Let's answer some google searches!
On the dashboard of my blog, I have a little app that shows me some of the recent search phrases that are leading people to my blog. Sometimes there are terrible misspellings, and those always make me laugh because I know I've searched/texted things like that, hoping that auto-correct will save me.
Here's a recent example from a text conversation with Sonia, where I'm in blue:
Anyway.
I was looking at a grouping of these terms the other day and I thought it would be fun to answer them in a blog post.
See below!
Let's just start from the top!
how to keep kitchen dish-free
The most foolproof way to do this: never cook or eat at home.
If no one ever eats food at your house, you will never have dirty dishes.
Boom! Problem solved.
If you want to eat at home, though, I have bad news: you will probably always have some dishes in your kitchen.
Dirty ones, even.
And this is even more true if you want to cook in your kitchen.
Now, if you google, "How to keep dishes from taking over your kitchen", my advice is as follows.
1. Run your dishwasher every night, regardless of how full it is
Dishwashers are extremely energy-efficient, and running even a partially full dishwasher does not waste much energy. Just push the button and trust the experts.
Do not wait until it's full; that's gonna throw off your routine. Just run it at night. Every night.
2. Empty your dishwasher every morning
Dishwasher-emptying actually takes less than ten minutes; for us, it's more like five minutes because it's just two of us here.
If you empty it right away, then it's available for dirty dishes all day long.
Which leads me to....
3. Put your dirty dishes in the dishwasher throughout the day
And have your household members do the same. If the dishwasher is empty, there's no excuse for piling the dishes on the counter or leaving them in the sink.
Scrape 'em and throw them in the dishwasher.
4. Clean up after dinner
I almost never go to bed without at least throwing the dishwasher-safe dinner dishes in the dishwasher and pressing start. On a really busy night, my hand-washed dishes sometimes wait overnight.
But I run the dishwasher without fail!
5. Do your hand-washed dishes at the end of the day
I have some things I don't put in the dishwasher (wooden-handled knives, sharp knives, cast-iron pans, etc.) and I generally let those pile up during the day until I hand-wash them at night after dinner.
And that's how I keep dishes from taking over my kitchen.
Do they pile up sometimes, especially when I'm cooking dinner? Yes!
But the nightly dishwasher-running/hand-washing takes care of them, and then I have a fresh reset. And for me, that's what is key: a routine habit.
If you only run the dishwasher when it's full, then you end up emptying it at odd times, and then family members never know when the dishwasher will be empty, and they have an excuse not to load their dishes as they go.
So I'm hard-core on team RUN THE DISHWASHER EVERY NIGHT.
(If you have a different system that works great, ignore my advice. And if you don't have a dishwasher, ignore my advice.)
Edit: a reader comment reminded me that another key is: own fewer dishes. If you only own 8 mugs, your pile of dirty cereal bowls can only consist of 8 mugs at the worst.
If you own 27 mugs, though, your dirty mug pile can be tremendous before you are forced to do dishes.
hot fudge pudding cake
This one is easy!
Click here for the hot fudge pudding cake recipe.
This is a weird cake; you make a batter, spread it in a pan, sprinkle sugar on top, and then pour hot water over the whole thing.
But as it bakes, the cake rises to the top, and a pudding layer forms on the bottom.
It's best right out of the oven, with some vanilla ice cream.
And I also happen to think it's best when you make it with dark chocolate cocoa powder.
how to bless (a) person
I'm guessing this set of words brought someone to my blog because I have a post titled, "It doesn't have to be perfect to bless someone else".
Beyond that, I'd say...
Blessing someone is very individual
Treatment that is a blessing to one person might feel like a curse to another!
For example, an extrovert might be very happy if you planned a surprise get-together, whereas an introvert might be horrified at that prospect.
Study the person to come up with ideas
If you pay attention to a person, you can usually figure out some things to try.
And as you try things, you can take mental notes about what makes them tick and what doesn't.
Ask the person what they'd like
I know it feels a little more fun to come up with an idea by observation, but since none of us is a mind-reader, sometimes it IS best to ask someone how you could best bless them.
By the same token, you could ask them what they don't like.
If your character is good, you will probably manage to bless your person
If you are googling "How to bless a person", I'm guessing your heart is unselfish and kind, and so I have lots of faith that your efforts will be fruitful.
Selfish, unkind people do "nice" things in order to get praise or attention. They give what THEY think the other person should like. They aren't respectful of other people's wishes.
And they don't google, "how to bless a person". 😉
There are a lot of inexpensive ways to bless someone
For example, you could:
- offer practical help
- drop a meal off
- bake a treat
- run an errand for the person
- send an encouraging note/text
- buy a little gift that made you think of that person
- mail a note or card (bonus points if you use dip-dyed stationery!)
Related: 10 Ways to Bless Someone Without Spending a Lot (which I wrote during my first marital separation, in 2018)
whole wheat quick bread no yeast
This is a result of a recipe that I posted eons ago: No-Yeast, No-Knead Whole Wheat Bread.
It's a quick bread (like banana bread or cranberry bread), but it's got whole grains in it, and it's not as sweet as most quick breads.
So in a pinch, it works for sandwiches and toast and such.
Is it as tasty as yeasted whole wheat bread? NO.
But if you need a quick loaf, then this recipe is handy to have around.
_______________
How would you answer these google searches?
(Especially the ones about dishes and about blessing people!)
How to keep kitchen dish-free? For me works to have only what I need. A minimalist kitchen.
@K T, Ditto that! We're a two-person household, and we've just enough plates and glasses to host six people (including ourselves) at once. That's plenty for our cupboards and to keep dishes from stacking up during our usual hermit days. We take it a step further by using 8" salad plates as our dinner plates. Most dinner plates are comically huge; our cupboards are not, and our appetites don't need to be. 😛
@N, I agree 100% about dinner plates. Most of the time salad plates are plenty big enough for a meal.
@K T, That'd be nice if my brain could work with minimalism. :-/
Not a knock on you. Just something frustrating for me.
@WilliamB,
They say this is a great dieter's tip -- use a smaller plate and you will fool your brain into thinking you've eaten enough. A larger plate, looking emptier, will make you go back and fill up the empty space on the dish.
A sink of hot soapy water while cooking. That way if I’m waiting for something to sauté or boil, I can wash up the dishes I’ve used. When we sit down for dinner the dishes are almost done.
@Cate, I clean as I go. But my husband, not so much. I've tried to explain the concept to him, but it doesn't work. Oh well. I will take a cooked dinner tho!
My electricity supplier adjusts the cost per kw/h depending on how many renewables are in the grid so it is often cheaper for me to run appliances during the day. So I stack the dishwasher and run it when the cost is cheapest (and I am home). But there is only me at home now so it doesn't matter from a domestic point of view when or how I do the dishes.
On the other hand, I have picked up a lot of very reduced end of season fruit, veg and herbs recently (it's spring here) and have been doing the kind of processing I usually do in autumn. I trash my kitchen almost as fast as I sort it out 😀 A used kitchen is seldom a very tidy kitchen. Life is often not tidy!
I think you bless people when you treat them with love and respect. I also think you bless people when you allow them to treat you with love and respect. Mutual love and respect can be hard. But it is always a blessing.
Thanks for reposting the bread recipe. Last week I made soup(freezer leftovers) and thought beer bread would go good with it. But I had no beer so made cornbread instead. Next time I’ll try your recipe as I usually have all the ingredients on hand.
One of the things I like most about having a dishwasher after many years of not having one is that it can be loaded throughout the day, so there isn't always a pile of dishes on the sink and counter.
I would add that if you really use your kitchen a lot--with, say, a lot of kids and baking--don't be afraid to run it more than just once at night. I had a mental hang-up about this for some time after getting a dishwasher and would still end up doing a bunch of dishes by hand to avoid running it mid-day, but then I realized that's pretty stupid. It still feels a little bit indulgent to run it twice in a day, but that's just my own weirdness I think.
Also, I once did a whole post about reducing dishes. It's obviously something I think about a lot. 🙂
https://going-country.blogspot.com/2021/07/tt-reducing-dishes.html
@kristin @ going country, I used to call it dishes conservation. For example if you put the cream and/or sugar in your mug before you pour in the coffee, you don't need to stir it, thus saving a spoon. Clearly a throwback to my pre-dishwasher days.
I'm a gifts person so I send a lot of flowers. I also write empathetic notes.
as for dishes, it's hard for me. I get so tired at night sometimes I just literally stalk to bed without brushing my teeth or going as far as the kitchen. I don't really like to stack dishes in the dishwasher all day because I think food tends to dry on them and they're harder to wash. If you're one of those people who always rinses their dishes, I guess that's not a problem. My mother taught me and I taught my kids, if you eat something sticky then put the pot etc in the sink and fill it with water. basically it's all haphazard.
@Rose, I love that you send flowers. I remember how much it meant to me when my coworkers sent flowers when my grandmother died.
@Rose, do you stalk to bed when you are tired or do you stagger? Sometimes I do the incomprehensible thing of staying up too late because I am too tired to remove my contacts! That is definitely the Stagger Mode of late night operation.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, I stagger much of the time! Between long Covid and losing the ability to walk earlier this year (from bacterial infection), my endurance is nil. I do have plans to get outside more--I need it, the dogs need it. It just seems like there's always some stupid crisis preventing me. Like today: it's 47 here outside. It's 47 inside too because we need a new furnace and apparently I'm not supposed to use the old one any more. News to me! I hate my local oil company with a passion. I called them and they're all like, well, that guy who was supposed to contact you is off sick, so no one's done anything about an estimate or something. Bundle up! Sigh. One thing after another.
@Rose, if it ain't one thing. . . sigh.
@Rose, am so sorry for all your challenges. i am sending you lots of love.
My advice for not letting dishes take over your kitchen: don't have very small children in your home lol. It's a constant stream of bottles, tiny bowls, bento boxes, etc. We never keep up!! I've just had to accept that it's the season of life we are in right now.
As for how to bless someone, perhaps doing their dishes? ;-) haha, but seriously, when our parents visit, all our dishes get washed and dried and put away and the counters are clean. It's amazing.
@Carla G, that's hilarious!
@Carla G, I lol’d! You’re not wrong 🙂 it gets a little easier as they get older. I’ve also go e through a phase of paper plates. I had littles, a tiny kitchen and no dishwasher. I didn’t always buy paper plates but in busy season I allowed myself to bc it just cut down on the dishes and clutter in my tiny kitchen! The cost was worth it, I was a happier mom. (I HATED doing dishes, I do have a better attitude now. Maybe bc I have a dishwasher? 🙂
@Carla G,
My son and DIL have two children under two. When my husband and I babysit, we also do laundry and wash dishes. I still remember the days when my children were small and there were many demands on my time.
@Bee, yes, our parents do laundry too which is so appreciated!
@Caitlie, thankfully we have a dishwasher! I don't usually get out paper plates because the plates are not so frustrating to stick in. If they had paper pots and pans, I would be tempted. ;-)
Yes! Plates are not my dish issue; it's the stuff involved in cooking that is more annoying to deal with.
I too don't like to let dishes accumulate, and I do a daily hand-wash of dishes that need hand-washing. But I also can't bring myself to run the dishwasher daily when there's only one of me here; I remain a believer in running only full dishwasher and clothes washer loads. So I just rinse things, put them in the dishwasher, and wait till I've got a load. I probably run one dishwasher load and one to two clothes washer loads a week. Certainly this wouldn't be practical for big families, but what do other single folks think?
Also, re: hand-washing cast-iron pans: Unless they're enamel-coated, don't do it unless you've got a real baked-on mess (and then you'll want to start restoring the patina right away). After cooking in well-seasoned cast iron, all it should need is a quick wipe-out with a rag or paper towel, plus a dry scrub with a mesh onion bag or suchlike if there's any accumulation. Various online sources will have more detailed info about restoring/maintaining cast iron.
And re: blessing folks, I like everything Kristen said, plus what Frances said about love and respect. My personal love languages for my friends include refrigerator pickles, homegrown dried herbs, and homegrown bouquets, as well as just regular contacts (meetups with my neighbors on the street, etc.).
@A. Marie, my cast iron pans behave as if "well-seasoned" for everything except scrambled eggs. No matter what I use to keep them from sticking, the pan requires soap, water, and scrubbing, and then reseasoning. Sigh.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, I have no particular secret except making lots of bacon and lots of cornbread in the cast iron. I had your problem with scrambled eggs to begin with, but I think I now have seasoning on my cast iron pans that would make my SE TN/NW GA paternal ancestors proud.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana,
I started by oiling my cast iron pans and after rinsing and drying would add( melt and spread on bottom and sides with a pastry brush)high heat tolerant oil like bacon grease or avocado.
I have a fried egg frequently. I heat the skillet up on high heat, break an egg, add seasoning, when egg begins to solidify the whites I turn off my heat . It’s gas, if you have electric I’d move to a cold burner (element).
After a few weeks the egg slides off like on a non stick. I think with the cast iron I’m getting some iron in my diet.
While still warm, they do retain heat so watch the handle.
I rinse under the tap, use a plastic scrubber to loosen any food bits. Wipe dry with a kitchen rag.
I do this just about every day.
I think in my climate I watch to see if the surface is drying out.
You’ll figure it out.
You’ll be able to look at the skillet and know if you need to add a oil coating after a cleaning.
It’s the high heat and frequent greasing in the beginning and as necessary. But don’t burn your butter when frying or sautéing, then you have to dial back the heat and increase the oil. But not too soon otherwise it splatters.
It is simpler than this might make it sound:)
I follow a fellow who used to be at the markets with beautiful vintage cast iron he would rehab.
He posted that he also could ruin a pan of scrambled eggs without a problem 🙂
@T, thank you! I've heard that we can get iron in our diets by cooking on cast iron. Maybe the detailed description will help other people here. I have no trouble with fried eggs, only the scrambled ones.
@A. Marie,
My husband and I are empty nesters and I only run the dishwasher and washing machine when there is a full load. I figure I save on electricity, if not water.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, gosh sorry about the long winded report. Scrambled eggs are a pain:)
Here we are advised, for safety reasons, not to run a dishwasher while we are sleeping. I presume it might be a fire hazard?
Oh, that is so interesting! I have never heard of that.
@Kristen, It's probably because in Ireland they use 230 volts, while in the US we use 110 v wiring.
@Joan from Dublin, Ireland,
Here in the US, there had been a recall on a dishwasher model. I jokingly asked while buying mine. "This isn't the recalled model, right?" I was assured it wasn't. Well, a few months later, around midnight or so, I smelled something electrical. We got up and searched for a source, woke my mom and step-dad (former firefighter) who lived in a tiny house in my back yard at the time. We all searched...attic, crawl space, garage...I had woken the kids, put shoes on, had dialed all but the last 1 for the fire dept. and while standing there, noted the front of the dishwasher looked funny....yeah, the panel was melting. It was the recalled model after all. Fortunately, we discovered it before it actually burst into flames. We don't run dryers while gone or sleeping either for similar reasons. I've seen too many house fires from overheated dryers.
@Dawn in WA, How scary - I doubt any of us in my house would have noticed the smell; thank goodness you did, and followed up!
That hot fudge pudding cake is MAGIC. I found it one time in an old church cookbook (those are the best) and thought I have all these ingredients, let's try it. I am required now to make it when my husband's family comes into town.
@PBE, my mother would make it for us when I was a child.
I used to make it in the winter for our Sunday night dinners. I used to call it Lava /volcano cake:)
Maybe because it looks like it?
@PBE, my mother made it as a lemon cake too -and also the chocolate version. Pure comfort food.
@PBE,
I also make the lemon version. It is company worthy!
Dishes are never ending, even with 2 people. I run a lot of things through I didn't used to when we had kiddos at home, cast iron skillets are about the only thing hand washed. My love language is food. I will gladly provide a meal for people who are usually very thankful. This is such a positive blog Kristen and the community is so caring & thoughtful.
Working hard on the "no dishes" thing, and it's a struggle! We just recently became empty nesters, and I've purged our cupboards of some unnecessary dishes, which helps. However, we both pack lunches and I use re-usable plastic containers for things that don't need to be heated up. I dislike putting plastic in the dishwasher, so these things pile up beside my sink. When I don't have time to wash everything up right away, I at least try to organize the dirty plastic ware so that it at least looks like an organized dirty mess! Sometimes I am just too tired after a long day's work and reading a book takes priority!!
@Alica, I think you are my twin! Organized messes are much better and reading is such a priority for me that I don't even need to prioritize it - it just happens.
@Alica, have you considered using small sized glass reheat able lunch containers? I used to have lots of cheap (& expensive Tupperware) plastic lunch containers & after reading & noticing the bubbled plastic on reheated containers I decided to slowly start replacing with small glass containers. I still have Tupperware lunch containers for cold & dry use but nothing reheat able in them. I also just recently starting investing in stainless steel reusable lunch containers.
The only cheap plastic I have is something we will gift filled with bakedgoods for others.
@Regina,
Yep! I use the glass ones for anything that needs reheating.
Unfortunately, my husband's boss is Amish and he doesn't have access to a microwave. So...i use plastic containers for his cold sandwiches and fruit, etc.
With eight people we constantly have more dishes than can fit in the dishwasher. I run it at least twice and sometimes four times per day (limit with the cycle length). It's been suggested that I get one of those fast, commercial ones when our current one dies because my limiting issue is not filling it, but waiting for a cycle to finish.
I also cook in really big pots (roasting pan for scrambled eggs, for example) so sometimes I use the dishwasher as a big drying rack.
All said, it's exceptionally rare for us to have no dirty dishes around. So, the key for me is that the dishwasher is always being put to productive use.
@Nora8, A friend of mine had two dishwashers. They take up a lot of room, of course.
I can imagine that eight people produce a lot of dishes!
@Nora8, busy kitchen feeding lots of people! I use a commercial dishwasher at my soup kitchen volunteer work. I don’t think I would want it at home, even tho the wash cycle is only 3 minutes. Needs lots of power, expensive concentrated soap, lots of space, and gets water all over. We wear waterproof aprons and sometimes wish we had galoshes! Maybe there is a large capacity domestic dishwasher out there?
@Nora8, that's funny that you use dishwasher as drying rack for bigger items, I thought I was only one who did that. My husband would give me funny look when I would hand wash & then open dishwasher & put onto rack & leave open to dry.
@Kristina,
Good to know! I can't have water everywhere with wood floors in the kitchen!
@Nora8, We have 9 or 10 here, depending on the time of year. Our answer is teaching kids how to wash dishes, and then make them do it. On our chore chart, dishwasher (loading, starting, unloading) is a chore. Everybody (except for my father who can't stand a long time) is on it at least once a week. We all take turns on washing dishes and drying dishes. It goes on all day long. EXCEPT after supper, all the old-enough kids work together (theoretically) to get all dishes washed, dried, and put away. That way the only dishes to greet me in the morning are an occasional bowl/cup used for snacks that couldn't be loaded because the dishwasher was running.
@Nora8, I don’t think all commercial dishwashers are like this. The numerous childcare centers that I managed didn’t have issues. If there were any problems at nursing homes that I worked at, I wasn’t aware. It might just be that the one mentioned above was wearing out.
1. IME, the very effort of trying to bless someone, usually is a blessing in itself.
I like buying random small gifts for my friends when the gift cries out to me "This is for X." My friends know me well enough by now to know there's no obligation to reciprocate then and there or even at all. Most recent example: I bought B a doohicky that's supposed to make reading physically easier since B is worn out from chemo. I was also specific that I wouldn't be insulted if B didn't use it.
2. IME, it works best (for me) if the dishwasher is run every night for a larger household, and when it needs it for a smaller one. Even in a larger household, there are times when it'll need to be run more often as well. My best rule is that every night, either the sink should be empty (i.e., dishes loaded or handwashed) or the dishwasher running.
PS: Target sells absorbent dish drying mats:
https://www.target.com/p/18-34-x-24-34-drying-mat-dark-gray-brightroom-8482/-/A-85321755#lnk=sametab
@WilliamB, the very effort of trying to bless someone, usually is a blessing in itself. ❤️
When it comes to keeping on top of the dishes, I've finally accepted the fact that I'm a VERY messy cook. Depending on what I cook, I can end up running the dishwasher three times. I've learned not to cook those kinds of meals during the week. I try to plan things that will only result in one dishwasher load of dishes and save the messier things for weekends/days off.
For blessing someone, I'd add being very specific if you're asking what you can do for someone. Depending on what has made you decide to bless someone, they may be going through a lot and the idea of making one more decision is just too much, so it may be best to offer very specific help like "can I bring you dinner one night this week," "can I come over and help you clean" "I'm going to the grocery store, what can I pick up for you" type of things. The second thing is don't offer something you're not actually happily willing to do. I've had a few friends say that it was very frustrating when they finally asked someone who did the generic "let me know what I can do to help" for help, and they weren't willing/able to do whatever was asked. I actually had this conversation with my neighbor recently. I don't offer things I'm not happy, or at least willing, to do. For example, babies make me nervous, so I'm never going to offer to watch someone's baby, but I'll happily offer to watch slightly older kids, take them to a park, etc. I think it also helps people feel more comfortable in accepting help/blessings from you if you have a reputation for following through with what you offer and doing whatever it is with a good attitude.
For some reason, I always feel like I make a big mess when I cook too. I dunno what I'm doing that causes that. lol
@Kristen, I'm part of the messy cook club too. My stove and counters suffer every time I do something in the kitchen, which is pretty dang often. And the roborock vacuum is my saving grace. I think I rush and maybe I just don't have good aim.
I loved to wash the dishes when I was a little kid. My mother would pull a step stool up to the sink so I could stand on it and reach the sink to "puddle", as I called it. You know those glass/bottle washing thingamajigs that are a stick with a foam rubber pompom that you can stick down a glass to wash it? I asked for one for Christmas when I was 5. And Santa brought me one! I was thrilled.
@JDinNM, that is the funniest thing I have ever heard a kid doing! Thanks for the grin.
For those who don't have a dishwasher (how have I gotten to age 63 and have NEVER had a dishwasher?!)...now that there are just two of us, I just put the dishes in the sink till I'm ready to wash. I usually wash after lunch and after supper. I also wash as I cook, so the mess isn't so overwhelming (thank you, Mama, for that tip).
When our three kids were home, I would rinse and neatly stack the dirty dishes beside the sink. One time a friend stopped in and she said, "Even your dirty dishes look nice." It really only takes a minute to do that, but it has to become a habit.
Now I try to never go to bed with dirty dishes (I'm a bit OCD about that), because I hate getting up to a mess in the kitchen. When our kids were young and we were homeschooling, I'd often leave the dirty dishes after supper and wash them in the morning while the kids sat around the table doing school work (but we all always rinsed our own dishes so nothing would harden on). That way I was close by to help them, but could get the mess cleaned up. It wasn't my favorite, but it worked for me at that time.
I also had the kids help with the dishes, but probably not as regularly as I should have!
I agree with the comment that washing someone's dishes is a way to bless them! There were times I'd go to visit a friend and offer to help with the dishes. We would visit as we worked, so it never felt like drudgery! And honestly, I don't really mind doing dishes unless I'm really tired!
Yes. I find a pile of dirty dishes in the morning to be a real downer!
@Debby, I am 64 and had dishwashers when I was an apartment dweller, but I NEVER used a single one. We had one for a few years when I was a kid, and we hated emptying it, because instead of just a dish-drainer-full, it was the equivalent of about 3 dish-drainers-full. As a homeowner, never a dishwasher because the more stuff you own, the more stuff breaks. (It helps not having children. . .)
100% team run the dishwasher every night! Ours has a timer, so I just set it to run while we sleep since our house is an open layout and even a little noise can be too much. Then in the morning I start the coffee, and unload the dishwasher while it brews, most times I beat the coffeepot! It isn't always full, but dishes is one task I am happy to "outsource" to the dishwasher, and much like clothes that require special care in my house (they get donated), I don't have many dishes that can't go in the dishwasher...whatever makes life easier!
I feel like we have a lot of dishes because:
1. There are four of us, and three of us work/school from home so we're home a lot.
2. I like to reduce the amount of trash we produce so I use a lot of reusable containers instead of ziploc bags and foil and saran wrap. Accordingly, I buy in bulk for a lot of things so instead of twenty individual packages of goldfish, my daughter will take a little container in her lunchbox from the bigger package. Same with juice or milk in a cup vs. a juicebox. This philosophy generates more dishes but I'm ok with that.
3. My husband has generously supplied us with nice cookware and knives and I don't like putting those in the dishwasher.
4. Kids are hungry little buggers.
We're at a place where everyone (with the exception of one family member) is pretty good about rinsing our plates. I usually put it directly into the dishwasher after rinsing, others leave it in the sink. I try to clear the sink every night but I think I need to change my philosophy about only running the dishwasher when it's full. Then I can just assign someone the task of unloading the dishwasher every morning instead of them wondering if it's clean or not (I really don't know why this question is so baffling to them). I'm going to try.
@CrunchyCake,
Have 3 little ish people in my house. Every morning my husband empties the dishwasher, yet somehow, the dishes are still on the counter because, “I don’t know if it’s empty.” We run our dishwasher every night. I’m trying to teach my children to get up from the table, take their dishes to the kitchen and put them in the dishwasher. I’ve heard that at some point this might actually happen. We always seem to have a pile of clean things that didn’t fully dry in the dishwasher on the drying pad.
@Anna-Catherine, I have a 17 month old and an almost 4 year old. The 4 yr old is quite bossy with the dishwasher and is happy to tell everyone else that it’s dirty and they need to put their dishes in the dishwasher. She also likes starting the dishwasher before going upstairs for her bath. Thankful for a neat and tidy kid….just not sure where she got it from. 🙂
If you get everyone in your house to put dishes in dishwasher after using them then you are way ahead of many. When we did have dishwasher (& more people living at home) I was mostly the only person to put dishes in dishwasher. Only person who was able to get away with it was youngest who was not quite big enough (for awhile) to physically open dishwasher & safely pull out shelves to put dishes in. Older teens & (now ex) husband RARELY put dishes in dishwasher unless I lost it after telling & doing myself too man_ times. One time I refused to put any other dishes into dishwasher to see how long before someone else noticed. I think it was almost 2 weeks (& 2 filled sinks) before anyone said something. It was difficult to say the least, especially since no one learned a lesson but me.
You have more stamina than me. My hand wash dishes (which is all now) get done when sink is full. I tend to take care of clean dishes within next day or two. Of course we also keep paper plates in cupboard to use so not earth shattering if no glass dishes in cupboard.
I do try to get dishes washed when cooking. I fill up sink & put dish soap & HOT water in then do few as cooking. We use cast iron pans, so usually reuse few times before washing--put into oven when not in use & dirty. We also use stoneware for cooking/baking. Teen uses same pizza stone few times befor÷ gets cleaned-- that goes in oven or on top of cast iron griddle.
I am stickler for cleaning my counters & stove after cooking as it just looks better to come into (mostly) clean kitchen. Just wish teen was same.
Do you seriously have people that google/ask how to bless someone??? To me it's just doing what's right. It makes me feel good & other(s) good/happy also.
We have elderly neighbor that lives alone (has family not far away but not over regularly) that teen started helping then working for last year. She was so grateful because I had been leaf blowing her sidewalk (I do down whole side if possible) & on her porch & driveway if needed. Teen & I were outside doing leaves & noticed that neighbor leaves were so thick couldn't leaf blow off sidewalk & city did not clean up between sidewalk & road in front if neighbor house. Teen & I went over & got all leaves between. sidewalk & road down to curb (in piles) & small area in yard by porch cleaned. She was so surprised we had done it.
I was surprised her family had not been over to leaf pick up with their riding equipment yet. But wanted to be sure areas where walking were cleared & safe for her (& others). Just makes sense to me/us.
@Regina, I'm not surprised that people Google how to bless others because I've done something similar. Six years ago my friend was in a traumatic car accident and two of her children were hospitalized for a very long time. I had never had a friend go through something like that and wanted to help and show care for the long haul, but didn't know what would be helpful and I didn't want to overwhelm her with questions. So I started googling for ideas to help a friend with a child in the hospital. I actually found a lot of great ideas!
Kristen, your dishwasher routine is exactly what we do in our household. I like coming into a tidy kitchen in the morning and I don’t mind the first daily chore of emptying the dishwasher.
I grew up in a home which had no dishwasher so all dishes had to be washed, dried and put away after every meal. My 5 siblings and I took turns with the kitchen chores along with other chores throughout our home. When I lived in an apartment that had a dishwasher, I didn’t use it as I was so used to washing dishes by hand. We definitely use our dishwasher now though.
When it comes to blessing someone, I love how you said,” study” the person.
Each person is unique and may have different needs in different “seasons” of life. To pay attention and be a good listener can really help in discerning someone’s need. My father would say,
“ Just be there. Be present for someone in need.” My mom would have us kids make cards for people who were sick or sad. And my father would sometimes call a relative who was going through a rough time and Dad would have all six of us kids sing a few songs ( with beautiful a cappella harmonies) over the phone to cheer the person.
As an adult, I frequently give baked goods, meals and notes of encouragement to bless folks but it seems like making /gifting a hot fudge pudding cake might be a great blessing to any recipient:). I’m off to bake one now. Thanks for the recipe!
Hope you enjoy it! That cake is best when it's fresh out of the oven; my kids did often eat leftovers, but they're not as good as a hot cake with the hot fudge sauce.
I often throw it into the oven while we are eating dinner so that it's hot and ready when we are finished with the main meal.
My first 20 years of marriage we didn't have a place for a dishwasher (tiny kitchens). Now that I have one, I sure use it, but I don't run it every night - it might have only 6-12 items in it, since I eat leftovers a lot. I wait till it's full.
I don't run mine at night unless I can help it, anyway, because I already have to be up early and have a good bit to do before leaving for work and I don't want to add emptying the dishwasher to that. I run mine while I'm at work and unload it when I get home. I only run it at bedtime when I know I'll need dishes out of it the next morning or if it's a Friday or Saturday night.
My sink will be empty and clean when I go to bed, by golly. I have been known to put one last dirty glass or dish in the refrigerator before I go to bed if I've already turned on the dishwasher but wanted a drink or snack. It's just me here and that doesn't bother me.
When blessing someone, if offering a service, I agree with others here - be specific! Take someone somewhere, pick up something at the store, do some cleaning, watch a pet, bring a meal - so many services can be so helpful. "Let me know if I can do something " is so not helpful.
When one of my siblings had a horribly busy schedule and young kids, my other sibling and I used to clean the "public" parts of her house whenever we came for a weekend visit. We swept/vacuumed/mopped/washed dishes/dusted/picked up the first evening we were there, and let me tell you, she appreciated it. In fact, she was the envy of her friends and co-workers because of it. It was my other sibling's idea, a really good one.
Wow.. you have changed my life with the “RUN THE DISHWASHER EVERY NIGHT” routine.My kitchen is almost always a mess.I cook almost ALL OUR MEALS every day and we are retired and eat them at home,so dishes dishes dishes! I am going to IMMEDIATELY start doing the 1.Nightly dishwasher run. 2.Empty dishwasher first thing in morning. 3. Handwash all dishes from sink that need handwashing, at night.
I have chosen to not have a dishwasher because the more stuff I own, the more I have to maintain or repair or replace. But with a 2-person household, we can consolidate the dirty dishes in a tub on the counter until washing time.
I found that hot fudge pudding cake recipe in a Mother Earth News magazine in 1988. It used oat bran, because that was back in the days when oat bran was going to ensure that everyone had eternal life here on earth. Loved that recipe, but trying to be off sugar now, sniff (stifled sob).
Maybe people google "how to bless someone" because they are looking for new ideas. Kristen, your take on "reading" people is exactly the right approach. It would not be a blessing to me if someone brought me a sweet treat right now, although in the past, I would have been thrilled. The more you know a person, the easier it is to bless them with something that fits. However, you don't actually know most of your readers and somehow manage to bless us five days a week! So, BLESS YOU, Kristen! 😎
I agree with your dishes guidance! The only thing I'd add (as a larger household at the moment) is that I also hand wash whatever couldn't go in the dishwasher after breakfast. Then it's empty for when I start adding things from lunch and whatnot. But I have grown very fond of my routine of coming down to the kitchen in the morning, having my coffee running, feeding the cat, then putting away dishes while I listen to my Bible in One Year app. The nights that I don't clean up after dinner or forget to run the dishwasher (ugh! like last night!) get me off my groove.
Thanks for the link for dip-dyed stationary! I think that my mother-in-law would really love receiving that as a Christmas gift.
Part of why "the me I wanna be" is a freezer meal person is to make it easier to bless someone by taking them a dinner. I have a few people in my life right now that could really use a dinner (like my friend on crutches or my friend that just had a baby), but I'm having a hard time keeping up with life and am not great about prioritizing prepping freezer meals. Baby steps. I just bought chicken yesterday to use in a freezer meal - now I have to make it!
Thanks for sharing with us so faithfully, Kristen. I really look forward to reading each and every day, even if I don't have time to comment. I wish you all the best this week and hope your Dinnerly meals bring you a little relief and bring some fun to mealtime.
@Ruth T, You don't have to make the dinner yourself, you know. A rotisserie chicken, some frozen french fries and frozen vegetables would be welcomed at many places.
I can't stop thinking of meals brought to a house after a death as "ziti patrol," from the Sopranos. Heck, Janice Soprano brought a bucket of KFC to the house after Karen Baccalieri died.
@Rose, That's a great point. My rural Midwest self wants to make a casserole and homemade bread, but it doesn't have to be that grand.
@Ruth T, Done is better than perfect.
@Ruth T, Also--bakeries sell good bread! heh. What about some nice bakery rolls, some nice tomatoes, and some deli meat and cheese? Done.
My mother would never ask for anything. But, listening carefully could tell you what she wanted. When she admired my necklace while saying she had trouble finding any that length I knew what to buy her next. When she said a female is never too old for dolls, a friend bought her one and she pretended it was her nieces who were thrilled but we all knew how happy that doll made her.
I live alone now and only run the dishwasher when family visits. I enjoy my hands in warm water because I keep my house on the cold side. However, I would rather read than anything so I let my dishes sit in a tub of hot soapy water before I do them. If I have a lot of large items, I also put them in the empty dishwasher to dry. Doesn’t hurt my head a bit.
I never run the dishwasher unless I’m home and awake and the same goes for the washer and dryer. We used to run the dishwasher at night after the last adult went to bed. One morning we woke up to it having broken. It had run water all night flooding the kitchen and the basement below. Very expensive repairs had to be made.
I have googled ways to bless people because I wanted new ideas. I also pick up small items I see through out the year and I periodically bake brownies and cheesecake bars for neighbors because an unexpected gift is such a good idea. I do ask if there are any food allergies beforehand.
I’m going to start buying myself some flowers at the grocery store because they make me very happy and I’m worth it.
What about the cost of dishwasher soap? Cascade advertises to 'run the dishwasher every day' and that commercial bugs me, but of course, they're trying to sell soap.
Water and electricity aside, dishwasher soap can get very expensive. Depending on what type you buy and whether you use a rinse agent, you can wind up spending anywhere from .15 to .75 per load (rough figures based on a quick search.) At $1 per week for a daily load, I suppose that's doable for most people but at over $5 per week, it becomes convenience vs. spending so someone on a tight budget might want to consider cost of soap in the equation.
@Bobi,
I find figuring out the actual expense of using a dishwasher as compared to hand washing to be mind boggling. Does a dishwasher use less or more hot water than hand washing? The dishwasher uses hotter water, but I've had to add hot water to my sink many times while hand washing. I suppose the stainless steel sink causes too much heat loss, perhaps? The cost of detergents, as you pointed out, can be very different. The other thing I've tried (and failed) to figure is the cost of avoiding using dishes when I had to hand wash dishes. I found myself using disposables much more because I didn't want to wash yet another dish used for eating or food prep. I've read that the figure for hand washing water usage assumes one leaves the water running for rinsing, but surely most people don't just leave the water running as they wash dishes. So which method really uses the most water in total?
Someone more accomplished than me will have to figure this one out, but overall, I suspect it won't matter. We're going to use whichever method we prefer regardless, I would imagine.
You can make your own dishwasher detergent with washing soda, baking soda, salt, and citric acid, all of which are cheap. (We always have it around because my daughter is always hand-dyeing things.)
I've used it once or twice before, but in my opinion Cascade XXXXXXXXtra Xspensive works better. I've also bought the old fashioned commercial kind with phosphates online.
Doing dishes: I think I've said before that I was the eldest of six kids. Back in the day my Dad bought a small farm, three room house, eighty acres, no running water. But it was just the way it was. It didn't seem a hardship except when it was snowy and one had to make a "constitutional" run to the little house out back. We boiled water on the gas stove from the cistern outside the back door and did dishes in an enamel dishpan. Someone always had to dry the dishes and put them away at the time of dishwashing. With that many kids, there was no skipping the dishes after every meal. Helping Mom got a little lax as we got older. I remember sitting at the table doing homework and being the only one to feel guilty when Mom was doing them herself. I always got up and helped her. It became our best time together. And in spite of our connection, doing dishes was never my favorite thing. I often thought that if I died and did not go to heaven, I would be doing dishes. My first job after graduating from college, was working dietary in a nursing home...doing dishes.
I live by myself now, When I worked in dietary, I did gain the habit of "cleaning as you go". And I do that when I cook or bake now. But by and large when I "scrap" for meals, the dishes pile up in the sink. I've said it the past, "You know it's time to wash the dishes when you're down to the salad forks." Since I'm not as depressed, I'm back to cooking and consequently regular dishwashing.
Blessing others: Spontaneity seems to be my thing. So often I get a hankering/taste for something that makes a larger amount than I need. I often share with my neighbors and friends, and occasionally have extra cookies or pie on hand to give to those who help me. The church I attend uses "Take Them A Meal" as a signup base for families with a new arrival or surgery or illness. I do pay attention, and when I see things that are favored by certain people esp in antique and collectable stores, I get them.
@Chrissy, Family members of mine have used the program "Meal Train", probably a similar online system.
One family received much great support, but many of the dishes were some kind of pasta, which got repetitive. Also, they received many many desserts, more than were healthy or they could eat. Fruit or vegetables were particularly welcome.
I like your dishwasher advice! I'm one to load the dirty dishes immediately. I don't like looking at dirty dishes on the counter. Occasionally, something has to soak in the sink overnight (like my Dutch oven), but it'll get washed in the morning.
One of my goals for October was to do the dishes every night. I'd fallen out of the habit (previously it HAD been a habit). I hate waking up on school mornings to dishes everywhere and trying to get breakfast for my daughter and help her pack her lunch, all around dirty dishes. So I just forced myself to do it and it did not kill me. 🙂
Fun post. Thank you!
Interesting basis for a post!
My Mom liked doing dishes by hand, she said, because she could watch the birds at the feeder outside. In her later years, the warm water felt good on her hands.
My in-laws essentially washed dishes by hand, with soap, before putting them in the dishwasher. Drove me crazy.
Thanks for reminding folks to ask what the person needs before trying to bless them. It is possible you just don't "get" it, and this can cause a lot of problems.
I have seldom been so upset as the time when a well-meaning church group called and said they were going to give me a Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings.
I immediately said, "No you're not!"
Lightbulb moment: those church people had absolutely no empathy, sympathy, or knowledge about helping childless, never-married women. And it appeared they didn't want to learn.
What's wrong with bringing over the turkey dinner, you ask?
First, I had no family or anyone to share a meal with. (To make it even worse, this was a last-minute surprise....and everyone I knew already had plans. Not that I'd want them to give up their family celebrations for me.)
Second, I was looking forward to a very quiet day of just relaxing at home and doing nothing more strenuous than laundry and binge-watching a TV show. Over the years, I have been to many other peoples' family celebrations, and I cannot help but feel I don't fit in, no matter how much these sweet people try to make me feel welcome. It is a terrible effort to make small talk to total strangers knowing I will never see your other guests again and it's a very empty feeling to go through this. I appreciate your well-meaning efforts, but please don't put me through it all again.
Third, I had no oven in which to bake the turkey. The 1964 built-in oven quit eons ago, and it is too expensive to replace. And slaving over a hot stove is not my idea of fun.
Fourth, I HATE turkey dinner leftovers, and that's exactly what would happen. (My mom and grandma always seemed to think we'd need 75-lb. turkey for 4 people, 3 of whom were dieting, and we'd be eating that nasty leftover meat until Xmas, when it'd all start over again with another turkey.) With me a lone, I'd be eating turkey, dressing and all the trimmings until Valentine's Day, no doubt. Yuck. Or I can feed it to the dog. Doggy will like it, but it's not good for her.
And lastly, how dare them! Just because I drove a 10-year-old car and prefer a frugal lifestyle, that does not mean people have the right to judge me by their (spendthrift) standards. (BTW, Church Lady, I paid off my mortgage -- what about yours? Oh, I see, you have more important things to do with your money, like getting manicures and going out to happy hour.)
I was shocked they thought I needed their handouts or pity. I actually had to argue with the committee chairwoman so she wouldn't bring the crap over. How dare she assume she knew what was best for me!
It was the most unwelcome surprise ever -- and I never renewed my membership commitment to that church. Glad I found another congregation that actually has a lot of singles in it.
My husband does the dishes most of the time. I’ve always felt like we had to have the dishwasher full, but he’d love it if it were run every night. There may possibly be a change in our routine.
When I was single with 2 children and in grad school, I really had to be frugal. I didn’t have a dishwasher, so the three of us took turns, one right after the other. I also didn’t have a dryer and this was in a very wintery climate. A good friend used to bless me on gift-giving occasions with a stack of paper plates, gift coupons to McDonalds, and always offered her dryer if I was coming over so I could dry a load of towels. When the end of the term came due, those paper plates were a blessing. And, at the time the $10.00 worth of McD’s coupons could get the three of us a fun meal, which was a treat.
One way I save on dirty dishes is to challenge myself to read through a recipe and decide the fewest number of measuring cups and spoons I can use and in which order to use them so that I go from dry to wet. Good times!
guess what? i don't have a dishwasher and i have a tiny kitchen. i wash everything by hand after i have used them. i dry them and put them away. i never ever have a pile up
i grew up in a horrible mess and i never want to live like that again.
A belated comment but thank you for this post. It was me searching for the hot fudge chocolate pudding recipe. Thank you! I'm very happy to have that treat in my life.