Call me crazy, but I just signed up to compete in my second sprint triathlon in August! That’s right, a year after delivering twins. As I’ve been training, (I’ve never been so out of shape!) and changing my lifestyle, I’ve been surprised at the number of e-mails I’ve received about health, postpartum issues, working out, and healthy diet (what I ate while having gestational diabetes) I’m no expert, but I thought I’d share what I’ve learned along the way through a series of blog posts.
One of the first changes we made in our home was our diet. I have a difficult time getting in fruits and vegetables during the day, and felt green smoothies (which I’ve never loved) would be he way to go. My Father – in – law pulled out his Blentec Blender, and after seeing what it can do, I realized I had probably never loved green smoothies due to my no-name blender, which left chunks of spinach or kale.
Pat and I did a little research, and decided we both wanted a Blendtec, and am happy to say we are now proud owners of a this awesome Designer Series blender. I am honestly surprised how quickly, it became one of the most used item in my kitchen. I’m a big fan.
Why I love my Blendtec Blender
{Find it here}Size- I love the size of the blender. It’s large enough that I can make multiple serving sizes, and yet, the height is perfect. It is made to fit in or under kitchen cabinets, which diminishes clutter.
Blades – Take a look at these babies. They are thick, they aren’t going to break, but the crazy thing is they aren’t sharp, which makes me feel better while cleaning.
Touch Screen – All I have to do is touch the on icon and these images light up.
These buttons are a preset, you push the button and it does its job. It makes perfect smoothies,(recipe for one down below) I was extremely impressed with the batters and soup button, and we’re big fans of the ice cream. (Less trips to DQ :)
I’ve also tested the up and down arrow button to test its full power, and appreciate it, especially while making baby food. I steam veggies and then puree them in seconds.
Soups—I’ve made a couple of soups from Blendec’s recipe book, and we’ve loved them.
Baking – A recipe book came with our blender, and I was surprised that it can be used as a mixer. I was skeptical, but I’ve been very impressed. I rarely have used my bosch mixer since, mainly due to how much easier it is to clean the blender.
Twister Jar – I love this jar! I’ve used it way more than I expected. It practically replaces your food processor (I moved my old one downstairs), and is made for thicker things like nut butters and awesome thick milk shakes. The neat thing about this jar is it comes with the twister lid, which scrapes the side as it’s blending. It comes with a standard lid, and makes a great personal size blender. {Find the twister jar here}
Clean up—I don’t have a dishwasher, so I’m all about easy clean up. I pour 1 cup of hot water, a drop of dish washing soap, blend for a few seconds, rinse and I’m done.
What I haven’t loved about my Blendtec
It’s loud, which is understandable due to how powerful the motor is. In our small house, it tends to wake the twins up…
The price. It’s spendy, but after using it for a few months, I would purchase another one in the future. The good news it comes with a 7 year warranty. (My FIL had a problem with his, and he was immediately sent another one while under warranty).
I wanted to share this info, because I’ve heard so many people mention blenders, and I’ve always been hesitant. I wasn’t sure if it was worth the price, but after owning one, I love it. I love that it’s helping us live healthier lives.
Tropical Spinach Smoothie
Recipe from Feel Great in 8 blog,
{makes 2 servings}
Ingredients
- 4 cups baby spinach
- 1/2 can pineapple & juice (20oz can)*
- 1 banana
- 1/2 – 1 cup water
- 1 cup ice (or freeze the banana and skip the ice)
- 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
*Make sure you buy the pineapple in pineapple juice NOT “heavy syrup” – that just means tons of added sugar.
Directions
Put all the ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth. Enjoy!
Nutrition Information
{serving size = about 1 cup – recipe makes 2 servings}
173 calories, 4g fiber, 9g protein, 1g fat
I started having a protein shake every morning at work...it has made a big difference for me in not being so hungry all day. I do two kinds: frozen berry mix, a little fat-free milk, yogurt and protein; frozen mix of strawberry, papaya, mango, pineapple (COSTCO), apple juice, yogurt and spinich. I tried kale but my little blender I have at work doesn't pulverize the kale enough and kale is a bit bitter and needs a lot of blending. My DIL makes them at home: pear, banana, peaches, pineapple, apple, mango....whatever fruit she has...and kale. My little 4-year-old grandson loves them. She makes plenty for all 4 of us to have right before bedtime. Keep up the good work Ashley. I love your healthy attitude and your goal setting. I wish when I was your age, the information about health and fitness was more available. I've always been healthy but could have done been better. It's good to see my kids trying to eat better and exercise more. It will pay off when they are grandparents, like me. Happy blending my friend!!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the ideas! They sound delicious, and I'm always looking for ways to mix it up!
DeleteCan you taste the spinach in this or does it taste like a normal shake? I started the 21 day fix in an attempt to lose my twins baby weight. But, I'm scared to try the green smoothies.
ReplyDeleteI love my blendtec too, but it is WAY too loud! I live in an apartment, and I'm sure all my neighbors can hear it. I can't use it as much as I like because it's soooo loud and I don't want people mad at me!
ReplyDeleteI worked at Jamba Juice for 3 years out of high school and Blendtec was/is still the blender of choice in their store! Jamba smoothies come out perfect in those suckers! Great choice! :)
ReplyDeleteMy mom usually juices carrots and others I can't remember. Where did you get urs at?
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