Source: Google

This morning while fixing breakfast, I called a company to find out of one of their products was gluten free or not. A nice sounding computer answered the phone.

The call went something like this:

Thank you for calling such and such a company. You may speak at any time to indicate where you would like me to direct your call. For information on the company, say company. For information on allergen safety, say allergen safety, for…

I say, “Allergen safety.”

I’m sorry, I couldn’t hear you. Please try again…

I tried again, and reached a recording that discussed the how careful they are to label for the 8 most common allergens, etc. That was nice, but it wasn’t very helpful. I needed to know about a certain ingredient in the product (caramel color, to be specific–I had heard that it can come from wheat).

Then before the recording could finish, I accidentally hit a button on the phone and was disconnected. So I called again, got back to that recording, set it on speaker, and laid the phone down while I continued with breakfast preparations.

The next step required me to turn the blender on. No problem. I knew the recording wouldn’t be done for a minute or two, and with my Vitamix, I knew the gravy would be blended smooth before then. When I turned the blender off, the voice said,

I’m sorry, we seem to be experiencing technical difficulties. Please hold while I transfer you to a customer service representative.

So if you are ever having trouble getting past a voice prompt system, Just turn the blender on next to the phone!

Works for me! *grin*

This post is linked with Works For Me Wednesday.

This is the blender I use.

It’s not even noon yet as I sit down to write this, and I have already used my blender three times. I use it more than any given pot or pan, more than the toaster, more than just about anything else. Granted, if my son weren’t allergic to so many things, requiring me to make things for him, I would probably not use it quite as often. But I use it almost every day.

And today happens to be one of those days when I use it extra.

Let’s see… I started out by blending up some black beans I had cooked for Manny, right before I poured them into ice cube trays to freeze for later.

Then I blended the quinoa I had cooked for Manny’s breakfast. Because he doesn’t chew stuff much yet, I find it better to grind his grains. Most of them I grind before cooking, but since quinoa needs to be rinsed, it’s easier to blend it up afterwards.

A little later, I used the blender to make teff milk, which is very similar to the rice milk I demonstrated on YouTube, except that I use a little less teff than rice (otherwise it gets too thick), and I only cook it for 1 hour instead of 2 1/2, because the grains are so tiny.

When I finish with this post, I will make cashew cheese for haystacks.

After lunch, I will make nut milk with the nuts that are soaking on the window sill right now.

So that makes five times today that my blender is getting used. I honestly don’t know how I could live without one! Anyone want to get me a VitaMix for Christmas? Or my birthday? Or just because? Anyone?

But seriously, please share how you use your blender–if you have one. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

More and more people are turning to rice milk as a dairy alternative. Some are vegans or allergic to dairy and looking for an alternative to soy. One lady I know said she uses rice milk because she is worried about getting too much protein (which really not only possible but happens every day to many people in the US). But the rice milks available are quite expensive. A quart of Rice Dream at WinCo (a discount grocery store in my area) runs over $2 a quart (I’m thinking it’s closer to $2.50, but I haven’t checked it lately). Even buying it in bulk at Costco or Sam’s Club is still pricey, especially if you drink a lot of it.

So when my son turned up allergic to both dairy and soy, and refused to drink plain water, I did what many parents in my situation do, and turned to rice milk. After a couple of weeks, though, I decided to make my own. I found a recipe here, and this is what I am demonstrating in the video below (please note that the original recipe makes 4 quarts, not 2, but my son can’t drink it that fast):

You might also want to see how I start the blender when making rice milk. And don’t forget to label the jars so that you know how long ago you made the milk!

I am participating in Smockity Frock’s link-up carnival. Please go there to see what Connie and her friends are demonstrating this week.

Tomorrow I’ll be showing you a neat tip for making your own olive oil sprinkler. You know, so that when you turn it upside down it puts out a teaspoon or less per shake, so you don’t have to worry about accidentally dumping half the jar in your recipe! You won’t want to miss this!

Have you ever put your ingredients into the blender and turned it on, only to have it splash bits of solid food up above the water line? This used to frustrate me to no end, until I figured out this handy little trick. Watch and learn!

Be sure to hop over to Smockty Frocks to see what Connie and her friends have to share!