Ninja Master Prep Demo Day with Tina Radcliffe

Ninja Master Prep Demo Day

Tina Radcliffe

I have Yankee Belle chef, Virginia Carmichael to thank for introducing me to the Ninja Master Prep. A mere $34 bucks it is better than any blender and simpler than any food processor for day to day mixing/blending needs.

Nothing to screw together and cause leakage. It’s easy to clean too. It comes with two containers, each with their own blade/s, blending lid and storage lid. Unlike a blender, the large container this has a pour spout. The pro version comes with three sizes, small, medium and large. If you scroll down the Amazon link it will compare the different types of product available.

The possibilities are ENDLESS from mixing cake batter and pancake mix, to omelets without dirtying a spatula and beaters. Youtube has numerous videos on the product usage.

My personal favorite is making low calorie iced coffee beverages. 

Take a tray of ice cubes and pulse until you have snow.

Add leftover cold coffee (about a cup).

You can also add a dairy base of ¼ cup milk if you like or leave it dairy free. I usually leave it dairy free.

Add about 4 tablespoons chocolate syrup.

You can also add a package of sugar free hot chocolate mix instead of the syrup to really keep it low calorie.

This is Trenta size and it did not cost you five bucks.

We eat a lot of pico de gallo at my house, so my next Ninja experiment was to make my own.

I used a basic recipe found online: Remember you do not have to dice. The only prep work is to remove the seeds which I did using a grapefruit spoon.

1 1/2 cups seeded, tomatoes (I am using three Roma tomatoes)

1/4 cup red onion (I am using 1/8 of a very large onion)

1 tablespoon jalapenos (Remove seeds and wash hands carefully. I am using one half a medium jalapeno)

1 clove garlic

Juice of 2 limes

2 tablespoons cilantro, plus extra for garnish

Salt and pepper

Pulse about four times or to desired consistency. The more you pulse the more it becomes salsa like! 

IT IS DELICIOUS!

If you’re looking for dessert try tossing a cup of yogurt and frozen strawberries in the Ninja for a nice soft serve ice cream treat!

Enjoy!

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Tina Radcliffe is a two-time RWA Golden Heart finalist, a 2012 ACFW Carol Award finalist, a 2014 ACFW Mentor of the Year finalist, a 2014 Golden Quill finalist, and a 2014 ACFW Carol Award winner. She has won first place in over twenty RWA chapter-affiliated contests in her career. Tina is also a short story writer and has sold eleven short stories to Woman’s World Magazine. She currently resides in Arizona where she writes inspirational romance for Harlequin Love Inspired and independently publishes sweet romances. www.tinaradcliffe.com

Confessions of a Half-hearted Juicer

Confession #1: I let lettuce shrivel in the fridge.
Confession #2: I forget there is one lone apple in the back of the fridge.
Confession #3: I'm so frugal we didn't get an ice maker for the fridge.
Confession #4: I've been known in the past for going on fad diets and then tiring of them real quick.

Do you get the picture? I have a love/hate affair with fresh produce and my fridge. It's like out of sight, out of mind. As much as I love our farmer's market, I dread going and seeing only large bunches of veggies. If I had all the money I've wasted on fresh produce over the year I could buy an apartment in Paris. Well, maybe just go to Paris for five days and stay in a student hostel (shiver, been there and done that) but you get the picture.

All my family and friends juice and are healthier for it. My friend Mary C has a VitaMix , the Cadillac of juice extractors.  It pulverizes veggies like no one's business. Thanks to her daughter, who favors the single serving making Nutribullet, she's also become a whiz mixing with additives like hemp protein and flax oil.

Then there's my daughter-in-law Shannon who has a Ninja, a large high-powered blender. She is the queen of smoothies. She loves them as a runner. The grandkidlets just plain love them. Do they know they're healthy?

What did I have? A fear of juicing. Not because of the thought of all that healthy stuff coursing through my brain but my household budget hasn't allowed me to consider an appliance that is almost a hundred dollars. Add in the fact I neglect to use my veggies and I like to chew them besides.

Well, I decided to apply my repurpose credo to juicing. What did I already have? A mini processor and an immersion blender.

Hmmmm. Now to figure out the waste issue. I bought a small pint of local blueberries. A resealable package of spinach.  A pack of organic shredded carrots. And one small green juice drink rather than all the bunches of kale, heads of broccoli, cucumbers, and other green things that would otherwise die a meaningless death under my watch.

First I pulverized my spinach, blueberries and carrots in the processor by processing, adding a bit of the green juice, and processing some more.

Then I poured the semi-solid concoction into my immersion blender cup and really let it go to town. That's all it took.

And it was pretty tasty.

Yes, I had more dishes to wash. But for a first try it was pretty successful. If you have a regular blender and use frozen fruit and a banana (sniff, I'm allergic!), it will be even thicker. I like a bit of crunch in my drink but if you don't, you can buy carrot juice in small bottles as well.

The leftovers? Most will be used tonight as ingredients in dinner. No waste.

Only time will tell if I decide I like the ease of a Nutribullet or the Ninja. If it is worth it, I can save up for one. But, for now, my make-do plan is working. I like veggies I can sip down and drink up! 

Frugal Cheater's Healthy Drink

1/2 cup spinach
1/2 cup shredded carrots (or carrot juice)
1/2 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup "green" juice
1 banana (optional for additional sugar and smoothness)

Process or blend veggies until as smooth as possible. Add juice and optional banana. Process again and drink. 

Epilogue: I am still juicing after a week. AND I discovered Earthbound Farm Organics has a packaged baby kale, shard, and spinach blend that is perfect. No waste.  Feeling so much better. So I may just have to save my pennies up for an upgraded machine after all.

Earthbound Farm makes it easy to get your power greens. Click here for more info

Caution: Remember that there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. There is some research saying that too many servings of kale and other greens can affect your thyroid function. Too much fruit and not enough protein affects diabetics. Not eating a balanced diet is just not a good thing. Use good judgement when juicing and talk to your doctor if you have any questions or concerns due to your own health situation.   
 
So, are you a juicer? Do you prefer to drink your veggies and fruits rather than chew? What is your favorite smoothie, homemade or bought?