Okay one reason why I don't like the holidays

[Nazgul Girl]

I don't like to cook. I do like to make chili for some reason, and maybe a few other things, but I really don't like to cook. I have put thousands of meals on the table over the years, but I just don't like food prep. So, my DH does the majority of the big cooking, and in return, I do the dishes. Sometimes, he does the dishes and I cook, but usually it's the other way around.

This holiday season, DH was particularly creative, what with special turkey prepping, rubs, several batches of pumpkin muffins (including some test ones ), casseroles, batches of cranberry sauce ( 3 so far ), etc. All of this takes pots, pans, dishes, and utensils. Now, he's making a batch of Jewish turkey soup. This is all wonderful. However, I'm on the fourth extremely full load of dishes in as many days, and feel like saying "hello" to the same peelers, saucepans, muffin tins, and cutting boards that I scrubbed out, soaked, and/or washed yesterday, and the day before that, AND the day before that. In fact, this has all been going on non-stop since Tuesday.

Okay. Dirty dishes are one reason why I don't like the holidaze.....

[Deleted]

I have a set of Christmas china and i use it 2x a year, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Those are the only "big" dinners i will do, unless i have some mood to cook. So, we have to get all those dishes out, clean them , get out the Christmas table cloth and utensils and all that and so it adds a lot more time to get all that out, cleaned and the put away. Just grin and bear it. ;D

[zibazinski]

Since I even lost my Christmas dishes when I divorced, I decided that when I get a set of nicer dishes, they are going to be all white so I can dress up the table linens according to season.

[Deleted]

That is a great idea zibby. Then you can use them all year and just change up the linens and accessories.

[zibazinski]

Yup. I saw that in Pottery Barn and thought, "YES!"

[Nazgul Girl]

Blug. Scrub. Blug. Scrub. Tra la la la la. Deck the hall with cutlery and ladles, tra, la, la, la, la, and more dishes to wash. You know, it's all good until you have a retired chemist husband who likes to cook because it literally involves chemistry and formulas. I'll send him to your houses.....

[milee]

Yeah, the dishes are a PITA. But it's really nice that your DH is baking for you. It differs for everybody, but for me cooking/baking = love. Sounds like he really loves you.

[Opti]

I don't enjoy doing dishes either but it does sound like you are least partially
being compensated with some good interesting food. You could probably
cut down on the dishes if you made a new deal of a dish cleaning max.
(If you were a business those extra items would be extra revenue or at least some favors. ;D)

I think if you are pretty well off it would be tempting to have some of your meals provided by the grocery and food stores that are cranking out lots of take home goodies this time of year. No prep and no dishes. It might be fun.

[alabamagal]

I enjoy cooking big meals (must be something about the chemistry, I am a chem engineer!). I actually enjoy it more than the everyday cooking (what's for dinner tonight...ugghh).

So my DD and DH are stuck with the dishes, and I know they are tired of it - ran the diswasher 3x on Thanksgiving day.

[Nazgul Girl]

He do love me very much. Yes he does. I am a very lucky girl. He's a great guy. Scrubby dubby do, lol !

[Deleted]

Don't you have a dishwasher?

[Deleted]

Not everything can go in the dishwasher. I don't find that pots and pans get very clean in the dishwasher. And, i don't want to put my good Christmas china in the dishwasher.

[Nazgul Girl]

Yes, we have a dishwasher. It still entails scrubbing off crusted junk, degreasing stuff, soaking stuff, putting it away, and starting all over again . We're not talking peanut butter and jelly sandwiches here....this morning I probably unloaded and put away 60-70 things.

[Deleted]

Well, I'm married to Mr. Perfect (or so he thinks). I'm baking cupcakes and he offers to wash the pyrex measuring stuff by hand, as opposed to me who just tosses into the dishwasher. Suddenly he says "why is this brand new WHITE dishtowel turning red? Mr. Perfect has just started rubbing off the red measurement markings. So, instead of stopping, he keeps rubbing!!! Oh yes, we must get this red stuff off!!!! I finally was able to get both the pyrex cups away from him, but now one is totally useless and I just bought the damn thing a year or so ago.

I hate cooking and baking isn't far behind, but please please STAY OUT of the kitchen!!!!

[Deleted]

Nov 24, 2012 9:54:18 GMT -5 @shooby said:

Not everything can go in the dishwasher. I don't find that pots and pans get very clean in the dishwasher. And, i don't want to put my good Christmas china in the dishwasher.

can't you just use the pot scrubber setting on the dishwasher? also, I think it's better to put the china in the dishwasher - less scrubbing so it doesn't get scratches.

[Deleted]

Nov 24, 2012 10:04:59 GMT -5 @lonewolf said:

Nov 24, 2012 9:39:49 GMT -5 @justaposter said:

Don't you have a dishwasher?

I had a dishwasher once. Used it one year and sold it.

I have never done dishes by hand except back when I was still married and we had a meal at my in-laws (only a few times a year).

[Deleted]

All kids hate doing dishes, it's genetic. ;D

Apparently the dishwashing detergent for dishwashers is a mild corrosive, that's how it gets the crud off the dishes. It isn't good for no stick finishes or patterns that are painted onto dishes.

[Deleted]

Nov 24, 2012 11:58:38 GMT -5 @justaposter said:

All kids hate doing dishes, it's genetic. ;D

Apparently the dishwashing detergent for dishwashers is a mild corrosive, that's how it gets the crud off the dishes. It isn't good for no stick finishes or patterns that are painted onto dishes.

I've always put my china in the dishwasher. It still looks as good as the pieces that have been washed by hand (I have an oversized platter that doesn't fit and salt/pepper/creamer/sugar don't get regularly washed).

[Nazgul Girl]

If your dishes or glasses have a metallic ring ( gold or platinum ) on them for decoration, the dw detergent will leech that off if you run them thru the dw enough times. Also, for sterling silver tableware, usually the dinner knives have a silver handle, but a stainless steel blade. There is a join where the handle meets the blade. ( The stainless steel is brighter than therest of the silver if yoiu look at them in the light. The blade has a tang which screws or is fastened into the sterling silver handle ). If you run them through the dw instead of hand washing them, they will get water in the hollow silver handles. It takes awhile, but they will get water-logged. It happened with my mother's sterling silver set because she couldn't be bothered to handwash eight silver knives twice a year.

[Deleted]

Nov 24, 2012 13:22:26 GMT -5 Nazgul Girl said:

If your dishes or glasses have a metallic ring ( gold or platinum ) on them for decoration, the dw detergent will leech that off if you run them thru the dw enough times. Also, for sterling silver tableware, usually the dinner knives have a silver handle, but a stainless steel blade. There is a join where the handle meets the blade. ( The stainless steel is brighter than therest of the silver if yoiu look at them in the light. The blade has a tang which screws or is fastened into the sterling silver handle ). If you run them through the dw instead of hand washing them, they will get water in the hollow silver handles. It takes awhile, but they will get water-logged. It happened with my mother's sterling silver set because she couldn't be bothered to handwash eight silver knives twice a year.

my china has a silver band - haven't had a problem and I got my china 22 years ago.

[kittensaver]

Nov 24, 2012 7:58:53 GMT -5 zibazinski said:

Since I even lost my Christmas dishes when I divorced, I decided that when I get a set of nicer dishes, they are going to be all white so I can dress up the table linens according to season.

I do this too and it works GREAT! But as part of dressing up the table, I do have salad plates for each of the big holidays: Christmas, Hannukah, Easter, Halloween and Thanksgiving. It's "just enough" holiday to dress up the plain white dishes, along with the linens. Saved me a ton of money over the years.

[Nazgul Girl]

Maybe some china makers have different methods of applying metallic rings than others to their china. I have seen some seriously-etched china. Maybe it depends on the type of metal applied. I don't know. Anyway, it's just out there for consideration.