Thermomix: After the Demo

What happens when the consultant goes home and you are left alone with this wonderful machine for the first time ever?

Well, personally, I was stuffed!  An early start, hectic morning, and a LOT of food had be hanging for some nap time!

I had to cook something though!  I flipped through the cookbook (the chip is great for while your cooking but the cookbook cannot be replaced!) looking for something we had the ingredients for - something yummy, and something nutritious for dinner.

I am a firm believer in 'start as you wish to continue' so I was looking for fast and easy - something that would suit my cooking style (minimalist!).

For the yummy I found a flourless almond cake with chocolate ganache (it has some fancy name in the cookbook!) so I started with that.  Really easy and quick to whip up the cake mix and into the oven it went. 

Then I started dinner - Mongolian Lamb Hot Pot!  I didn't have all the ingredients and I swapped a few things (I used red Thai curry paste instead of sambal oelek for example).  Once it was done, I popped it in the thermosaver, and did the rice and veggies.  An extra 20 mins, but I was quite surprised that the meat stayed super hot in the thermosaver for that time!  

The kids and husband were very happy with this dinner though I'm not a fan of having to do two lots of cooking (one for the meat and sauce, one for rice and veggies).  I think a second machine would be very handy!  The fact that both were easy as to set up and walk away cushioned the blow, but this might be a weekend recipe or one where I tag team with the husband so I can do stuff once I set up the first half of the meal!  It is still a tonne better then standing in front of a stove for an hour!


I finished the ganache after dinner.

I stumbled across my first issue - can you have two guided recipes going at once?  Answer is no.  You can do other stuff and go back to a guided recipe with the 'place' saved, but not another guided recipe.  All good though as the chocolate ganache is a recipe by itself.  I know that you can skip ingredients but I am not sure if you can skip past the cooking elements of the recipe.  I shall be checking with my consultant on that one (or try it out myself and see what happens!).

Thermomix: The Demo!

Timmy (the Thermomix TM5) arrived on Sunday morning amidst a flurry of activity!  The early hour meant a quick trip to Woolies before the demo, and we had had a 'cleaning emergency' prior to our most lovely consultant arriving!

I was rather excited to say the least!

Unboxing revealed a much bigger machine then I had expected.  I feel rather blessed that I have a largish kitchen with a lovely big breakfast bar which is now Timmy's permanent home.

The touch screen is also larger then I had thought making it the perfect size for kiddie fingers to help out, and also big man fingers for husbands to take control of the cooking!  This is fabulous given my husband is the cook in the family!

First lesson was that we need to switch the machine off properly before turning it off at the wall!

On to the Vegetable Stock using guided cooking.  Easy peasy!  Throw stuff in, weighing as you go.  You don't have to follow the recipe exactly - you can skip ingredients and add extra - but watch the basics as the salt ratio is important for how long it will last!

We made a mango sorbet (Fruity Dream) which was so wonderful I would have bought a Thermomix on the spot if I didn't already have one!  Leftovers are in the freezer to re-whip for dessert on another night.

I should add at this point that you should be starving when the demo begins - seriously!  I luckily hadn't had breakfast yet and I am so glad as I was stuffed by the end!   So stuffed it was at least 4hrs before I had a play with Timmy by myself for dinner!

We made a mushroom risotto.  Not my favourite idea but it was delicious!  I'm not a 'fancy' cook so no wine was added but the flavours thanks to the veggie stock were amazing!  We put away three serves for my husbands lunches during the week!

My husband took control for the custard using automated cooking.  These are the recipes where you put everything in at the start and the program changes temperature and speed on its own.  So my husband set it up and pressed start.  "Is that it?", yes!  He was won over there and then, and again when he tasted it!

We had prepped the bread rolls earlier, the dough left to rise, and they were popped in the oven while we were doing other things.  The bread rolls were gorgeous!  Better hot and fresh so any leftovers will be ground up to breadcrumbs!

We were taken through the cleaning process and given lots of tips and tricks along the way.  I can understand why they insist on the demo/ direct selling model as it really helps you get more out of the machine!

Some tips for the demo:

* have your dishwasher and sink empty and clean ready to use.
* have a large area ready to do the demo, a chopping board, and veggie waste bin on hand.
* have some bowls and cutlery ready for serving and storage jars and containers on hand for leftovers (though there may not be any!)
* be hungry!
* if you want to store the veroma and other bits and pieces out of sight, have a large area of cupboard space ready to go!

I'm writing this a few days after getting Timmy so I've used it quite a bit (more posts to come!) but I thought I would add some of the things I have learnt about the Thermomix since he arrived!

Some notes about what I didn't expect:
* I didn't expect it to be so big! No tape measure but about 50cm squared is the amount of bench space you will need so it's not crowded, plus more in height for the veroma.
* Noise.  Generally it is quiet at the lower speeds (quieter then my old dishwasher!), but speed 9 you can barely hear your own voice!  Luckily you only ever use high speeds for short amounts of time, and it isn't so bad if you slowly turn the dial up!  There will be no midnight milling around here!
* The Thermosaver - I thought it was just a pot, but it is insulated and it holds the temperature really well!  It is so worth having a few friends pop along to your delivery demo (note: if you have school age kids, finding someone free in the middle of school holidays at 9am on a Sunday morning is not easy!)
*How fast it is. Where I might spend 20- 30mins standing at a stove stirring, it is only about 10mins in the Thermomix.  It heats quickly and evenly and although it doesn't fry as such, you can still do fantastic tasting meat recipes - better then a slow cooker!
* Weighing things in.  I honestly thought that was a bit dodge, besides I have scales and can use measuring cups and spoons, and what if you go over?  But seeing it in real life and using it, it is so much easier - no dirty cups and spoons to rinse out and wash between use, and its easy to slow it down before the end and get fairly accurate.  It also makes it easier when you are making up recipes - just weigh as you throw it in and you can record of how much you put in for next time.
* Guided Cooking.  I was worried that I wouldn't be able to adjust recipes and that it would be rigid in the amounts.  Well, it's not.  You can add extra ingredients, skip past ones you don't need.  I still need to work out if I can skip past blending and heating type steps though!
* Cleaning.  I thought the whole self cleaning thing was too good to be true and having used a blender before, it is about par with that.  Throw in some water and mix on high speed when you are done.  But, it is really easy to clean up in the sink and the scrubbing brush that comes with it is the bomb!  The biggest mess I've made is with chocolate ganache (think melted chocolate) and it cleaned up in about 5 seconds (after making chocolate milk in the chocolaty bowl!).


All up, we got off to a great start with the whole family very positive that Timmy will fit in well with our family and make life a lot easier!

Change is here!

I picked up some mason jars today - smaller sized ones. 

Yogurt, jelly, jam, dressings, and other items I plan to make will fit nicely in these! 

It's all part of my big lifestyle change!  One thing at a time, small changes, and waiting until one habit is properly ingrained before moving on to the next!

But where is this change leading?

Here is a list of things I want to be easy and stress free in my life!

Money - the big one!  That's the one everyone stresses about no matter what you're income.  It seems to me that the more money I get, the harder it is to manage.  I have so many random bills now that I never used to have.  From cable tv to gym memberships, to online subscriptions and, of course, the mobile phones!  I think it's time to review what I'm spending my hard-earned money on, and if it is worth it.  Do I really need a meal planner to write up my shopping list?  Is it really easier, or am I justifying a 'new toy' to feed my ego? All my bills need to get this level of scrutiny!

Food - surprisingly this isn't just about what I get at the grocery store.  It's what I can grow in my garden, removing chemicals from my diet, do I want to go full organic?  Can I fit that in my budget?  What about the ethics of the food I eat?  Do I buy eggs based on money, or ethics, or do I sacrifice time to get my own chickens?  How much of this lifestyle could I embrace? 

Health - And then there is the 'fat' issue.  I will admit right here and now that I am not fat.  Borderline overweight? Yes!  At risk due to abdominal fat?  Yes!  Unhappy about how much fat I have on my body?  Yes!  But is fat really the issue?  No!  The issue is the food I eat is making me tired, sick, and unhappy - literally!  It is affecting my mental health and my physical health (really, you can't affect one without affecting the other!).

Resources -  I use a lot of resources.  We try to recycle but I have a lazy family (that includes me, admittedly).  Our power bill is shockingly high, we waste a lot of food, we waste a lot of everything!  I have always thought of myself a bit of a greenie, but the reality of my life is not in any way sustainable.  I even throw our green waste in the wheelie bin!

Me - Yup, I get a category all to myself.  I need, for my mental health, ego, etc, to finish my PhD.  I need to get my confidence back and get that agoraphobia monkey off my back.  It's time to start living again, achieving my goals, and feeling good about who I am!


I've committed to a few things of late.  First is the Commando program.  Not going well!  I have been sick, or had major work commitments the last 3 weeks.  Second is my PhD - I need to get with a full-time program to finish on time.  No more 'optional' box (and yet here I am at home instead of uni!).  to meet this, we bought a new car so that both my husband and I can pick up the kids.  And lastly, I bought a Thermomix!  I don't get it for a few weeks yet, but when I do, I'm changing our food completely!

One thing that I read consistently, is that big changes mean big crash!  Small changes are the way to go.  But I want those changes to count!  I NEED a calm, easy routine to work within.  One that meets all my goals.  One that is kind to me, my family, and fits my lifestyle.

Week Two Tuesday - Morning

Change.

It is scary.

It is hard.

We all want it, but sometimes it just feels impossible.

But it's coming.  I need it so bad.

The thing is, it's not the big things that I need to change.  It's not the outside things I need to change.

It's the thing that is happening right now.  I need to go to work.  I stayed up late.  I'm tired.  I have my excuse.  I should go shopping instead.  I should pop in to buy new school shirts.  I should do this.  I should do that.  I should do anything but my PhD work.

And when I get home and its time to workout and cook dinner.  I'm tired.  I'm sick.  I have my excuse.  Let's get take out instead.  I'll just watch this tv show first.  I don't have one of the ingredients.  The husband thinks it is too hard to cook from a recipe.  I'll do it tomorrow.

So today.. will I go to work and get my work done?  Will I come home and exercise and cook dinner?  Can I?  Will I?

Week Two Sunday

This week was hard.

Not the plan itself, but I was out of routine with work (think 10/12 hr days!).  Monday and Tuesday were actually pretty good.  The rest of the week wasn't - I forgot to prep my cereal the night before; my frozen meals weren't cooked properly; I wasn't here to cook dinner so husband just bought take-away, I 'didn't have time' to make my lunch.

So I need to rethink a few things. 

I normally have a quick omelette for breakfast.

2 eggs
butter in pan (5g)
feta  (20g)
greens (peas 20g)
sweet potato fritter (20g)
herbs
spice paste.

I could add a sweet potato fritter and maybe a roasted half tomato - or even left over veggies from last night.

Then have the option to add ham, chicken, proscuito or bacon.

But how do I make this fit the plan!  I've looked through the recipes to find the closest one but honestly, that's just confused me!

So I'm going to use the 'make your own' option!  Actually, I'm just going make up my breakfast and see how it fits!

Things to remember.. coffee/ tea counts as a carb (milk and sugar) so I'm going for 2 units of carbs, 3 of protein and 3 of fat. 

I've got, less then 2 units of carbs (the sweet potato is about one unit, peas about half), 4 units of fat (that butter adds up fast) and two of protein.  Less fat, more protein!  Feta is gone, ricotta or cottage cheese is in, and maybe some left over quinoa if I have it and heavy on the vegies.

The big question though, is do I really want this for breakfast everyday?  I did find the muesli okay, it comes down to remembering to add the liquid each night, and having some yogurt, berries and apples ready to add.

Snacks I need quick and easy.  The curried egg or ham and tomato on a rice cake is easy enough for one snack.  Other snack I will make yogurt, fruit, and nuts.  Easy Peasy.

Lunches are always problematic.  I think I just need one lunch for now to have each day.  Something quick and easy to make up in the morning - the Cheat Ceasar Salad.  The only problem is the lack of a microwave at work at the morning!  I really liked the carrot salad I had last week.. I could do that for two days and I will check out the other salads and maybe have a wrap.

Dinners I am just picking ones I had planned last week as that will be easier.

So that is meal planning!  I am tired and sick, it's not done properly, but it will do.  Better done imperfectly then not done because it wasn't perfect! Keep it simple!

Week Two Monday

The picture is a wee bit blurry.. Didn't have time to get the DSLR out!

The day started off well, had the Bircher muesli for breakfast (not too bad!), the choc brownie for morning tea with a cup of tea, that huge monstrosity in the picture for munch (delicious!) and then around 4pm I had curried egg on a rice cake, and went for my run..

So proud of myself.. I ran the whole 2.5km!  

I've been doing run/walks for ages trying to 'get back into it' but a little shove was all I needed.

It all went to crap after that.. I made cauliflower rice (yum) and reheated the chicken cattitorie, only to find there was still a bit pink.  It crossed my germ-phobe line even though I cooked it more in the frypan.  The teenage man-child was more then happy to chow down!

We did have a quiche cooking for the family anyway but I had to leave for a school concert just as it was coming out the oven (cue Choc Brownie to get me through!).  I had a smallish piece of quiche when I got home, and a sliver of Apple pie that the teenage man child had made at school (mandatory as parent of said child!).

I am not upset or disappointed even.. It didn't really 'go to crap', and I am super impressed with myself for actually taking lunch and eating it, and it was something new as well!

I haven't prepped my muesli for the morning but will do eggs instead.. Much too tired tonight!

Week One Sunday

What a week!

This week has been about "Fundamentals": getting to know the website, trying out recipes and stocking the freezer, and learning the basic exercises that make up the workouts.  There is a lot of information in videos and articles about nutrition, how the program is set up, what you need to have access to, and how to get the most out of the program.

I have to say, this week has also been about finding glitches!  I feel for the technical staff behind the scenes who have also had many 'suggestions' for improvement.  

I've bypassed the meal planning feature on the site as I want to store the recipes and have access to meal planning beyond this program.  I use a site called "Plan to Eat".  It's not free, but hardly expensive.

I've had a pretty full on day, beginning with budgeting, finishing my meal plan, doing the shopping, prepping lunches for the week, doing my fitness test and benchmark workout, and then some more prepping after dinner!

I also did three loads of washing!

I should have some exciting news over the next two weeks.  So excited!

Week One: Wednesday

Excited much!?!

I've got a pretty good set-up going with my home gym now, as well as a gym membership.

Meal plans come out tomorrow.  The recipes so far have looked awesome, and the ones I have cooked have all been really great!  Huge servings for the meals, and great tasting snacks!

Today was good, got out for a run/walk for a total of over 15000 steps for the day.

Food wise not so great.  I had no electricity at home so although I had a good breakfast (eggs, spinach, feta), I had a grilled chicken burger from McDonalds for lunch.  I had 3 cups of tea over the day, 5 spring rolls for dinner (homemade, not cooked in oil), and then a handful of flavoured chips for dessert.  I just had a hot chocolate, and a small tin of baked beans.

Not so great but not horrendous either!

My brain is getting ahead of itself with super plans to do the GCF workout in the morning, running in the afternoon.  That is so not going to work, but it wouldn't hurt to do it occasionally.

I guess I've just realised the time-frame and to get to my ideal weight by my 40th I have to hit a kg per week of weight loss, as well as getting a bit of muscle in the process.  A little unrealistic!  6-10kg would be a fantastic result and I'm hoping for 14kg? 

No matter how much I say I want to be healthy, fact is, I want to look good AND be healthy!

But I do know that numbers mean very little in the real world.  I am going to stick to the plan.  Get as active as possible, eat to the plan, meet my other commitments, get enough sleep, and take time out to relax and de-stress.

I can do this!

Speaking of which.. I need to go to bed!

Week One Tuesday

I was going to start this post with, "I've been a bit slack today, no exercise and take-out for dinner.", but I changed my mind.

I did stay up too late last night.. It was midnight by the time I fell asleep.  No excuses, I stayed up watching a hilarious movie and loved every minute of it.

Until I woke up tired.

Until I realised the kids used the last of the milk for cereal so I couldn't even have a cup of tea!

I had a great breakfast though, spinach and feta in scrambled eggs.

I put in a solid four hours in the lab, even if half of it was a huge fail!

I had a great lunch.. The chicken cattitorie recipe (no cauliflower rice though).

Then I organised school stuff for my eldest, picked up the younger boys, did half an hour of chores, went to school interview for eldest, and sent hubby out for takeout for dinner.

We cleaned up afterward, and I watched a couple of tv shows.

I watched the video for GCF for today - all stuff I've done before and don't have any technical issues with.

While I am enjoying a hot chocolate drink right now, I'm thinking it might be my last for while.  I want to get out of the habit of milky drinks.  So I guess I'm up for a good nights sleep!

Oh, and I'm going okay on the patches still.  Down to level two which I think is a good place right now. I'm still battling that thing in my head that says, "I'm tired, just have one and I'll feel better".  There is always that part of my psyche that wants to stays the same, wants me to relax, to just be me, to take the easy way because I don't need to change.  

I don't need to change, but I want to, because that is who I am!  I'm not changing me, just what I do!

Week One

Not quite the 'lift off' I was expecting!

But that is probably a good thing - fundamentals are important.

Like the squat.  I have discovered today that my squats, which have never been good, are now really bad!  My flexibility is horrendous!

No where near parallel, too much butt, and my back is certainly not upright!

I've looked up some flexibility exercises for my ankles, hamstrings, glutes, hip flexors, and lower back.  Lots of gentle stretching this week, as well as squating, and I hope to see some improvement. 

I do worry that as the week continues it will only highlight more issues in flexibility.

So this week I move, I move often and with vigour.