Making Your Kitchen Work for You

(ARA) - The kitchen often becomes a family hub, the heart of the home for daily activity and entertaining. For this reason, the design of a kitchen space should address how the room is used on a daily basis. Identifying how you like to cook, eat and entertain are important steps in creating an efficient kitchen space.

Get creative to better utilize deep cupboards and organize drawers. Lazy Susan rotating trays and stackable spice racks are just the tip of the iceberg -- install shelves that pull out for easy access items in the back. Also, fit a horizontal knife block next to your flatware caddy to protect your fingers and the life of the blades.

Create more counter space by adding a small center island or rolling cart. Look for a cart that is decorative but also offers storage space below the work surface.The Kitchen Pro

Mix and match. It is perfectly acceptable to equip your kitchen with appliances you like, one by one. Most culinary experts do not choose an entire matching set of appliances from one manufacturer. Instead look at individual appliance features and stick to easy-to-match finishes like black, white and stainless.

Annex space from another room to create a walk-in pantry. This is one of the most popular features for homebuyers. It allows for storage of bulk food items and large appliances like chafing dishes that are used infrequently.After you choose which type of ice cream maker is right for you, you will need to find the perfect ice cream recipe. Remember that the faster the ice cream freezes, the better it will taste and the smoother the texture will be. It will be best to pre-mix all your ingredients and let them chill for several hours before placing them in the ice cream maker. When your ice cream is done, it will resemble soft-serve ice cream. You can place the canister in the freezer for a few hours and you will be much happier with the results. If your canister is plastic, consider removing the ice cream as soon as it is done, and placing it in a metal bowl covered with foil. The metal will allow the ice cream to freeze faster and become firmer more quickly than in a plastic container.ExfoliateWhether you are building from the floor plan up or simply reorganizing, kitchen tools and space planning have the most powerful impact on a kitchen's effectiveness.Neutralize OdorsAntioxidant ProtectionIf you want to make a large quantity of ice cream, you will need to purchase a model that uses rock salt and ice. The canister models will only make up to 1.5 quarts at a time. If you would like to turn ice cream making into a family activity, you can choose the hand-crank model, which will also use rock salt and ice. The crank must be turned manually for a fairly long period of time, thus allowing each family member a turn. An electric crank is quite a bit easier than the manual crank models. You will also get more consistent results due to the bowl turning at a constant speed. Most electric crank ice cream makers will have an automatic cut off feature that will stop the motor when the ice cream reaches the desired consistency. The consistency is judged by the amount of resistance while the bowl is turning.Organic IngredientsEven better, real coffee grounds provide antioxidant protection to the human skin, as well as a dog's coat. Many people do not realize how important it is to care for their dog�s coat as well as they would their own skin, and when neglected, dogs can often suffer from itching, flaking, and irritation. Coffee grounds offer several benefits in that they have antioxidants to protect the dog's coat from outside free radical damage. Free radical damage can come from a number of outside sources, like sun exposure, pollution, and stress. If this is not treated, free radical damage will cause disease and premature aging, which is why it is necessary to use topical antioxidants to protect your dog's coat.

Get creative to better utilize deep cupboards and organize drawers. Lazy Susan rotating trays and stackable spice racks are just the tip of the iceberg -- install shelves that pull out for easy access items in the back. Also, fit a horizontal knife block next to your flatware caddy to protect your fingers and the life of the blades.

Author: Barbara Schmidt (ARA Content)