VITAMIX (And The Best Strawberry Daiquiris EVER)

My mother-in-law has a Vitamix blender, which I have coveted for many years.  But here's the thing - I am WAY too cheap to EVER shell out that much money on a single kitchen gadget - even the blender of my dreams.

Getting the Vitamix Christmas morning!

Meanwhile the blender I DO have is ancient and literally won't blend up softened carrots and onions.  Never mind blending something as challenging as ice (or anything frozen, for that matter).

Well, for Christmas this year several of my family members got together, pooled their resources, and BOUGHT ME A VITAMIX.

Yup.

I think that needs repeating -

THEY BOUGHT ME A VITAMIX.

My very own Vitamix blender.  SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

What with the holidays and everything, I was only able to make it to the grocery store today.  And I basically bought EVERYTHING THAT COULD BE BLENDED.

Yes.

Everything.

I got stuff to make smoothies!
I got cauliflower to turn into cauliflower soup and cauliflower puree!
I got the stuff to make the best spread / dip ever!

Best Spread Ever (AKA Cilantro Spread)
2 cups lightly packed cilantro
1 small onion
1" fresh ginger
1 cup toasted cashews
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
Juice of one lime

Blend everything together.  Serve.  Watch it disappear before your very eyes!

The cashews make this really creamy (kind of like adding peanut butter to something).  It's so good!  We've all started bringing this to neighborhood functions.  Try it - you won't be sorry!

So after my grocery store trip today I pulled out the recipe booklet that comes with the vitamix, and like the fourth recipe was for strawberry daiquiris, and I magically had ALL THE INGREDIENTS (because I had bought frozen strawberries for *cough, cough* smoothies).

I immediately made strawberry daiquiris.

Jack and I immediately drank the strawberry daiquiris, which turned out to be the best strawberry daiquiris I had ever had!

Strawberry Daiquiri Recipe From Vitamix Booklet

Strawberry Daiquiris FROM HEAVEN

2 oz Rum
1 oz Triple Sec
2 tablespoons lime juice (I just used a whole lime's worth)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 generous cup of frozen strawberries
(the recipe also called for 1 1/2 cups of ice, but I didn't have any and didn't miss it)

PRO TIP: After making these daiquiris a few times (cough, cough), I've noticed that if you dump all the ingredients in the blender at once, the liquor tends to lower the freezing point of the strawberries so that if you blend long enough to truly break down the frozen strawberries your daiquiri is now a liquid instead of having a slushie consistency.  I would recommend blending everything EXCEPT the liquor until you basically have a strawberry smoothie, and then quickly pulsing in the liquor at the end right before serving.

 Ever meal for the next few months will probably have at least one blended / pureed component.  I can't wait!

Other Vitamix Recipes:
Vitamix Mai Tai
Easy Homemade Chicken Gravy
Homemade Soda Flavors