Plans and a question
Friday, Jun 9, 2006
During our trip across the state last month, we found someone growing peaches successfully. Unfortunately (or fortunate for them), they didn’t have time to school me on the subject, as they were catching a plane. The University of Florida and my local extension sites have been helpful, though, and I hope to have a plan etched out by fall. I’ve put a lot of time into research, and I hope it will be profitable.
Our family eats such a large amount of produce that it just doesn’t make sense to not try to produce some of it ourselves. I don’t understand other moms who complain about their children not eating; we should be so lucky.
So, I was cultivating an area that I planted with squash and noticed a strange vine growing among the squash vines. Maybe you remember my watermelon story? Only this time, I know that I have another wild pumpkin vine on the loose. I need to pull it or move it, I think, as the flowers could cross-pollinate and produce cherries or something. There is also another “something” growing there, and I’m hoping this time it’s a fruit salad bush. After all, I did plant squash.
Since I’m trying to create more healthy menus little by little, I decided to go for broke and add a large amount of raw spinach to my morning smoothie. I’m convinced that a Vitamix would’ve made it more palatable, but my husband still isn’t convinced that the Vitamix is more than just an overpriced blender. Any opinions on the matter?
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It reminds me that I have a volunteer squash like plant coming in my front flower bed!! I am leaving it there because I am just so curious about what it will produce. Will I have yellow crook necks or zucchini overtaking my sidewalk? Time will tell!
Comment by Kelli in TN (June 9, 2006 @ 6:03 pm )
I can highly recommend a vitamix. We have one and it has been amazing to us the difference that the quality of the blender makes. It has done for us everything that those cost-co guys promise! In particular, adding spinach to your smoothies would be possible and undetectable with this blender. Anyway, you asked, and I know so there you go. Your fruit salad bush however… good luck :).
~Amy
Comment by Amy (June 9, 2006 @ 6:23 pm )
CooksIllustrated.Com has an “EQUIPMENT” section which is quite helpful for rating equipment, without regard to price or brand. Their perspective is unbiased, from what I have seen. Often, the most expensive is not hte best. I sent you an e-mail with a link. I consult this site before I buy anything major for my kitchen. I’ve had great luck with them.
Kathy
Comment by Kathy (June 9, 2006 @ 7:44 pm )
I make green smoothies sometimes… I don’t know about the Vitamix, as I just use my plain old blender. Sometimes adding more ice or extra strawberries helps a bit. What else do you put in them? I have found that 1 C. milk, 1 C. strawberries, 1 C. salad (lettuce or spinach), and 1 banana is a good combo. And it gets me an extra serving of green veggies as I’m trying to follow the Brewer Diet this pregnancy.
Comment by Jamie (June 9, 2006 @ 7:50 pm )
Jamie, I use frozen fruit, so that I don’t have to use ice. I love it that way. With the spinach smoothie, I used spinach, prunes, a little water, plain yogurt, and a frozen banana.
The usual recipe is:
1 frozen banana
frozen grapes and/or berries
plain yogurt
juice or water to consistancy
The reason I wanted to try the Vitamix was so that I could replace a blender, food processor, and juicer with one appliance. I’m wondering if it truly does all it promises like Amy says above (and does a better job at that). I like the large container with the Vitamix…a must have in our house!
The link was very helpful, Kathy! Thanks!
Comment by Amy Scott (June 9, 2006 @ 7:57 pm )
Jesse had the same concern about the high price tag on the vitamix–but after we burned up the motor on our fifth $30 blender, and after I pointed out how much we spend on the smoothies that I could be making at home if only I had the “vitamix” he began to rethink it. For those who have kids with allergies–if you call vitamix directly and have your pediatrician fax a letter saying a blenderized diet would help–they give you a large discount. We use ours every morning and we eat things in our smoothies that we would not otherwise eat for breakfast like kale, herbs, garlic, green powder concoctions, etc. As far as the large amounts of produce–many stores–even health food stores or small stands will give you a great deal on boxes of produce, like 20lbs of tomatoes for $10, 30lbs of cucumbers for $5, etc., especially if you make it a regular thing or buy it on their schedule. It never hurts to ask and we get such a good deal that we are able to give away quite a bit to our friends so that none is wasted.
Comment by Cindy (June 9, 2006 @ 8:35 pm )
Hi Amy,
I love your blog!! I have a Vitamix that I got at a yard sale for $5.00! I also found one for my mom for $10.00 about six months later! It has been such a blessing for us. We use it for smoothies, crushing ice for ’snow cones’, food processing and so much more! I can’t say enough great things about the Vitamix!! The high price tag would have made it impossible for us to afford it otherwise. I’ll keep my eyes open for another one for you while I’m yard sale shopping!
Comment by Angie in AL (June 9, 2006 @ 9:06 pm )
Amy:
One of my customers got one off of E-bay. I don’t do ebay. I get to wrapped up emotionally when someone out bids me. I can’t hang with the pressure.
I have this goofy practice of praying for things that we really truly desperately need. God always brings these items via gifts. It is astounding. I got a mixer that way and some brand new comforters for the kids beds. It was way too wierd. I had put together a list of needs and rated them by A=big priority, B= medium priority, and C=okay, more of a want.
I prayed about my list asking God to show me ways to purchase these products and glorify Him with our finances. The comforters were a c. But I had a friend call me out of the clear blue and say someone had given her two new comforters. They were still in the bag. They didn’t fit with her chosen theme so she gave them to me. I was like whoa…way to cool. To God be the glory for these little provisions. He truly cares about the small details of our lives. And he provides them.
Comment by KS Milkmaid (June 9, 2006 @ 9:35 pm )
Here’s the link to the America’s Test Kitchen review of blenders… Might be some cheaper, better alternatives to the Vitamix
http://www.cooksillustrated.com/images/document/testing/JA06_Blenders.pdf
Comment by Kathy (June 9, 2006 @ 10:37 pm )
Mmmm peaches. My grandparents lived in the only area of British Columbia that would grow fruit like peaches. Their yard was like paradise with peaches, cherries, apricots, grapes, raspberries, strawberries, hazelnuts and walnuts. We had a swing set under the cherry tree and could swing up to the branches, pick a cherry and pop it in our mouths. I can remember coming home with boxes full of fruit and nuts!
Peaches ripe off the tree are heavenly….nothing like the nasty unripened rocks we get in the grocery stores in northern BC.
Comment by Amy (June 9, 2006 @ 11:54 pm )
My hometown, in Colorado, is a huge producer of the best peaches in the world (*very* sweet, very juicy). Orchards galore. I don’t know anything about agriculture. It surprises me that peaches would be hard to grow/rare in Florida.
I prefer my spinach leafy with cooked diced bacon, hardboiled eggs, and ranch dressing. My eyes are wide at the thought of drinking spinach when there are so many other nice things to drink—like peach smoothies. I’ll just watch your spinach blending experience unfold and hope you get your Vitamix.
Comment by mopsy (June 10, 2006 @ 7:45 am )
If you’re looking for some healthy ways to add more raw produce to your diet, I would go to Dr. Doug Graham’s sites: http://www.fitnsport.com and read his FAQs and http://www.vegsource.com/talk/raw/index.html for his forum.
There is a lot of misinformation out there about how to eat healthy. Dr. Graham has the approach that makes the most sense (to us).
By the way, if adding spinach to your smoothie makes it taste nasty, then don’t force yourself to do that. Just enjoy your fruit.
Greens and most fruit - esp the darker tougher greens - don’t digest that well together in your stomach anyway.
Comment by Sarah (June 10, 2006 @ 9:31 am )
My only advice is what a health nut told me
Eat your fruit, juice your vegetables. According to him, your body needs the fiber in the fruit; but the nutrients found in the vegetables. So for maximum bang whatever you use to do it that’s what he recommended. This has helped me. I found that when I juice fruit I actually felt more bloated and tired. But eating the fruit cuts down on the amount of sugar that is consumed.
Just my friend’s 2 cents shared. Take it for what it’s worth.
On another note, I enjoy Kale more than spinach in a juicer.
Comment by Spunky (June 10, 2006 @ 10:41 am )
I have this vision for my own home too. Living in Florida, however, poses some challenges to this.
The problem for almost every fruit (except citrus) is that Florida doesn’t have enough “chilling hours,” the # of hours below 45 degrees that a plant needs in dormacy. My area gets about 150 hours. The U of F has developed some species that will work in Florida, but they’re difficult to get ahold of locally, as all nurseries just ship in stuff from the Big Guys out of state. When I finalize my plan, I will have to drive several hours to purchase, and then convince someone to go in with me, as the place I found only sells to the public in $300/ minimums.
I know there is some controversy about hybrids and such, but I figure it is better to do that than rely on the grocery store. I’m open to changing my thinking on the matter, however. (Milkmaid?)
Thank you, Sarah. I’m learning a lot on the subject. I will check out the site you mention. I’m tired of daily spinach salads, and so I thought blending it would be an easier way to include it in my diet.
I heard that. Cindy, Amy, anyone….what I want to know is–can I put in a whole apple minus stem, and it come out to a very, very smooth juice? (Not like a blender, but like a juicer juiced juice.)
Will it chop garlic and cilantro without liquid? (akin to a food processor) I know it says that it does, but I want to know if the quality is the same as when you use the other appliance (juicer, food processor, etc.)
Greg wants it to change the oil in the car every three months for the price, too, but you can’t have it all.
(Cindy, great idea about the doctor, but “unfortunately” all our kids are in tip top shape… Not even a twinge or a sniffle. We are blessed. I wonder if strong aversion to green things constitutes a medical issue.)
Comment by Amy Scott (June 10, 2006 @ 10:43 am )
Spunkster, I freeze all my fruit that is very ripe (going bad) and then use it in smoothies or muffins. It’s a great system, as there is never any wasted.
If anyone made me drink kale juice, I think I’d revolt.
Small steps for me. 
Comment by Amy Scott (June 10, 2006 @ 10:51 am )
Where is the place you have to pick your stuff up from? When it’s time, I might be willing to “go in” with you, e-mail me!
Comment by Lisa (June 10, 2006 @ 11:27 am )
I’ld listen to the Rocket Scientist!
Comment by Tim (June 10, 2006 @ 10:51 pm )
My mom has a Vitamix and she and most all of my family loves it. They make their morning smoothies in it everyday. It’s amazing what kind of healthy things you can actually stomach in a Vitamix smoothie! I don’t have one yet, but hope to someday soon. I’ve borrowed one before and loved it.
Maybe you could twist the company’s arm into giving you one to do a product review on?! Honestly, you have enough blog traffic that I would at least contact the company and ask. You never know until you ask. And hey, if you are going to give them all this publicity, you might as well ask for a discount at least.
Angie, while you are looking for a Vitamix for Amy, go ahead and add me to your Vitamix-hunting waiting list. I’m sure my husband wouldn’t have a problem with me getting a “glorified blendor” for $5.
Comment by Crystal (June 11, 2006 @ 12:32 am )
Crystal, I certainly will do that!! And, all this talk of smoothies is making me hungry. I think I’ll go make a smoothie this morning. The peaches aren’t in season yet here in Alabama but we have some super big juicy peaches that come out of Chilton County starting about July… not organic unfortunately but for a treat every now and then you can’t beat them! They do make the BEST smoothies!
Comment by Angie in AL (June 11, 2006 @ 6:50 am )
YES!!!! Get a Vitamix (if the hubby agrees, of course!). We love ours….have had it for several years. Warranty service is excellent. We make smoothies, soups, baby food (no straining, all nutrients included), purees for homemade ice cream, etc.
Comment by Susan in Elk Grove CA (June 11, 2006 @ 6:50 pm )
I don’t know about peaches, but I am a big fan of citrus, and our climate is like yours. Earlier this year we were temporarily living in Phoenix, where citrus trees are among the few things that grow. While there I found out about a “mixed citrus” tree that grows lemons, oranges, and grapefruit all together. I’m dying to get one now that we are home!
Comment by Michelle (June 12, 2006 @ 12:59 am )
Amy,
I like you. You say funny stuff that I can relate to (I too and a homeschool mom (of 4 going on 5) with a fixation on growing organic plants which may or may not produce anything). I am going to pray that God gives you a vitamix.
Comment by tonya (June 12, 2006 @ 5:17 pm )
And did I mention that I can’t type? That was supposed to be “I, too, AM a homeschool mom…..”
Comment by tonya (June 12, 2006 @ 5:21 pm )
I’ve had a Vitamix for several years and really appreciate all the things I do with it. But, Ouch! I don’t do yard sales any more - I realized I was filling my house with other peoples junk and hardly had enough room for my own –I paid full price…:>(
Comment by LadyMother (June 12, 2006 @ 8:45 pm )
For those of you who haven’t bought your VitaMix yet, this is a fantastic deal I’ve found!
**CERTIFIED FACTORY RECONDITIONED and FACTORY SHIPPED**
$324.00 plus tax (FREE SHIPPING if use CODE 06-001729 at http://www.vitamix.com/household/products/super5000/recon324.html)
It comes with a 7 year warranty from Vita-Mix
Brand new container, two cook books, and an instructional video.
This price can’t be beat!!! Thought I would share it with you all…
Comment by Dolce (July 10, 2006 @ 7:03 pm )