Fear cuts deeper than swords

OOH I LOVE SCAVENGER HUNTS. Placeholder. I'm working on this. Goodbye sunday night productivity.

EDIT Aug 11, 11:44pm PST

1.) something that is gray.

2.) Something reminiscent of rain. It rains so much in my city and on those days I like to have my tea and soup and all the yummy hot homecooked food at school in the library while I study. I already have a great thermos for my tea and hot cocoa but not for my soups/food.

3.) Something food related that is unusual. I don't know if this is necessarily food related but WOOOO TEA. MANA-TEA. Seriously this is awesome.

4.) Something on your list that is for someone other than yourself. A wii for my mom because she has been wanting a wii or ipad for a long time. My bro and i think the wii would be better because at least we could all play it together when we go home to visit.

5.) I will recommend this book to anyone and everyone. It's the book I just finished reading and I feel like it has helped me a lot. I am so much more motivated and driven and it is helping me make some tough choices in my life. I am a senior in college but this book can help anyone who is at any place in their life I think. I currently have this on my wishlist which is like a supplement to the book. Seriously though, read it, share it with everyone you know. Let's make the world a happier place.

6.) An item that is less than a dollar. Awww yeee. They always seem to have one of these on the coffee table at my brother's house. Wherever he lives. Even though it's never his. But yeah, they're cool but I don't actually want one.

7.) Something related to cats. THIS IS SO AWESOME. I have another mug with the disappearing thing on my wishlist too. But yeah, I love cats, I just don't have much cat stuff on my wishlist. I do need a real cat though... hint hint nudge nudge

EDIT Aug 12, 12:15am PST

8.) Something that is not useful, but so beautiful you must have it. Okay it's not Amazon but it is beautiful and I have had my eye on it for a year. Despite that fact that I do not plan on having children for at least 8 years. Dem hormones are a'ragin.

9.) I know it's not REALLY a movie but... A movie everyone should watch at least once in their life. Why? Because it is so beautiful and awe inspiring. It really brings me a sense of peace every time I watch it.

10.) Something that would be useful when the zombies attack. Explain. I can put on my holy strainer hat and pray to The Flying Spaghetti Monster to save me from the zombies.

11.) Something that would have a profound impact on your life and help you to achieve your current goals. I know I used this for another one but really, I think doing these exercises would help me in all areas of life.

12.) One of those pesky Add-On items. These beauties, even though I doubt I can grow them without a yard...

13.) The most expensive thing on your list. Your dream item. Why? My little acer hand me down freezes a lot, can't do multiple things at once, doesn't have a cd drive, has a screen too tiny to edit photos or edit my website. Basically everything is frustrating. And I'm a college student. So I use the computer for basically everything... and everything the little laptop CAN do takes forever.

EDIT Aug 12, 1:51am PST

14.) Something bigger than a bread box. If you don't think that is big enough, then here, but it's newly added.

15.) Something smaller than a golf ball. Well, I'm pretty sure this is smaller than a golf ball. If it wasn't, I'd be disappointed.

16.) Something that smells wonderful. Mmm imagine the ginger lemon grass!

17.) A (SFW) toy. And here's another one because I couldn't decide which one looks more fun...

18.) Something that would be helpful for going back to school.

19.) Something related to your current obsession, whatever that may be. Currently obsessed with learning all kinds of new jewelry techniques! Also obsessed with tea because it's the one thing my boyfriend and I developed an interest in together. It didn't start out as either of our interests.

20.) Something that is just so amazing and awe-inspiring that I simply must see it. Explain why it is so grand. THIS IS SO PRETTY AND USEFUL AT THE SAME TIME. Seriously so cute, has lovely details, 8gb, and you can wear it as a pendant. Whaaaat!

EDIT: this lovely is made in oregon!

For abs, I've found that the P90x "ab ripper x" workout is great. I've gotten a lot more ab definition after doing it for just one month. You can download all the videos on the pirate bay, then do the ab workout three times a week (every other day). It doesn't use weights, so you can just do it in your room. Also, if you want to change it up, doing static holds, or "planks," are really useful.

Yeah, for other stuff, push-ups, pull-ups, etc. are all great. You could try putting two chairs together back to back about a foot apart, and doing dips, keeping your legs raised behind you. Pull-ups with a wide grip are a great back workout. You can also look for things to curl for biceps, and do lying skull-crushers for triceps or the one where you put your feet up on something like your bed, hold a chair behind you, then dip your body down to the ground and back up for triceps.

Any time of day is great to work out. However, I find that I am able to lift heavier weights at night when my body has some food in it and I'm not tired and just woken up. Morning may be better for cardio if you want to do both (this becomes important when you start eating more food--otherwise you'll add muscle, but fat will come as well and you won't look ripped). Swimming is a great option for cardio. An added advantage for you is that swimming can help put on bulk all over, especially upper body. The fly stroke especially helps bulk up shoulders.

As for food, make sure to eat a lot of protein at all times whenever you are working out. If you can't change your diet, try ordering protein powder or bars to supplement your protein intake from real food. I have found that ON, or Optimal Nutrition, has great whey protein powder. I like the banana cream flavor. Take one scoop as soon as you wake up, and another after working out. With bars, try to get ones that are natural--Organic Food Bar is a great option that I like. I try to stay away from ones that are packed with sugar or sugar alcohol (look on the nutrition facts), but some people just care about how many grams of protein it has. As for food, you can also get tons of protein from eggs--you can eat as many whites as you want, but not more than one or two yolks per day because of the cholesterol--chicken breast, tuna, whatever your school has available that is high in protein. Try to never go a couple hours without some protein intake.

Since you ask specifically about protein shakes, I'll tell you what I do that is really healthy and delicious in my opinion. I use a single serving blender, specifically this one. I put in a little skim milk, then a scoop of protein powder, a high protein fruit yogurt (ones that say "low carb" fit this category), then some frozen fruit, a little oatmeal to give it some texture (and it's healthy), and finally some egg whites.

The advantage of working out at your age is that your gains will remain as you get older. I think around age 18 or 19 your body kind of "sets," which is why skinny guys can start working out after that age and it's always an uphill battle, but people who did lifting in high school and got bulky and strong can stop lifting weights, and they'll still be strong years later. Getting in top shape right before and at that age, then, will really help give you a good body for years to come, especially if you keep up good habits.

Good luck!

Okay, I gotta say, that cheese grater looks pretty awesome! My mom really likes grating fresh cheese for stuff, so I'm definitely going to let her know about that! Thank you!

I don't know if this is the exact one my mom has, but she can't live without her weighted rolling pin. My mom loves baking pies, especially during the summer when we have lots of fresh fruit around! She purchased a weighted rolling pin last summer, and it's probably her favorite darn thing in the kitchen! She loves it because she doesn't have to press down really hard on her dough anymore. The pin does the work for her! Another family favorite is the NutriBullet, which we received this Christmas. Ever since we got it, we've hardly stopped making smoothies. My mom even came up with a bunch of delicious health recipes because she's awesome like that. I like using it for super quick breakfast smoothies on the go- I'm a college student, and I'm always in a rush in the morning and usually skip eating breakfast. I don't think we could imagine our lives without it now!

I found this adorable bunny honey jar a while back and I fell in love! I LOVE honey and my family uses it in a lot of things. I personally love tea with honey and lemon! We also all love bunnies- we have a pet bunny who is the sweetest thing! I thought this bunny jar was just so so cute, and I know it would put a smile on my mom's face!

Thank you so much for this contest, and for letting me know about that cheese grater! I hope you're having a nice day =D Let's do it in the kitchen.

I was a Soylent convert too. I don't know if you ever just did Soylent 2.0 alone for any length of time, but I did for a couple weeks and I think it was a perfect transition for me to be introduced to Keto Chow. I think Keto Chow is totally delicious but at this stage eating is mostly utility and only partly luxury, if that makes sense. I haven't had any extravagant sweets for the last month so it might help my appreciation of it. My boyfriend also thinks it's delicious but he doesn't really like sweet things and he said he liked it because it's not overly sweet? Bottom line, it's possible you just have to adjust to it, flavor wise. Also, I make one serving at a time in a personal blender (not a blender bottle) and it's never clumpy and has always been a great consistency after a few hours in the fridge. I'd highly recommend that route. $20 on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/Oster-BLSTPB-WBL-250-Watt-Blender-Travel/dp/B004P2OLB8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468223679&sr=8-1&keywords=oster+personal+blender

Personally my favorite flavors have been rich chocolate and cookies and cream, and I'd recommend cookies and cream even if you don't really like chocolate. It's a very unique flavor profile.

I don't know why, but I've never once had a negative reaction to the MCT oil. It's possible I felt my tummy grumbling the first day, but that was it. It's interesting how differently everyone's bodies respond. Hopefully you just need a slow introduction to it and it will be easier to digest later.

Let's start at the beginning. How do you cook the rice and the beans? We fix a big pot full of rice and beans (okay, it's actually two pots) every week or two and this is how we do it.

First the rice. You can add a lot of flavor to the rice by cooking it with stock. It's easy to make your own stock. Throw a big onion (quartered), some celery, some carrots, and some rosemary (or other herbs you like) in a pot of water and let it simmer for a few hours. If you eat meat you can throw in a soup bone or some leftover chicken bones. Then mix this stock half and half with water when you boil your rice. When we cook rice Mexican style we also toss some oil in the pan and fry up some onions first then fry the rice a bit before adding the liquids. It's subtle, but I think it adds a bit more depth to the flavor of the rice.

For the beans, start by soaking them in plain water for at least 8 hours before boiling. And change the soak water every couple of hours. The more changes the better. You do this because it dissolves and removes the indigestible sugars that cause gas. And no matter how good beans are for your heart, this makes you easier to be around. When you are ready to boil the beans, cut up an onion and some garlic and throw that in the water too. If you can get epazote throw some of that in there. It really adds something to the flavor. I like a half and half mix of black beans and pinto beans. My wife likes to add garbanzos, but I think they ruin the flavor. We then throw the beans and onions with some of the water in a blender and make frijoles refritos. If you can get Mexican oregano throw some of that in too. It adds a lot of flavor. And lastly you need to add salt when frying the beans. Enough salt really makes the difference between disgusting and delicious.

Okay, now you have great tasting beans and rice. You can eat them plain. They really are delicious. But I usually like a hot sauce to spice them up a bit. I just ran out so I made a new one today. I started with about a quarter cup of home grown, dried, crushed cayenne peppers. I added a few cloves of garlic, a couple chipotle peppers a friend gave me, some salt, and covered it all with vinegar. Then I put that in the blender and let it blend for a while. It really kicks it up a notch. It's a lot cheaper and, in my opinion, better to make your own salsa, but you can use Siracha or whatever you have. You can also put some cheddar cheese on top of your beans. That's always nice.

Good luck and bon appetit.

Edit: By the way, did you know that you can screw the blades and collar from a standard sized blender (like an Oster) onto a mason jar or other standard threaded salsa jar or spaghetti sauce jar? You can then turn the jar over and stick it on the blender to make your hot sauce without having to clean the carafe. Great time saver.

Yay! I'm so excited that you're getting your own place! That's such a good feeling!

/u/Pinalope4Real and /u/dnd1980

Startup an excel spreadsheet and make a budget for yourself. I find that once I have a budget setup I pay even more attention to my money and figure out new ways to save. I have helped my roommate and my boyfriend setup a budget. :o)

The meat market can save you sooo much money and make you more conscious about the items you are buying and motivate you to cook more.

Crockpots are awesome and help you save time during the week. I know you work from home, but ready-made food throughout the week is awesome!

The Magic Bullet or Nutribullet are both great to have in the home for smoothies! Of course you can blend other items in the cups as well.

I have this Himalayan Salt Lamp and I love it. I also have this Himalayan Salt Candle Holder....actually everything I'm linking you is something that I own and love, something I have experience with, or a similar model (the crock pot was a random model) lol


Oh and this tea because it's delicious.

What a fun contest!

1. What's a birthday without cards? Pretty ones even:) Added to my Cave of Wonders wishlist on July 10.
   
   
2. I've got nothin :/
   
   
3. Ooh... I've got probably close to 60 of those to choose from. How about [this one] (http://www.amazon.com/DramaContemporary-Hungary-Books-Eugene-Brogyanyi/dp/1555540546/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=1143OIB90TSSU&coliid=IGO9DFBZKV5ZA) about Hungarian plays? It's on my Booked with bargains list because used copies start at a penny. It's also on my Geeking out list, added July 12.
   
   
4. H'mm, I have something that's so awesome [it doesn't need an eating utensil to use!] (http://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Beach-51101B-Personal-Blender/dp/B0017XHSAE/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=16Q1M9X9GOLAF&coliid=IBCF1BBG8UQ5H) A blender that transforms into a travel mug is nothing short of magical. And this one was added to my geeking out list on July 12.
   
   
5. An animal that serves as a tea companion is the [best sort of animal] (http://www.amazon.com/Kikkerland-Monkey-Infuser-Drip-Tray/dp/B005SQ4BJW/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pd_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=16Q1M9X9GOLAF&coliid=I3UICS49GSTJLJ). This monkey tea infuser was added to my geeking out list on July 6.
   
   
   
6. SQUEE. Best color ever. Take [that] (http://www.amazon.com/Tovolo-80-6100PL-Purple-Tea-Infuser/dp/B000G34EXA/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=1R9P80O1URJSU&coliid=I3PE33RG7P10TP) (purple tea infuser June 3 cave of wonders) and [that] (http://www.amazon.com/Paper-Mate-Retractable-Ballpoint-35830/dp/B001B0DCSU/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pd_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=1R9P80O1URJSU&coliid=I3AM1W644F6QCA) (purple ink pens Cave of Wonders July 10) and [this] (http://www.amazon.com/Amethyst-Gemstone-Beads-Purple-Inches/dp/B002696YHG/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=2AWRGPWU7U5BD&coliid=I34UR3X5LMFOLE) (purple beads July 26 fun sized list) and [POW] (http://www.amazon.com/Pilot-Rollerball-Retractable-Purple-PIL26071/dp/B0013CKDVK/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pd_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=2AWRGPWU7U5BD&coliid=I15QGVSYNUVTKR) (another purple pen fun sized July 10) and [WOW] (http://www.amazon.com/TopCase-Metallic-PURPLE-Macbook-Unibody/dp/B0040BLOZU/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=16Q1M9X9GOLAF&coliid=I3AAZB1THZQHKZ) (purple computer case geeking out added July 7).
   
   
   
7. A little game I like to call [sorting neat facts in a world that makes sense] (http://www.amazon.com/Pocket-Posh-Logic-100-Puzzles/dp/0740778609/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=QIOVI9G7K472&coliid=I2IGINW5WZS3K1), otherwise known as logic puzzles! Added May 30 to Puzzled and Poetic
   
   
8. My guilty pleasure would be good deals on shoes. This isn't necessarily a good deal but [they're cute!] (http://www.amazon.com/Military-Combat-Fold-over-Multiple-natural/dp/B00BFMCN98/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=2KZTB0H1P6VLH&coliid=IBK6GKPEQ9ZHX&psc=1)
   
   
9. This would be a [tool for learning] (http://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Doug-Basic-Skills-Board/dp/B000NVBE10/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=2SXK6EXO51EGC&coliid=I1JUL7SJ6EWSH1) added June 26 to Student Resources.
   
   
10. I don't know about you, but my childhood coincided with the BOOM in gel pens [similar to these] (http://www.amazon.com/Sakura-58350-10-Piece-Assorted-3-Dimensional/dp/B000LR4ZDA/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=16Q1M9X9GOLAF&coliid=I2DY1WDG2BV378) added to my geeking out list July 12.
    
    
11. These [handy cards] (http://www.amazon.com/Fancy-Pants-Designs-Collection-Journaling/dp/B009EEF36O/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=16Q1M9X9GOLAF&coliid=I164DKZ2CB4CV3) are to help organize my journal entries- added to geeking out on July 12.
    
    
12. One of my hobbies is jewelry making, and [this is a chain] (http://www.amazon.com/shipping-16-Vintage-Antique-Twisted-Chains-Jewelry/dp/B00AIKTSX2/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=16Q1M9X9GOLAF&coliid=I172SEPLDWH9I5) to incorporate in said hobby- added to geeking out July 13
    
    
13. All right, how's research on [another country's textbooks] (http://www.amazon.com/Textbook-Reds-Schoolbooks-Ideology-Post-Communist/dp/0271058560/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=2KZTB0H1P6VLH&coliid=I2M3GLH2G3KYAA) for nerdy? Added to Booked with bucks on July 9.
    
    
14. Ain't nothing more natural than me and [my tea] (http://www.amazon.com/Organic-Decaf-Spiced-Peach-Tea/dp/B00081H3BA/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=16Q1M9X9GOLAF&coliid=IDESGPH15UE82) (ignoring the fact that I don't actually own this kind of tea) added to Geeking out July 12
    
    
15. Speaking of [tea and green] (http://www.amazon.com/Harney-Sons-Coconut-Vanilla-Sachets/dp/B00796KNHS/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pd_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=1R9P80O1URJSU&coliid=I2UWULYHAV7V4Y) here's something added to cave of wonders just yesterday
    
    
16. If [this hat] (http://www.amazon.com/Womens-Cloche-Bucket-128SH-Brown/dp/B00AAVT7XA/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=16Q1M9X9GOLAF&coliid=I5GBSKLYUIN0H&psc=1) were mine, it would indeed be worn! Added to geeking out July 12.
    
    
17. Funny? (stares blankly and humorlessly) Oh wait! [There's this] (http://www.amazon.com/How-Survived-Communism-Even-Laughed/dp/0393030768/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=1143OIB90TSSU&coliid=I2BSGBOA78R0S0) Added July 26 to booked with bargains
    
    
18. [More purple beads!] (http://www.amazon.com/Glass-Pearls-Czech-Round-Purples/dp/B00B5DBYCE/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=2AWRGPWU7U5BD&coliid=I3122TPXZTZMMI) added to fun sized list back in March.
    
    
19. Gardening? [My flowers] (http://www.amazon.com/Lucite-Cabochons-Ivory-Yellow-Flower/dp/B002UGWX5C/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=2AWRGPWU7U5BD&coliid=I13QBBKH7U4RRU) happen to be more of the glue on variety ;) Added in March to fun sized list.
    
    
20. SIGH. I'm terrible with "favorites" questions. This one no this one no this one should be my motto. Or that one or that one or that one. Can't decide.
    
    Edit: after almost an hour of hunting down this list, I forgot to include the raffle phrase! Happy happy cake day! :) Hope it was a good one!

ooh ooh finally something I can give insight on. I am a hot chocolate lover as well.

I would buy an immersion/hand blender. Here is an amazon link to the one I use and its awesome. The hand blender will blend mexican hot chocolate and chocolate bars into milk you heat in the microwave or blend right in a pot and froth it nicely. Try to use a big glass jar. Don't add chocolate to a pan that is on the burner, if you burn the chocolate it tastes really bad and you don't need that much heat to blend chocolate.
amazon link

When you heat milk it needs to be hotter than you can drink because when you use the hand blender it will cool it down. Also be careful with it boiling over.

I'm Hispanic so I was accustomed to Abuelita and Ibarra and I realized over time the flavor changed, recently I looked at the ingredients and they were made cheaper. You have to be careful with some Mexican groceries because they will substitute cheap ingredients.

I suggest Tazo hot chocolate if you want that Mexican Style Hot Chocolate, they sell them at whole foods or at their website but their shipping is ridiculous.

Another hot chocolate I like is called Wicked Hot Chocolate
here is the link to the website

Godiva serves hot chocolate and I love it from there.

What I do normally though is buy a huge quality bar of chocolate like at Trader Joes and chop it and put it in a jar. I dust it with some cocoa powder so it won't melt to the jar. If you ever see a good flavored chocolate bar get it and use it in hot chocolate. Remember to look at the ingredients and make sure it has cacao butter not palm oil substitute. Also be careful when buying things with "flavor" in the end. Like Cinnamon "flavor" means there is no cinnamon in it, just something with that flavor.

For sweeteners I prefer raw sugar or maple syrup. But normal sugar is fine. I like to add sugar and keep tasting and add more as I go in teaspoons. I've found 1 Tablespoon of sugar to 3 Tablespoons of chopped Chocolate to be my favorite. If you measure the milk, chocolate and sugar and have the measurements down you can make them really quick.

Also I like to add a pinch of sea salt to finish the chocolate. And I also eat it with Hawaiian bread, when you dip the Hawaiian bread in the chocolate it coats it and is delicious.

You could go three ways:
cheapest:

1. crock pot
   
2. gallon zip lock plastic bags
   
3. glad ware or other plastic tipper ware
   
4. optional but handy - cheap food processor
   
   

• almost all food processors come with a slicing/shredding dis. I use the food processor to dice onion, shred cheese, cut tomatoes, generally speed up my cooking, especially when doing batch cooking like this: http://whoneedsacape.com/2012/11/crockpot-freezer-cooking/
  
  zero waste, environmentally and healthfully aware:
  

1. cast iron or stainless steel skillet - this would basically meet all your needs: http://www.costco.ca/Lodge®-5-pc.-Logic-Cast-Iron-Cookware-Set.product.10395556.html
   
2. glass lid lock or WIDE mouth mason jars
   
3. hand blender or food processor
   
   again, for versatility, its not absolutely necessary but certainly speeds things along - hand blenders now come with chopper attachments and aren't cost prohibitive http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-CSB-79-200-watt-Immersion-Attachments/dp/B00AN9UJ68/ref=lp_289916_1_2?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1393751066&sr=1-2
   
   
   more expensive but complete list would look like this:
   
4. cast iron skillet set above
   
5. food processor
   
6. at least two baking sheets, or you can buy a baking set that includes muffin tins so you can pre make things like egg muffin cups
   
7. roasting pan (cooking at turkey is not hard and makes you feel like a king. Also, roasting veggies is one of the easiest and most delicious sides - any veg, oil, salt, pepper, and 45 minutes in a 375 degree oven. done)
   
8. pyrex glass lock set (at least two - you can bake in them as well)
   
9. a good chef's knife, a paring knife, and a long serrated knife
   
   
   I will say that however you store it, the trick to avoiding freezer burn is avoiding air exposure. For example, if you have a tupperware container half full of chill and you want to freeze it, put a sheet of wax or parchment paper on top before freezing - it will help prevent freezer burn.
   
   This got too long. Hope it helps!
   

A Danish dough whisk. Great for mixing, easy to scrape the sides of the bowl as you mix, and they clean up in a few seconds.

A Progressive silicon bowl scraper. Stiff o one side, flexible on the other.

Covermate stretch to fit food covers. Great for covering bowls while the dough rises. You don't have to mess with plastic wrap, and they're reusable. I found mine at Albertson's.

A large ceramic bowl. I got mine at Kohl's for about 20 bucks.

An Anchor Measuring Glass. I use these to test for my dough doubling in volume. Just tear off a pinch, push it into the glass, and its easy to tell when the volume's doubled.

A Maverick Oven Thermometer. Unless you're entirely sure your oven is near 100% accurate.

A Magic Bullet mixer is great for chopping small amounts of herbs and zests without a lot of cleanup.

I've just started using silicone bread pans I got on line at 13deals for stupid cheap, 5 bucks apiece i think. Keep watching, they show up fairly regularly.

Scotch-Brite Stay Clean scrubbers. They claim they'll clean up eggs and melted cheese without fouling up.. I figured they'd also clean up dough without gunking up on the first use, and I was right. They're great for cleaning out your bowls.

Parchment paper. A good dutch oven. baking stones.

That's about it. Some of my favorite things for making things easier.

Two things that I use all the time that I don't see mentioned:

Stovetop Smoker. With all the meat I cook, being able to smoke it gives it a whole new depth of flavors without adding any carbs and makes even simple dishes special. Very inexpensive too once you buy the initial smoker. I bough a bunch of different types of wood chips and they've lasted me about half a year now. Even in my small apartment there's hardly any smoke leak (although I do crimp foil around the edges to help keep it in) and I've never set off the smoke detector with it. If you do have an big outdoor smoker this one is nice for doing smaller portions or if the weather's not great outside. Highly recommend it if you like smoked foods.

Vacuum sealer is the other item I use all the time. I like buying certain staples from Costco in bulk (chicken/beef/pork/etc) and being able to portion it out and freeze it has helped cut down on the cost of keto a lot. It's also useful as a good timesaver or to keep food fresh for longer even if you don't freeze it. For example, I often only use about a quarter of an onion in a lot of recipes, but I'll chop the whole thing and seal the rest so it stays fresh for the next few days. I'll then take however much onion I need out the next day and re-seal the bag.

I don't have a brand I recommend over another, I personally have a Rival that I got for Christmas. A lot of people really like Foodsavers and I see them at Costco all the time. They can be inexpensive (~$40) for a basic one or more costly if you want extra features like canning or automatic sealing or different speeds. I do recommend not using whatever brand of bags they tell you to use however. What I do is buy cheap bulk bags such as these and use them instead. Zero problems with them and much cheaper than the brand name ones. I do keep a roll of 'cut your own' around in case I need something bigger, but I find for about 90% of what I do the smaller bulk bags work fine.

If you keep an eye out on meat sales and buy in bulk or buy a lot of meat that's about to expire for cheap, I think the vacuum sealer will pretty quickly pay for itself.

And tossing it out there, one item that's not necessary but in the 'nice to have' category is the immersion blender. Great for thickening soups since we don't add cornstarch or other traditional thickeners, and it's nice for other things like making your own mayonnaise. I also use it for making my own marinara sauce - mine has zucchini and cheese blended in. Again, not necessary and you can probably use a regular blender for this, but the immersion blender is really nice and convenient.

I HIGHLY recommend this product.

Breville BSB510XL Control Grip Immersion Blender

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004RF7QJW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I've used Kitchen aid stick blenders for years in catering and restaurants. I gave it and tried this due to an ATK recommendation.

Its hands down better then most non commercial stick blenders. I don't know what a slicer is, but this has a mini food processor attachment along with a whisk and a good sized carafe to make mayo in.

Edit a 2nd edite... if you want a slicer... like a food processor dont depend on a stick blender... too small moter too small bowl. Id highly suggest a "benny" type mandoline 30$ and will slice food as thins as you want and bigger work area. All kitchens ive worked in have at least one for slicing perfect uniform shit... instad of the pricey french manolins. Even better get a knife and learn to slice a benny is always fater but it takes up space. I have banny pro and i love it.

Only downside Its $10 more than your price range. I would say that $10 is very worth it.

Proof : Worked from 13 to 30 in kitchens putting myself through college. Now Civil Engineer , but cook at heart.

Edit When i purchased it early 2016, it was $79.96 and now its up to 91 and change.

1. I definitely think so. I'm not a big fan of Soylent at room temperature. I prefer mine to be nice and cold. I even freeze the glass I use before pouring myself a meal.
   
   
2. I haven't noticed a difference in taste between fresh and couple day old Soylent. The directions advise you to consume each batch within 48 hours of making it but I've pushed that number to 3-4 days without the taste or smell changing on me.
   
   
3. Yes, I highly recommend purchasing a hand blender like this one. The difference between blended and shaken Soylent is absolutely huge.
   
   Shaken Soylent is much, much grittier and doesn't taste as smooth. Blended Soylent is much more like a thick cream and has very little grit to it.
   
   Plus, blended Soylent doesn't separate as much as shaken Soylent. When I finish a pitcher I'll go ahead and make another one so that it's cold for my next meal. I noticed that when I came back for my next meal, shaken Soylent will have separated into a big layer of water and oil at the top of the pitcher while the blended Soylent has a very thin layer of water and oil. This separation had a noticeable effect on the taste.
   
   If you're going to be consuming Soylent with any kind of regularity I would definitely recommend purchasing a hand blender.

I'm in your boat. I'm not a huge fan of veggies but I love fruit. My mom got me a Nutribullet for my birthday a few months ago, and I LOVE it.

It's like a more powerful Magic bullet blender, if you've ever seen one of those. I add a banana, some frozen fruit and a butt-ton of kale, broccoli, or whatever other veggies I want. The fruit makes it taste okay and since it's liquid, it doesn't require you to learn how to cook anything. I highly recommend checking it out as a quick and easy way to introduce a lot more veggies into your diet. I started drinking one large smoothie in the morning and it would keep me full FOREVER.

...plus, it's become so much easier to poop :-p

I have a few ideas for you. I love this thing it's great for slicing and shredding almost anything. and cleanup is a breeze it goes right into the dishwasher

https://www.amazon.com/Presto-Professional-SaladShooter-Electric-Shredder/dp/B0000Z6JJG/ref=sr_1_1?

​

I Love this thing I have had it for about 5 years now and it purees better than my large Ninja blender. this is the one I have

https://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-CSB-75BC-Blender-Brushed-Chrome/dp/B00ARQVM5O/ref=sr_1_5?

One with more accessories is not much more

https://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-CSB-79-Smart-Blender-Stainless/dp/B00AN9UJ68/ref=sr_1_4?

​

Sorry can't help with the baking or bread. but I am sure someone else will help with that part! Good Luck! I hope you find some great stuff!

The others are just trying to help because a lot of misinformed people on here think keto is about eating a lot of fat. It can be, but not always for everyone.

Get a hand blender, like this.

https://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-CSB-75BC-Blender-Brushed-Chrome/dp/B00ARQVM5O/ref=asc_df_B00ARQVM5O/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=167155690034&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=17907049679365908739&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9031180&hvtargid=pla-273692484646&psc=1

It will emulsify fats into liquids. If you want it to stay emulsified for a long period of time you will need some form of stabilizer. I'll do a quick search for a keto friendly stabilizer.

Edit.

I would use gum Arabic, also known as acacia gum. You can order it online and it's not expensive. It will add fiber to your diet as well. Its completely indigestible so no calories or carbs. I'm not sure how much to add, I imagine it will take some experimentation. You should add a small amount and blend it in while emulsifying and let the item sit for a few hours and see if it's still emulsified. You'll find the sweet spot. It will vary depending on the type of fat, type of liquid, and amount of both.

Good luck. Hope that was helpful.

Everything was cooked fresh, but lunch was cooked that morning then microwaved at work.

Copying from other answers:

Prep

Buy meats on Sundays (or whenever a free day is for you), take it home and cut it all up immediately. Trim all the fat, then portion the meat into ziplock bags with the appropriate amount for one serving. Put these bags in the freezer, but put one set (one bag of each meat) in the fridge. This process takes about 2 hours, but it leaves you with pre-portioned and trimmed meats while still allowing you to have fresh cooked meat at each meal so the taste is good. So by the end of Sunday, you should have 6 bags of each meat in the freezer with the exact portions you need, and then 1 bag of each meat in the fridge. With this 2 hour prep each weekend, each meal only took 15-20 mins to cook/prepare.

On a daily basis, when you take a bag out of the fridge, replace it with one from the freezer and then that will be thawed for the same time tomorrow.

Meats

Pretty much all of my meats were

1. Lubricate pan with Pam.
   
2. Put pan on burner on Medium heat (6 out of 10).
   
3. Cook meat until it's cooked how you like.
   
4. Season with 0 calories seasonings (steak seasoning, seasoned salt, etc. but watch your sodium intake).
   
   Cook the same meals everyday for 5 months-you'll get very good at it.
   
   Smoothies
   
   Great question because I have my smoothie game down to a science. First of all, my blender is this blender.
   
   You don't want water and ice because they just water down your flavors. I cut up my fruit and portion it on Sunday so I have 7 zip lock bags with 4 oz strawberries, 4 oz banana, and 4 oz cantaloupe and then I put these in the freezer. Frozen fruit gives you the smoothie consistency of ice without the watering down affect. Then, in the morning empty the bag in the blender and add 1.5 cups milk and 0.25 cup plain yogurt and blend it all for 2 minutes or so. Drink half for breakfast and put the other half in a tumbler or something airtight (to keep the consistency) for lunch. I like it just like that but you can add a teaspoon of vanilla extract if you'd like (though you're adding unnecessary calories, though admittedly minimal).
   
   On cleaning, firstly as described above, I only use/clean it once a day, but I just rinse it in water as soon as I use it. Rinse thoroughly, let it dry then use it the next day. Then once a week run it through the dishwasher.

I couldn't tell you if it is BIFL yet, but I just bought a cuisinart immersion blender. It works great. The blending portion is super easy to clean, and I believe it is dishwasher safe. The design is really comfortable and easy to use.
Check I out, it's not too expensive:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00ARQVM5O/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1395250389&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40

Hi! Welcome!

Well you probably don't need cold process AND melt and pour samplers. If you're a hands on kinda person (like me), you're gonna love cold process soap making, and (IMO) melt and pour almost feels like cheating at that point :).

You didn't mention equipment, so I'll go over that

1. you'll need a stainless (preferably) pot with high enough sides to not splash. Something like this although you could probably go smaller (depending on how large of batches you want to make. I prefer my pots on the large side because it gives me more room to be sloppy when I mix.
   
   
2. Pick up a hand mixer like this. This isn't 100% necessary, but sooooo worth it. I picked mine up at a flea market for 5 bucks. Check goodwill or salvation army. Having one of these turns 30-40 minutes of stirring into 3 minutes of blending.
   
   
3. For cold process, pick yourself up a couple of good wine and beer thermometers. These are nice because they measure in 2 degree increments. You can use any other food thermometer, this is just my preference.
   
   
4. Make sure you go to the grocery and pick up some good thick gloves and some safety goggles. Lye is an amazing chemical, but can burn the hell out of you if you're not careful. better safe than sorry.
   
   
5. When you get ready to pour your soap into the mold, you're gonna want to have it lined with some freezer paper. Don't use wax paper. If you use wax paper, you're gonna have a bad time.
   
   
6. It is very important to pick up a scale. Everything in soap-making is measured in weight, not volume. I'll repeat that, EVERYTHING IS MEASURED IN WEIGHT. If you find a scaled that weighs in lbs and oz, you'll have to a lot fewer conversions in your head.
   
   
   That being said, don't let that list scare you, like I said, I picked up most of my gear from thrift stores and flea markets. Soap making is fascinating and well worth the effort. Enjoy!

Woohoo, congratulations to you! Start packing anything you don't need, it's super helpful. Also, maybe I'm just OCD but I label all the boxes for what room they're supposed to go in: bathroom/kitchen/BR1/BR2 etc...it helps, a lot!

I would love this personal blender. Helps me eat healthy on the run!

Home Sweet Home

Thanks for the contest!

I am a teacher, a teaching assistant to be exact. Here is my intro post where I talk about it. I am a TA for sociology, and I love it. It makes me so happy to see my students succeed. If I win, I would like this magic bullet blender because smoothies give me fuel to teach, and the ones at school are so expensive, so I would like to make my own. This book would also be great, because it is a great book on my main area of interest in sociology, which I am hoping to teach a class in. You can pick something for the remaining $6, or just give me those 2 things. Thanks for the contest!

Nice comprehensive review but sorry to hear about your preparation woes.

As a longterm Hol Food user, I've found what I consider to be the single best preparation method that is super easy, but also creates a texture that is just about as smooth as chocolate milk:

• Mix 1.5 scoops of Hol Food with 1.5 cups of water or milk in a small blender (e.g., a Magic Bullet) for about 30 seconds. The resulting mixture will be super smooth, and as you stated in your review, tastes amazing.
  
  You can almost always find Magic Bullets on sale somewhere (I think I got mine at Canadian Tire for around 20 dollars) and I now have one at the office and one at home for this exact purpose.
  
  As for the stomach/bloating issues, I have to admit that I've never experienced them nor have a I heard of such issues from any of my friends who I've convinced to try (several people at my office also use Hol Food). However, as was the case for a lot of DIY recipes back in the day, I find that if you have it for a couple more days, you will become used to it and the bloating will stop. For the record, if you are sensitive to lactose, that could cause the bloating and gas. But again, it will probably subside in a couple days of use.
  
  

The /r/gainit diet style, suited for skinny guys wanting to bulk up, would work just fine for you.

They have plenty of good advice on taking in more healthy calories. The only difference is that you might not need as many calories as a weight lifter, but that shouldn't be a problem for you because you're struggling to take in calories anyway.

I'm a skinny guy too. The best quick and dirty tip I have is drink more whole milk. That's a big, fairly healthy calorie bomb that has a good mix of nutrients. What I do is I throw a banana, some blueberries and some peanut butter and some whole milk into a cheap Oster blender. It tastes like a dessert, is easy to make and is totally healthy.

If you supplement your meals with the occasional shake, you can gain weight pretty easily.

I also periodically snack on unsalted peanuts. I've gone from 155 to 175 recently.

I have made banana ice cream with an immersion blender plenty of times! You can make pesto in it but I prefer a mortar and pestle, You can make pico in it, but I generally think pico gets ruined if you use any sort of blending/processing. If you want easy clean up, I'd get an immersion blender- it's great for soups and blending directly on the stove top! Theres a cup you can use to make the banana ice cream. If you want to do bigger batches, I'd get a cheap processor - great for making things like hummus, grating cheese and veggies, dough, etc.

This is the $45 processor I have and I like it.

This is the $30 immersion blender I have and also like.

1. Wow, this took forever. I tried to put them in order of date, but around the last row, I had to go back to older photos, because I didn't have any recent ones leading to the last two. Had a fun time putting this together, though.
   
2. It's all me in the photos. I promise.
   
3. The hairbrush is in the last photo.
   
4. Your health-related items reminded me of this blender that would be used to make healthy smoothies.
   
5. Surprises are fun.
   
6. I'm ready for my closeup!
   
7. Thanks for the contest!

I've only been drinking bulletproof coffee for a week but I love it. It gives me the energy I desperately need. I use 1 Tablespoon regular salted butter, 1 Tablespoon Virgin Coconut Oil, 12 oz black coffee, 1 packet Splenda. I blend mine with a stick blender I received as a gift. If you're on a budget, and I'm assuming you are because you're in college, get a small personal blender like This One. I've read a lot of posts on bulletproof coffee and it seems Kerrygold butter is best. And the MCT oil, Coconut oil contains MCT so I just use that. It works for me, I love it.

I firmly feel that when I'm on the actual date, I should pay for everything. It's just a personal satisfaction that I get knowing she doesn't need to worry about spending her money to have a good time with me.

However, if I had a girlfriend that had a source of money (hell, even if she didn't), then I would make her buy stuff that she wants on her own.

Like I said, if we were on a date or shopping together and she found something she liked, I would probably buy it for her. But I would not just hand her a wad of cash so she can go splurge out in Von Mar with her friends, and I sure as hell wouldn't like it if she expected me to buy her something just because she needed it. Like a blender on Amazon, for example.

It's a little shitty that she doesn't buy you any little gifts too. Even though guys won't ever admit it, we like those little gifts coming from a girl we really like. Even if we won't ever use it, it's still a nice thought.

From what you're saying, it doesn't seem to be a deal-breaker issue, but more of an annoyance (and a potential money problem). I would just tell her that you don't mind spending money on her, but you only have so much. Tell her that you love to buy her lunches and dinners and stuff like that, but you can't continue to buy her mundane stuff like blenders and microwaves just because yours broke. Say that you don't mind finding her a good deal, but it's going to have to be her cash that buys it, simply because you don't have it.

Also, about the blender. I don't know how exquisite it needs to be, but this one looks pretty good, and you can get it for under ten bucks. It even travel sized!

My boyfriend and I purchased a Ninja Prep Master set-up for around $30 at Walmart on Black Friday two years ago. Blades are still incredibly sharp after two years of heavy use although we accidently broke the smaller container somehow as the bottom as a small crack in it. I still use the larger container for blending for almost everything. Sauces come out velvety and smooth, chops very clean but leans toward more of a mince if blended too long (depends on your food item, too.) It does blend very quickly and evenly, so when using it I recommend in trying to use small bursts to get the consistency you want and plan ahead. It has one button, using one speed but if you are good with timing, it's worth the price. http://www.amazon.com/Ninja-QB900B-Master-Revolutionary-Drink/dp/B003XU3C7M/ref=sr_1_5?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1372350187&sr=1-5&keywords=blenders

If you are looking for something more variety, speed control and want a good value, Oster is very good quality for not a lot of money: http://www.amazon.com/Oster-BVCB07-Z-Counterforms-7-Speed-Stainless/dp/B002RBXHSC/ref=sr_1_4?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1372350187&sr=1-4&keywords=blenders I have used Oster in the past and no complaints save for the motor dying but that model was over 10 years old!

I hope this helps!

It looks lame, but trust me, you'll be happy you got one.

If you have an Iphone 4 or 4S

A little big, but can store a lot

For when friends come over

Because sometimes you need to take a break

For whipping up healthy drinks

The obvious accessory to most college dorms

Retractable extension cord

A little expensive, but c'mon...

Make lots of friends in the most childish way possible

And finally, the most important thing of all...

Would you like a falafel with that?

It's good for the natural water/ milk and protein powder, but not for any additional things. For example, oats are great for adding a lot of extra calories, but a blender bottle won't get the job done. I can list as many as 100 other things too.

My best bet would probably be a "Nutribullet because it's easy to blend things like bananas, peanut butter, oats, yogurt and other fruits. I got one from Amazon for $80 which includes tax/ shipping, but the black one is the cheapest.

link to amazon

I am actually in love with my stick blender - it's super fast and effective, and waaaaay cheaper than the Vitamix. It makes really smooth baby purees and can do smoothies too, and it can also be used for larger volumes like whole pots of soup (so it's versatile too). I swear I don't work for this company, I just really love the hand blender. :-)

I love my stick blender; it's great for blending soups, sauces, even smoothies. I have one that also has a small food processor part to it (like this one https://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-Smart-Blender-Brushed-Stainless/dp/B00AN9UJ68 but without the whisk attachment, although I wish I had it) and it's all around very practical without taking up a huge amount of space (or money). Although of course, if you think you might need/want a regular size food processor in the future, it might not be worth it.

I'd also suggest a good microplane (box grater is useful, but for grating things like parmesan a microplane is much handier); and a small baking dish (in addition the bigger one mentioned, for things like vegetable sides). But then again, it all depends on what you like to make! If you're consistently slicing potatoes for gratins, for example, then a mandolin is a god-send ... otherwise it can be one of those things that collects dust in a cupboard.

I love my Ninja. I bought the set with 3 different sizes and use the little one 90% of the time. It's a bit pricey but absolutely worth it.

Edit: Mine is the Food Processor/Blender. This is what I bought (not a referral link or anything). All 3 are great, but the little one is amazing and wonderful

I recommend the Breville BSB510XL Control Grip Immersion Blender. It's a tiny bit expensive for a hand blender, but it's awesome and every kitchen should have one. It is supercharged, variable speed, comes with a chopping attachment, a nice large pitcher to blend in, and a lid that fits both. You can use it to blend a large quantity in a big container, or just a small quantity in a very small container. It's a great multi tasker - I just used it for 3 different things in one meal.

So far I've just been browsing Kinja deals and had one recommendation as well as interested in others' recommendations. Here are some:

$52 Instant Pot 3 quart. Love the 6 quart version, but it's huge. I think 3 qt would've been fine for me.

$26 dinnerware set don't know this item.

$37 Lodge enameled cast iron dutch oven. Considering this. Anyone own it? Do I need a cast iron dutch oven? Is it better than a stainless steel one? Already have a cast iron pan.

$25 Stick blender

The sous vide immersion circulator was sold out but will be back, let's hope.

IDK what your budget for one would be, but I got this one a little over two years ago that's currently at $35. I use it a lot, pretty much daily for the past 6 months (ever since discovering banana ice cream lol). Also I boil the vegetables for a really long time so they are super mushy and easier to blend, because althought it's pretty good, it's no Vitamix.

Applesauce is a good start, so is jam. Just follow the recipe on the pectin jar or in the Blue Book to get started. (I too can not call it the Blue Ball Book without guffawing.) I'm a read and follow directions learner and there's a lot of Getting Started information, so that worked best for me.

I don't use a food mill though. I have a Breville Immersion Blender, which if used on the highest setting takes care of the peels pretty well and is also fantastic for tomatoes and whipped potatoes and I haven't killed it yet after a couple of years of use.

I personally would get the following way sooner if I was building my kitchen all over again.

Also if there is a place you can get bulk spices near by I would go there for your spices, because if you havent already noticed spices are pricey at your local megamart.

Lavatools Thermowand - Same form factor as the much more expensive thermopen but at 1/3 the price.

Lodge cast iron skillet - great for searing meats or as a good starting pan.

OXO Bench Scraper - Makes prep work much easier and safer as you don't use your knife to scrape your food off the cutting board.

Immersion Blenders - When you dont want to use your big blender or want to blend something in your pot or pan.

Stainless Steel Cookware - Has a little bit of a learning curve but is great after the fact.

Aeropress - Life is too short to make shitty coffee.

Edit: added a thermometer/spelling

This blender: www.amazon.com/dp/B00NGV4506/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_KEJMxbXNXEQF6 is great if you're on a budget! We got it at target and used their price match policy with Amazon to save $30 :)
It blends great, crushes ice and is very easy to clean.

I just got this one for Christmas and I couldn't be happier with it. It's pretty powerful, and comes with some awesome attachments.

It even comes with a little measuring cup that the head of the blender fits perfectly into, I've used it to make Kenji Lopez's 2 minute mayo a few times now!! Also, a mini food processor for salsa or making marinade pastes, and a whisk for making whipped cream the easy way!

Your'e gonna want some awesome new knives.

this to keep all your cords in place.

this so you don't have trouble plugging in all your stuff.

this can be used to keep track of all the tiny pieces (e.g. batteries, screws, etc.).

I personally use this everyday, it's the best.

these to keep you clean.

everyone needs one of these.

gotta put all the shoes somewhere.

something like this will come in handy.

It's the small details that count.

this could help when moving everything in.

And then get one of these bad boys for you!

okay I think I put enough for now, hope it helps.

I use these blender bottles, they divide up a day's Soylent into 4 500 cal portions which I prefer, and are easy to clean by hand:
http://www.amazon.com/BlenderBottle-Classic-Shaker-Bottle-Black/dp/B00M1VNJO0

I replaced the original 68oz. Soylent bottle with this glass pitcher, Soylent now seems to last a little longer due to a better seal, you can dump the full bag into it when you're making it unlike with the stock bottle, it too is easy to clean by hand, and there's no risk of having a leak due to overtightening:
http://www.amazon.com/Bormioli-Rocco-Frigoverre-Glass-Pitcher/dp/B00PT7239A

Lastly, consider investing in a stick blender such as this one for the best possible Soylent consistency:
http://www.amazon.com/Conair-Cuisinart-CSB-75BC-Blender-Brushed/dp/B00ARQVM5O

KitchenAid KHB2351CU 3-Speed Hand Blender - Contour Silver https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005MMNBBQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_cLKsybZTBTWC2

That thing is amaze balls. Immersion blending my coffee, oil, butter, & stevia... it's like Starbucks lattes with all the froth. Just make sure the container is 2.5x bigger in volume or else it'll fly out... learned it the hard way. lol

I just use one of those 2-cup Pyrex measuring cups to make my 1cup coffee. So good. No oil slicks. Plus, the other attachments are useful.

I have a Cuisinart which I got refurbished from Woot for $30. Here's the Amazon link for a new one. It includes a blender cup, small processor attachment and a whip attachment. Easy to clean and never stops working.

Cuisinart Smart Stick 2 Speed Hand Blender, Brushed Stainless Steel https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AN9UJ68/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_F2Etyb3VDZDJF

This looks amazing! If you do purees like this occasionally, I recommend looking into getting an immersion blender (example). Got one of these as a gift, and it's now one of my favorite kitchen gadgets. Makes large blend jobs way easier with less cleanup. Bonus: it's much smaller than a traditional blender.

First, an immersion blender is the best fricking purchase for the kitchen. I am so in love with mine and use it weekly. But basically, mashed cauli is super easy. For this one specifically, I boiled a head of cauli and then in a separate bowl put 3 oz neufchatel (cream cheese), 3 oz shredded sharp cheddar, some grated parmesan, garlic powder, adobo, lots of cracked pepper, a bit of rosemary, and some hot paprika. Once the cauli is soft, drain it and shake it a decent bit to get a ton of water out, pour into the bowl, then immersion blend! And done! So easy. So good.

Invest in a small blender (I got this one http://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Beach-51101BA-Personal-Blender/dp/B00KVZ27UA/ref=sr_1_5?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1451500433&sr=1-5&keywords=Blender) and grab easily blendable stuff like bananas and spinach to make smoothies! I'm not sure about your dining hall but ours had orange juice and I'd fill a mason jar with it to take back to my room.
This is also awesome for pre-made breakfasts because let's be honest waking up for class is hard enough. I hope this helps!!

For heating water, fire is better than electricity so just get a good camp kettle and forage for dry wood while you're out enjoying nature. If you want hot water right when you wake up and are stealthing, go heat it over a campfire somewhere the day before and throw it in a thermos. Adjusting your lifestyle a bit is part of becoming a vandweller after all...

For blending, I'd suggest one of these since it only uses 200W, is easy to clean and takes up little space. I use it to make delicious smoothies using a frozen banana (plus blueberries, yogurt & whey protein - yum). A frozen banana is a lot tougher to puree than most raw veggies, and 2-3 minutes of blending with that is all it takes. My guess is a blender that can turn bricks into sand is probably overkill for most of what you eat.

Oooo get them a Stick Hand Blender!

Always super fun! And healthy cause SMOOTHIES!!! :D

Thanks for the contest!

I strongly suggest getting the Magic Bullet. I had jaw repositioning surgery about a year ago so I also went through several weeks on a no-solids diet and this thing was awesome. As for food, my doctos gave me this booklet of high protein blended recipes.

Here are two of my own mixes that I enjoyed pretty often.

• Vanilla Ensure + chocolate ice cream + couple spoonfuls of peanut butter
  
  
• Cream of chicken soup + 1 cup of mixed veggies like broccoli, carrots, cauliflower. Strain before eating.
  
  

Probably this Garmin. I'm getting more serious about running, and racing, and feel that this will help with tracking my pace, gauging my distance, and keeping track of calories burned. I can also upload my runs to my laptop to keep records of distance/pace, which will help even more as I'm training for a race. It is pricey though :/

Second most-wanted item would probably be this Ninja Master Prep, so that I can start making smoothies for myself and the boys, plus use it as a food processor that doesn't smell like onion - protein pancakes with an onion aftertaste really aren't all that yummy.

Third would be Winter's Heart. book 9 in the series that I'm currently reading.

Fourth? This foam roller to help soothe my sore muscles after the numerous workouts I do throughout the week.

Last is Yoshi's New Island because Yoshi is awesome, and it's the perfect game to sit and relax with :)

Thanks for the discussion/maybesupersecretcontest!

*Edit - totally didn't see the whole "highest priority on each of your lists" part :/

First, I would recommend these tasty protein bars. They have two flavors (cookie dough and cookies and cream!) that are net 3 carbs for a bar. I find them to be very filling, and they'd be awesome with a morning coffee.

If you want to do coffee and can handle some fat in the morning I love BPC, and it keeps me full until lunch time.

Everyone seems to have their own take on it, so here's my recipe:

• 12 oz hot coffee
  
• 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter
  
• 1 - 2 tsp of coconut oil
  
• a few splashes of vanilla extract (the fake stuff)
  
• cinnamon to taste
  
• 1 - 3 Tbsp heavy whipping cream depending on how much cream you prefer in your coffee. I find more makes it creamier!
  
  I use a cuisinart stick blender (but mine only has 1 speed unlike the one I linked), to blend it all together. The more you blend it and the more heavy whipping cream you have, the more deliciously frothy it gets.
  
  It tastes like baked goods! I've found I need to be careful with how much coconut oil I put in, when I put in too much it gets this weird oily texture that I hate. But with the right amount its awesome.

I also recommend the NutriBullet. I got mine second hand at the thrift store to replace my Magic Bullet and the difference between the two is magical.

Main thing to look at, besides price, is the power output of the bases. The higher wattage in the base, the smoother the smoothie.

• The Hamilton Beach one mentioned in the comments is 175W.
  
• MagicBullet is 250W.
  
• The Breville mentioned in the comments is 300W.
  
• The NutriBullet line start at 600W and goes all the way up to 1200W.
  
• The Ninja line starts at 900W and goes to 1500W.
  
  In my personal experience, my 250W MagicBullet had a difficult time crushing ice and I was nervous to leave it running for any sort of extended amount of time. The NutriBullet I have now (600W) cruches ice, frozen berries, frozen veggies, etc just fine and I feel confident leaving it running for a little while without causing it any problems. I also find that it blends the protein powder in a lot better than the MagicBullet does. As long as you follow the care instructions, you should be ok.
  
  Best of luck at college!

Home.

Buy:

• Hamilton Beach 2 Speed Hand Blender
  
  
• Adcraft Stainless Steel Full Size Bar Shaker, 30 oz. 7"
  
  
• Fruit and ice
  
  Profit!
  
  Nom nom nom
  
  But seriously. I got this for Christmas and it is better than my Ninja processor. Super ridiculous easy to clean.

I'm going to go against the grain and say yes, save yourself some time and sanity and get a blender.

You should cook most of your food, sure. But we're all human and god knows there are days when I just want to get my macros and be done with it.

And yes, you can make shakes in a shaker -- but variety is the spice of life. Want to add some natural peanut butter? Want to add a couple of frozen strawberries for a chilled smoothie? Not gonna happen with a shaker.

You don't have to go nutty $$$ either. I have one of these and I think it's the bee's knees. Multiple glasses so you aren't always washing a shaker and unless you want to make margaritas for a party, it can handle most everything you throw at it.

A quick and creamy Orange Dreamsicle Smoothie recipe to kick off your day with a boost of Vitamin C and happiness (and with just 5 easy ingredients!)

​



Prep: 5 mins | Total: 5 mins | Servings: 1

INGREDIENTS

• 4 mandarin oranges (peeled)
  
• 1 banana (sliced and frozen, if possible)
  
• ½ cup nonfat Greek yogurt (142 g, or non-dairy alternative)
  
• ¼ cup coconut water (60 mL)
  
• 1 tsp vanilla extract ( 5 mL )
  
• 5 ice cubes
  
  

  INSTRUCTIONS
  

  
  

1. Blend all ingredients well, adding more ice as necessary to reach a consistency of your liking.
   
   

   NUTRITION
   

   
   Serving: 1smoothie | Calories: 297kcal | Carbohydrates: 60.2g | Protein: 17.2g | Fat: 0.5g | Sodium: 105mg | Fiber: 4.8g
   
   source : https://liffe-healthy.com/2019/10/healthy-orange-dreamsicle-smoothie/

We also got this little blender which is great. It's small so just enough for one glass and it's easy to make a 2nd for your spouse. It's also plastic and not much harder to clean than a cup. Much easier than a typical blender. I've used this one more in 2 weeks than all other blenders in my life combined. Good way to add fruit to diet too.

You can always add in a tablespoon or two of nut butter, honey, whole milk, full fat (greek) yogurt, whey powder, banana, chia seeds (if you can stand the texture), flax powder, and/or cocoa powder to increase the calories in your smoothie. Consider some sort of green smoothie too, my go-to recipe is 1 banana, 1c chocolate almond milk, 1 giant handful of spinach, 1 Tbsp peanut butter, and 1 Tbsp chia seeds.

From the sound of it texture is an issue with your ability to get stuff down, so you could ease into it by starting out with mostly juice or milk and each time you can start blending in more and more stuff until you have the thicker smoothie consistency.

Also, if you don't already have one, I would definitely recommend a Magic Bullet style blender for ease of use/cleanup. My personal favorite is the Cuisinart version, but there are tons of great models out there that perform the same function.

As a vegan getting a food processor really helped. I really like the Ninga because it felt like a good blend of price/practicality and I love it. I've only had it 6 months or so but it does a good job. http://www.amazon.com/Ninja-Master-Prep-Professional-QB1004/dp/B004XK4N9C?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00

I did the professional because I wanted them all, but I use the 400 watt the most if you are on a budget. There are also good threads you can search for in /r/vegan about the different types of options.

Activity: Singing

Movie: Mean Girls I have watched that movie too many times to count :)

Book: Fever 1793 (After reading it a million times in school I finally got my own copy thanks to the redditgifts books exchange)

I just went to a lake that is french for little potato :)

New ideal gift :)

I have a "Getting Healthy" wishlist!

The personal blender and infuser bottle would probably be the most help for me in the immediate future. :) Great contest!

I have the Ninja Master Prep system as a general blender and food processor. It doesn't use a huge base, as it's powered by this small pod that you put on top of the container. I haven't used it for smoothies but it makes great, smooth results for the cooking applications I use it for. The 48oz container would be great to serve a family of 4. It's only 450 watts though, if that's too weak for your liking.

I also have the Nutri Ninja Pro. It's more powerful than the Master Prep with 900 watts. This is what I typically use for smoothies and ice pops. It blends up frozen fruit and ice with no problem. The biggest cup this comes with is 24oz. However, there are separate 32oz and 48oz containers available for it as well if you need them.

This might be sort of random but I would pamper myself with this. I absolutely LOVE fruit smoothies. Kitten mittens =)

Well, it certainly isn't a great blender, but for my dorm the [Hamilton Beach personal blender] (http://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Beach-51101B-Personal-Blender/dp/B0017XHSAE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1409171086&sr=8-1&keywords=hamilton+beach+blender) works for me. It is extremely convenient because you can drink right from the blender cup. It doesn't blend up veggies at all though. It is very cheap and also pretty easy to clean.

I was using a Ninja blender as well (this one https://www.amazon.com/SharkNinja-QB900B-Ninja-Master-Prep/dp/B003XU3C7M/ref=sr_1_8?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1500088390&sr=1-8&keywords=ninja+blender) and actually ran into the same problem, the gasket on the lid was bad and just the way the lid itself was designed meant I could never really clean it properly. I used to soak it to try and get the places a brush wouldn't touch, such a hassle every time. Plus it just wasn't powerful enough when I started making my own protein bars, it would struggle to move the blades when the ingredients got to be more dough-like.

Now I'm using a Vitamix. Was turned off by the price initially but the thing is rock solid, comes with a 5 year warranty, super easy to clean and blends the hell out of everything. I will say it sounds like a jet engine taking off but I usually make my shakes in advance anyway so I'll just blend once everyone is awake because it will 100% wake up the house. Only real gripe I have is with the protein bars. It mixes fine but since the blades aren't detachable I gotta use a spatula to get as much as I can from the bottom since the consistency is too thick to pour so I end up not getting EVERYTHING out that I'd like but it's really not a deal breaker at all..

I bought a certified reconditioned one

https://www.vitamix.com/shop/certified-reconditioned-series

and also put it on a no interest payment plan so I didn't come out of pocket all at once.

https://www.vitamix.com/payment-plans

Save up man, it's a totally worthy appliance. I did lots of research before getting mine, and I love my blender! Also, magic bullets work well, live long, and are relatively inexpensive too.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00AN9UJ68/ref=psdcmw_289916_t3_B00ARQVM5O

I have this thing, and it's amazing. I can blend soups I can whisk eggs, I can make whipped cream, I can make a smoothie, etc...

But it doesn't beat cake batter. So I have a second tool because this one doesn't have the attachment for batters. If it was a simple universal gear with two affixed beaters that would pop on to the motor unit I would be so happy.

Ergonomically, I think it's better because it's a natural hand grip. If you're short, using traditional beaters can be difficult because holding something like that above your elbow is awkward. These have a more normal hand grip.

And beaters don't need 17 speeds. High and low is all that is needed, on my stick blender, I wouldn't mind a step lower, so three max.

867-5309

Vitamix. She will love it, you will love it and your daughter will love it. Seriously.

I stumbled across this recipe for vegan parmesan on Pinterest and fell in love with it. I make it constantly... double the recipe because I use it so much.
Helpful hints: if you don't already have one, invest in a good blender (I have this Vitamix ... love it), make your own coconut butter, when the 'parmesan' has hardened, use a rotary grater or a shaver instead of doing it by hand... otherwise the coconut butter will make it prone to melt from the heat of your hands.

Also, buy these books immediately: Miyoko Schinner's Artisan Vegan Cheese and Miyoko's Homemade Vegan Pantry: The Art of Making Your Own Staples.

Yeah! So ErantyInt posted this breakfast shake the other day, I love almond milk and peanut butter so it caught my attention, just blend up:

• 1 large banana
  
• 1 carnation instant breakfast packet
  
• 1/2 scoop protein powder
  
• 3T honey greek yogurt
  
• 2T peanut butter
  
• 1C unsweetened almond milk
  
  I picked up this blender, much easier to clean and deal with than a regular blender.

I like to eat. XD I know, I know. But I'm trying to eat healthy in college. SO This blender can help me do just that!

I'm a big fan of a basic tomato basil soup. An immersion blender is a great investment for things like this, since you don't have to wait for the liquid to cool before blending.

• 1 big (28oz) can whole tomatoes
  
• 1 tsp Chicken or vegetable bouillon powder/paste, or home-made chicken stock
  
• Dried basil, onion powder, salt/pepper to taste
  
• 1/4 cup whipping cream
  
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
  
  

1. Add the tomatoes to a pan, and crush them with a spoon or potato masher.
   
2. Fill half the can with water and dissolve the bouillon powder or paste, or use the equivalent amount of stock. Add to the pan.
   
3. Bring to a boil, add seasonings, and simmer for at least 30 minutes.
   
4. Blend the soup, finish with the whipping cream and butter.
   
   1 can makes about 3 or 4 portions of soup. Goes great with a sandwich or grilled cheese.

boil water in a large pot, 60% full, and cook spaghetti. Cooking time will be on box.

take a large-ish teflon pan, put a silver-dollar's worth of E.V. Olive Oil, and some chopped garlic (you can buy it in a jar in olive oil), heat it in the pan for a minute, coating surface.

throw in some chicken, cut into bite-size pieces (sausage works too), fresh greenbeans (or any veggi), cook until browned medium-low heat, add some salt, and basil while cooking, mix in pan with a plastic spatula (always use plastic on teflon. it scratches)
add fresh baby spinach at the end for a minute and a half (it cooks down A LOT so add way more than you think you need)

add some heated tomato or vodka sauce OR, a nice alternative:
put 2 tablespoons of olive oil, spoonful of chopped garlic, and a spoonful of tomato sauce in a bowl. Chop with a wand mixer, and mix in very well into pasta. You may want to add more or less of this.

The whole thing takes 20 minutes, and it's delicious.

I recommend just buying an inexpensive stick blender. It will mix it perfectly and it's easy to rinse off. It's also good for making sauces and soups.

Well, we've got a great article on blenders. It's pretty thorough.

If you want a great blender that's also a deal... one we really like is essentially 50% off right now... the Oster Versa...

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EO1AQUU

I agree smoothies would be a good way to go, you could make protein shakes, vitamin shakes, green smoothies, blended coffee, all very quickly and cheaply. The Nutribullet is more powerful, but if you just want something portable for travelling, an alternative is the Hamilton Beach personal blender

The Hamilton Beach probably won't last you for many years but it is super cheap and small.

Base: Protein powder, milk, rolled oats

optionals: frozen blueberries, spoonfuls of peanut butter, bananas...dont be afraid to experiement.

Also, it helps that Syntha-6 tastes amazing all by itself...

Also, use a hand blender. Something like this It's my most used appliance.

I have a full sized food processor, but seldom use it because I have this. It can be used as an electric whisk (I rarely use that), an immersion blender or a food processor.

I make LOTS of cauliflower recipes and this thing gets used almost every day. I make whipped cauliflower, sauces, and soups with the immersion blender. I make cauliflower pizza crust, cauliflower rice, salsa, and chopped veggies with the food processor attachment. It's just a great investment.

I found mine on sale at Kohl's and had on of those $10 coupons they send out for free. I think I paid like $25 for it.

There's really only one thing, this.

I've wanted one ever since I used one at a friend's house. Whenever I make smoothies in a normal blender, I always end up making too much. Reducing the amount of stuff I put in makes it not worth cleaning the whole thing for the amount of smoothie I get out of it. This finds the balance between easy to clean and right amount of smoothie for one person. Also, the blender itself is a cup, so there's even less cleaning. Awesome.

Thanks for doing this contest!

I don't know about buying cookware. It's a pretty personal decision. The most useful gift when I moved out was an immersion blender like this: http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-CSB-75BC-2-Speed-Immersion-Blender/dp/B00ARQVM5O/ref=lp_289916_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375294914&sr=1-1

I’m going to be that guy and give you an answer that doesn’t actually address your question. We did the research too when moving to solids and found that nothing really replaced the price and peace of mind of making our own food at home.

I’d steam some peas, carrots, broccoli, whatever vegetable and mix it with a little bit of apple sauce or avocado and blitz the whole this with a hand blender like this one:

https://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-CSB-76BC-SmartStick-200-Watt-Immersion/dp/B000EGA6QI

Doesn’t take any time at all and you can make a couple of batches that will keep for about 5-days. Little dude loved it and it didn’t break the bank.

EDIT to add we also would do chicken or beans/lentils in the purée to make sure everything was balanced.

I'm not sure if this is a concern for you, but I recommend the Breville. If you're using enameled pots/pans, metal can scratch or leave marks on the enamel. There's a few other immersion blenders with no-scratch bases, but the ratings are lower. It works well for me, but I haven't used other ones.

If you don't have a concern about scratching/marking the bottom of a pot, then KitchenAid or Cuisinart should be just as good. My parents have an old Cuisinart that's still going strong, but they only use it for homemade sauces/dressings and milkshakes.

Caramelizing onions definitely help, but it depends on what type of curry. Indian Curry is much different than Thai Curry. The Thai Curry I made doesn't use onions at all.

Here's the recipe:

Crockpot Thai Chicken Curry

Prep Time: 5 min | Cook Time: 5 minutes 3 hours | Servings: 4 people | Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 1 (14 oz) can full fat coconut milk
  
• 1/4 cup almond butter
  
• 2 tablespoons red curry paste
  
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
  
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
  
• 2 tablespoons honey
  
• 4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
  
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
  
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  
• 1 1/2 pounds chicken thighs, boneless/skinless
  
  

  Toppings/Extras
  

• Red bell peppers, sautéed (optional, but recommended)
  
• Chopped Cilantro for topping
  
• Nuts for topping (roasted but unsalted if possible)
  
• Sliced green onions for topping
  
  

  Directions:
  

  
  Whisk together sauce ingredients: coconut milk, almond butter, red curry paste, fish sauce, lime juice, honey, garlic, chicken stock, ground ginger, and crushed red pepper flakes directly in the crockpot.
  
  Cut chicken into large, bite sized chunks and add to crockpot.
  
  Spoon sauce over the chicken, so it's fully submerged.
  
  Cook in crockpot on LOW for 3 hours.
  
  Serve immediately with sautéed bell peppers over rice. Top with chopped cilantro, nuts (e.g., cashews/peanuts), and sliced green onions.
  
  Notes: Generally, I double this at least. I quadruple this for a large crockpot. This can be cooked on the stove in less time if the chicken is already cooked.
  
  Recipe based on the one here, but modified: http://showmetheyummy.com/crockpot-thai-chicken-curry/
  
  ----------
  
  I used lemon juice instead of lime and green curry past instead of red but it still had that same wonderful taste. I also added in cauliflower to the crockpot to help extend it and add in another veggie. You pour the sauce on rice or other veggies (I used green beans instead of rice this time). I also diced the bell peppers and placed in the crockpot instead of sauteing them to place on the rice later.
  
  Also of note, instead of whisking, I use an immersion blender such as this to make things easier.
  
  Hope you enjoy this recipe!!

Since you're in Peds ICU, I expect you'll already know to have one, but a decent first aid kit is one thing you don't want to be without. Also, a fire extinguisher. Hopefully you'll never need them!

Finally, I use this blender/chopper/whisk, in some form nearly every day, and this little slow cooker at least once a week :)

you're a big girl now!

I've been lucky, my immersion blender fits perfectly into some glass working jars we got from Crate and Barrel. Then can just slap the lid on and call it good. Items below for reference, i think the jars are sold all over the place.

Jars - https://www.crateandbarrel.com/set-of-12-large-working-glasses/s643663

IB - https://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-CSB-75BC-Blender-Brushed-Chrome/dp/B00ARQVM5O/

I highly recommend one of those multifunction stick blenders. I actually bought this cheap one. The food processor attachment does its job and the whisk comes in handy. The immersion attachment is awesome for soups, smoothies, and sauces.

Honestly? I got something for around $40 at costco (this one I think http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-HB-155PC-Blender-Blending-Attachments/dp/B00DOK0R2O/ref=lp_289916_1_5?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1412661542&sr=1-5) and it does everything I want an immersion blender to do. I make great soups, mayonaise, smoothies, etc.

It's never going to cook a soup for me, or make ice cream, but for $40 it's amazing.

This Oster is a workhorse. I've been making a shake in it every morning - often twice a day - that routinely smokes other blenders. I do have to get a new blade every now and again because they get wobbled out after a while (1-2 years). I've also had to replace a pitcher because the glass started chipping around the top. All in all a very solid unit for the cost. So good I have a backup in the closet in case by base ever dies.

I've owned a BlendTec and I ended up returning it because the shape of the pitcher did not lend well to my thick shakes churning themselves over well, and the BlendTec iirc does not have a tamper to help move things around.

I also recently tried a CleanBlend and burned out three of them trying to make my shake.

The other couple blenders around the $200 mark - ninja and an oster and a couple others - get pretty spotty reviews.

Hamilton Beach (51101BA) Personal Blender with Travel Lid, Single Serve, For Shakes & Smoothies, Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KVZ27UA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_hrz.Bb6ZV068S

I've had it for 4 years now and it still works. You gotta blend by "pulse", meaning that you can't keep the blend button pressed because you run the chance of burning it, and, it does take some shaking sometimes to get everything blended, but I still like it. Its cheap, quiet and it works great.

Might need a better blender. Good ones can be a little expensive $100-200 but blend way better than the average $20 blender. I got this Ninja blender on sale for $90 and it does really well. The only thing it doesn't blend well are cut oats, but I don't really see how any blender can work with small flakey bits like that.

Love that advice! Thanks for making me feel a little less guilty about my food aversion! :)

As for blenders, I bought this Ninja: https://www.amazon.com/SharkNinja-QB900B-Ninja-Master-Prep/dp/B003XU3C7M/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1501778136&sr=8-7&keywords=ninja+blender, over four years ago and it's still going strong (best $35 I've ever spent). We may upgrade to a different model because we plan on making baby food too.

When my old Kitchenaid blender broke (I don't think they make the exact model anymore), I got this pricey Breville one and I love it so much. It tackles any job beautifully, and I also end up using the small food processor attachment quite frequently for stuff like summer pestos. It is really expensive though, and for 1/3 the price, this Cuisinart model, which I was also considering, gets just as high reviews.

I've had this Cuisinart one for 4 years, and it is still going strong. Love it. Almost never use the chopper attachment or the wisk though.

Also discovered that after use should be washed very soon so the batter or whatever doesn't dry on the blender head - it started to make a complaining sound. Soaked the blending end in warm water for a bit, washed it, and back to normal.

If you get a hand mixer and whip the curds to a creamy consistency, it's delicious and completely different. The macros are pretty good as far as protein/carbs ratio too. Add some PB2 or some cinnamon or cocoa powder and some artificial sweetener and you've got a plethora of flavors.

I would use recipe for a frappe (milkshake with ice cream). It's incredibly tasty. Magic ingredient would be the right syrup. You want something like this, which can be found at littlerhodyfoods.com, or ask your local creamery. I use one of those upside-down blenders, like this. I prefer mine plenty lumpy as opposed to totally smooth.

Ingredients

• ½ cup cold whole milk (about 4 ounces)
  
  
• ¼ cup strawberry-flavored syrup (not like Hershey's, but ask at your local creamery) (about 2 ounces)
  
  
• 8 medium scoops strawberry ice cream (about 1 quart/24 ounces), softened until just melty at the edges
  
  Directions
  
  Place the milk and syrup in a blender and blend to mix thoroughly, about 10 seconds. Add the ice cream and pulse several times to begin breaking it up. With the blender motor off, use a flexible spatula to mash the mixture down onto the blender blade (or into the blender compartment). Continue pulsing, stopping, and mashing until the mixture is well blended, thick, and moves easily in the blender jar, roughly 30 to 90 seconds. Pour into a chilled glass or glasses, and serve at once.

If you need an immersion blender too, you can get one that has a chopper attachment like this:

https://www.amazon.com/KitchenAid-KHB2351CU-3-Speed-Hand-Blender/dp/B005MMNBBQ

There are a bunch of different brands and I don't know which are the best so the KA may not be the best, I am just pointing out that these are another option for chopping. No slicing or shredding though but immersion blenders are great to have in the kitchen. I use mine all of the time.

As a student on a budget/minimalist, this is what I own and use often when I cook.


Cookware:

• 
  Skillet (Use it for everything)
  
• 
  Saucepan + Cover (Sauces, soup for one, make rice)
  
• 
  Pot (More soup, boiling pasta)
  
• 
  Colander (Drain stuff)
  
• 
  Steamer basket (Steam veggies)
  
• 
  Baking dish (Bake stuff/serving dish)
  
• 
  Handheld blender (Blend sauces & soups, whip potatoes or parsnips)
  
• 
  Chef's knife (Cut everything)
  
• 
  Paring knife (With practice you can peel fruits or veggies)
  
• 
  Wooden spatula
  
• 
  Heavy wood cutting board
  
• 
  Plastic Spatula
  
• 
  Grater
  
• 
  Mixing bowl
  
• 
  Measuring cups/spoons
  
• 
  French press (Use to also brew tea)
  
• 
  Coffee grinder (Grind coffee beans and your own spices)
  
  
  
• 
  Mason jars: I use them for EVERYTHING. Store rice, spices, weed. Use as glasses, get the wide-mouth ones and stick the hand blender in there and make a smoothie or attached it to a normal blender. Use them as food containers to take to work/school, they are made to be spill-proof and microwave safe.
  
  Spices vary from person to person and what food they are comfortable with making, the one thing I do suggest is to buy kosher salt - none of that table salt crap. If you can find them whole and grind them yourself, even better!
  

This was recommended by Serious Eats and I have it, it’s very powerful and easy to clean.

Try this Oster We've had it for a few months and really like the results. Enganeer is absolutely correct about going for a metal drive but just be aware that it will be louder than normal during operation. Costco used to have this same model but I'm not sure if they still carry it. Good luck!

I own an Oster Beehive blender that I've been happy with for the past 4 years. I call it the man-blender due to its single industrial toggle switch. On, off, and medium pulse are all I need.

Glass jar is nice, steel square peg interface between blade and motor instead of the finicky hard rubber pinwheel type things that many blenders use. Doesn't leak, and replacement parts can be had for cheap online. My only caveat is that the plastic screw-on base cap has cracks forming, but still works fine. Thicker and more durable base caps are <$5 on ebay should I ever need to replace it.

As with almost anything, other people have had some issues with it, so you should definitely check out the reviews on Amazon

That or an immersion blender. They're cheaper than their bigger cousins and almost as good for tough stuff like ice or frozen bananas. We have this one in my kitchen and it works great. Spend the remaining $60 on protein and peanut butter and you have a bulker's dream.

Plus when you're not using it for shakes you can make some kickass soups! What's not to love?

You should check out something like this since it's small, cheap (but has good reviews), and doubles as a cup. Since you're a student, you're eligible for free Amazon prime if you're not already signed up for it.

I have this $50 Ninja. It works great. Consumer Reports best buy, I think.

I love mine.

I use it at least once a week. Great for all kinds of sauces. All I have to do is stick the detachable blade in the dishwasher when I am done.

Yup! I have the same one as well and it has been great. OP, I use it for exactly that, blending big pots of soup.

edit: Here's a little nicer of a link: http://amzn.com/B00ARQVM5O

[try this] (http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-CPB-300-SmartPower-15-Piece-Portable/dp/B003YLEXBO/ref=sr_1_9?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1377742573&sr=1-9&keywords=grinder) I use this one and it works great, good for making protein shakes on the go as well.

Many people do throw away the pulp.

I personally opted to buy the Nutribullet, which just blends foods (they claim it has some magic power to liquify things, which I haven't noticed, but it's pretty good), so the pulp is retained. For me, kale is $0.89 USD per lb, so it is certainly affordable for me if I throw a few frozen strawberries in and call that breakfast for a week.

I think ultimately, you're going to have to look at the cost of vegetables that you are planning to juice and decide from there.

> the results aren't worth the extra dishes to clean

An immersion blender is the only "extra" thing I have to clean when making mayo. I use the jar that will eventually hold the excess mayo for the mixing.

Still have a small jar of Hellman's in my fridge, as some of my friends actually prefer that taste on some sandwiches, but for everything else ... some seconds with my trusty "stick"

Get a smaller Ninja - $35, makes great smoothies and it fairly compact, convenient and lightweight.

I've had mine for about 3 years. The main issue seems to be durability but as long as you are careful and smart about what you toss in there, you shouldn't have any problems.

• 2 scoops whey (46g), 1 cup Greek yogurt [twice the protein of normal yogurt] (17g), 1+ cup 2% milk (< 11g), few leaves off the chard [spinach is good too] out front, handful of strawberries n blueberries = 74g protein.
  
  
• 4 eggs (20g), 12 slices turkey lunch meat (24g), some cheese (6g), some milk = 50g+ protein. + salsa bravo. microwave ~3.5 min, stirring every minute.
  
  
• 1 big can-o-tuna[12oz] (~55g), 5oz can-salmon (20g), dijon mustard, creamy horseradish, lemon pepper, dill = 75g. + bread and salsa bravo.
  
  Those are my major protein sources. I highly recommend getting a Magic Bullet or a Nutri Bullet, they make it really quick and only 1 thing to clean.

This. I still hand stir to start just to make sure nothing is clinging to the bottom or sides of the container. 1 minute with that running gets it pretty smooth.

Just for the challenge, here you go

Reviewed extremely highly from the Sweet Home, partner of Wirecutter who researches the shit out of stuff.

http://thesweethome.com/reviews/best-blender/

Morthy:

1. Tea of course! under $10 list.
   
   
2. I wouldn't wear a Totoro outfit in public. Clothes wishlist (but currently unavailable in my size).
   
   
3. Immersion blender phallic. For the New House wishlist.
   
   Akeleie:
   
   
4. I had a hard time with this one, there are many kinds of geek. I would be the most excited if I got this Tachikoma so I went with it. Default Wishlist.
   
   
5. This bonsai wire would let me wire some of my smaller trees. Bonsai/gardening wishlist.
   
   
6. A good saw is a good thing to bring on a deserted island. Bonsai/gardening wishlist.

> Recommended blenders? Preferably one I can make smoothies with.

Best thing I ever did was get a stick blender for my protein shakes. I make the shake right in the cup that I want to drink from and don't dirty another blender container. Cleanup of the stick blender takes about 15 seconds.

This is the one I got. It is also bad ass for making homemade soups. :) http://www.amazon.com/Conair-Cuisinart-CSB-75BC-Blender-Brushed/dp/B00ARQVM5O/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1456868940&sr=8-8&keywords=kitchenaid+hand+blender

Whipped cream makes a fantastic (and super easy) keto dessert. You can sugar-free flavored syrups for flavor - they're usually next to the coffee at supermarkets. Get yourself one of these and you can whip up cream in less than a minute.

Mine are so old I have no idea if the models are even relevant! My food processor is a plastic model. I think it looks like this one:Cuisinart DLC-10SY Pro Classic 7-Cup Food Processor, White

And this is my blender. vitamix 5200

The blender was an unasked for wedding gift that I had no idea how much I’d rely on. I use it a few times per week at the very least, and it still works perfectly.

There are so many new models out for both- I would check reviews to make sure what you end up finding is still well-made.

Here is one on Amazon. Mine is like 20 years old lol, so I don't have a link to it. It's basically a hand held blender

Thanks for the tip!

I got a refurbished 7500 ("Creations Elite") and I agree about the noise level. It's a tiny bit louder than the Oster it replaced but the quality difference is out of this world. The Oster was never able to blend things like apples and spinach into anything smaller than fine chunks but the Vitamix has blown through everything I've thrown at it and turned it into a smooth, uniform consistency within seconds.

Blendtec and Vitamix are the kings of the high-price market, and after more than 600 cycles in less than a year I don't regret my $300-something Blendtec purchase a bit.

That said, if you're not addicted to the blender quite as much as I am, I've heard good things about the "Ninja" brand at a lower price point. I believe this model received some top honors on Consumer Reports and even at $60 has a lot of good feedback in general; the only negatives might be the lowish capacity (likely not an issue coming from Nutribullet) and potential longevity issues (perhaps not an issue at all).

A better pitcher! http://soylent.jacobelder.com/

And a great immersion whisk: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00AN9UJ68?tag=jelder-20

I have a Magic Bullet that works pretty well. Comes with lids and such, also good for blending in spinach for some added weight to the juice.

Motha fuckin' immersion blender. We got one (not this one) as a baby shower present to make homemade baby food and have used it at least once a week since we opened it over 2 years ago.

You can puree darn near any vegetable and slip it into sauces, soups, smoothies, etc. You can hide quite a few things in BBQ sauce.

And once you puree you can add food coloring to make it fun! We did a parsnip puree and made it red and blue (my kid's favorite colors) and drizzled it over his mashed potatoes. He ate every bite.

Can he handle hummus? It's a hit-or-miss texture, but if he likes it there are a hundred ways to dress it up and sneak in vegetables.

IRL Wishlist:

1. Covering all expenses for college BFF's honeymoon;
   
2. Job security and fewer shitty things happening for local BFF;
   
3. An apartment with air conditioning;
   
4. Better quality bar stools;
   
5. A new loveseat/couch.
   
   SD Wishlist:
   
   
6. A new loveseat/couch;
   
7. Unlimited membership for pole/silks and yoga/pilates classes;
   
8. Better lingerie and new everyday bras;
   
9. Seasonally appropriate bed linens;
   
10. Clothing - more investment pieces in my wardrobe, replacing old/cheap items (especially rain gear), a lot of what Lucy Liu wears as Joan Watson (current focuses - 1, 2, 3);
    
11. A blender.
    
    I don't have a lot of "stuff," so what I purchase and keep tends to be low effort/maintenance and high quality.

I bought the Cuisinart CSB-76 from Amazon. I've only used it once but it seems to work great.

I have two items in my kitchen that I cant live without. My kitchenaide stand mixer which I use my meat grinder attachment for all the time and love baking cookies in it. Some girl I met got it for Christmas and said she hated it because it was the wrong shade of pink. So she sold it to me basically new for 100 dollars!!!!!!


The other item is my ninja! Never have to cut veggies again or stir up scrambled eggs. Also perfect for fresh fruit smoothies. These two items make my life healthier and better!!!!!

Let's do it in the kitchen.

I have this one and like it! My smoothies come out great, and it was $75 on sale.

What you are describing is 2 bags every 3 days, so 20 bags a month. Start out with a one time purchase of 7 bags (28 meals) and try it out, you may not like it right away, so eat it for a week. If you don't like it, you can easily sell the remaining bags for what you paid for them and just walk away. If you like it and still want to do like you describe, go with the 21 bag subscription which they call 84 meals.

If you do like it, buy this and one of these to make your life a million times easier and to make the Soylent taste better IMO.

Remember that once you mix up a bag of it, you have 3 days to finish it if it is refrigerated. I would also suggest getting a couple of 1 liter blender bottles, but that is not necessary just more convenient.

C'mon OP...

• Bialetti Moka pot
  
  
• Lido 2 hand grinder
  
  
• Lodge cast iron skillets one large one small
  
  
• Lodge enameled cast iron dutch oven
  
  
• All clad copper core sauce pan
  
  
• Miele washing machine
  
  
• Miele C2 vacuum cleaner
  
  
• Vitamix 5200
  
  
• Duralex glasses - tumblers??
  
  
• Zojirushi NS-LLH05 rice cooker - only 1 left!
  
  
• Cuisinart Perfectemp Kettle
  
  
• OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Food Scale
  
  
• OXO Good Grips Cutting board
  
  
• Corelle winter frost dinnerware set
  
  
• Light my fire titanium fork-spoon-knife - spork?
  
  
• Darn Tough socks
  
  
• Exofficio briefs
  
  
• Felco 2 Secateurs
  
  
• Wahl Peanut beard trimmer
  
  
• Dualit Toaster
  
  
• P38 can opener??
  
  
• Zwilling J.A. Henckels knife set
  

I use a hand blender and it mixes well with any liquid and soft fruits like banana. I use it for all my powdered mixes, protein shakes, plant meals. It is similar in design to the frother.;)
http://www.amazon.com/Conair-Cuisinart-CSB-75BC-Blender-Brushed/dp/B00ARQVM5O/ref=lp_289916_1_1?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1452808900&sr=1-1

Here's a set for pulling the info from the Amazon page source:

!/usr/bin/env python3

<br />
import sys<br />
import re<br />
import html<br />
<br />
data = sys.stdin.read()<br />
<br />
patterns = [<br />
    ('Title', r'id=&quot;productTitle&quot;[^&amp;gt;]*&amp;gt;\s*([^&amp;lt;]*?)\s*&amp;lt;'),<br />
    ('Seller', r'id=&quot;bylineInfo&quot;[^&amp;gt;]*&amp;gt;\s*([^&amp;lt;]*?)\s*&amp;lt;'),<br />
    ('Availability', r'id=&quot;availability&quot;(?:[^&amp;gt;]*&amp;gt;){2}\s*([^&amp;lt;]*?)\s*&amp;lt;'),<br />
    ('Sale', r'id=&quot;regularprice_savings&quot;(?:[^&amp;gt;]*&amp;gt;){4}\s*([^&amp;lt;]*?)\s*&amp;lt;'),<br />
    ('Price', r'id=&quot;priceblock_ourprice&quot;[^&amp;gt;]*&amp;gt;\s*([^&amp;lt;]*?)\s*&amp;lt;'),<br />
]<br />
for name, pattern in patterns:<br />
    match = re.search(pattern, data)<br />
    value = html.unescape(match.group(1)) if match else 'None'<br />
    print(name, value, sep=': ')<br />

Example:

$ wget -qO - 'https://www.amazon.com/Vitamix-Blender-Professional-Grade-Container-Black/dp/B008H4SLV6' | ./amazonregex.py
Title: Vitamix 5200 Blender, Professional-Grade, 64 oz. Container, Black
Seller: Vitamix
Availability: In Stock.
Sale: $113.04 (21%)
Price: $436.95

edit: added the html.unescape

Buy one of those hand immersion blenders, they're like 20 bucks or so, work great!

Edit: I have this one. Also works great for thickening up soups and stews or just using it as a regular blender for smoothies/protein shakes (but no crushing ice with it!)

Edit #2 Fixed link.

The Nutribullet might be what you are looking for. It has a fairly powerful motor for the size of the container (24 oz) and it has done a solid job with the green smoothie recipes I have made at work. Nothing will be the same as a Vitamix or Blendtec, but I would say the Nutribullet is a strong second option (also the Oster Versa when it is on sale). The Ninja series is mostly junk, as is ANY blender under $50.

I love mine... so much less hassle and clean up...

Looks like your question about differences has been answered so I will just give a suggestion. I use the small one of this for salsa and hummus. Then I use the larger one for sauces. Works great for the price.

https://www.amazon.com/Blender-Processor-450-Watt-Smoothies-QB1004/dp/B004XK4N9C/ref=mp_s_a_1_11?keywords=ninja&qid=1563312301&s=gateway&sr=8-11

I use a stick blender. Works like a charm, cleans up easily.

A couple of things that (might) help. Daily I take a "live" probiotic which I really like. I tell my kids they are "body bugs" that live in our guts and help us digest stuff. Here is the one I take.. And, one thing that made me flow like a faucet was adding Chia seed to my morning shakes. My buddy warned me to start slow - did I listen... nope... did I feel the effects, you bet! This is the Chia that I use. When I blend it into my morning shake using a NutriBullet blender and I can't taste them at all. However, when I only use my shaker bottle to make my shake, you can definitely detect the texture - I'm OK with it, but others can't stand bits in their drink.

This is what I have and it's amazing. $60 for more canisters than I will ever really need and it's a snap to clean.

I'd choose the small or medium Vornado fan before the Dyson. I've been using it fulltimeing for five years now and it really does make the whole room feel cooler.



I'd also recommend:


a washer/dryer combo if you have room.


Square Pizza stone and thermometer for the oven.


LED Bulbs for everything 12v and 110v


Shark Rocket Ultralight vaccum



Water Filter


Better mattress


Ninja Pro Blender/Food Possessor/Chopper


Mini Dish Drying rack

I have a small Ninja chopper which I thought I would use more, but it's become just a smoothie machine for me. As a smoothie machine it's nice, but with the size of it there's a whole bunch I can't that I could do with a normal size food processor, anything involving dough or making more than a very small batch of something like hummus. I've done peanuts in mine before, along with ice and frozen fruit.

Unless it's the things I mentioned, I just use my knife, it's just easier to clean up and I hate doing dishes. Decide what you need for yourself.

This is the one I have, although if you can afford just a little more space than that, this is probably better. It'd be a tough sell to get me to buy the second one today as the food processor I've been looking at is $40 and I already have a blender, it's a weird product that's kind of a blender and kind of a food processor.

I personally use this one for blending smoothies and it does a very good job of pureeing everything. Also, it's a very good price for the quality.

I add Creatine, but it's only a spoonful. I use 2 scoops of ON gold standard. Right now it's chocolate, but vanilla is my usual, I screwed up this order. TBH both are acceptable. I mix with about 8-12 OZ water. It's really not that much liquid.

BCAA's are pointless if you eat enough protein.

Pro tip: Use a hand blender like this

Presuming we're talking at-home use,a slight variation of Fab1005's thoughts, I use a Cuisinart SmartStick (blade end-not the whip), slightly softened Ice Cream, a splash of milk and blueberries, cherries, chocolate (whatever flavor) then employ a piston-like top of cup to bottom motion and... wha-la! The best Milkshake(s) I've ever had.

Do you have a blender already? Or are you opposed to buying a food processor/blender type of thing? Because my personal love of a food processor is actually this set from Ninja. If you want something a bit more, this is the next step up. And if you just want the food processor part try this.

I got this Ninja Professional blender from amazon and it is amazing! None of my purées are ever chunky.

And it’s $45 for prime day!


https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NGV4506?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

I use an immersion blender like this: http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-CSB-76BC-SmartStick-200-Watt-Immersion/dp/B000EGA6QI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1291916788&sr=8-1 except I don't think mine is as nice. Very handy because there are no extra dishes and the immersion blender cleans much easier than the pieces of my blender.

I love the Magic Bullet. It's the perfect size for making a shake or smoothie (Unless you want a huge one) and since it's small, you don't have to worry about dirtying a big blender pitcher or whatever they're called. Plus there's a few so if you're lazy and one is dirty, you can use another one. They're also good because you can seal them and take them wherever you want to go

Also good if multiple people want a drink/shake/smoothie/whatever but don't want the same thing.

Nutribullet. Have had it for a year and a half and still works perfectly.
$60 on amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/NutriBullet-NBR-1201-12-Piece-High-Speed-Blender/dp/B007TIE0GQ/ref=sr_1_5?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1537890830&sr=1-5&keywords=magic+bullet

This is a pretty ridiculously awesome blender too: http://www.amazon.com/Oster-BLSTVB-RV0-000-1400-watt-Professional-Performance/dp/B00EO1AQUU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1457249736&sr=8-1&keywords=OSTER+VERSA

One more vote for an immersion blender. I have this one, which has a little bowl attachment with a food processor-type blade. I’ve been very happy with it for both baby and nonbaby uses. https://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-CSB-79-Blender-Brushed-Stainless/dp/B00AN9UJ68

You can grab a Vitamix from Tavola in-store or online. Straight from Amazon will save you about AED 800 after shipping. Amazon will deliver to your door, usually through Aramex.

I've been using this for almost 2 years now
http://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Beach-51101B-Personal-Blender/dp/B0017XHSAE/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1404787665&sr=8-4&keywords=blender

cheap, off amazon, has never had issues, small and portable, and works on the go too.

disclaimer: I only use this to mix milk, protein powder, and creatine.

I cannot comment on its success in mixing ice cubes, fruit, veggies, etc. but I'm sure in the thousands of reviews someone has an opinion.

Oster My Blend

600ml, fairly easy to clean (hard to get rid of the smell, though), and relatively compact compared to conventional blenders.

best thing I have found is an immersion/hand blender.

Then mix it with whatever you want.

• Crystal light
  
• Instant Coffee
  
• Gatorade mix

Like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005MMNBBQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_MzNjDbTPD75VV

They sell them with attachments that basically act like mini food processors.

Re: expensive ingredients...I agree. Have you tried substituting walnuts instead of pine nuts? That cuts down the cost significantly and I promise it makes almost no difference in taste. I wouldn’t skimp on the Parmesan though.

I have this Kitchenaid 3 Speed and I absolutely love it.

Try making your own mayo. I didn't like it before, but after learning that the ingredients in mayo aren't actually that offensive, and that home-made mayo is much tastier, I add it to salads I wouldn't have added it to before. An immersion blender really helps this.

"Immersion blenders" such as THIS model , intended for kitchen use, brag about having 200 Watt motors. Here is ANOTHER one that lets you

> Choose from five variable speed settings, from 7,000 rpm to 15,000 rpm, plus a 17,500 rpm TurboPulse setting

However, they are probably designed to stir more than 1 liter of liquid, of much higher viscosity than water (think: pureed chickpeas), at much faster velocity than you are interested in. You can probably treat these as an upper bound.

Since I don't usually need a full-scale food processor, I like having the Kitchenaid immersion blender with a food processor attachment. The immersion blender is helpful for all sorts of things. I have had mine for years.

Moritaka 240mm AS Gyuto

Catskill 19x14 End Grain cutting board

All Clad Thomas Keller (no relation, unfortunately) 5qt Sauteuse

Bamboo flat spatula, the one on the far right.

Dish washing net cloth. No dishwasher, so it's all hand wash in my house.

Bonus round: Instant read thermometer, Microplane, Immersion blender, SS Mixing bowls various sizes, Stock pot/Dutch Oven

I agree with not bothering with 12v, but what about a 600w blender through an inverter? Nutribullet

I currently run everything 12v, so no inverter, but I feel like i regularly read of people with 600+ watt inverters.

I love this Oster Blender

This Is a newer model than the one I use, looks totally different same idea same accessories. Reliable, has never ever given me trouble. Be careful when using it in a non-stick or scratch-prone pot. I mostly use stainless so thats fine.

Use it in place of a blender, for everything but crushing ice. The whisk attachment is a lifesaver when you don't have a stand mixer and need to cream some butter or make some foam.

Hard to say without knowing what he already has. Assuming he has knife, cuttingboard, pans etc, maybe a stick blender like this: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00ARQVM5O/ref=dp_ob_neva_mobile

Or a mandoline like this: http://www.amazon.com/Benriner-Japanese-Mandoline-Slicer-Green/dp/B0000VZ57C

Those are two of my favorite odds and ends that make life easier but took me a while to purchase them because they weren't necessary per se

I drink the same smoothie everyday for breakfast:

1/2 Bottle of Coconut water (11.2fl oz bottle)
1 Banana
1-2 Tbsp of Flax seed meal
1 Tbsp of Coconut Oil
1 Tbsp of Almond Butter
1 Tsp Raw Honey
1 Tbsp Super green powder (Healthforce Vitamineral Earth) You could forgo this for taste to start
Handful of kale or spinach
Ice

I make it in one of these. Try it!

Vacuum: Shark Rotator (https://www.amazon.com/Rotator-Powered-Lift-Away-TruePet-NV752/dp/B00X7R1FZ2/ref=sr_1_5)

Blender: Immersion blender - blends well, does ice - less to clean since you make whatever you want in the container you're drinking it from! https://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-CSB-75BC-Blender-Brushed-Chrome/dp/B00ARQVM5O/ref=sr_1_4

I have one of those small individual blenders this one. It is a to go cup and blender in one. It works great for bulletproof coffee.

I've had this one for a couple years. Works great.

A nice Immersion Blender could be cool too...

It defrosts fine for us. Sometimes i put it in the blender add some water and give it a whirl.

Also look at the Oster versa, its pretty similar to vitamix and has a 7 year warranty
http://www.amazon.com/Oster-1400-watt-Professional-Performance-BLSTVB-RV0-000/dp/B00EO1AQUU/

I have this one and cannot live without it. I use it all the time, and the whisk attachment is nice.