your kitchen and dining room to reflect these activities, both storage and food preparation will become a whole lot easier.

It’s just like your kids are taught at Montessori — make it easy to find the tools you need for your work, and to put your supplies away when you’re done. The goal is to keep your equipment nearest the appropriate center, making it easier for you to perform your kitchen duties.

• Your cleaning station consists of the sink, dishwasher, and trashcan. Of course, soap, disinfectants, sponges, and rags should be stored in a cabinet nearby.

• The stove is central to any cooking activities, so keep utensils, baking sheets, pots, and pans within easy reach. If you can, also move the microwave and toaster into this area.

• Your food preparation center should be located near a large workspace (countertop or island). You will probably want to store knives, a cutting board, mixing bowls, blender, food processor, measuring cups, and other related implements close by.

• Food storage, on the other hand, will center on the refrigerator — and should include room for Tupperware containers, canned foods, dry goods, and fresh fruits or vegetables.

• Your serving center may be split between the kitchen and dining area. It is often easier to store serving dishes, linens, and candles near the table while flatware, glasses, and plates usually work well closer to the sink (it’s easier to put them away after washing).

The Triangle Theory

One final concern is movement from one “center” to the next. Some people claim that you should be able to reach every major appliance in your kitchen with just one step. But that seems highly impractical to me, especially if you have a very large kitchen or a very large number of appliances. However, you can make your life a bit easier as you cook and serve and clean — if you keep motion in mind.

Try viewing your kitchen as a triangle — from the sink to the stove to the refrigerator. Your goal is to keep those paths clear! If you have to dodge garbage cans, recycling bins, or any other obstacles to get back and forth, you are doing too much work. And those of you with an island may need to have your triangle at a very oblique or obtuse angle, but you can still make it work — just pretend that your triangle has curved sides that go around the island. We’re flexible here!