Vitamix ordered, what do you use yours for?

[Zeldaz]

Love to get more info before it arrives. Getting grain jar so we can make flour.

[**Tinkerbell**]

Hi, Zeldaz!

Congratulations on your new toy!
I really wanted a new one a couple years ago, so I could get the dry attachment and grind my own grain as well, but at the time I couldn't afford the new prices. I found an old one for $200 on Ebay and bought that one instead.

I wish I used it more, but I don't. I'm not a big smoothie fan, but in the summer I make a lot of fruit smoothies for DD.
I use the VM to shred cooked chicken quick and easy. I've used it to make homemade pumpkin puree, and to make raw cheesecake, since the ingredients are basically all soaked nuts that need to be pulverized.

Raw Vegan Lemon Cranberry Cheesecake


I'd love to hear how the grain-grinding goes!
*Tink

[katie in the UP]

I agree Tink, I wish I used mine MORE!!
DH loves my lemonade...I toss frozen strawberries in it....great smoothie!!

[**Tinkerbell**]

Katie, you're a genius!
I make fresh lemonade every summer and I make a lot of strawberry lemonade with it. I don't know why I hadn't thought of freezing the berries and then using the VitaMix. I'm totally gonna try that this summer!

Now... if only summer would get here. Every day I pick DD and her BFF up from school they ask, "Is it warm enough to put the top down yet?!" I make a big deal of looking at the outside temp, and then sadly announce that, "No. It's still only 40 degrees out. You two would be popsicles by the time we got home!"

[katie in the UP]

I'm craving canning season already The average temp right now...is in the 20's and sometimes 30's....and the people up here....say it's such a mild winter

[**Tinkerbell**]

Awwww, I feel for you. We're having a very mild winter too. The temp has been hovering up around 40°, with dry and sunny conditions, so I keep thinking summer is on the way. And then yesterday we woke up to snow.

Crazy!

[hobbgal]

At the end of the summer IF I have any tomatoes that I am not going to use in canning; I remove the stems and any bad parts and throw in the Vita Mix. Then I bottle it, hot water bath it and I have tomato puree to make tomato soup and other things.
My VitaMix is about 30 years old. It has a metal blender which has a drain spout you open and close to release the contents. It is old but, it works!

[**Tinkerbell**]

hobbgal wrote:
At the end of the summer IF I have any tomatoes that I am not going to use in canning; I remove the stems and any bad parts and throw in the Vita Mix. Then I bottle it, hot water bath it and I have tomato puree to make tomato soup and other things.
My VitaMix is about 30 years old. It has a metal blender which has a drain spout you open and close to release the contents. It is old but, it works!

That sounds exactly like my VM, hobbgal!
I'd love the new machines with the dry container for grinding flours, but I just have too many other gadgets on my wish list that I don't already have one of.

[lauralie41]

I dont have a Vitamix but I do have the Montel Williams HealthMaster and although it only has 1100 watts of power I think both machines would do similar things?

It has been in the box but I really need to take it out and make some smoothies, etc. and try some recipes posted here.

[lauralie41]

**Tinkerbell** wrote:
Hi, Zeldaz!

Congratulations on your new toy!
I really wanted a new one a couple years ago, so I could get the dry attachment and grind my own grain as well, but at the time I couldn't afford the new prices. I found an old one for $200 on Ebay and bought that one instead.

I wish I used it more, but I don't. I'm not a big smoothie fan, but in the summer I make a lot of fruit smoothies for DD.
I use the VM to shred cooked chicken quick and easy. I've used it to make homemade pumpkin puree, and to make raw cheesecake, since the ingredients are basically all soaked nuts that need to be pulverized.

Raw Vegan Lemon Cranberry Cheesecake


I'd love to hear how the grain-grinding goes!
*Tink

Tink you forgot to pass out the forks!! That cheesecake looks amazing!

[**Tinkerbell**]

Thanks, Lor! You are more than welcome to join us next time. I'll send out some invites!
I would like to play around with the flavors on that recipe and start creating some new combinations.

[lauralie41]

**Tinkerbell** wrote:
Thanks, Lor! You are more than welcome to join us next time. I'll send out some invites!
I would like to play around with the flavors on that recipe and start creating some new combinations.

It's a deal! Raspberry and Lemon?

Tink hon do you have a recipe for the cashew cream? Did you get the celtic sea salt and coconut oil at the health food store?

[**Tinkerbell**]

lauralie41 wrote:

**Tinkerbell** wrote:
Thanks, Lor! You are more than welcome to join us next time. I'll send out some invites!
I would like to play around with the flavors on that recipe and start creating some new combinations.

It's a deal! Raspberry and Lemon?

Tink hon do you have a recipe for the cashew cream? Did you get the celtic sea salt and coconut oil at the health food store?

Ack! I just wrote a whole big thing and then the page wouldn't load and I lost it.

Soo....in short:

Flavors buzzing around in my head to play with:
Lemon-raspberry
Lemon-blueberry
Fresh cherry-almond
Pineapple-mango
Mango-coconut

Maybe scrap the raw/vegan aspect and just do dairy-free in a couple, so I can try some rum in the tropical flavor combinations.

My celtic sea salt is old from Williams Sonoma, but they have a huge selection of spices and spice mixes from all over the world (in-store and online). Penzey's or other kitchen outlet stores probably have it also. Regular sea salt would be just fine though.

The cashew cream is just a result of following the recipe and pre-soaking the cashews, then blending them with the rest of the filling ingredients. It emulsifies into a creamy consistency that mimics a traditional cream cheese filling, although not as thick.

This was my first time using coconut oil and it's pretty cool. I found it easily at my local Fred Meyer (Kroger foods) in the health food aisle with the gluten free dry goods and the natural peanut butters.

[lauralie41]

yum, love all the flavor combos you are thinking of.

yep, I agree more options going dairy-free.

gotcha on the cashew cream.

have a Penzy's catalog here somewhere to make online ordering easeir too. it's a good thing!!

[phantambantam]

I just bought a vitamix and I just love it. We have smoothies every morning and I throw in a carrot along with my fruit and yoghurt and you can not even tell is is there. Right now I am making recipes from the book and would would love to hear from others on what they are using theirs for