Commercial Blenders/ Homemade Icecream

All week I have been borrowing my friend's VitaMix Super 5200 blender.  I have been experimenting in the kitchen more than usual this week.  I can see how owning a commercial blender will really benefit my cooking in the kitchen.  I posted a question to a yahoo group I belong to about which commercial blender people recommend.  The VitaMix, Blendtec, Kitchen Aid, and Bosch were mentioned.  Most people preferred the Vitamix, however, one lady mentioned they all work well and do primarily the same thing.  You can't go wrong with any of them.

This week I have made soups, smoothies, ice cream, chopped veggies, pureed squash, ground rice for bread.....you name it, I've done it.  Last night I made strawberry jam.  I was very impressed with how the jam turned out.  It was so quick and easy to blend the strawberries.  The consistency was very even and it took half the time it normally does.  I got the recipe off the box of SureJell.

Being sugar and dairy free means I have given up ice cream.  However, I discovered how to make ice cream this week. It came out soo creamy and full of flavor.  The difference between the VitaMix and my Magic Bullet is that the VitaMix can blend the seeds  releasing their nutrition for my body's consumption.  When making smoothies in my Magic Bullet, the seeds would sink to the bottom and I always dreaded the last swig because the texture bothered me.  In the VitaMix, there is no such thing.  Every bite is so silky and creamy.  Friday night I had friends over for dinner and they were amazed also with the ice cream's texture.

I made peach ice cream, strawberry ice cream, and triple berry (raspberry, blueberry, marionberry) ice cream.  Today I cooked and pureed a long neck pumpkin/squash  so I am going to make pumpkin ice cream tonight!

Here's how you make ice cream in the VitaMix:
Put in 3 cups of  frozen fruit (if it isn't frozen add ice)
Put in a cup of yogurt or milk/milk substitute (I used almond milk)
1T of agave nectar or honey ( I used stevia)
(My experience is that this recipe works in any blender but the final product may have a different texture.)

Turn the blender on high and enjoy!  Only takes seconds and it is ready.  Plus I get a kick out of telling my son to eat his dinner so he can eat ice cream, knowing that it is actually healthy for him.