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TexasKnucklehead
Jedi Knight
Offline
My father passed away a short time ago. He instilled a strong family value in all his eleven children. My father never cooked. The time he spent in the kitchen was only to unclog the drain, repair something or keep us kids in line while we were doing the dishes. With five sisters helping in the kitchen, there was never room for boys to learn to cook -though we all learned to clean up and do dishes. Prudence, my wife, spent a lot of time in her grandmothers kitchen in New Orleans. Her cooking is unlike anything I had ever experienced. I want to help in the kitchen, but I mostly follow in my father's foot steps and try to keep out of her way. I know I'm more of a clean freak than most. When Pru lays down a spoon, I help out by picking it up and washing it. When it appears Pru is done with a pot, I wash it. I make Pru laugh, because anyone should know she is not done with that spoon or pot. Cleaning needs to wait until cooking is over. A little 'dirt' on either of them is not going to hurt what's cooking next. Our annual Christmas family dinner and gift exchange was scheduled to be yesterday at 6:30PM at our house so Pru could cook. She spent a full day in advance "getting everything ready". My job was going to be cleaning up afterwards. Pru had to fly out early this morning, so the plan was to enjoy family time together and leave the cleaning for me to do today at my leisure.
Although I was unable to get a firm commitment on how many members of my brothers family were coming or when, they did surprise us by arriving well before the planned start time of dinner. Our round dining room table was already set for 9 with Pru's grandmothers' china, silver atop cloth napkins, water and wine glasses and champagne flutes. All the stuff on the table had to be exactly arranged in a formal sequence I never learned or saw as a child. When our daughter arrived at 6:29PM with her boyfriend, we scrambled to 'casually' add another setting to the table. Pru tasked my niece and I with a few small finishing touches to the sweet potato soup while Pru wrapped a few gifts for our surprise visitor. At some point during dinner we thanked Pru for making such a wonderful meal. My 21 year old niece chimed in that she helped, apparently expecting to be complimented as well. Jokingly, I told her that I thought she didn't properly measure the peanut butter for the soup. It had way too little. Not to mention the numerous things in the kitchen that were now smeared with peanut butter. My brother (her father) agreed that she screwed up the soup, but he thought she put in way too much peanut butter. He attempted a triangulated argument by adding that he would never add peanut butter, and why would anyone, as it doesn't need it in the least. Last week my brother sat on a jury while our daughter took her 2nd year law school final exams. In short time, the dinner conversation dwindled to only those two, both having diametrically opposed views in general. The most casual observer could see there would be no resolve between them ever -at least not until well after dinner, a few bottles of wine, beer, and shots of tequila. Meanwhile, I retreated into the kitchen to hand wash the antique dishes while waiting for the conversation to cool to an interruptible argument so we could watch them open our gifts. Eventually without any tear shed, we reclaimed our home, the cats came out of hiding and we went to bed. Very early this morning, I put Pru's overnight bag in her car while suggesting she have fun at work. She smiled as she backed out of the garage while singing 'have fun doing the dishes'.
I don't mind washing dishes. I rarely use the word 'hate'. I think it is overused and generally too strong. I feel very lucky to own enough Waterford crystal for each guest to use at any holiday. Three glasses per person seems excessive, but it is nice. Banging a fork onto a glass to try to stop two people from yelling seems excessive, but is understandable. Washing glasses by hand is not difficult and putting them away is not a problem for me. But I HATE towel drying. Drying crystal is like final sanding. The glass is much more than half dry, but that little water spot has got to go. Then that finger print has to be cleared. Then after it's in it's spot on the shelf, fingerprints from putting it there are too apparent. I'm not sure if I'm 'drying' or 'polishing'. Luckily only 30 pieces were put out -aside from the pre-dinner and post-dessert drinks. Not all of them were used because some of us don't like champagne, or wine, (and some of us drink right from the beer bottle) but that doesn't excuse my need to wash and dry each one before putting it away.
In these modern times, in this modern house, we have a modern appliance to automatically wash our dishes. One might expect that after hand-washing all the dishes and glasses that the dishwasher would be empty. The silverware baskets were full. Some pre-drinking glasses and a dozen or so implements covered with peanut butter filled the top shelf. Measuring devices, choppers, mixing bowls, spatulas, serving spoons and containers filled the dishwasher so full that all the pots and casserole dishes would have to be hand washed too. Lucky for me, I can let them air dry while cleaning the stove.
Our 'self-cleaning oven' reminds me of Lucas 'self-dimming head lights'. It just doesn't work exactly as expected. Blueberry pie is my favorite dessert. Pru makes it better than any bakery. Apparently a blueberry pie exploded in the oven some time ago. 'Self-cleaning' cycles and repeated heat cycles since then turned those tiny blue berries into large coal-like carbon deposits that require attention from something like a bead blaster. Some of the interior oven panels will come off by removing a few cross head screws. Once the panels are removed, there is a possibility of making them look like new again. And it is also possible to clean up the carbon deposits that manage to get under and behind those panels. In less than 2 years, the glass oven door has become more difficult to see through. It seems the 'self-cleaning' cycles allow tiny spots of burned up... something and a haze to cover the inside. Scotch Brite removed the larger spots while Soft Scrub with elbow grease eventually removed the haze without scratching the glass. The stainless steel oven racks are to be removed during 'self-cleaning' but can be made to look like new with a Scotch Brite. Gas burners lift off the stove top easy enough. The stuff burned under them always comes off with a little effort. Anything too abrasive will damage the finish. Pru is a great cook, but she doesn't think about the mess under the pots. Since it was cool, I could start with a wet-vac. The stove top and front also had some of my 'fallout'. The blender burped a little of the boiling sweet potato puree while my niece and I were helping. I thought I was holding the top on tightly, but when molten sweet potato puree bubbles out the center vent at warp blender speed, the only thing to do is stand back and remain clear of the erupting magma. The lava throw reached all corners of the kitchen. When sweet potato drip-age cools overnight, it can get as hard as POR15. It eventually came off everything except the plastic knobs.
We have a 3 person bench in the rear of our breakfast nook. The table in front of the bench was used as a spot for desserts, cookies and appetizers. Last night, an un-opened can of Sprite dropped between the table and bench. The snap top couldn't handle the extra pressure and within seconds of contacting the bench, it sprayed randomly sized droplets of sticky soda on, under and around the area contained by the walls -but only a few feet up on the walls. With the help of foot traffic, the sticky floor spots started working their way across the kitchen long before dinner started. The room had to be cleared of the table, bench and chairs before the walls and floor could be cleaned today.
I am still wondering how lip stick gets on above-counter kitchen cabinet doors. Since most all the pots were drying on the counter top, I opted to clean the shelves with some 'Magic Eraser'. After the lower kitchen cabinet doors were cleaned, the floor was scrubbed, the dishes were put back away in their little cocoons, the crystal was back where it lives between holidays, the table cloth and napkins were running in the washer, and the pots were crammed back into the crevices, I finally got to touch up the black enamel chip on the stove top where it probably met some excessive force of the iron kettle during Thanksgiving. The whole time I was in the kitchen today I was thinking how much I enjoyed and missed the restoration of my car (now that it's done). I realized how much my father missed by not spending more time in the kitchen. He didn't like my car and could not understand why anyone would bother restoring it. 'Doing the dishes' today reminded me a lot of restoring my car. I'm glad it was just a 'refresh' and not a 'gut'. Still, it took much longer than expected. I really wish I had taken some before and after pictures.
Merry Christmas. Remember to celebrate our differences.
Although I was unable to get a firm commitment on how many members of my brothers family were coming or when, they did surprise us by arriving well before the planned start time of dinner. Our round dining room table was already set for 9 with Pru's grandmothers' china, silver atop cloth napkins, water and wine glasses and champagne flutes. All the stuff on the table had to be exactly arranged in a formal sequence I never learned or saw as a child. When our daughter arrived at 6:29PM with her boyfriend, we scrambled to 'casually' add another setting to the table. Pru tasked my niece and I with a few small finishing touches to the sweet potato soup while Pru wrapped a few gifts for our surprise visitor. At some point during dinner we thanked Pru for making such a wonderful meal. My 21 year old niece chimed in that she helped, apparently expecting to be complimented as well. Jokingly, I told her that I thought she didn't properly measure the peanut butter for the soup. It had way too little. Not to mention the numerous things in the kitchen that were now smeared with peanut butter. My brother (her father) agreed that she screwed up the soup, but he thought she put in way too much peanut butter. He attempted a triangulated argument by adding that he would never add peanut butter, and why would anyone, as it doesn't need it in the least. Last week my brother sat on a jury while our daughter took her 2nd year law school final exams. In short time, the dinner conversation dwindled to only those two, both having diametrically opposed views in general. The most casual observer could see there would be no resolve between them ever -at least not until well after dinner, a few bottles of wine, beer, and shots of tequila. Meanwhile, I retreated into the kitchen to hand wash the antique dishes while waiting for the conversation to cool to an interruptible argument so we could watch them open our gifts. Eventually without any tear shed, we reclaimed our home, the cats came out of hiding and we went to bed. Very early this morning, I put Pru's overnight bag in her car while suggesting she have fun at work. She smiled as she backed out of the garage while singing 'have fun doing the dishes'.
I don't mind washing dishes. I rarely use the word 'hate'. I think it is overused and generally too strong. I feel very lucky to own enough Waterford crystal for each guest to use at any holiday. Three glasses per person seems excessive, but it is nice. Banging a fork onto a glass to try to stop two people from yelling seems excessive, but is understandable. Washing glasses by hand is not difficult and putting them away is not a problem for me. But I HATE towel drying. Drying crystal is like final sanding. The glass is much more than half dry, but that little water spot has got to go. Then that finger print has to be cleared. Then after it's in it's spot on the shelf, fingerprints from putting it there are too apparent. I'm not sure if I'm 'drying' or 'polishing'. Luckily only 30 pieces were put out -aside from the pre-dinner and post-dessert drinks. Not all of them were used because some of us don't like champagne, or wine, (and some of us drink right from the beer bottle) but that doesn't excuse my need to wash and dry each one before putting it away.
In these modern times, in this modern house, we have a modern appliance to automatically wash our dishes. One might expect that after hand-washing all the dishes and glasses that the dishwasher would be empty. The silverware baskets were full. Some pre-drinking glasses and a dozen or so implements covered with peanut butter filled the top shelf. Measuring devices, choppers, mixing bowls, spatulas, serving spoons and containers filled the dishwasher so full that all the pots and casserole dishes would have to be hand washed too. Lucky for me, I can let them air dry while cleaning the stove.
Our 'self-cleaning oven' reminds me of Lucas 'self-dimming head lights'. It just doesn't work exactly as expected. Blueberry pie is my favorite dessert. Pru makes it better than any bakery. Apparently a blueberry pie exploded in the oven some time ago. 'Self-cleaning' cycles and repeated heat cycles since then turned those tiny blue berries into large coal-like carbon deposits that require attention from something like a bead blaster. Some of the interior oven panels will come off by removing a few cross head screws. Once the panels are removed, there is a possibility of making them look like new again. And it is also possible to clean up the carbon deposits that manage to get under and behind those panels. In less than 2 years, the glass oven door has become more difficult to see through. It seems the 'self-cleaning' cycles allow tiny spots of burned up... something and a haze to cover the inside. Scotch Brite removed the larger spots while Soft Scrub with elbow grease eventually removed the haze without scratching the glass. The stainless steel oven racks are to be removed during 'self-cleaning' but can be made to look like new with a Scotch Brite. Gas burners lift off the stove top easy enough. The stuff burned under them always comes off with a little effort. Anything too abrasive will damage the finish. Pru is a great cook, but she doesn't think about the mess under the pots. Since it was cool, I could start with a wet-vac. The stove top and front also had some of my 'fallout'. The blender burped a little of the boiling sweet potato puree while my niece and I were helping. I thought I was holding the top on tightly, but when molten sweet potato puree bubbles out the center vent at warp blender speed, the only thing to do is stand back and remain clear of the erupting magma. The lava throw reached all corners of the kitchen. When sweet potato drip-age cools overnight, it can get as hard as POR15. It eventually came off everything except the plastic knobs.
We have a 3 person bench in the rear of our breakfast nook. The table in front of the bench was used as a spot for desserts, cookies and appetizers. Last night, an un-opened can of Sprite dropped between the table and bench. The snap top couldn't handle the extra pressure and within seconds of contacting the bench, it sprayed randomly sized droplets of sticky soda on, under and around the area contained by the walls -but only a few feet up on the walls. With the help of foot traffic, the sticky floor spots started working their way across the kitchen long before dinner started. The room had to be cleared of the table, bench and chairs before the walls and floor could be cleaned today.
I am still wondering how lip stick gets on above-counter kitchen cabinet doors. Since most all the pots were drying on the counter top, I opted to clean the shelves with some 'Magic Eraser'. After the lower kitchen cabinet doors were cleaned, the floor was scrubbed, the dishes were put back away in their little cocoons, the crystal was back where it lives between holidays, the table cloth and napkins were running in the washer, and the pots were crammed back into the crevices, I finally got to touch up the black enamel chip on the stove top where it probably met some excessive force of the iron kettle during Thanksgiving. The whole time I was in the kitchen today I was thinking how much I enjoyed and missed the restoration of my car (now that it's done). I realized how much my father missed by not spending more time in the kitchen. He didn't like my car and could not understand why anyone would bother restoring it. 'Doing the dishes' today reminded me a lot of restoring my car. I'm glad it was just a 'refresh' and not a 'gut'. Still, it took much longer than expected. I really wish I had taken some before and after pictures.
Merry Christmas. Remember to celebrate our differences.
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