How did I ever live without you?

It has to be said……..Rita’s Thermomix reigns supreme!

I collected my precious baby on Friday night, dragging along friend Kim (who had eaten with me at Henry Jones on Wednesday night) and her mum, to check it out too. I knew with certainty that the minute they saw my little TM in action (being avid food lovers) they wouldn’t be able to resist buying one too – and they did!

So Saturday rolls round, and Rita hits the shops, buying up the required goodies for her weekend of experimentation with TM.

First thing produced (as per Fee Hoskin’s instruction) on Saturday was a concentrated vegetable stock mix. Yes – TM owners make their own stock concentrates, and toss away all those dubious-content commercial stock cubes and make their own base for flavouring soups, casseroles, risottos etc. Very simple and straightforward, but it made me feel good to have this in my fridge. I have never felt happy about using commercial stock cubes, but have resorted to them occasionally, whilst feeling that the chicken or beef varieties have been no closer to those animals than a spaceship has!

After that, I decided a Mushroom Risotto was the meal of choice, so precisely 20 minutes later, there it was – all ready to devour, and all I had had to do was put the ingredients into the bowl of my TM, then take the cooked risotto out of the bowl at the finish of cooking. The machine did the rest (chopping, sauté-ing, stirring and cooking).

Sunday was Butter Chicken day – beautiful, then Monday night after work, TM made me a perfect Chilli Con Carne. It minced my steak, then proceeded to cook the meal.

Tonight we have a Cauliflower Soup and fresh bread rolls on the menu. Yes – TM does the dough for the bread rolls too. It mixes and kneads the dough. All you have to do is take it out of the machine to prove in a warm place for 20 minutes, then place in the oven to cook, while the cauliflower is being chopped and the soup cooked in TM.

My friend P, who collected his TM a week before me (and who I forced to buy one, knowing he would benefit SO much from owning one – and he has!) invited his fellow retired mate Geoffrey for lunch last Thursday. Lunch commenced at 11 am with daiquiris made in the TM – and continued till 7 pm that night – pausing occasionally for various courses (all made in the TM), like a fresh herb dip, then a Spag Bol, then pears in red wine accompanied by a kaffir lime custard, all courses interspersed with another daiquiri, or two or three! Hic! Geoffrey’s partner had to collect Geoffrey at 7 pm or he would still be there!

Yes – the TM is definitely a most welcome addition to the Rita household. Long may she reign!