Ahhh.....De-leavening

Ok, my fellow Philladelphians. I know I'm not the only one doing daunting tasks every Sunday from the beginning of February through the end of March. You know what I'm talking about - the spare room, lovingly known as the "office", where everything that doesn't have a place is stacked neatly on or around the computer area; the hallway closet containing not only linens but miscellaneous stuff that didn't seem appropriate for the "office"; the dining room buffet that has become the catch-all for everything that shant be seen when unexpected company arrives - all of which need to be de-leavened.

My personal favorite, however, is the microwave. I can honestly say it hasn't had a thorough cleaning since this time last year. How can something you use literally every day become so gross and you don't even notice? Ok, maybe it's just me. Maybe I can blame it on the angle at which it sits on the countertop not allowing me to observe something that looks very similar to, say, a trip to Natural Bridge Caverns. I'm buying into the theory that at some point it's easier to clean when it reaches a certain level of crusty.