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Forum -> Yom Tov / Holidays -> Pesach

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amother

Wed, Mar 14 2007, 3:14 pm

So this is the first big year. I need help from experienced pple out there. I am extremely organized (or would like to be) so I prefer precise lists of do's and dont's and when's and how's and WHY'SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS.
I have three bedrooms. Two are completely chametz free and one coat closet is also done. Now, how much time do I give myself for dining room and kitchen...if I still want enough time to cook and get the clothing/mending in perfect order? All this in a relaxed organized fashion? Does it exist? Rolling Eyes

chocolate moose

Wed, Mar 14 2007, 3:31 pm

tis was posted twice - I answered you on the other one.

shalhevet

Wed, Mar 14 2007, 3:34 pm

Make yourself a schedule, starting from the end. Leave two or three days at the end for cooking, laundry and ironing. How much time you need will depend on how many people you are cooking for and what your minhagim are for food on Pesach.

Before that your kitchen needs to be clean and kashered. Leave a whole day for lining and arranging cupboards, shopping and kashering what is already clean. The first year we made Pesach it took me and dh about half a day just to toivel the new stuff!!

Before that your kitchen needs to be done. Again, working backwards, the last things should be your counter tops and sinks, table and chairs. Before that fridge and stove/ oven. Before that kitchen cupboards. A fridge can take half a day and so can a stove (depends how clean you keep it during the year Wink

).

Think how you are going to keep everyone fed and plan also according to that. Once you've cleaned your stove, for example, you can't use it for chametz. Many women either freeze food ahead or use take-out for the two or three in-limbo days.

I personally find that it's easiest to leave the living room for last. I make a coffee corner with electric kettle, coffee etc. We eat chametz there and any chametz food stays there. I clean that the last day or two (much less work than the kitchen) and it means I can already cook.

OK, that's basically what I do. I'm sure others will have other ways of doing it, and you will gradually discover what suits you.
Don't forget to note down after Pesach what was good/bad for next year, and also what quantities of potatoes, fish, chicken, meat, matzas, eggs etc you used.

TzenaRena

Wed, Mar 14 2007, 3:44 pm

I posted in the other thread. Mods, can you merge it?

TzenaRena

Wed, Mar 14 2007, 3:46 pm

shalhevet, I'm printing out your post and sticking it on my fridge. Smile

shalhevet

Wed, Mar 14 2007, 4:08 pm

TzenaRena wrote:

shalhevet, I'm printing out your post and sticking it on my fridge. Smile

With no responsibility. Tongue Out

shalhevet

Wed, Mar 14 2007, 4:12 pm

I forgot to mention that Pesach cooking and baking takes a lot longer. Add in even extra time for every chumra in your house. Wink

But even if you eat gebrokts, kitniyos and every processed food on your grocery shelf, it will take longer. You will suddenly discover you don't have the right knife to cut the meat. You will forget which cupboard you put that parev pot in. And you will have to read all the instructions for your new electric appliance.

And just when you get the hang of your new kitchen, you will have to change back again. Tongue Out

greenfire

Wed, Mar 14 2007, 4:35 pm

Keep a list also of the things you use like how many lbs of matzo bought and used or needed for how many people, same for wine & grape juice ...
you can use a lot of disposable - easier than storing away ... but don't forget to buy pots and peelers and things like that ... also make a list of the things you actually need for seder so that you don't forget anything ... like hard-boiled eggs ...

bashinda

Wed, Mar 14 2007, 5:33 pm

like last time I realized oh, a potato masher might be helpful here. Can I mash potatos in the food processor?

chocolate moose

Wed, Mar 14 2007, 6:48 pm

they'll be gummy

bashinda

Wed, Mar 14 2007, 7:21 pm

Ugh. Okay A masher it is. Thanks! Smile

leahj

Wed, Mar 14 2007, 8:40 pm

A hint for cleaning the oven. I do the self clean twice, once to get the oven clean (no need for elbo grease) then I whipe it down (just the leftover gray soot) then wait 24 hours and self clean again for kashering. Spotless!

amother

Wed, Mar 14 2007, 9:38 pm

Thank you. I dont own a self clean oven...and my stove top is not closed on top either...

rainbow baby

Thu, Mar 15 2007, 10:15 am

amother wrote:

Thank you. I dont own a self clean oven...and my stove top is not closed on top either...

What do you mean it is not closed on top? If you have a hob you should clean it really well and then cover it with thick tinfoil. I was told for the pan holders you should get new ones as it is really hard to get them to the right temperature to burn them off. As you Rov about that one. For the extractor fan hood, I used to give it a really good clean and then cover it with tinfoil making sure it is fully sealed.

TzenaRena

Thu, Mar 15 2007, 10:37 am

Most stoves nowadays are made with sealed burners, that the shmutz doesn't fall under the cooktop. We have a sealed burner stove, and we would unscrew them before Pesach, remove the cooktop, and replace with the exact model cooktop and burners that we had special ordered. we had to clean under the cooktop anyway, in between the change, and it was good and greasy. I had to use oven cleaner, with not such good effects on the insulation of the wiring there. We had the stove repairman come to change the wires eventually. And now I have a separate pesach range.

The kind of stove you have, amother, is I think better for Pesach kashering purposes, of changing the burners, and more cleaning friendly.

jmtb, what's a hob? I assume the pan holders you refer to are what we call grates here in the USA.

Good that you mentioned the hood, it has to be covered with very heavy foil, or two -three layers of aluminum foil, because the steam rising from the pots makes contact with it, and leaves a film of actual chometz substance. Then the steam rising from the Pesachdike pots makes contact with it, and even if it's clean, without being covered, it's a huge shailoh.

rainbow baby

Thu, Mar 15 2007, 10:47 am

TzenaRena wrote:

jmtb, what's a hob? I assume the pan holders you refer to are what we call grates here in the USA.

I just love this language barrier, we both speak English but yet we don't, just joking!!!!!!
A hob is the top of an oven were you put your pans, or one that is totally seperate from the oven. You can either have gas or electric. does that make sense could not work out if it does or not. Confused

Pan holders are grates.

shopaholic

Thu, Mar 15 2007, 11:03 am

Buy the Spice & Spirit Countdown to Pesach. It has great lists for everything.

bashinda

Thu, Mar 15 2007, 11:12 am

TzenaRena wrote:

Good that you mentioned the hood, it has to be covered with very heavy foil, or two -three layers of aluminum foil, because the steam rising from the pots makes contact with it, and leaves a film of actual chometz substance. Then the steam rising from the Pesachdike pots makes contact with it, and even if it's clean, without being covered, it's a huge shailoh.

Oh I'm going to love cleaning the kitchen! I'm glad you mentioned the hood though. My last place didn't have a hood and I hadn't even thought of it. (this is my first year making Pesach in this house) I better get some more foil!

greenfire

Thu, Mar 15 2007, 11:16 am

and I'm getting exhausted just reading about cleaning the kitchen ...

rainbow baby

Thu, Mar 15 2007, 11:23 am

Oh yes amother her is a tip or just a warning be very very careful of the heavy duty tinfoil it really cuts your hands. You don't feel it at first but they really hurt they are worse then paper cuts. You will find that at the end your hands are covered in little cuts. Sorry but just wanted to warn you!!!!

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