Kitchen

One more tip about keeping your kitchen clean. I start the dishwasher every night regardless of how full it is. I empty it in the morning while the kids are eating and then I have a place to put dirty dishes all day so they don't get stacked up in the sink.

And don't worry. Using a dishwasher is way more energy efficient than hand washing even when the dishwasher isn't completely full. Your nails will thank you.

Quick Kitchen Clean-up

I like to cook, and I love to eat, but I hate cleaning up the mess afterwards. Here are a few divine secrets I've learned.

When you begin to cook:

* Start with a clean kitchen

* Have your dishwasher empty

*Use a "Rachel Ray" garbage bowl or bag on the counter to save you 100 trips to the garbage under the sink.

*Fill your sink with hot soapy water and wash everything as you go. As soon as I empty a pot I wash it. It takes 2 seconds. If I wait until after dinner, it's all dried and crusty.

*I've heard of using a tray or a bin to carry everything to and from the kitchen table. I'm testing it out this week and so far it has saved me about 30 trips.