I have one thing I do in the kitchen that helps me stay on task and keeps me organized: I ALWAYS start with a sink full of hot, soapy water. I learned this trick from the days when I followed FlyLady. It is what keeps me sane no matter what I have going on. It could be as simple as preparing tonight’s dinner or as complicated as catering for a party for 75 people.
Any cooking, for me, begins with filling that sink.
I wash up as I go. Once meals are bubbling away on the stove or popped into the oven, I set to washing what needs to be washed, scrubbing counters and wiping down the cooktop. You’d be amazed at the difference this can make at the end. Instead of being left with a counter piled with the dirty aftermath of cooking, I usually only have a few key things to hand wash. What we use during dinner gets loaded into the dishwasher. It’s how Thanksgiving – with 14 pies, turkey 3 ways, too many sides to count and a slew of vegan options – becomes doable for me.
Having that sink ready to go also makes it easier for others to jump in and help. I know, I know…it sounds too good to be true, and often it is. But it’s nice to be prepared. Actually, I am blessed to have a husband who is not afraid to get dishpan hands (that’s pretty sexy to me!)
So next time you are ready to cook, try filling up that sink and see if it makes a difference for you as well!! Happy Cooking!
Love this idea. As I was reading your blog I realize the times I enjoy cooking most is when I don’t end up with a sink full of dishes because I washed them as I went along. I will start to consciously do this going forward.
Praying your success,
Kim
Oh my, I wish you had blogged this yesterday. I was trying to clean up after a BBQ for 7 people, and, even using paper plates and plastic utensils, it was overwhelming after a tiring day. I’ll try this next time (except for the paper plates of course).
What a great idea!! I “sort of” clean as I go, but by squirting a little dish soap into each thing that needs washing. This would make it much easier, and I’d probably start the washing up sooner in the process. Neat!