This week my 15-year-old daughter made an entire meal by herself. It was meat loaf and fried potatoes. I wasn’t home to help her, so she was entirely on her own.
When I did come home, it was to a huge mess. I had done a really good job teaching her how to make one of our favorite meals but I had apparently not taught her the art of keeping the kitchen clean while you cook.
It drives me crazy when I see someone cooking or baking and there is a mess everywhere. That’s probably why I especially enjoy the food shows on television. The countertops and food areas are always clean and orderly.
So the next time she cooks, I will be showing her how to clean while you cook. Actually, it’s more about maintenance than anything else.
For starters, I always get out everything I need. This includes not only the food items but measuring cups, spoons, bowls, etc. But I segment everything where it makes sense…in other words; it’s not just a jumbled mess.
As I use items, they are either put away immediately (if I know I won’t need them again) or I rinse them off or set to the side (if I know they will be used again). An example would be the eggs used to make meatloaf. As soon as I have cracked the two eggs, the shells immediately go into the garbage can and the container of eggs goes right back into the refrigerator.
If I am using a measuring cup but will need it again, I rinse it out and set it off to the side. Or if I won’t be using it again, I put it into the dishwasher.
Garbage immediately gets thrown out and I tend to wipe the counters as I go along. Let’s say some cracker crumbs sprinkle onto the countertop. I don’t leave them. I brush or wipe them away.
What brings me the most satisfaction in cleaning while I cook is that I am left with little mess. Once I’m done, I don’t have to worry about dealing with a huge clean up.
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Photo by hectorthebat in Flickr