I'm afraid I'm going to have to get on my Soapbox
again. I hate to do this because it makes me appear like
a Braggart, or know-it-all, but it can't be helped. My
Message must come out.....
Those of you who still don't have a good Blender should
consider buying one, and start blending at least one meal
a day. The Vita-Mix 5200 would be a good choice. I use a
Vita-Prep 3. The Waring XT models and BlendTec are also good.
I love those 'Will it Blend?' commercials on YouTube.
There....I got it out. Now lay your message on me.....WY
[www.youtube.com]

WY- thank you for being the Voice of Reason for the group. Unfortunately, I am to poor for a Vitamix/prep blender and realize how crappy my blenders are. BUT, the plus side of this is that after several tasty (though lumpy!) green smoothies, I decided to focus a little more on my juicing skills. I bought a Jack LaLane (sp?) juicer (I'm sure there are better ones, but this was an 'investment' for me!) and I am LOVING IT! I made my first green lemonade today, and despite all skepticism, it was one of the best juices I've ever had. And I think if I had stayed in my smoothie rut, I would have continued to be hesitant to step into the juice arena.

That said... maybe Santa will bring me a Vitamix for Christmas?

Mine is a Waring XT, and I use it an average of once per day.

I got it using the "points" on my Mastercard. They have an annoying online catalog of things you can buy with "points", none of which I would ever want. After several years of collecting "points", I gave up on the idea of getting the most for my "points", and was willing to accept any deal, as long as it was something I actually wanted. I clicked on a link on their site, "Your Wish Fulfilled", which I had previously avoided because I assumed the that they would automatically charge me double as punishment for causing them the hassle of making a special order. I told them what I wanted, they lost the message. I told them again after a few weeks, they found an online retailer, got a price, gave me a quote in "points", I agreed, the blender didn't show up, I called them, they called the retailer, the retailer admitted that the blender had been on back order and this had not been reflected on their site, the credit card company called me back to swear that it was coming, and eventually the blender arrived at my doorstep. In the end, assuming a "points" value of 100 points for one dollar, they charged me $1.28 on the dollar, in points, for the blender (given the list price of the online vendor, who they identified when I called to complain that it hadn't arrived, they may have gotten a deal, though). That easily, I spent no money, got a lovely blender, and relieved most of my guilt that I was wasting my wealth in "points".

I don't know if that's the kind of message you wanted, WY, but the blender has become an invaluable part of my daily routine. I use it for smoothies, for soups, for sauces and for dressings. It's super-fast to clean, just the carafe and lid, so I have no trouble finding the time to use it while making my mad morning dash out the door. For soups, which I prefer chunky over completely smooth, I blend the soup base smooth, then add large chunks of the veggies I'd like chunks of, pulse the blender once or twice to chop and mix them in, and I'm done.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/26/2008 06:40PM by frances.

I agree with wheetgrass yogi, it will become apparent to you what a fantastic investment your quality blender will be instantly!

I currently use the vitamix 5000 and i love it! im considering buying a vita prep3 tho bc of the extra horspower it boasts.

Also, with the higher power blenders, you are getting more health benefits from your fruit n veg as they are blended to a micron level. This makes it easier for your body to soak up all those valuable nutrients, enzymes etc etc.

I like your soapbox

rant on !!!

its for the good of the people

I juice daily and I love it. I'm totally digging romaine, parsely, carrot, and apple.

Part of my daughter's protocol to restore hormonal balance requires the daily juicing of greens. We juice about 6 times per day. We also make green smoothies. Thankfully, she's showing signs of improvement.

And me, I'm looking leaner and more ripped with each month. My fat percentage is dropping and is being replaced with lean muscle mass. I have tons of energy and my athletic performance has improved.

Most of all, I feel well nourished.