More kitchen wisdom for you. A task I got to do a lot of was washing pots and pans. There were these huge pots that we used to cook soup, or gravy, or curry sauce. They would be kept simmering for hours, so that the contents were hot and ready to serve at a moment's notice. As the contents were dispensed and the level went down, a series of rings were almost burned around the inside of the pot. The gravy pots were the worst, we sold a lot of gravy those days.

At the end of an evening we would have a good number of these pots to clean, which presents a challenge. For, if you attack the pot with a scrubbing implement, you would spend a long time at it.

The solution is to fill the pots to the brim with hot water, and have them soak for a while. Let the water do your work for you. Hot water and a little time does wonders for gravy. While the pots soak, you work on cleaning up dishes, or doing other tasks. Best if you can put a pot to soak as soon as it becomes empty, for the longer the soak, the easier it gets.

It sounds simple, you choose your battles carefully. Don't fight the current, but work with it and use it to help you achieve your purpose.

Do you have areas of your life, where you are struggling with something, like scrubbing a dirty pot, when there is a better way to do things? Sometimes you have to step back and reassess your approach. Perhaps there is something you are missing, or someone who can help.

Have a look at where you spend your time, to see if you are spinning your wheels. Keep a log in your calendar or datebook, with an aim to see what takes the most time, and what is important.

After soaking the pots, the gravy dissolves away, it becomes very simple to clean them. The pots look like new, ready for another day of service. I would get home at a reasonable time.

Duncan