Tag Archives: Vita Mix

January 23, 2020 · 12:32 am

How about a super breakfast smoothie?

This is a redo of a post I wrote 10 years ago when the blog first started. I thought it was worth revisiting as it is full of useful information and people love smoothies.

I wake up slowly. As a result, one of the problems I have had in maintaining my weight was meal management. I don’t feel like eating in the morning. For years, I started the day on coffee and a donut or something equally tasty and nutritionally inadequate. I drank coffee all morning at work and then found myself starving by lunchtime. If I had a busy workday and was only able to get a small lunch, I would be uncomfortable all afternoon. If I had time for lunch there was a good chance I would eat too much which of course cut into my productivity that afternoon. There’s no way a bad start worked out well for me.

Your first meal should be your biggest. What could be more logical? You are fueling up for the day. Fill your tank early and spend the rest of the day burning it off. You will be healthier, happier and more productive. If you wait and load up at lunch, or worse, at dinner, you are adding a lot of calories that you might not have time to burn. This is a sure recipe for weight gain.

I have replaced my original blender with a Vitamix machine.

How do you solve it if, like me, you start out kind of foggy and don’t feel like eating first thing?

My solution was a happy accident. I bought a Vitamix machine at Costco. With my new toy, I found myself looking forward to mixing up stuff in the morning to drink. For some reason it was easier for me to drink a smoothie than to think about preparing and eating a breakfast. Go figure. As a result, I now have a morning smoothie that I call my rocket fuel because it fuels my morning bike rides. I include a banana, strawberries, blueberries and salad greens. Also, green tea for all its nutritional value and apple cider vinegar for the same. Another benefit of the smoothie is that I can put in my vitamin and mineral supplement pills. That way, I don’t have to swallow a bunch of pills every morning – one by one. I don’t take any drugs. I have been doing this for around 15 years and continue to tweak the ingredients.

The latest version has 400 calories 2 grams of fat, 14 grams of carbs 7 grams of fiber and 23 grams of protein not to mention all of my vitamin and mineral supplements.

2020 addition: After reading about and writing up raw cacao and turmeric, I have begun including a spoonful of each in my morning smoothie, too. The slight tartness in the cacao is softened by the sweetness of the berries.

Tony

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August 7, 2019 · 4:54 pm

How about a reduced calorie version of Jamba Juice’s Orange Dream Machine?

I have to confess that the taste of the Jamba Juice Orange Dream Machine takes me all the way back to the joy of my childhood instantaneously. Even though I know that I now have far fewer taste buds functioning in my mouth than I did when I was a child, the Jamba Juice flavor is identical to what I remember the original Orange Dreamsicle starburst of flavor tasted like in my mouth as a child. I know I had one before I was a teenager, so it was many years ago.

Whenever I pass a Jamba Juice I will stop in and order an Orange Dream Machine and savor it for the next quarter of an hour or so. I think it costs around $5.00. I wondered if it would be possible to duplicate that flavor at home on my Vita-Mix machine.

It seems simple enough. There is the taste of orange and the mellowing flavor of milk. This is the kind of ingredient list made to order for Mr. Lazy Cook.

After a number of ‘close calls’ I have come up with the following recipe:

1/2 cup of vanilla soymilk
1/2 cup of orange juice
1/2 cup of vanilla non-fat yogurt
2/3 cup of orange sherbet
1/2 cup of ice cubes

Place it all in the Vita-Mix container and close the lid. Begin on the lowest speed and build to the top. I did not shift into the top speed as I did not want to make it solid. Blend just till smooth.

By my taste buds this is an exact match as far as taste goes to the Jamba Juice product. I specified taste because nutrition-wise, Mr. Lazy Cook’s is far superior.
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March 25, 2019 · 7:15 pm

Vita-Mix – How to Make Green Smoothies

Herewith an oldie, but goodie. Think of it as a belated St. Patrick’s Day post. I heard some folks talking about green smoothies and remembered this wonderful work by Lea Ann Savage back in the early days of the blog.

Wellness Secrets of a SuperAger

Lea Ann Savage, a Vita-Mix demonstrator, is a reader who has conquered chronic fatigue through lifestyle changes associated with her diet. She contributed the popular item on Watermelon Sorbet and we invited her to share her story and some of her expertise on green smoothies. What she shared with us below is in my estimation the last word on Green Smoothies and just in time for summer, too. You can read more about Lea Ann at her website.

=====================

I made three lifestyle changes that helped me to overcome my 7-year battle with Chronic Fatigue: 1) I got off all forms of processed Sugar, 2) I got off of all products that contain Wheat, and 3) I began drinking Green Smoothies daily.

Lea Ann Savage AKA The Vita-Mix Lady

I learned about Green Smoothies from the book, “Green For Life” by Victoria Boutenko. Everyone needs more raw…

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July 10, 2014 · 5:39 pm

More Good Reasons to Eat Watermelon – Infographic

Regular readers know that watermelon is one of my favorite foods in the world. Although I live in a four season city – Chicago, I am able to eat watermelon year ’round because I have access to some good grocers who get it from Mexico in the winter. I eat watermelon every time I ride my bike because it replenishes my energy – besides tasting wonderful! It’s a party in my mouth.

Here is a cool YouTube technique on serving a watermelon.

Here are some posts for further reading: How Healthy is Watermelon? Watermelon – It’s the Berries! Dr. Oz on Eating Watermelon, Vita Mix – Drinking a Watermelon, Vita Mix – Watermelon Sorbet Recipe, Pay Attention to Portion Sizes, You CAN Have Too Much of a Good Thing.

Tony

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August 7, 2013 · 4:39 am

Watermelon… It’s the berries!

Watermelon offers lots of beta-carotene and another antioxidant, vitamin C. Besides helping lycopene to ward off cancer, these vitamins also battle heart disease, arthritis, and asthma.

As regular readers know I am a big fan of watermelon. You can read further here:
How healthy is watermelon?
Dr. Oz on eating watermelon

Drinking a watermelon
Vita Mix Watermelon sorbet recipe

Tony

Cook Up a Story

Click for an up-dated version, with more photos and a new recipe.

Who would have thought the common watermelon is a berry? Botanists call its fruit a pepo, a special kind of berry with a thick rind and fleshy center.

Like other berries we love, the watermelon is packed with goodness. It has the most nutrition per calorie of any common food. Click the link for the latest info.

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March 13, 2012 · 8:47 pm

How to Vita Mix a Low Cal Copy of the Jamba Juice Orange Dream Machine

It seems simple enough. There is the taste of orange and the mellowing flavor of milk. This is the kind of ingredient list made to order for Mr. Lazy Cook.

After a number of ‘close calls’ I have come up with the following recipe:

1/2 cup of vanilla soymilk
1/2 cup of orange juice
1/2 cup of vanilla non-fat yogurt
2/3 cup of orange sherbet
1/2 cup of ice cubes

By my taste buds this is an exact match as far as taste goes to the Jamba Juice product. I specified taste because nutrition-wise, Mr. Lazy Cook’s is far superior.
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November 4, 2011 · 12:46 pm

You Are What You Eat

Back when I wrote the How to Lose Weight – and Keep it Off Page I included the statement “Everything you eat and drink becomes a part of you” because that statement was one of the key concepts that resonated with me in my early struggles with weight control. When I go some place like a buffet where there are slabs of barbecued ribs displayed, I realize that much as I enjoy ribs, if I eat a slab of them, I will probably pack on 1000 calories not to mention way too much bad fats and I don’t really want that to be a part of me. So, I take one and enjoy it and also the fact that I am not jamming up my arteries with globs of animal fats. I think it’s a matter of getting past the “Oh boy, ribs taste great” and realizing the consequences of eating too many of them.

That’s why I loved the photo of the Juices Mixes attached to this blog post. I first saw it on the Vita-Mix users group and asked for permission to rerun it here. Shaun graciously agreed. It gives all these wonderful natural foods and tells what they do for you after they become a part of you.

Read it and reap.

Tony

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Tagged as aging, diet food, healthy eating, Vita Mix, weight, weight-loss

September 10, 2011 · 4:58 pm

How Healthy is Lassi?

Serendipitously, I stumbled across a recipe for Lassi in my Vita-Mix Cookbook today and thought I would try it. As you will see from the ingredients and preparation it is a natural for Mr. Lazy Cook. What is Lassi, you may ask, as I did? Lassi is a popular and traditional yogurt-based drink of the Indian Subcontinent. It is very refreshing and has some very healthy ingredients. Very much worth trying.

Traditional lassi has a savory taste, sometimes flavored with cumin while sweet lassi mixes with sugar or fruits instead. So, how to make it? It is wonderfully simple in the Vita-Mix machine. Pour in one cup of water, one cup of low fat yogurt, add 1/2 teaspoon of salt, add 4 teaspoons of sugar and 1/2 cup of ice cubes. Blend for 20 to 30 seconds, pour into a glass and enjoy! It has a wonderful flavor that is difficult to describe, but you have to imagine the combination of the yogurt, salt and sugar. It seemed kind of mysteriously savory-sweet to my western taste buds. One cup yields: 53 calories, 4 grams of protein, 1 gram of total fat, 7 grams of carbohydrates, 387 mg of sodium. Wikipedia tells a tale of a Polish washing machine manufacturer’s representative sent to India to discover why their sales are so high there. On arriving, the representative investigates a Lassi parlour, where he is warmly welcomed, and finds several washing machines being used to mix Lassi. The owner tells him he is able to “make ten times as much Lassi as I used to!”

Lassi isn’t just another culinary pretty face, though. The yogurt promotes digestive enzymes and influences the growth of healthy bacteria. It is a natural remedy that eases bloating and prevents constipation. The protein builds muscle and the calcium improves bone health.

Tony

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September 10, 2011 · 4:04 am

Vita Mix – Drinking a Watermelon

Saturday was an eventful day for me. I went to Costco and Trader Joe’s first thing in the morning which meant I had to miss out on my early bike ride. This is unfortunate as early morning is the only time this summer that is CLOSE TO pleasant in terms of heat. After that the temperature and humidity just continue to escalate. Chicago has had heat warnings for the very young and the elderly in this recent siege of hot weather. That’s a little off-putting for me as I am one of the elderly over 70.

The shopping was successful. Costco surprised me again with another wonderful whole grain available. Ever heard of Farro? If you have, you are one up on me. I hadn’t. I bought some, though, and will blog about it at a later date.

This is exactly how I felt

I didn’t get out on the bike till around noon. It was plenty hot. Even riding on the lakefront where there is a lake breeze the heat felt blistering. This is also the point where my Saturday started to turn sour. I got a flat tire … and it happened three miles from home. So now in the stultifying heat I had to walk the bike back. Regular readers may be asking about now – Was your dog on the bike? Yes, she was, and she remained in her carrier on the front handlebars for the entire three mile trek to the bike shop. Fortunately for me there was a mechanic on duty. He was busy but said I could have my bike back in an hour. The bike shop is a half mile from my apartment, so I started walking home. My hot and tired little dog, the Princess, however, had other ideas. She took about ten steps, stopped, lay down on the hot pavement and looked up at me. The heat was too much for her.

So on top of my three mile tropical slog pushing the bike, I had the privilege of carrying the pup the half mile home. She weighs 13.5 lbs, but after around fifty feet of carrying her it felt like the decimal point dropped out. All I could think of on that final half mile was how good it was going to be to feel air conditioning on my skin. Also, my thirst was mountainous. I had a very clear image of wanting to and trying to drink a watermelon.

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Tagged as biking, diet food, healthy eating, hydration, snack foods, Vita Mix, watermelon, weight

August 13, 2011 · 8:37 pm

Vita-Mix – Cold Peach Summer Smoothie

Here is a lovely cool summer smoothie that served a double duty for me. As I described in my post of Aug 10, I had some very heavy duty dental work done this week. As a result I am not able to chew on the right side of my mouth for the next two weeks. So, Mr. Lazy Cook set about putting together a healthy, tasty smoothie that relieved him of the obligation of chewing.

A beautiful peach, the heart of this summer smoothie

Here is the result. I had two peaches that I picked up earlier this week. I cut them up and removed the pits. Into the Vita-Mix machine. I started with half a cup of non-fat plain yogurt and half a cup of soy milk. I found some celery in my fridge. Into the machine.

Toss in a cup of ice cubes and start the machine. I ran it 30 seconds on low speed and another 30 seconds on high. Remove cover and enjoy lovely cold peach aroma.

MMmmm good. It tasted just great; just like a peach milk shake. Very smooth and cool. Perfect for a sunny August afternoon. Didn’t chew one time.

Nutrition:

2 peaches
136 calories
No fat, cholesterol or sodium
34 grams Carbohydrates
6 grams fiber
4 grams protein

Non-fat yogurt
50 calories
No fat
2.5 mg cholesterol
67.5 mg of sodium
9.5 grams carbohydrates
No fiber
5 grams protein

Soymilk
50 calories
1.8 grams fat
No cholesterol
47.5 grams sodium
4.5 grams carbohydrates
0.5 grams fiber
3.5 grams protein

Tony

Other Vita Mix recipe posts include:
How to Vita Mix a Low Cal Copy of the Jamba Juice Orange Dream Machine,
Vita Mix – Drinking a Watermelon
Vita Mix – Hot Chicken Soup
Vita Mix – Another Green Smoothie
A St. Patrick’s Day Green Smoothie – Vita-Mix
Vita-Mix – Cold Green Soup
Vita-Mix – Green Smoothies
Vita-Mix – Watermelon Sorbet Recipe
Vita-Mix – Garden Fresh Cocktail

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July 30, 2011 · 4:19 am

Vita-Mix Cold Green Soup

Much of the country remains under heat advisories this week. Besides putting a damper on outside activities, this extreme heat makes it tougher to prepare regular healthy meals.

So we turned to our favorite Vita-Mix Lady for some help.

Lea Ann Savage demonstrates the Vita-Mix machine and seems to know everything a person could need to know when it comes to using these high tech marvels.

Lee Ann offers this recipe for Cold Green Soup on her website.

I got my inspiration from the guy selling “Savory Stews” recipes online (I bought his product) and I combined some ingredients from the Excellent Raw Marinara Sauce provided by Joanne (from the Vita-Mix User’s Yahoo Group). I make this thick and chewy (leaving some tiny bits and pieces unblended for consistency sake – you can blend more or less to suit your taste).

This is AWESOME (to me at least) 1/2 to 3/4 of a cucumber (peeled if not organic) 1-2 medium tomatoes (home grown taste best – Campari are 2nd best for flavor if you have to buy from grocery store) Very small slice of onion 1/4 lemon (rind cut off) 2-3 pitted dates 3-5 sun dried tomatoes (I like the kind packed in olive oil – I use this brand: 1 tsp of Blend It Up Spice (the kind sold at Road Shows, if you don’t have it, substitute Sea Salt)  4-6 fresh basil leaves (or a scant tsp. of dried basil)  Scant tsp. of oregano.

I usually pause and blend up this mixture – eventually getting to high for just a little bit (15-30 seconds or so on high) to get the dates and sun dried tomatoes really blended.

Then I add:
1 stalk celery 1/2 to 3/4 of a red pepper 2-4 cups of Greens (you pick what kind – I like Spinach and/or Romaine the best).

I blend this just enough to get the Greens mostly chewed up (so that I can pour it into a bowl and spoon it). You can blend it into a drink if you want – it’s up to you how much you blend it.

I have a very “addictive” personality and right now – this is my current Green food addiction. (big smile)

This low calorie concoction seems just the ticket for a healthy change of pace in handling our current wilting heat wave.

Tony

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June 12, 2011 · 4:00 am

Vita-Mix – How to Make Green Smoothies

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Lea Ann Savage AKA The Vita-Mix Lady

I learned about Green Smoothies from the book, “Green For Life” by Victoria Boutenko. Everyone needs more raw, dark green, leafy vegetables in their diet. Green Smoothies are the easiest and best tasting way to get mega-doses of fresh, dark greens into your body!

Victoria’s Green Smoothies Blog which has a lot of very good information.

Here are some additional links related to Green Smoothies:

Ode to Green Smoothie
A Veggie Adventure

You will get used to the taste of Greens over time. I like to joke with my audience that the Green Smoothie I serve to them is like a “Kindergarten” Green Smoothie and you can work your way up to Graduate Level 🙂 In the beginning, try the milder tasting greens and use a 60% fruit to a 40% greens ratio. Over time you can graduate to the more bitter tasting greens and change your ratio to 50/50 then 60 to 70% greens and 40 to 30% fruits. Or, you can just stick with whatever balance works best for you! I find that the more dark green leafy vegetables I can get into my diet, the less cravings I have for junk food and the more energy I have during the day.

Greens
Here are some Greens I have tried with asterisk by the ones I use the most:

Kale*
Romaine
Baby Spinach*
Collards*
Parsley* (this took some getting used to but now I like it a lot!)
Arugula
Dandelion Greens
Endive
Carrot Tops
Broccoli (strong flavor)
Celery (also a strong flavor)
Cucumber (another strong flavor but good for skin)
Wheat Grass*
Cabbage* (good for preventing colon cancer) and remember, cabbage is one of the magic vegetables.

Fruits
I’ve used about all of them…
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June 11, 2011 · 3:15 am

Vita-Mix – Watermelon Sorbet Recipe

Reader Lea Ann Anderson Savage submitted this very tasty recipe to the blog in a comment on my Drinking a Watermelon item. If you own a Vita-Mix machine check out Lee Ann at her website. She has lots of very helpful info there.

Here is her recipe:

“Hi Tony – I’m a Vita-Mix sales demonstrator and your very inspiring post leads me to want to share my recipe for watermelon “sorbet.” I am basically a very lazy person (hence my love of the Vita-Mix machine) and although I should puree the watermelon first and pour it into ice cube trays, what I end up doing is scooping globs of watermelon and plopping them into the holes of the ice cube trays in arrangements so that none of the “globs” touch another.

“When they are frozen, I place the frozen globs in with unfrozen watermelon (in roughly a 3 cups frozen to one cup unfrozen) ratio and – voila! Awesome Watermelon Sorbet!

Also cantaloupe blended in the Vita-Mix with frozen cantaloupe “globs” can make anything from an ice cream consistency to a milk shake – depending on your ratio of frozen globs to unfrozen cantaloupe. TRULY amazing taste and texture!”

You can read How Healthy is Watermelon and Dr. Oz on Watermelon also in our blog.

Tony

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August 23, 2010 · 3:30 pm

Vita Mix – Two Regular Guys Like It

As regular readers know, and irregular readers are invited to go back and check. The search function works very well. There are certain things we use and like very much and urge our readers to try. How many times have we mentioned the Lose It! app on the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad? It can be worth purchasing an iPod Touch just to get the free Lose It! App so you can have it with you when you go to work, or out to eat. Likewise, we have recounted several times how often we go to Costco and buy food and other products there. So, it should come as no surprise that we have an Affiliate relationship with Vita Mix.

The Vita Mix Model 5200 Machine.

We use and recommend this very powerful food processing machine. Tony has had one for over five years. He got service on their impressive 7 year warranty and recently updated his machine by buying a new one. He bought the Model 5000 back in 2005 and now has purchased the Model 5200.

You can learn all about this super machine at the Vita Mix website.

To save the $25 shipping cost include our affiliate number #06-005519 when you order.
 If you prefer to shop by phone – 1-800-848-2649.

John and Tony

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August 23, 2010 · 7:34 am

Vita Mix – Hot Chicken Soup

As they used to say on Monty Python, “And now for something completely different.” Despite the hot spell in Chicago this summer, I decided to use my Vita Mix machine for something completely different from the wonderful cold drinks I have been making – hot soup. One of the amazing benefits of the machine is that it allows you to prepare hot soup right in the container because of its terrific power. A side benefit for me is that it gives me a place to use the left over chicken breast from my Costco rotisserie chicken.

Here is the recipe from the Vita Mix website:
Prep time 4-5 minutes
1 cup (240 ml) low sodium chicken, beef, or vegetable stock
1 1/2 cups (360 ml) skim milk
1/2 small onion, peeled
3 medium potatoes, baked or boiled, with skin (reserve 1 potato)
1/8 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 tablespoon spinach, cooked or frozen
5 ounces (140 g) chicken breast, skinned and boned, cooked and cut up
Salt to taste

1. Place broth, skim milk, onion, two potatoes, and rosemary into the Vita Mix container and secure lid.
2. Select Variable 1.
3. Turn machine on and quickly increase speed to Variable 10, then to High.
4. Blend for 4-5 minutes or until heavy steam escapes from the vented lid.
5. Reduce speed to Variable 3 and remove the lid plug.
6. Add spinach and reserved potato through the lid plug opening and blend until potato is chopped, about 15 seconds.
7. Drop in chicken and blend for an additional 5 seconds.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 cup (240 ml)

Amount Per Serving
Calories 305
Total Fat 3g
Saturated Fat 1g
Cholesterol 34mg
Sodium 105mg
Total Carbohydrate 51g
Dietary Fiber 4g
Protein 19g

This is a very quick fix for a super tasty first course for dinner, high on the priorities for Mr. Lazy Cook.

Tony

Other Vita Mix recipe posts include:
How to Vita Mix a Low Cal Copy of the Jamba Juice Orange Dream Machine,
Vita Mix – Drinking a Watermelon
Vita Mix – Another Green Smoothie
A St. Patrick’s Day Green Smoothie – Vita-Mix
Vita-Mix – Cold Peach Summer Smoothie
Vita-Mix – Cold Green Soup
Vita-Mix – Green Smoothies
Vita-Mix – Watermelon Sorbet Recipe
Vita-Mix – Garden Fresh Cocktail

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August 13, 2010 · 7:10 pm

Vita Mix – Mango Ice Cream

My new Vita Mix machine comes with an introductory DVD that shows a woman making several really attractive-looking items. One is extremely simple – Peach Ice Cream. You combine frozen peaches, skimmed milk, some sugar and a flavoring or two in the Vita Mix for around a minute and, Voila, peach ice cream. At the end of it the woman says, “You can do this with any fresh fruit, just add ice cubes.”

Now, we are going through a tropical heat wave here in Chicago. There were severe heat warnings issued about caring for the very young and the elderly. They made me uncomfortable about my morning bike ride. I did it, but felt uncomfortable about it. Anyway, the thought of making instantaneous (and healthy) ice cream in my new machine was just too much temptation.

I went down to the grocery store in my building and got a fresh mango. I don’t know that I have ever had mango, but this was an experiment. Why not try new ground?

I followed the instructions on the DVD. I put in 1/4 cup of milk, all of the mango that I could get free of the peel. Some sugar (obviously, this has to be ‘to taste’). Two cups of ice cubes later and I was ready to power up.

The Vita Mix blended and pulverized the contents of the container inside of a minute and just like in the DVD I had a lovely frozen treat. I got lucky on the amount of sugar because my mango ice cream was delicious. I ate up what was probably two cups of it and I consumed little more than 100 calories.

Keeping in mind the lessons we learned from the Portion Plate, the two cups of delicious homemade ice cream I consumed would equal around 600 calories of store bought ice cream.
One cup of sliced mango has 107 calories, no fat or cholesterol, 3 mg of sodium, 28 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber and one gram of protein.

An awesome cold treat on the steamy hot Chicago summer days, and it was extraordinarily simple to create.