Yay! I'm so excited. Anyone have suggetions on the first thing I should make?

[utopiankitchen.wordpress.com]

Ooooh, I am in on this thread - I am with you!!! Interested in things to make. Here is what I had this am

1 banana
1 mango
greens - organic mixed greens pre-washed (about 2 handfulls)
1/4 lemon
1/2 cup (approx) cantaloupe
6-7 baby carrots
1 scoop chia seeds
1 c (approx) water
I also used 1-2 ice cubes because even though I know it is best to drink at room temp, it was so warm without it. I needed it just a tad bit cooler.

It was delicious!! This is the first one I have made with primarily fruits. I was definitely stuffed afterward. Can't wait to hear other responses.

I'm about to go pick up som fresh fruits1 yay!

[utopiankitchen.wordpress.com]

Ice cream with frozen bananas and a little water or nut milk. Other fruits and carob/cacao if you want.

rost0037 Wrote:
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> Ice cream with frozen bananas and a little water
> or nut milk. Other fruits and carob/cacao if you
> want.


Be careful with frozen chunks of ANYTHING, especially large chunks of dense fruits..

A 1" chunk of frozen banana is probably 50 times more difficult to blend then the same size piece of ice..

Ice has a crystalline grain structure & is relatively easy to start breaking down..In other words it fractures..

Frozen bananas DO NOT fracture..At least at the temperatures of home freezers..They need to be beaten & smashed to pieces..This happens a little at a time..

Blenders were designed to work properly with a 50-50 ratio of solids to liquids..

When raw foodists reduce the ratio of liquid in a recipe to the bare minimum, as we do when making frozen soft-serve banana ice cream (and other similar frozen treats), we are flirting with permanently damaging the blender every time that you attempt such a blend..

Ever wonder why juice bars & raw restaurants have blenders with enclosures, & not the standard type of high-powered blender without an enclosure??..It's because the blenders in the enclosures have motors that are even more powerful than the Vita-Prep 3..These motors are designed to be able to withstand very high torque loads..Torque loads that would kill a Vita-Prep 3 the first time that you attempted such a blend..

This type of blender is ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY to be able to withstand the rigors of daily life in a juice bar, especially the frozen treats..These are the ONLY type of blender that I recommend if a raw foodist is going to regularly attempt frozen treats..When friends ask me for this type of advice, I tell them that they run the risk of killing the blender each & every time that they attempt frozen ice cream with large chunks of ANY kind of dense fruit..

Take it from a professional chef for what it's worth..Trying to crush ice with little or no liquid in the carafe IS NOT recommended by the manufacturer..If ice is WAY easier to blend then are frozen bananas of the same size, then do you REALLY think that we should be recommending that people, especially new raw foodists should be doing this??..

I know that I stepping on one of the sacred cows of the raw foof world when I say not to do this..But, I read way too many posts where someone with a brand new blender has permanently damaged, or ruined it altogether by making ice cream with frozen bananas..IMO frozen fruits for ice cream to be made in a blender should be NO larger than the size of a raspberry..Period..This size will still put a strain on even a Vita-Prep 3, but it should not kill it if common sense is exercised..

My recommendations for raw frozen soft-serve-style fruit ice creams follow in the order of preference..

1. Use the homogenizing plates of a twin-screw juicer..This is really the proper tool as it mimics most closely the mechanism in a true dairy soft-serve ice cream machine..The motors in these juicers are capable of withstanding higher torque loads then most blenders..The frozen fruit should still be cut into very small pieces as these machines are designed to process fruits & vegetables with a LOT less resistance..

2. Use a high-torque, high-powered blender with an enclosure--One of these will cost between $1500.00 to $3000.00..

3. Use a blender with at LEAST the power & torque of the Vita-Prep 3, Waring Xtreme, or K-Tec Blend Tec..When using these blenders DO NOT use the minimum amounts of liquid that so many raw foodists recommend..Instead, use at least a 40-60% ratio of liquids to solids..Then freeze the mixture until it reaches the soft-serve consistency that you desire..

If instant raw ice cream gratification is mandatory, then options #1 & #2 are your only choices..

4. ALL other blenders & tools range from poor to terrible compared to these three..

Remember, the Vita-Prep 3 is their bottom of the line commercial blender, & they DO NOT recommend that it be used for this type of blending..

Bruce



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/18/2008 05:37AM by baltochef.

I've made banana ice cream with a food processor. Thanks for the tips; I will be careful about the Vita-Mix and having enough liquid. The food processor is fine for the bananas.

[utopiankitchen.wordpress.com]

Without getting into another long post, let me say that food processors are even less suited to making frozen banana ice cream then are high-powered blenders..Food processors were NEVER intended to process frozen foods of any kind..Short of putting stones in the bowl, frozen foods dull the blades quicker than do ANY other foods..A food processor ABSOLUTELY depends upon the blades being sharp in order to properly do it's job..

See my older posts for more info on this subject..

Due to the fact that so many of us start out on the raw journey with funds in short supply we tend to use whatever electric kitchen appliance that we own for as many different applications as possible..This is understandable, it's human nature..Because frozen raw ice creams are an easy-to-make substitute for SAD ice creams; they have become a cult-like classic on virtually every raw food forum, as well as in almost every raw recipe collection..Especially banana ice cream, as bananas are the least expensive fruit to purchase the year round, as well as being the most readily available fruit suitable for making frozen fruit ice cream..

That being sais, I stand by my statements on the whole issue of frozen banana ice cream, & the proper appliance(s) needed to make it without damaging said appliance..

I'm 53 years old with several decades of real-world experience in professional kitchens..Where I have seen more than one commercial electric kitchen appliance destroyed by improper usage..It's A LOT easier to damage consumer appliances by improper usage then it is to damage commercial-grade appliances..

Bruce

Everything!!!






Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/18/2008 01:39PM by suvine.

Suvine - WHAT is in there? Kale, oranges, what else? Papaya? And, that mystery fruit? I am sure it was delicious!

I've been using my vita-mix for over 12 years to make frozen ice creams and things with ice cubes without ever a problem.

I have had a couple of minor unrelated problems over the years with my machine, and I have to say that the customer service has always been excellent, and my problems have been taken care of in a timely and efficient manner.

They advertise one of the features of their blender that it can handle frozen stuff, and their recipe book has several recipes that include frozen things (although I didn't find their recipes very useful). I don't think you will have any problems.

Sapphire



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/18/2008 04:57PM by Sapphire.

I have at least 2 smoothies every day. Love my Blendtec and have had it for one and 1/2 years now. Got into the smoothies after reading the book "Green For Life" which I highly recommend. There are green smoothie recipes at the end of the book.

Here's the basic recipe and then I'll tell you my variations:
2 cups water
2 cups spinach (tossed into the measuring cup, not scrunched down)
2 sweet apples (e.g. gala, fuji). Add another if you want sweeter.
1/2 lime with the peel on (or remove peel if you prefer less lime taste)
1 frozen banana (but an unfrozen works fine, too)

Variations:
- Substitute a handful of berries or a pear for one apple.
- Substitute apples for 2 cups cantelope and no lime.
- Substitute apples for 3 oranges and no lime and no banana.

I tried a watermelon green smoothie and personally didn't care for it. But try it yourself -- everyone has different tastes.

Enjoy your new blender!

thanks for posting that info sapphire... i was thrown for a loop, cuz i use my vitamix regularly for frozen treats for my daughter... that's how i get the fruit into that kid!

Kale oranges papaya and dates VEGGIEFREAK

I have no recipies or anything, I just wanted to say yay for you. I just ordered mine today. Enjoy yours.

i want to say yay too!

I made a salad dressing and also did a tester nut milk.

Making steel cut oat, almond ,and brown rice milk later. Smoothie with the milk tomorrow!

Thanks. I wil probably add greens to the smoothie and bananas and apples. Maybe some hemp, though I had plenty of hemp with my truffles today and also it's in my salad dressing.

[utopiankitchen.wordpress.com]

utopian life, how do you make this? "Making steel cut oat, almond ,and brown rice milk later. Smoothie with the milk tomorrow! "

suvine Wrote:
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> Kale oranges papaya and dates VEGGIEFREAK

Oh, thanks Suvine - I was going to ask if anyone ever put dates in the smoothies. Interesting!

Grayzie Wrote:
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> utopian life, how do you make this? "Making steel
> cut oat, almond ,and brown rice milk later.
> Smoothie with the milk tomorrow! "

Hey. I soaked the grains and nuts for two hours and then ground them up with 1/4 of a vanilla bean in the vitamix. Strained with a pantyhose knee-high.

The next day, I blended about 1 cup of the milk with 1 banana, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, and a couple ice cubes. Yum!

[utopiankitchen.wordpress.com]

I used to make date and avocADO SMOOTHIES. THEY WERE SO SWEET

BALTOCHEF -

I just wanted to say, I appreciate your insight. My hubby is really into the mechanical side of things and is constantly pointing out the things people do to shorten their car's life... so now I am curious if I am shortening the life of my blender.

Can you tell me if these fall within the bounds of the 50-50 ratio of solids to liquids you are talking about? How much of the food's liquid content can you "count" as liquid?

Here are some typical recipies for me:

2c water
1 banana
1 avocados
5-7 leaves of kale
25 frozen strawberries -or- blueberries -or- blackberries -or- cherries. You mentioned nothing bigger than a raspberry frozen

I've noticed some of the sounds it makes - a low throat-y WW-AAAAAA when there's not as much liquid (even if I'm getting a vortex) - I assumed this was never good so added more water. Basically if I'm not getting the vortex effect I assume it needs more liquid, but also if the sound is not very medium-pitched. Are these good across-the-board assumptions? Also if the sound is very high-pitched, I notice usually no blending is happening, except at the bottom - another time to add more water?

Is it ok to blend a melon with no added water, as long as it's mushed up a bit first? It seems to "grab" really fast and begin to liquify immediately.

Your thoughts, Baltochef?

Thanks!
Angie


Me (30), Joseph (24 mo.) Jeremiah (4 mo.)

We are enjoying spring and being outside!!!

angie 1

Your recipe seems fine to me..

I always advocate adding the frozen fruits at the end of the blending cycle, AFTER all of the other ingredients have been pureed..This puts the LEAST amount of stress on the blender's motor..If before adding the frozen fruit to the already pureed mixture, you see that the mixture is very thick, I would recommend adding additional liquid before adding the fruit & continuing to blend..

You hit the nail on the head with your statement regarding the sounds that the blender's electric motor makes while the blending process is taking place..It is the user's ability to understand & interpret the sounds that the electric motor of a kitchen appliance is making, that will determine whether or not the user will know when to stop the motor before any damage might occur..Not understanding when to stop blending or processing is the primary reason that so many raw foodists are damaging their food processors & blenders..

As I have stated previously, I grew up surrounded by tools of every description as well as the craftsmen & craftswomen who wielded those tools..I have been working with my hands using tools since the age of 5..I started cooking at the age of 10, seriously cooking since I was 15..

As a result of this life time of experience using my hands & brain to create & fix things, I have seldom damaged any tool, hand or power, by misusing it..The few times that I have so damaged a tool, were the result of willingly damaging an older, worn out hand tool because I was too lazy to go get & use the proper tool..

Most raw foodists with a good background of cooking SAD foods from scratch will have the necessary experience to properly use their blenders & food processors without damaging them..

Sapphire has stated that she has routinely makes raw ice creams with no ill effects to her blender..Just because her point of view & her experiences differ from mine, & those of my friends, does not make either of our points of view more or less valid than the other's..

As human beings that are embarking on new experiences we sometimes want answers to our newbie questions that are definitive & absolute..If life has taught us nothing else, it should teach us that there are few absolutes in life..The two absolutes that I am personally sure of are that I WAS born, & that I WILL die..Those are the two things in my life that I am sure of..Everything else is open to interpretation..

Although I probably come across as a know-it-all, please understand that my point of view is only the result of MY life's experiences..Take what I say only as that..Read as much as you can on any subject, & make up your own mind..

Hope this helps..

Bruce

I'd like to say that I agree with Bruce (baltochef). Any machine is only going to work correctly if you use it correctly.

I always add my frozen stuff or ice last. I hadn't thought about it being better for the machine, but it just seems to blend better. Also, if I hear the motor struggling I immediately add more water to the mix.

Both times my machine got broken, I was away, and it was somehow broken by my teenagers. For the life of me, I don't know what they do, that thing is practically indestructable, but nobody wants to tell me anything. In any case, whenever I have phoned Vitamix, they have been able to identify the problem, send me the part (both times it was the gear thingy that makes the blades twirl around), and easy instructions to install the part. The first repair was free, still under warrantee, and the second one cost me about $20. Both times I had the part in about a week, and I am in Canada.

So it makes sense to me if Bruce's experience is that when several people use the machine it may be subject to damage or mis-use. All I can say is that if other family members will use your stuff, try to teach them how not to break it. Outside the home, it must be so much harder, people are probably even less careful.

Sapphire

I used to work in the restaurant business, and Bruce and Sapphire are right on. When equipment is used properly, if it is made of decent stuff, it lasts. Those stupid videos on youtube of that guy putting his cell phone and other crap into his blender remind me of the commercials for Jeep that have Jeeps going underwater and through gigantic waves and down incredibly and improbably steep inclines. They were not REAL and some jerk who drove his Jeep -- uh, tried to drive his Jeep -- underwater tried to sue the Jeep manufacturers because his Jeep didn't make it and his insurance company didn't pay out because he tried to drive his Jeep underwater and it was ruined. (The case was thrown out of court.)

The moral is: Don't drive your VitaMix underwater or try and make smoothies with your Jeep.

Lee_123 Wrote:
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> The moral is: Don't drive your VitaMix underwater
> or try and make smoothies with your Jeep.

Unless, of course, both your Jeep & the Vita-Mix blender have a PTO attachment (Power Take Off) on them..

Imagine the raw foods that you could create with a 250 hp 6-cylinder blender..

And, if you put a snorkel on the Jeep's engine & built an atmospherically-controlled water-tight enclosure for the Vita-Mix, then driving your blender underwater would become a reality..

Just think of the endless possibilities for raw dinner parties!!..

Why, you would have to start an entirely new set of forums within the raw community just to accommodate the new blending technique..

Bruce

Bruce, I like the way you think!

Aloha Nui Loa,

Greg

A great many people think they are thinking when they are really rearranging their prejudices. - William James

There is no pill that can be swallowed,
There is no guru, that can be followed, - Michael Franti (Pray For Grace)

The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion. - Albert Camus

so....what was the first mix?

I'm into carob, cacao, maca (with water) mixes now. Ouchy good.

Love,
Paul

[www.oneillpaul.com-a.googlepages.com]