I made this today, a few tweaks - I never chop onions as long as the recipe say - 2 seconds on speed 5 is always enough. I added the spices to the onions and fried them as I like my spices fried off. I didn't have quite enough parsnips so added one sweet potato to make the 5oogms. The soup was very thick so I added another 100gm water at the end before the creme fraiche. Soup was delicious although spices were very mild i think I will try adding a little chilli next time.

I also make the one from the UK cookbook and have used arborio and the English pudding rice (round grain) - the English pudding rice does work better. I also use full cream milk and sometimes even add cream and I cook it with the sugar from the start.

I lurk quite a bit and post occasionally - I am a female but live in a mans world - sometimes I struggle to find content amongst small talk - no offence intended - but men do not do small talk and I think they are put off by the enormous amounts of small talk. Men like instant gratification - don't we girls all know that? They go to a forum for info not small talk.

I gave my Kewnwood plus all attachments to my two daughters who share a flat but then I earned another TM and they got my old one - don't know whether they ever use the Kenwood. I haven't used stick blender or rice cooker but regularly use my slow cookers and a hand blender occasionally.

Hi Kathleen
I really understand what you are going through but I congratulate you on understanding that booking of demos is the hardest part of the job. When I first started I invited people to my own home - I fixed a couple of dates and times wrote lists and invited friends "so I could practise the demo", then asked if they would bring someone I didn't know as that would make it better practise. The result was quite a few early sales to people who came to a demo not intending to buy at all but were so impressed that they bought. Those same customers still have demos and invite more friends. I always say I am just a demonstrator and the machine sells itself; if the person does not "get it" they will never buy.
Here in South Africa we are a very small team still with consultants being trained and then never selling so they drop out; the Thermomix is still relatively unknown here.
Good Luck!

Egg whites seem to whip up better after having been frozen - I use the yolks in quiches omelettes or icecream.

I also find it lasts me a long time so I stick it in smaller plastic containers in the freezer - it doesn't actually freeze but it gives me more room in my fridge! I also freeze my tahini paste - also doesn't freeze and can use it straight from the freezer.

I made two batches of this recipe today - I first milled the rye into flour then did exactly as per recipe. In the first rising the dough was almost cooked on the top - it was 30C outside today. Next time I will cover with oiled clingfilm. Then the dough was very sticky and difficulty to form. Fortunately the enmd result was very popular as I wasn't offered the leftovers to bring home. Also made a focaccia to take too and a Zwiebelkuchen for our lunch - TDF.....