Jamba at home Smoothies - Just Add Juice

Because our out of town guests needed a blender to cater to a particular diet, we decided to buy a Cuisinart blender before they arrived. We learned a few tips from the masters and after they left we decided to give it a whirl and make a smoothie. We always have a lot of fresh fruit on hand and had gotten extra strawberries, bananas, blueberries, and raspberries for them. But we also looked in the frozen food section in search of smoothie ingredients. We found one brand called Jamba At Home Smoothies in the strawberries wild flavor, and some frozen strawberries that could be used to mix with whatever we thought might do. So we tried the Jamba At Home package. We dumped the contents in - strawberries, bananas, and yogurt. Then we added a cup of orange juice instead of the recommended apple juice. There is a specific button on the blender for smoothies, so we turned the thing on and off it went. It is very loud! It definitely would wake up anyone in the house if used in the morning. So my husband and I split the smoothie and have to agree that is tasted pretty good. We could never replace a meal with a smoothie like our friends do, but it is a good reason to have the blender and use it to create whatever flavor you like. So we did learn something after all. But we always knew we liked smoothies. 

Hill’s Kitchen Cuisinart Velocity Ultra Blender

We are expecting guests from the Midwest this weekend. In order to make the accommodations most accommodating, we always ask if there is anything particular that they would like to have in the house during the visit. Because our friends have a more vegetarian approach to life, they like to eat bananas, berries, strawberries and the like - and so do we. But what we didn’t have was a blender, because they like smoothies. So while we were on our morning walk we were trying to figure out a way to avoid a trip to Target in Alexandria. Then we remembered Hill’s Kitchen near Eastern Market and walked that way. We have been there before and apparently the store is doing well. They had a couple of options, and we decided to go with the Cuisinart Ultra Blend. There is a button on it just for smoothies. So we carried it home - a little heavier than expected. But we were glad to have found it and made it a part of our kitchen. So today we went to the grocery store and got some bananas, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and a couple packages of frozen fruits - just for smoothies. Maybe we will like it enough to have ourselves. Not a bad idea. 

Safeway Cuisinart Cutlery Stamps

We used to collect green stamps a long time ago.  They could then be exchanged for gifts, or items to use around the house. My husband likes to go to Safeway grocery store after we have brunch on Saturday in McLean. For the last few weeks, he has been getting Cuisinart stamps - kinda like the green stamps. Yesterday, he got a few more. I finally read the instructions after putting the last batch of stamps on the card and they finally surpassed thirty. That amount qualifies for a pairing knife or shears. His goal was to get a decent cutting knife. But I think the time has run out because the giveaway ends on January 6. So he told me he may take a ride out there before the deadline and collect his freebie, which he rarely does. Aside from that, he'll pick up more groceries that were out of stock over the long holiday weekend. So the question is - will he get the item he has enough stamps for that he doesn't want? Or pay a few bucks more with the stamps and get what he really wants? Or maybe nothing at all? I guess we'll find out this week. 

Nips, Filters, and Tea

Usually when you get packages in the mail it is somewhat exciting. This week we got five different packages from four different vendors. And none of them are worth writing home about.  The first package to arrive contained several cartons of Nips chocolate parfait candy. These are for my husband's sweet tooth, to accompany the jugs of Balis Best coffee candy. The next three were all filters...filters for the Britta water pitcher, filters for the Cuisinart Keurig one cup coffee and tea maker, filters for the Braun coffee pot. What's with all the filters? And finally today came the last parcel - decaf tea for the Keurig one cup tea maker. It is impossible to find decaf tea anywhere around here. Neither one of us wants caffeinated tea in the evening, and my husband is a big tea drinker - in the evening. Otherwise he's a big coffee caffeinated drinker in the morning. I can hardly tell the difference in coffee types, but he is an expert. While it was a treat to get and open the packages, the contents were a big disappointment - for me. That's just not how it is supposed to be!

Cuisinart K Cup Keurig Replacement Via UPS

I can't remember exactly when we got the Cuisinart K cup single tea and coffee maker, but it is not more than two years. A couple days ago we noticed the lights blinking on the front of the panel. We turned it on and off, then unplugged it and left it overnight. When we replugged it, the lights were still blinking. It didn't affect the ability of the machine to make tea or coffee,  but we didn't want the thing starting a fire if we forgot to unplug it. So my husband called the support line.  I had registered the thing so they had all our information. Without any issue, they said they would send a replacement, and we should pack ours in to the same box and return it to Arizona. They guy didn't seem surprised about the problem, so it must not be unusual. Within a couple days the new coffee maker arrived from New Jersey. We followed the directions, put the packing slip inside the box, and wrote the notification number both inside and outside the box. It is kind of a hassle- especially when you need to spend $22.00 at the UPS store to send the thing back. Is it worth it? I'm not so sure. Do you think they should have paid for postage? Aside from that, we have a regular old Braun coffee maker that has worked every day for many years without a hitch, although I have to say we had to replace the carafe after it broke. It makes you wonder if it is worth the convenience of the single K cup and individual choice about what to drink from a variety of options, or forcing everyone to drink whatever you happen to be making with one big pot of coffee. But it doesn't make tea. Plus, we have to order K cup decaf tea because we can't find it in any store. Is this really the best way to go? I suppose it depends who wants the tea or coffee.