What made you buy your Thermomix?

[brazen20au]

my only problem with making my own stock is that i'm so used to using the massel chicken stock in everything and i can't with the tmx chicken stock as it's not vegetarian obviously! lol

[mama_bel]

What led me to purchase it was the notion that I'd make more stuff from scratch.  Even though I already made heaps from scratch I did buy: Massel stock powder, falafel mix, brown rice flour, some dips and spreads and more.  I've only had mine 4 days, so I'm sure I'll learn more that I can do on my own in time.

I've replaced my food processor, juicer, blender, hand mixer, grinder, scales - and this is a huge benefit in my small kitchen, plus some of my old appliances were pretty cheap and inefficient.

I'll never part with it 'cos a) it's easy to use and b) it's easy to clean.  Other appliances I've owned aren't, which is why they sat in the cupboard and this (TMX) sits on the bench!

So far I've made risottos, pesto, soups, coleslaw, chopped vegies, grated parmesan, minced tumeric, blended smoothies, made ice-cream, jam, porridge, boiled eggs and more.  And I've only really touched the surface (it's been a busy 4 days and I've had a cold!)  I haven't even used the steamer yet!  Or the butterfly (whipping attachment)!  But I have plans...

[judydawn]

You've done well in just 4 days mama bel - I think I just looked at mine for the first 4 days and was too scared to try anything. I just read all the books I got with it and gradually worked up the courage to try something which was potato cakes and that was a disaster as it is a lousy recipe and really needed a good tweak. This was followed by mashed potato which I got right but the glossy, cheesey version was one I soon became sick of and I have since modified both recipes to how I want them. The TMX and I are now best friends.

[Chelsea (Thermie Groupie)]

I bought my thermomix simply because I wanted something for me.  Something to inspire me, something I could "tinker" with and something that could take me away from baby-land for brief periods during the day.  When I went to the tmx demo (my first child-free outing in months), I fell in love with the machine and felt that it was just what I needed in my life.  I was wanting to get back into cooking (beyond survival cooking) but was struggling to find the time.  I just knew tmx would help me out.

On my way home from the demo I thought of all the reasons to tell my husband why I really needed and deserved one (you can justify almost anything if you really try!!).  Being a Mother (or parent) should automatically qualify you for a tmx in my opinion, but I had my back-up reasons prepared just in case.  Becoming a Mother in Ethiopia, our baby being so sick over there, contracting a rare strain of salmonella in Ethiopia that took me months to fight off, Paddy's hugely traumatic (and ridiculously drug-free) birth, Paddy's sleep condition (not sleeping for longer than 40 minutes day or night for months) . . . . . oh woe is me. . . . .  my poor hubby didn't stand a chance.  As it was, he thought it was a great idea and really encouraged me to buy one.  I shouldn't have doubted him!

Apart from my love of thermomix cooking and "tinkering with it" the other main reason why I would never part with my thermie is the change I have noticed in our eldest son.  He is greatly affected by the preservatives in many commercial breads and in other foods also.  He is so much calmer and settled now that we are cooking almost everything in our thermie.  It has been wonderful to see and I dread going places now where I know he will eat highly processed and preservative packed food.

I guess we all have our own reasons, but I doubt any of us would ever part with our beloved machines for even a week.

Chelsea 

[I Love Bimby!]

For me - Thermomix was about health reasons. Grace's and my asthma was getting worse - frighenly worse! At work one day I got chatting to another lady about all the nasties that go into our food and how that affects our health. She pointed me in the direction of Cyndi O'Meara (author of Changing Habits, Changing Lives) which is about getting back to the basics and whole foods and eliminating all the preservatives, additives, colours, flavourings etc. Cyndi would often include recipes in her newsletters etc and she had the traditional way and TMX way.  If I was going to do everything from scratch I imagined I'd have to leave work. So TMX offered a oppertunity to have it all.  The closest I could get to a demo was driving 3 hours to a consultants home.  I knew before I saw it that it was a must - just for the sake of our health! XH kept telling me it would just be a fad and in a few months I wouldn't use it blah blah blah.  So, I came home with one on order and haven't looked back since!  I use TMX, the oven and occasionally a frypan. That's it. And as for our health.... neither of us have had asthma at all for 6 months!!

The added benifits since having the TMX is:
Cooking is quicker and easier
Less washing up
I'm more adventerous with the cooking
We eat new foods (ie. vegies) that we probably wouldn't have recognised in the supermarket
Work benifits from all the ad hock morning teas they get
Being more inspired to cook
Friends suddenly end up with free meals landing at their door
Girlfriends who are having a hard time with the kids/babies are getting a week's worth of meals cooked for them in one visit over a few cuppas.
Get to spend more time with DD
Shopping in the supermarket is a breeze - there are so many isles we just don't go down!!
Groceries are cheaper.
I could go on all night....

Although I am a consultant - I was a raving fan well before hand!!!  And now just like to show people what is out there and possible.

As Chelsea commented - I just wouldn't part with it!!

[judydawn]

What wonderful stories we are reading in this topic.  Chelsea, my heart went out to you and it is so nice to see you are back on track with your family's health. ILB's purchase has also been life changing.  We all want the best for our children and with all the allergies and bad reactions some foods give our kids, I take my hat off to those young Mums who delve into ways to improve their children's diet & are prepared to do what it takes to make their lives as normal as possible. If only everyone had access to a TMX and put their children first.  Well done girls, what great mothers you are.

[Chelsea (Thermie Groupie)]

Thanks Judy.  I'm not sure about being a great Mum (speaking for myself only), but our thermomix certainly helps things along in the kitchen.  I just have to make sure I find time for my kids each day - they are in danger of becoming thermomix orphans (just joking - really).  Everyday I seem to love it more and more.  Not sure it is entirely healthy to have such strong feelings for a machine  .
Chelsea.

[cookie1]

I think we all understand Chelsea. My friends look at me a little differently now just in case I start raving about my TMX again, I have to keep myself in check.

[I Love Bimby!]

LOL!!  I can relate to all of that. Chelsea, I think I'm far from perfect too. But Grace will grow up knowing what good healthy food is all about and to take care of their bodies! Grace has just turned 3 and she has embraced the TMX too as part of life, weather I'm doing a demonstration or we're just cooking. Although - I do get told not to make her "ruin" her milo in the TMX - LOL!!

And Cookie - yes everyone thinks I'm raving mad!! Took the Wish Mag article into work today to show them it's not just a gimmick.

I think JB summed it up well at a cooking class one time by asking the guests if they thought that their friend/family member who had a TMX had joined a cult, because they they are obsessed with it!

[I Love Bimby!]

Chelsea - my heart goes out to you for all that you have gone through. And I take my hat off to you for getting out there and finding something that gives you an out and benifits your family too!!  And it's great that your other half was so supportive to get the TMX!!!

JD- thanks for your kind words 

[Chelsea (Thermie Groupie)]

Thanks guys.  We all have our challenges as parents - I'm just hoping that I've got a lot of them out of the way already . Thankfully I now have two very healthy little boys and we are all getting some sleep at night - hooray!!!  Chelsea

[Tenina]

I broke two food processors in two weeks and couldn't stand the idea of spending $400-500 on just an ordinary garden variety food processor...so without even having seen the TM, other than during my online research, I rang the office and asked when I could pick one up! Imagine my surprise when they said I couldn't! hahaha
Still, they organized a delivery demo almost immediately and the rest is history as they say. (Now I live, breathe, eat and sleep TM...as you would all know!)

[ralo]

A friend in Adelaide suggested it to me because of my daughter's food intolerances and the huge amount of cooking I was doing to cater for her.

We were visiting and she had her demonstrator friend come and do a demo for my husband and I. We were captivated from the beginning

e had an old food processor that needed replacing, no juicer or anything else and had spent the previous 4 months trying to make everything from scratch with no gadgets

The TM has made life so much easier.

I've been away for 10 days and it is so nice to be home with our TM

[Katya]

A friend is a demonstrator and was worried about her first demo so we offered to be guinea pigs for her.  Little did we know that we would get hooked ourselves.   

We have both hit the big SIX-OH this year and I had got my other half a very classy coffee machine for his birthday.  I then knew what I wanted for my birthday and waited 3 months patiently for it.   I've never looked back since getting it and it's really rekindled my enthusiasm for cooking.

[bron]

How clever are you Katya? Think thats the sort of thing I would do too! How funny! Congratulations though...the coffee machine and wait did the trick!