The Live-In Kitche (NAPSA)—If your family is like most, you spend about three to four hours in the kitchen every week. Increasingly, the room is being reinvented as a second, day-to-dayliving space—suitable for entertaining, working and spending some much-needed leisure time. L What’s more, people are choosing to spend more time at home instead of dining out. It comes as no Sur- Food For Thought: A well-organized kitchen can prise then that a make cooking, eating and entertaining easier and recent Nielsen sur- more fun. vey discovered that one in every five households has a “budding gourmet chef.” This newfound culinary craze has also prompted more and more Americans to unearth the benefits of growing their own fruits and vegetables and buyinglocally from vendors at area farmers’ markets. How can you make your space work better for family and athome dining? Here are some quick solutions: The kitchen is the heart of the home. Ensure there’s suitable seating for family and guests to lounge comfortably by converting one endof the counter into a work or crafting area. Tuck baskets under the cabinets for an out-of-the-way place to andeasy access. In the pantry, organize flavorful ingredients for the chefs in your home by installing ClosetMaid’s laminate shelving options, perfect for storing canned, boxed and dry goods. * You can also use the company’s affordable wire shelving to display decorative but seldomused serving platters or to hang beloved teacups using S-shaped hooks. For more organizationaltips or to access the online Visual Storage Planner, visit www.closetmaid. reusable shopping bags. call (800) 874-0008. store onions, potatoes or your Artfully display those longtime-collected cookbooks and your favorite spices near your food preparation area for inspiration com. For additional information,
