My New Addition- Vitamix

To say I've been wanting a Vitamix for the past 5 years isn't an exaggeration. I just couldn't part with $500 for a blender, even though I regularly use the one we have in the family and curse it every time I use it (If anyone tries to persuade you into buying a Montel Williams blender, run in the opposite direction as quickly as you can and don't look back. It's junk and sounds exactly like a chainsaw.).  Back to the point, now that my rant is over. The other day I was watching TV and came across QVC. I'm not by any means a TV/infomercial shopper, but I stopped when I noticed they were selling a Vitamix. They have something called a TSV or Today Special Value. They had a Vitamix that retails for over $500 (yes that is a correct retail value, I checked the Vitamix website to verify) on sale for $380 (plus tax) with free shipping. They would even break that purchase into 5 easy payments (This didn't sell me, even though I took advantage of it. I would rather have that money collecting interest than shell it all out at once.). I watched the guys on TV for a few minutes and then turned the channel. I later found myself cruising the QVC website and comparing other sites to see if that was indeed a good deal. It was by far the best one I could find. I took the leap and made the purchase (I ordered the pretty blue one because it matched my new cobalt blue Le Creuset stock pot and tea kettle.). I also ordered the dry blade container so I can grind my own wheat. I've had some wheat berries in my cabinet for awhile now and plan on making some bread. I got that container for about $114 after shipping and tax and it retails for about $150 on the Vitamix site and on other sites. So in total I paid about $510 for a really nice setup. It even came with a 200 recipe cookbook and a silicone spatula. Overall, I am thrilled with my purchase. I placed the order on a Sunday and they said the order would ship halfway into September (about 3 weeks away). I ended up getting it all on the Friday after it was ordered. I didn't get an email notifying me that it was being shipped, but I'm over that now. I used it for the first time today and it's awesome. My breakfast smoothie was more smooth than the other blender could ever get it. The Caesar dressing I made turned out awesome and the milkshakes we made after dinner were pretty stinking good too. So, after all that rambling...if you're looking for a new blender you should seriously consider a Vitamix. It's an investment, but it's totally worth it. It also comes with a 5 or 7 year warranty- if that makes it any easier. Below is the link to the one I purchased and the Vitamix site. Think about it ... what are you waiting for, go do it! You won't have any regrets! (I ordered the one with the 48 ounce container because my other blender has a large one, and it's hard to clean and get into especially if just making a small portion of something. The smaller one is great for a couple or a few people, or even a family if they want to break things into batches.)

Vitamix- QVC
Dry Grains Container- QVC
Vitamix
Dry Grains Container

Cioppino

The first time I heard of Ciopinno, I was looking through (of all newspapers) the Wall Street Journal. Who knew that they had recipes in a business paper? I have no idea where that clipping is now, but this seafood soup is AMAZING. Beware, it is NOT cheap to make, so make sure you really like the people you are preparing it for. Below is my adaptation. I think I have made it differently every time, but always turns out great. Any combination of seafood can be used, as long as it ends up being a variety and a few pounds. I live in the Midwest, so the fresh seafood selection isn't always the best. I resorted to using all frozen, prepackaged items. As a matter of fact, the one thing I purchased "fresh" (2 pounds of mussels), all but 4 of them were dead and I couldn't use them. I was sooo upset. They are sitting in the fridge waiting to go back to Kroger. Serve this soup with crusty sour dough bread with butter (of course) and a Caesar salad (click here for a tasty Caesar salad dressing).

Ingredients:

• 1 yellow/white onion, chopped
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2-1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 can (3 ounces) tomato paste
• 2 cans (29 ounces total) diced tomatoes
• 1 quart seafood stock (or whatever stock you have available)
• 1 1/2 cups of white wine
• 1 can of clams, reserve juice for broth (not sure of the ounces, but it was the standard sized Bumble Bee can)
• 1 can of crab meat, reserve juice for broth (not sure of the ounces, but it was the standard sized Bumble Bee can)
• 1 pound of mahi mahi or other sturdy white fish (Trader Joes sells a bag of mahi mahi already cut into chunks, very handy)
• 1 pound of calamari (sliced, if not already- leave tentacles whole)
• 1 pound of raw shrimp, de-veined and de-shelled
• 1 pound of scallops

Directions:
In a large stock pot saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil for about 5-8 minutes over medium heat. Add the pepper flakes and the bay leaf and cook for another minute or so. Add the tomato paste, diced tomatoes, seafood stock, wine, clam juice and crab juice to the pan. Bring to a boil, cover and then let simmer for about 30 minutes. Rinse all the sea packaged sea food before adding to the soup. Bring the heat back up to medium and add the fish. Cook for about 5 minutes and then add the rest of the seafood. Cook for about 3-5 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper if necessary, and serve immediately. If there are leftovers, they do reheat well the next day.