This is what our kitchen has looked like two nights in a row. (And not because we didn't do the dishes). These are just the dinner dishes! While it was a lot of work cleaning up, it was well worth the work. The weekend was full of home made meals with fresh ingredients, and three new recipes that weren't planned out.
Earlier in the week we had eaten lunch at a cafe in Cedarburg and as we raved about our chicken pesto paninis with roasted red peppers I said, "We could make these at home". So today I busted out the counter top grill that we had unintentionally relegated to pancake making-and the turkey paninis that turned out were amazing! Last night it was bruschetta (Ben's favorite appetizer), and shrimp with angel hair pasta and a sauce I made up on the spot. For desert, the ever so easy but always delicious trifle with angel food cake, pudding & Cool Whip, and berries.
So, I don't mind a messy kitchen at dinnertime because it means we are likely enjoying some good food, and in this season of fresh fruits and veggies and endless options of exploring how to enjoy them, I anticipate spending a lot more time in my kitchen.