Blender Happiness

My handy-dandy, portable
blender shelf!

A few weeks ago I broke down and bought a blender.  Now, I know, we are trying to keep costs down and help you to do so too; so we've avoided getting a blender.  They are ridiculously expensive, I have trouble finding any for under $20.00.  So getting one was a big thing.  Although, I have to be honest with you--I only paid $2.50 for it! 

I found it at Goodwill, and it's almost worth every penny I paid for it.  And, with a little coaxing, it does the job.  Still, I am happy I bought it; I've been doing a lot with it.  I've made hummus! and baby food! 

The hummus was a bit of a project.  I ended up boiling my chick peas for three days, and then I had to add much water and oil during the blending process.  I didn't have any tahini, so I used peanut butter; and much garlic powder, some paprika and salt.  The peanut butter didn't affect it in any way except to add a small peanut taste--which I assume the tahini does anyway.  I pureed it in two batches and then blended them together so there was a consistant taste.  It turned out really well!  I froze half of the batch until I needed it.  I loved to eat it with a little mustard on a tortilla--that was a great snack!  I should buy more chick peas. . . .

Peach Cobbler

We've stopped buying baby food now, too.  It's probably a lot cheaper to buy two peaches and two pears(or apples or bananas) and end up with ten jars of food.  Thing Two does not like anything green (except Nori, more of which in future posts) and had started refusing vegetables, so I turned almost exclusively to fruit.  And peaches were in season for the past month or two.  After some trial and error, I realized that I needed to cook whatever fruit I was going to make--the blender couldn't take it otherwise.  I've done apples/bananas, peach cobbler and canned pears.  Again, I freeze a lot of it and only have out what I need. 

Elizabethan Craft
Christmas Raffle
Third Prize!

And of course, I've been doing the pumpkins.  And now the blender is really on the fritz.  It's been putting out smoke when I use it, and the cog that connects (and turns) the blade to the base is grinding away into powder.  It won't last much longer.  It was already on the way out when it was donated, and I've only put more strain on it since.  Oh well,  I'll go back and look for another when this one goes.  I do have to get over the guilty feeling I get when I actually have to throw things away, though.  Most of what we have has been around a time or two, and by the time we're done with it, it's done.   I do love being able to spend not very much money on things we need or use.  Thrift stores are wonderful, and God bless them and the people that donate to them!

--Zizi