Do you ever feel like all you do is dishes? I’ve felt like that for the last week. I made so many new recipes recently which was great. I love when I get in those motivated moods where I want to try tons of new things. Not only does it give me plenty to eat and plenty to blog about, but I feel extra-productive because it means I’m using up some of the hundreds of recipes I’ve clipped and saved over the years.

But last night, around dinnertime, I looked at my clean kitchen and thought of some yummy things I could make for dinner. The problem was that I just didn’t want to mess up the kitchen again! So I simply microwaved some leftover quinoa, spruced it up, and ate it in front of the TV. I just had to say, “No More Dishes!”

My mom used to get upset with my sister and I because as we got into our teenage years, the kitchen seemed to be in perpetual use as we girls got on our own schedules. She would say, “This is not Mel’s Diner. We’re not open 24 hours.” I remember feeling annoyed with her at the time, but I can see now what she meant. It’s frustrating when you feel like you spend more time cleaning the kitchen then eating food you made in it. It’s nice to have at least a few hours of the day when your kitchen is clean and calm. If you eat most of your meals at home, it’s difficult to achieve this, of course.

And I don’t even have kids yet!