Forum Thermomix
Welcoming Center, Management and General Chat => Introduce Yourself => Topic started by: JulieLK on May 23, 2011, 03:44:08 am
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Hi Everyone, I just got my Thermomix and started using it this weekend. It's been a fun time so far, but the best feature has been how easy it is to clean. I hated my blender and food processor because of the cleaning, but this is very easy.
I'm so pleased about this forum and how active and helpful everyone seems to be. Since I'm in the US and had to buy from Canada, I don't have a Thermomix representative anywhere nearby to help me, so this forum is my lifeline with issues in cooking and usage if I need help. I can't wait to try all of the great recipes posted here. Thank you! Julie
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Welcome aboard!! There are a few gals from your way around here - I'm sure they'll see this thread and let you know who they are. What do you enjoy making so far??
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welcome to the forum julie...i have a consultant close by plus our local (french) forum etc etc and this place is still my 'lifeline' and go to place for all things thermie and sometimes other....everyone is great and happy to help when they can..look forward to your future posts :)
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Hi Julie welcome to the forum. It is difficult without support but you have come to the right place. You only need to ask a question and someone will give you an answer. Let us know what you are cooking and how you are going with things, it's lovely to have you on board.
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Welcome Julie. Whereabouts in the US are you? Nowhere near those awful tornados I hope
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Thank you everyone!!! I have already made a few things, with varying success. Pizza dough was beautiful, but when baked was a little tough. I plan to work on that one, because we order pizza regularly and would love to make healthier versions. I tried to make whipped potatoes from My Way of Cooking, but the butterfly kept getting knocked off. So, I cut the pieces smaller and tried to make the rest of the recipe, but it turned into something more like glue than potatoes. So need to work on that.
Drinks have been more successful. Made some smoothies and pina colada over the weekend, was good, and the consistency was perfect. Made some very nice fresh tomato salsa, which when spooned onto grilled baguette, made the best bruschetta my husband said he'd ever had.
Mango ice cream from MWOC was ok, but wasn't very flavorful. But I can't wait to try chocolate and vanilla.
So, the machine got a lot of use this weekend and I really like it. I need to jump in and make some soup or some other stuff in the varoma, but I'm a bit scared to cook with it.
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Hi Katya, I'm in the Northeast, nowhere near the tornadoes. I really feel for those people.
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two things with the potatoes is they have to be cut not only smallish but all the same size roughly to avoid the butterfly beingt knocked up and the glueyness would be from the type of potatoes...potato types vary from country to country but more a floury potato..here they are always marked if they are better for baking, mash, salads etc depending on the type of potato used!
Any fruit in either icecream or sorbet is best when ripe...here we often buy fruit very ripe in season and freeze it cut up in cubes ready for use...makes a whole lot of difference with the flavour and as far as mangos or any tropical fruit goes they are never great flavour wise unless grown locally...
Why are you scared to cook with teh varoma? or do you mean the thermomix in general?? Thermie doesnt bite...juste take the plunge and you will not regret it :) :)
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Hi Julie and welcome to the forum. :)
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Frozzie, I think you're right about the potatoes, thank you. I think I may have used ones better for roasting than mashing, hence the glue. I also don't think the fruit was ripe enough, so that makes a lot of sense. These are good things to remember for next time. :)
I guess scared is not the right word. I am actually really good in the kitchen, using pots, pans and the oven. But I have a 19 month old daughter and am 8 months pregnant now, and I don't have the time or energy to cook like I used to. I really had a good time this weekend seeing what I could make with the Thermomix, but I don't want to go through blown batches of food (i.e. glue mashed potatoes).
Are there some favorite recipes that you feel are easy but taste great? I would like to get some experience using the cooking feature successfully and leave the real experimenting for next year when things slow down and I have to time to play a little. I don't expect perfect results. Thank you!
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Welcome to the forum, Julie.
I too got my TM31 from Canada and have had to go it alone, but for the wonderful folks on this forum.
(I live in southern California.)
They are incredibly generous with their time and efforts to make using the TMX as easy as possible.
I don't use it as often as most of the members but it has been an essential for me because of my age and arthritis that has made some food difficult to prepare. The TMX has solved those problems.
I am especially fond of risotto but because of the prolonged stirring needed to achieve the perfect result, I rarely prepared it. With the TMX it is so easy that I have it at least once a week and usually more often. There are so many variations and it is so versatile, that I can prepare it with a different "flavor" each time and all are good. Of course I like rice in any of it's many manifestations but this is one of the best.
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I guess scared is not the right word. I am actually really good in the kitchen, using pots, pans and the oven. But I have a 19 month old daughter and am 8 months pregnant now, and I don't have the time or energy to cook like I used to. I really had a good time this weekend seeing what I could make with the Thermomix, but I don't want to go through blown batches of food (i.e. glue mashed potatoes).
Are there some favorite recipes that you feel are easy but taste great? I would like to get some experience using the cooking feature successfully and leave the real experimenting for next year when things slow down and I have to time to play a little. I don't expect perfect results. Thank you!
ok totally understand..i have a 2 and a half year old and a 5 year old and i am zapped most days but doesnt help that hubby works very long hours and is hardly ever here but remember exactly how i felt pregnant with my youngest and a young toddler at my feet...at least you have the thermie to help out and actually there are some easy great recipes on this forum ...some I would suggest are Bafs chicken in the varoma (http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?topic=5526.0) and there are several variations, risotto as andie suggested and on the forum there are several flavours...you can start with the mushroom risotto (http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?topic=2595.0) from the oz EDC ..my only advice is to always read the comments of members as often if they gave found any problems they are corrected and it avoids errers and stuff ups etc..also Chelseas Bangers and mash in a tasty onion gravy (http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?topic=3821.0)..these are all tasty simple meals that have had great results with most members so good to get you started...not long to go now then at 8 mths...i feel for you...i really didnt like the end of my pregnancies...
There are also heaps of dips, salads etc that are lovely etc and as we are gong into summer if you come across some nice ripe fruit grab it also, chop it up in cubes and freeze it for quick tasty sorbets etc..quick tasty easy is the key until you havre the energy and time to play aroudn a bit!...hope this helps a little :)
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I cannot believe that someone in the US hasn't started selling them? I am thinking that it is a business venture just waiting to happen ??
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Julie, below are some links which may be of interest to you as a newcomer.
Suggestions for first meals (http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?topic=4991.0)
Ideas for first use of the varoma (http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?topic=5981.0)
Forum members top 10 recipes (http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?topic=5035.0)
Mango Kulfi (http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?topic=5689.0) - my favourite icecream
With the mashing of the potatoes, are you overbeating perhaps. I don't add the parmesan cheese, just a knob of butter, a splash of milk (check after a few seconds to see if you need more, less is best to start with) and I find 10 seconds is all that is needed and of course, you can only use speed 4 with the butterfly in place or you could end up with bits of black plastic amongst your mash.
Have a go of some of the recipes on the forum, we have quite a few with many reviews which prove they are as delicious as they look and sound. It all takes time, I'm sure no-one was slower than me getting off the ground with mine but your confidence grows the more you use it and if there are a few failures along the way, that is perfectly normal too.
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I don't use it as often as most of the members but it has been an essential for me because of my age and arthritis that has made some food difficult to prepare. The TMX has solved those problems.
I wondered if you have tried Arthritis and herbal soup. I do have a recipe for this.
Of course it won't cure it but it can't do any harm to try.
Dot
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I cannot believe that someone in the US hasn't started selling them? I am thinking that it is a business venture just waiting to happen ??
Vorwerk are the ones stopping it. I can't remember why, will go back through my info and note and see if I can find it :)
Julie, I would be using the recipes on the forum at the moment with your hands so full, and if you can start looking for your choices etc earlier in the day, that way if you have questions you have time to get them answered before you start cooking your meal and we can help you get going with successes until you have more time ;) :)
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Welcome to the forum, Julie.
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Hi Julie, welcome to the forum.
A toddler and 8 months pregnant!! Remember that well & it was tiring, so you have my sympathies :) .. But such an exciting time too - with not only 1 but 2 special deliveries ;D
You'll get lots of hints & advice here. Everyone is very, very helpful and really friendly. I love this forum.
All the best with preparations for your new baby!! And happy cooking,
Karen
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Welcome to the forum Julie.
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Thanks andiesenji - Thanks, it's great to know that the people on this forum have helped you so much. They certainly seem very nice. I am sorry to hear about your arthritis, but it's great that the Thermomix has helped you to get back to making food that you love. I understand how risotto could be a challenge for you - it's a challenge for me, without a physical challenge like yours :)
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Frozzie - Thank you for the suggestions! I will look at those recipes and see what we can make this week. I am looking forward to some of the dips and cooling recipes for the summer. It's going to be hot this week so I might go for some of those to cool off!
And yes, pregnant with a toddler at your feet while cooking on the stove is a challenging and dangerous pursuit. I can't open my oven without hearing little feet behind me. I've been worried about my daughter get burned or me tripping over her with something hot in my hands. This is another reason I thought the Thermomix would be a good idea.
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hi julie
some nice dips are (some of my favourites) -
French Onion Dip (http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?topic=2553.0)
Gherkin Dip (http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?topic=2555.0)
Smoked Salmon (http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?topic=2022.0)
For the gherkin dip i chop them first in the thermomix before i start..
you can do a search though on the main page there are several and many i havent got around to trying yet..just check out the comments they will guide you in your choices
as for salads, there is a new salad section and there are a few in the different cookbooks...if you dont have any then just check out the book review section or list of contents of books and any recipes that interest you just ask and someone will send you a pm generally..
happy cooking :)
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Knittercook, I have no idea, really. The economy is down right now, so I'm not sure this would be the best time for it here anyway. Also, the US mentality has been a bit overrun by Walmart and "always lower prices." It's really a shame, but I don't know if Americans as a whole are as worried about value and quality anymore as they are about price.
That being said, I think that the Thermomix would do well in certain areas. It would probably do well as a wedding registry gift, if people started hearing about it and seeing what it could do. I also think that, based on the success of other MLM or direct selling businesses in the US, I can't believe that Vorverk doesn't think that they can build a direct sales force here. There are tons of companies like that, from Mary Kay to Pampered Chef, and they do very well.
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I think one reason is because there have been so many multi-level-marketing schemes that inundated certain areas, (particularly here in southern California) a couple of decades back, that it became a sort of joke. I worked for an ortho. surgeon, we had a huge office with ten employees in the '80s and we were constantly getting invites from other office employees in our building, the four other medical buildings in our "campus" and from hospital employees.
There was everything from Avon and Mary Kay, to Tupperware to Princess Crystal, Pampered Chef and other cookware, Amway, Luxury Linens, lingerie and clothing of various types as well as health stuff, vitamins and etc., and so on. I'm not even mentioning the parties for children's stuff.
People got burned out on the seemingly out of control proliferation of these and while there are still a very few around, they don't have the cachet they once had.
Also, people out here tend to move a lot and are not all that chummy with their neighbors as it was back in the '60s and '70s when I lived in the Valley and knew everyone on my street.
I forgot to mention in my first post that if you have not already checked out Helene's web site (http://www.superkitchenmachine.com/) , you should do so. Here she is "ThermomixBlogger" and is the kind lady who put me in touch with the vendor from whom I bought my TM31.
She also graciously converted an old and somewhat complicated recipe of mine to the Thermomix, for which I am eternally grateful.
Her site includes some wonderful videos - and there are a lot of videos on YouTube, some by some well known chefs, that are extremely helpful in demonstrating just what the machine can do.
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Thanks, Judy, I'll look for those posts. I think that Frozzie may be right, that I used the wrong potatoes and then did a number of things that gave me the gluey mess, possibly including overmixing at the end. It was a number of mistakes, ending in wall paste ;)
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Andiesenji, you may be right. I generally think that some MLM's are seen a bit differently now, at least in the East. I think well of Mary Kay, Avon and Pampered Chef. We also have a new trend with direct selling of jewelry (Silpada) some of which is actually nice. Apparently there was a distributor selling the Thermomix in the US sometime in the past 10 years, but now that's done I guess.
Funny you mention Helene. I bought the Thermomix partially based off of her website, and reading here on the forum. Her website is great, and she was very nice when I asked her a few questions about the unit. I will look on YouTube for the videos, thanks!!
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I also heard that there are 2 issues with the Termomixnot being sold in USA.
1. Metric measurements in recipes and scales
2. 110 v in USA, hence adapter needed.
Is this true?
Thanks
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I also heard that there are 2 issues with the Termomixnot being sold in USA.
1. Metric measurements in recipes and scales
2. 110 v in USA, hence adapter needed.
Is this true?
Thanks
It works just fine on 110 - no adapter required for those units that are sold in Canada, and metric has long been an alternative in the U.S. and all digital scales have both modes - every volumetric measuring cup I have purchased since the 1970s have metric as well as ounces, cups, etc.
It is simply that Vorwerk has not developed a marketing plan for the U.S. They did sell earlier versions here but it was not very successful.
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I think that 110 is used all over North America, including Mexico, right? So any units sold in Canada or Mexico have 110 volts, so they work just fine i the US...mine works great sold from Canada!
The metric thing could be confusing, if the recipes weren't done by weight and instead by measuring. Recipes in the US are done my measurements, mostly, so cup, tablespoon, teaspoon, etc. Using the Thermomix with Metric recipes is just as easy, if not easier, because of the integrated scale. I don't see the problem with just using regular English measure recipes in the Thermomix, if you have no problem with measuring like you do normally. Takes away one advantage of the machine, but still has all the other advantages.
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I just had a long phone chat with my friend who lives on her boat in a marina and got a TM31 a year ago (after listening to my raves).
She has kept somewhat casual records, noting how much she used to spend on eating out three or four times a week, occasionally more.
She actually set up a savings account and has been depositing the savings every month - the difference between what she would have spent in restaurants and the amount she spent on groceries.
To date she has $943.65 in the savings account. She says it really adds up fast when one is not spending $50.00 + each week in restaurants (in addition to grocery stuff).
She figures that in just a few more months she will have more than paid for the TMX and is thrilled that she has lost weight, is feeling great and her doctor told her that she no longer has to take medication for high blood pressure.
She has convinced a couple of other people to get one and one is a friend of hers who works on a cruise ship and is going to get one when the ship is on the way to Alaska in July.
Quite an endorsement!
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It certainly is Andie. What willpower your friend has to deposit the savings into a special account and not just let it get absorbed into household running costs.
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hi andie
wow your friend has alot more will power than me. I doubt I could be that organised to table and put away the savings between before and after the thermomix...I hope your friends enjoys her savings at one time or another on something she enjoys as like JD said it is sooo easy to just dwindle it away on day to day costs!
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The main reason she is keeping her savings record is to thumb her nose at her know-it-all brother who thinks she is an idiot for living on her boat, and was extraordinarily extravagant on spending so much money on an appliance.
They are not the greatest of buddies. Her father's will left him in control of her money until she was thirty, because he had some old fashioned ideas that women couldn't handle money and her brother still thinks that he should be able to boss her around.
The fact that she started her own business and has been reasonably successful, has not stopped him from putting an oar in where it is not wanted.
She tells me she knows it is juvenile but she loves to needle him about her successes, especially as he has not done quite as well on his own.
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i can understand that andie and good on her for sticking it to him ...men in my family used to be similar but have thankgoodness somewhat mellowed with age and as much as they still have their ideas now they tend to mind their own business.. it must be horrible though to have those opinons hanging over her, especially from her family...that just makes what she is doing extra sweet and certainly good motivation :)
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Ah ha, now I completely understand the reason for the keeping of her savings record - good for her, nothing like proof on paper to stick it up someone but really, she does not have to answer to her brother. Why people can't let others just live the life they want is beyond me.