VitaMix

I was at our state fair and saw the vitamix demo. I sampled the fruit smoothie and it was awesome! A lady by me told me she has used hers the past 8 years. She said the trick is keeping it out on the counter so it gets used! The 'special fair price" was $479.00 I think. The demo will be at my local Costco in mid Sept and I plan to check it out and see the price there. Those of you who have one, does a cookbook come with that has alot of recipes? I'm not sure what to do for vegetables and soups. Thanks!!

Bumping this up because I just inherited my mothers Vitamixer and looking to share with others.

I also love my VitaMix, even though it recently stopped working. They were doing a demo on a Saturday at Costco a few weeks ago. I told the fellow my machine stopped working and he said bring it back to Costco the next day (he would still be there) and I could change it and save the shipping cost, which I did and went home with a brand new machine--



The machine is expensive but they sure stand by their product!

bump

I have had my vita mix since 2008 I don't do a lot of soups with mine but we do smoothies several times a week. I'm not a big measuring cook. But I have found we like peaches, bananas, strawberries, blueberries in our smoothies. I always put in one whole apple at the bottom. You then need a liquid we use v8 juice splash or apple juice just about a cup. We then add some veggies baby carrots cut in half, celery, zucchini . Then the fruit I always freeze cut first and use this instead of an ice cube. You get more flavor and can allow you to get fresh when in season. We froze bags of peaches in September down to just one or two. I blend on high till the machine makes that lovely stop noise..make sure to use the stomper. It helps?



Did you buy the dry top attachment? I use that to make all kinds of flour. I make flax powder for on our porridge.



I do like the broccoli cheese soup recipe:) also we have figured out how to make low cal no caffeine star bucks traps if anyone likes coffee. I like the taste can't do caffeine:(



Good luck and thank you for posting this it will be nice to see some new recipes.

YES! Where is the frappe recipe???? YUMMMMMM

Fabulous...!

Okay, I don't do dairy so I'm thinking coconut milk... and maybe some unsweetened cocoa powder which is maybe even good for you, or so I hear...

This would be a rare treat for me because I don't otherwise use sweeteners.  But everytime I've had a Starbucks mocha frappe, I've said, "I really do think we'll drink these in Heaven."  They are just that good.

Thanks! 

Yes, and let's keep it going!  This could become the healthiest thread on BCO!

Sounds yummy..I love adding yogurt to smoothies. Oh kale that would be a great way to add that in thanks for the idea. First time I made my husband kale he graciously told me it wasn't like his grannies. He is from the south so I asked well do you remember what she might have used...wait for it..lol and he sheepishly tells me well granny always cooked hers with bacon. Needless to say we debated over the lack of healthiness lol. So I will slip some kale into his next smoothie. Thanks for the tip:)

Gazpacho (I know it's cold but I use this in place of a salad)



5 to 6 ripe tomatoes

1 large cucumber

Small onion or half a large onion

I or 2 cloves of garlic (to your taste)

1 red or yellow pepper (sweeter than green)

6 tbsp. Balsamic vinegar

6 tbsp. Olive oil

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

1 tbsp. Worchester sauce

Dash of green or red tobasco to taste

Cumin to taste

Fresh herbs of your choice, to taste

1 large can of V8 juice--not the huge one!



Garnish if you like



Croutons

Chopped hard boiled eggs

Scallions

Parsley



Throw it all in and smoosh it up. Correct the seasonings, chill for a few hours.



Serve and garnish as you like and enjoy!



With some great fresh bread, we do this often as dinner.

Jane thank you for the recipes..the gazpacho sounds yummy! I know my family will like this..I'm doing chemo so tummy is sensitive but maybe on my good week. Can't wait to try...glad we have the recipes flowing!



Hugs

Kimber

When we made applesauce last fall, washed apples, quartered the apples, cut the core off, we blanched the apples (boiled for about 3 minutes), lifted out with strainer, and Vitamixed on high. Into jars, lids on. (jars and lids were in boiling water). And set on towels to seal. OMG. It is the BEST applesauce and has all the nutrients of the skin. Some I added allspice, some cinnamon, some nutmeg! REALLY GOOD and even with chemo fatigue I was able to put up almost 14 gallons (in pints and quarts of course).



Also made grape and cranberry compote sauce. Quick blanch on cranberries to break the skin. Grapes and cranberries into the vitamix and added about a half of a seeded orange. Into jars, sealed. This is totally awesome to pour over pork roast or chicken and bake in the oven. Totally YUMMY!



And then there was the pumpkin, acorn squash, and winter squash. Steamed in steamer (after seeding). Put into vitamix and place in foodsaver sealing quart bags. Into the freezer. And easy soups for a cold winter day.



Oh, and one of the best was slice tomatoes about 3/8 inch slices. Dried in dehydrator. Yes, skins and seeds and all. Then processed in Vitamix until a powder. Into tubs, in the freezer. 16 large tomatoes made a little over a pint of dried powder. A couple table spoons thickens and flavors soups and stews. MMMMMMMM!!!

I double the wow...bows to the master..hehe ..I've canned twice it was so much fun! But that sounds so much easier we made jams..berries we picked when we lived in Canada. Had enough jam, syrup for a small army had so much fun!



Okay I'm so impressed with the dehydrated tomatoes..do you like I particular dehydrator? I tried one years ago and had a hard time with it..everything came out funky. Either colors were bad or to dry.



I'm willing to be talked to like a preschooler..lol..make it simple and share your knowledge oh great scuttlers...enlighten us. I'm going to try soup for lunch tomorrow..I like several of the ideas going to experiment.

Canning Applesauce using Vitamix

Equipment:  sink full of water (no soap), cutting board, knife, 3 large pots, jars, lids, rings, jar lifter, lids lifter (mine is a little magnet on a plastic stick), straining spoon, jar filling funnel, large ladle, wet rags, towels, Vitamix machine

Apples, optional: sweetener, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg.

1. Put large pot #1 and large pot #2 with water on stove to boil. Put jars, lids, and rings in large pot #2.

2.  Put apples in sink and rinse well,  Cut apples into quarters and remove core, put apples into boiling water in large pot #1. No need to peel.

3.  Lift apples from large pot #1 with strainer and put into Vitamix, blend. Pour into pot #3 which doe not have water.  Continue until pot is 3/4 full or out of apples.

4.  Bring applesauce to low boil, adding sweetener and spices at this time if desired.

5.  Lift 4 jars from boiling water, put in row on counter near pot, ladle applesauce into jars using jar funnel, wipe tops with damp rag (rim must be clean), lift lids and rings from boiling water using magnet lifter, place a lid and ring on jar, tighten finger tight (caution very HOT). 

6.  Move filled jars to towel in an area to rest. Repeat step 5 & 6 until out of applesauce or jars are all filled. Listen for sealing "pops".  Check that all are sealed and store in cupboard when cool. 

Can continue sequences until out of apples.

No need to "waterbath" as you are putting boiling apples into hot jars and sealing immediately.

Call DH into kitchen to clean and put supplies away. 

And the grapes, the new home has 30+ feet of grapevines!  One can only have so much grape jelly, so I was experimenting.

Blanche the cranberries until skins break (put into boiling water = blanching).  Put about 3 cups of grapes (seeded if they have seeds) and one cup of cranberries into Vitamix.  Blend the tarnation out of them.  Add a half orange (seeded) (no need to peel but do remove the "Sunkist" tag LOL).  Blend the tarnation again.  Put into pot and boil.  Put into hot jars, seal with hot lids and rings (same as applesauce procedure).  Yummy on chicken, pork, roast.  Can be used on table a sauce or pour over meat and roast in oven.