Sometimes I love being the go-to mom for my son’s kindergarten teacher.
Sometimes I don’t.
I always seem to get assigned the more difficult party item. Like ice cream. Ice cream can’t exactly be sent in a 6yo’s backpack.
Today was watermelon. Not that watermelon is in season or cheap or anything. Actually, it was watermelon, cut into bite-sized cubes.
Not that big of a deal, except that I don’t do well with melon-cutting for some reason. As evidenced by the large chunk that slid off the table and onto the floor. Oh well, there was still plenty even without that chunk. My “cubes” may not have been pretty, but the kids loved them, and at least I can rest assured that since I brought the watermelon, it had been properly washed with soap and water prior to cutting. (Have you ever considered how many hands could have touched that melon before you got it? And whether or not those hands were properly disinfected?)
Anyway, as for my daily checklist, I was tempted to not do anything today, as my home is already looking bad from a crazy week. It couldn’t be made perfect without more energy expended that I was willing to expend, and school let out early so it felt like a lazy afternoon.
But I at least cleaned the kitchen. And I put the extra hands to good use and let the boys earn extra checklist points by helping out.
Today I:
Made bed.
Emptied dishwasher.
Re-loaded dishwasher (almost completely full already).
Cleaned kitchen.
Wiped up spot where watermelon splatted. (It’s Thursday, so I should have mopped, but was at Easter parties all morning, so I didn’t.)
Did a small/sort-of/can-barely-call-it-a pickup time.
But hey, I did something.
And I do have the beans going in the crockpot and am about to start trimming and packaging chicken for the freezer.
It's been a watermelon-splat-sort-of-day here too. :>) Hope the chicken doesn't give you any fits! (I think I remember you feel the same way I do about raw chicken…EEW!)
Even with some challenges, like slippery watermelon, it is better to know you are in charge of quality control. I am not a germaphobe but it is becoming clear that everyone needs to take more care with the food we eat, particularly fruits and vegetables. I had a coworker from India and he would wash the outside of a banana and any melon – because let's face it we cut from the outside through to the flesh in one slice so whatever was outside is now inside. I hadn't thought about it like that before but quickly adopted it. I recently saw a video about insects that can be on strawberries and have become even more diligent in cleaning them too.
Yes, I totally agree, and I do wash the outside of bananas. I can totally envision the germs attaching to the knife and then spreading onto the fruit.
I had a friend who was in total isolation while very sick with leukemia and fresh fruits and veggies were on the biggest "no-no" list.
Okay germaphobes;). I would have taken the watermelon off the floor, rinsed it off and used it anyway. I am the mother of 6. It is good for their immune systems:).
Stastically speaking, me, my husband and daughter should either all be dead or carriers of every bug, disease, virus and bacteria known to man at this point.
Why?
Because I don’t wash fruits and veggies, I don’t disenfect (unless dish soap and water count) after working with chicken. Hell…we don’t even wash out hands with antibactrial soap (or even soap at all most time) all day long…and I am the only person I know who doesn’t have hand sanitizer in my purse.
My mom is constantly harping at me over this…yet we a rarely sick…where as her overly disinfected household is sick ALL THE TIME.
Anywho…I forgot what the point of this was….Have a nice day.
Casey, I’m the same way. We don’t use antibacterial soaps, hand sanitizers or anything like that. Just plain old soap and water. My son didn’t get sick at all his first three and half years (he was home with me), and I never, ever heard him cough *until* he started preschool. Now he gets colds every two months, and they disinfect with Clorox there everyday, there’s a big bottle of sanitizer at the entrance, etc. I am sure that the excessive use of these products debilitates his immune system.
I am all for washing fruit and veg. It has often travelled a long way. For hands, some studies have found that soap is the simpler and better option.
http://www.world-science.net/othernews/050322_handwashfrm.htm
Oh, and feel the need to come to the defence of some bacteria. Without a few helpful ones humans would be in trouble.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/ultimate-social-network-bacteria-protects-health/
Am still in favour of good hygiene. Bit like a garden though, if growing beneficial organisms, fewer options for weeds.
I never slice bananas with the peel still on. I always wash the watermelon with dish detergent and water before I begin slicing. If it falls on the floor, I give it a good rinse and use it anyway.
A trick for cutting watermelon into cubes:
1. Cut it in half.
2. Turn one half flat side down and cut slices the long way.
3. Cut slices the short way. You should have a “grid” if you will, of watermelon with little squares of rind on the end.
4. Cut tidbits from the end pieces all the way around.
5. Tip a few watermelon “fingers” sideways, and cut at desired cube sizes.
6. Ending with cutting off the rind.
7. Repeat 5 & 6 until done.
Hope that makes sense. A very detailed list, for a VERY simple procedure! I was shocked when my mom showed me how to do this two years ago!
I like how you talk about being a germaphobe. My niece is one & I never truly understood until now. With this virus going around it made me stop & think the same way you & her think. I now thoroughly wash all my fruits & vegetables, even the ones I’m going to peel, I get it now.
My watermelon “hot tip” is to cut it in half and scoop it out with a small ice cream scoop/large cookie scoop. I have one for cookies (2 tablespoons I think) and then one twice that size which is perfect for muffins and cupcakes. I use the 4 tablespoon one most of the time and it makes them easy to serve. Grownups can use a fork to cut it a bit on their plates but kids generally just pick up the balls and eat them out of hand.