Post-Thanksgiving Dishes

Dinner went well except for the apple cake that fell apart when I tried to unmold it from its bundt pan.  As much as I try washing dishes as I go, priority needs to go to utensils used in early preparations that I will need later.  Except for the food processor used early, there are not a lot of One and Dones.

Just as executing a pre-planned menu takes some sorting and organization, so does cleanup the next day.  I start with what already soaks in the fleishig tub until it fills up the dish drying rack.  Then move leftwards to counter, stove, cutting board, and dining room table.  Some flexibility is needed.  There are utensils that cannot soak in a tub, others that need hand drying as soon as washed.  I do the glassware separately with a brush and skillets with a synthetic form of steel wool.

One rack at a time, this will take most of the day.  Yet I find it surprisingly relaxing.  Elements of frustration rarely emerge.  I can see my progress at every step.  Few things convey the gratification of accomplishment before completion.