Hi all, just a quick post tonight. Have you ever seen a recipe and thought,"Ooo! I so want to make that", then realised at the fruit market or supermarket that the fresh produce is not in season and either not available or ridiculously expensive because its has been imported from a faraway place? Well, I just thought about this and decided to google it and came across a link via Woolworths, for those of us who live in NSW. Basically, you can use this link to find out what's in season and the plan your meals accordingly, and also check out the recipes you have patiently waiting for you on Pinterest or the like! I hope you find this helpful:)
WHAT'S IN SEASON LINK
PS. The link will show what's good for March, but once your at the site, you can search for whatever month you want, if you want to plan ahead!!
FoodMuster, to gather or bring together food. How do you make pantry ingredients into amazingly delicious meals? Most of my recipes are made with ingredients you can store either in your fridge, freezer, pantry or store cupboards. My tips and recipes will help you lower your food bills and cut down on waste without compromsing on taste. I also love to craft and run giveaways and talk about my adventures as a mum and wife.
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Monday, March 12, 2012
Say NO to Bullying Week
I am all for supporting good causes, and I truly believe this is a good cause. As a mother and a school teacher, I have dealt with my children being on the receiving end of bullying. As a Primary school teacher, I have witnessed bullying behaviour, and I have worked with the bully to try and change behaviour. The issue at hand is, that when I was going to school bullying existed both at Primary and High school. It hasn't stopped and unfortunately I don't think it will stop. If anything it has got worse in a way, because now we have silent bullying. Bullies are abusing social media to target their victims. This I believe is the worse kind of bullying because it becomes truly personal. The bully can say anything they want to say because there is nobody watching and maybe only the victim listening. We have all heard of the unfortunate circumstances of children committing suicide because of bullying via Facebook, Chat rooms, SMS messgaes and Twitter and even E-mails.
I have been listening to 106.5fm in the morning with Claire and Rosso this week because its Say No to Bullying week. People can call in and share their stories of their children's experiences or their own of being bullied. I must say, its truly sad to here what some kids are going through or have experienced in their lives. As a parent, you want your child/ren to go to school to enjoy learning and feel safe. If a teacher was bullying a student, we would all know about it and it would make the evening news and would be all over the internet, twitter, facebook, with everyone making judgements and ordering this teacher be dismissed from the profession. But what happens to the children that are the bully? Are they disciplined correctly by the school and in such a way that the behaviour is not repeated? Does everyone know about it and does the school community hear about it? From what I hear on the radio, it unfortunately doesn't seem this way. In saying this, we can't assume that every case of bullying is brought to the attention of the school community, but I do believe that certain circumstances should. No names are required, just the behaviour and what the punishment was for that kind of behaviour.
Today a caller expressed her story of being part of an exclusive private school, but her son was being mortifyingly bullied, but the school was not doing their part to protect the boy. She told of how she was described by teachers as being highly emotional and too protective of her son and accused of possibly planting stories of bullying in her son's mind. While we don't know all the pieces to this story, we can only go from her perspective, and unfortunately, I did see how she could be treated this way. The unfortunate problem in some school communities, is where a parent complains to much they do a disservice to themselves. If a parent doesn't complain at all, they are seen as an unsupportive parent. So where can you sit and get the attention you deserve for your child?
From my personal experience as a parent who's child was bullied from kindergarten to year 1, I feel the other problem with bullying is that it is mainly done in the school playground or bathrooms, where the teachers can't see. When an instance of bullying is bought to the teacher's attention by a parent the teacher's general response is, " I haven't witnessed any bullying behaviour from that child", and of course they won't because usually the bully is smart and won't do it in front of the teacher because they know what the consequence will be. This then makes it hard for the teacher to take action because they can't really respond to behaviour they haven't witnessed. If the bully is only taunting the child then its not obvious what the scares are. If a bully is physical, and there are marks, then action can be taken a lot more seriously because there is visible proof.
Each school tends to have a different approach on their bullying action plan. From my personal experience the school didn't react very well, and I was seriously considering changing schools. I then decided I had to become a parent that consistently, but not annoyingly(in my opinion) speak to the teachers and note the things my daughter told me. I also requested that my daughter not sit near this child, and also ask the teachers to ask my daughter each day how her play time was, so she could tell them of things that were happening in the playground. I would then call the teachers weekly to followup.I also requested formally by letter that my daughter not be placed in a classroom with this child, as they were in the same year. By year 2 all things had worked out and my daughter is actually now friends with this child and I think its only me who remembers the details of what happened. My daughter hasn't forgotten the experience but because she is a lot more confident then those days, she shrugs it off. That being said she is very open about sticking up for other kids if she witnesses bullying and will tell the teacher on duty or her own teacher if she feels its serious. In the end it was up to me to make this situation real for the teacher and school. It was up to me to make sure this stopped. At the end of the day it really is up to you, as the parent, and make the school listen and respond appropriately. You have to be consistently visible to them to make sure the issue is kept in their view.
I am lucky that the problem went away, but there are plenty of parents out there who have son/s or daughter/s who aren't able to shake this and feel helpless. As this is my blog, where I express my personal opinions from my own experience, for what its worth I do have a suggestion for how to discipline the bullies of the school yards.
I think there should be a disciplinary council. I think they should stand with a parent in front of a panel of teachers from the school and local schools and the school principal. The panel can also include the P&C president, so they get what is happening in the school they support and represent. I think the bully should have to listen to their victim, and what it feels like to be treated the way they do. I think each panel member should ask the bully a question about why they do it and how he/she could stop their behaviour. It should be an intense moment for the bully and they should feel scared and worried about standing in front of their victim, the parents of the victim, his/her own parents, teacher, the principal, and parents who support the school. They should know what their actions do and how they make the school look. I also think the panel should hand down 'a sentence' so to speak. Where the bully gets a proper punishment whether it be suspension or expulsion, but I also think they should do 'community service' so to speak and have their lunchtimes taken away from them for a whole term and they will have to do service for the school weather it be cleaning the school grounds, cleaning classrooms, office duties, or even working in the canteen etc. I also think, that the bully and the victim should be provided with counselling sessions by the school counsellor to help work out why they display the behaviour that they do, and maybe this is all that the bully needs to work his/her problems out to be a better person. I also think if the bullying happens on the internet via social media, that parents should consider involving the police. There should be no tolerance, because bullying can affect a child long term.
So what do you think? Is it a worthy suggestion? I would love to hear your thoughts on this very serious matter that needs to be addressed.
Don't forget its Say NO to bullying week. Speak to your children and ask them about these issues and if they see it in the playground. They need to tell someone, even if its you and then you should express these matters to your school. It has to stop, and even if it doesn't stop completely student's need to see that the consequences are severe!
I have also decided a linky would be good here, to share posts on bullying that could be helpful and open our eyes to what some children are going through or if you have some thoughts on how bullying should addressed. Please link up below and please only link up a post about bullying. This post is about bullying at school, but if you want to share something about bullying in general, please do. I am a family friendly blog.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Make Joesph KONY Famous in 2012
A couple of years ago, my husband and I watched a film about a child who was abucted from his home, was fed drugs and brainwashed to murder other children and adults and even murder his own family members. It was a hard film to watch, but the hardest thing, was knowing that his actually happens daily in parts of Africa. I can not recall the name of this film right now, but the images I saw and the emotion I felt has never left me.
The man that is behind the real life abductions, murders, and sexual abuse is Joseph Kony. How do I know this? I just finished watching a documentary about it. I was about to head to bed for an early night and I came across Kony 2012 via a link on NineMSN. Something inside of me, told me I should click the link and see why this mans face was on my computer screen. So I did and 30 minutes later, I am writing this post urging you all to do the same.
The film, Invisible Children, will educate you on the who Joseph Kony is, who Jacob is and his story. Imagine watching your brother die in front of you as his throat is being slit. What got me most, was when Jacob breaks down and cries. I could not help but cry too. His cry was so piercing and you could hear how torn inside he was. He truly did not feel at that point in the documentary that he wanted to be alive it was truly a wordless moment.
Be sure to show your support of the cause of making Joesph Kony famous to bring him down and to be tried as a war criminal. It is beyond me, as to how people can be this evil, but unfortunately they do exist. However, WE exist also and its up to US, the good people all over the world to band together, use the weapons we know best, social media to bring him down. I never realised until now, the power we have at our finger tips every day of our lives to spread the stories of people who suffer so we can make a difference.
The film only takes 30 minutes and it will educate you on what you can do on April 20. So please do as I did, spare the time to watch a documentary that will make you think about what you can do to help the children who suffer. As a parent, sibling, auntie,friend, and educator, I see children everyday of my life. I get very protective of children who are mistreated and I do my best to advocate for those that can't.
We are strong in numbers and the good people of the world can make a difference. People already have and now, I can join them in increasing the fold to bring awareness to this tragic situation. I strongly urge you to watch the film, and be part of painting the town red for KONY 2012, and bring this man to justice so that his crimes will be stopped and children can once again understand and experience what childhood is really about.
** I have taken the film out as it was taking to long to load my page, please check the links above**
The man that is behind the real life abductions, murders, and sexual abuse is Joseph Kony. How do I know this? I just finished watching a documentary about it. I was about to head to bed for an early night and I came across Kony 2012 via a link on NineMSN. Something inside of me, told me I should click the link and see why this mans face was on my computer screen. So I did and 30 minutes later, I am writing this post urging you all to do the same.
The film, Invisible Children, will educate you on the who Joseph Kony is, who Jacob is and his story. Imagine watching your brother die in front of you as his throat is being slit. What got me most, was when Jacob breaks down and cries. I could not help but cry too. His cry was so piercing and you could hear how torn inside he was. He truly did not feel at that point in the documentary that he wanted to be alive it was truly a wordless moment.
Be sure to show your support of the cause of making Joesph Kony famous to bring him down and to be tried as a war criminal. It is beyond me, as to how people can be this evil, but unfortunately they do exist. However, WE exist also and its up to US, the good people all over the world to band together, use the weapons we know best, social media to bring him down. I never realised until now, the power we have at our finger tips every day of our lives to spread the stories of people who suffer so we can make a difference.
The film only takes 30 minutes and it will educate you on what you can do on April 20. So please do as I did, spare the time to watch a documentary that will make you think about what you can do to help the children who suffer. As a parent, sibling, auntie,friend, and educator, I see children everyday of my life. I get very protective of children who are mistreated and I do my best to advocate for those that can't.
We are strong in numbers and the good people of the world can make a difference. People already have and now, I can join them in increasing the fold to bring awareness to this tragic situation. I strongly urge you to watch the film, and be part of painting the town red for KONY 2012, and bring this man to justice so that his crimes will be stopped and children can once again understand and experience what childhood is really about.
** I have taken the film out as it was taking to long to load my page, please check the links above**
Friday, March 2, 2012
Happy Children
As a lot of you may already know. I have 4 kids and I work part time, and yes I do have my crazy moments! I have a lot of good times and then simple things like when my son accidentally dropped the cereal box the other day, I went off!! Not that he did anything wrong, it was just the tip of my ice berg! I did smooth that over and I am lucky that my kids are still at a good age where they forgive me within reasonable time;) I have to work hard though, to keep my household in order so that not only do my kids stay happy, but I need to be happy to. Most mums know, I am sure, that if you aren't happy or feel good about things, that that has a rippling affect throughout the rest of the family.
This year I decided that one way that I know that will make me happy is if my kids helped me with chores every single day. They haven't been the best helpers in the past, and that is partly my fault. When I was a kid, I was making my own school lunch when I was in year 3 onwards and I was doing chores when I was at least 10. I remember clearly that I was doing the vacuuming because I chose it. I saw something absolutely fascination with vacuuming, maybe it was because it was a machine and it seemed like the job could be done so quickly. But I think I got bored by the end of the week and the fun that I thought would last for ever was over. Then it became a 'chore'!! I then went to dusting which again, I didn't like but did it for a couple of years. I then asked my mum for a change and after all the 'baggsing' carrying on with my brothers and sisters (I had 2 brothers and 2 sisters), kinda like playing Billionaire sometimes! I was left with hanging out clothes, taking them off, and folding them.In addition to this I would have to wash dishes one day a week and also cook one day a week. By the time this last chore came about, my mum was going to school, so we really needed to help her out. I do believe I was hanging out clothes, taking them off, and folding them until the day before I got married!!! The cooking part was fun for me and I think I cooked more than one day a week, because it wasn't a chore for me and it gave me many opportunities to make things that I had seen on TV or in cook books. Washing the dishes, kept going because we never go a dishwasher! Can you believe, 7 people in a busy household with no dishwasher?!!
The point I am making, is that I grew up doing chores and so I was fairly disappointed with myself, that I was not getting my kids to do chores too. The conditions were the same; reasonably big family, both parents working, and mum going crazy trying to work out how she was going to keep up with it all. So my kids though they weren't happy that I had keyed into this revelation, did come on board and have been doing their jobs each day and helping me out. It makes such a difference to me, knowing that I don't have to do as many jobs when I get home and the house can be kept in a reasonably respectable fashion. I am also proud of my children for stepping up and taking on the chores with a reasonably good attitude and I think they get an idea of why I get grumpy. I have also noticed them saying things like, " Can you take your dishes to the sink please"!
In return for my kids helping me out,I felt I wanted to reward them in some way. I didn't want to give them pocket money, as I have been down that road before and in our family, it got ugly! I thought about other ways to reward but then I thought I would just ask them and see what kind of things that would like. Surprisingly, they really just wanted me to read them more stories! I used to do this quite a lot when they were younger but for some reason, I can't really pin point, did it less and less. I am an enthusiastic reader. I love to read aloud, because I love to put expression in the words and different voices to the characters and really bring the book to life for my children. So now, I read to them and I am so surprised at how this makes a difference to them and to the way we interact as a family. It really means a lot to them that I sit with them and spend that time with them.Last night, I read to my daughter, who is 10.5years old until she fell asleep, it was such a lovely feeling.
I highly recommend parents read to their children, of any age. If you don't want to or can't read to them in the way that I do, it doesn't matter at all. I think kids just love that closeness of sitting with you and listening to you read to 'them'. Its an easy exercise, that costs nothing and its something the your children will cherish forever and it will keep them HAPPY, at least for a little while!! If your children enjoy this time with you, you can also use this as your leverage when they aren't behaving well or threatening that they won't do their jobs. For now, it works. I am sure there will come a time that I will need to be more creative, but I will be happy with what I have for now!!!
This year I decided that one way that I know that will make me happy is if my kids helped me with chores every single day. They haven't been the best helpers in the past, and that is partly my fault. When I was a kid, I was making my own school lunch when I was in year 3 onwards and I was doing chores when I was at least 10. I remember clearly that I was doing the vacuuming because I chose it. I saw something absolutely fascination with vacuuming, maybe it was because it was a machine and it seemed like the job could be done so quickly. But I think I got bored by the end of the week and the fun that I thought would last for ever was over. Then it became a 'chore'!! I then went to dusting which again, I didn't like but did it for a couple of years. I then asked my mum for a change and after all the 'baggsing' carrying on with my brothers and sisters (I had 2 brothers and 2 sisters), kinda like playing Billionaire sometimes! I was left with hanging out clothes, taking them off, and folding them.In addition to this I would have to wash dishes one day a week and also cook one day a week. By the time this last chore came about, my mum was going to school, so we really needed to help her out. I do believe I was hanging out clothes, taking them off, and folding them until the day before I got married!!! The cooking part was fun for me and I think I cooked more than one day a week, because it wasn't a chore for me and it gave me many opportunities to make things that I had seen on TV or in cook books. Washing the dishes, kept going because we never go a dishwasher! Can you believe, 7 people in a busy household with no dishwasher?!!
The point I am making, is that I grew up doing chores and so I was fairly disappointed with myself, that I was not getting my kids to do chores too. The conditions were the same; reasonably big family, both parents working, and mum going crazy trying to work out how she was going to keep up with it all. So my kids though they weren't happy that I had keyed into this revelation, did come on board and have been doing their jobs each day and helping me out. It makes such a difference to me, knowing that I don't have to do as many jobs when I get home and the house can be kept in a reasonably respectable fashion. I am also proud of my children for stepping up and taking on the chores with a reasonably good attitude and I think they get an idea of why I get grumpy. I have also noticed them saying things like, " Can you take your dishes to the sink please"!
In return for my kids helping me out,I felt I wanted to reward them in some way. I didn't want to give them pocket money, as I have been down that road before and in our family, it got ugly! I thought about other ways to reward but then I thought I would just ask them and see what kind of things that would like. Surprisingly, they really just wanted me to read them more stories! I used to do this quite a lot when they were younger but for some reason, I can't really pin point, did it less and less. I am an enthusiastic reader. I love to read aloud, because I love to put expression in the words and different voices to the characters and really bring the book to life for my children. So now, I read to them and I am so surprised at how this makes a difference to them and to the way we interact as a family. It really means a lot to them that I sit with them and spend that time with them.Last night, I read to my daughter, who is 10.5years old until she fell asleep, it was such a lovely feeling.
I highly recommend parents read to their children, of any age. If you don't want to or can't read to them in the way that I do, it doesn't matter at all. I think kids just love that closeness of sitting with you and listening to you read to 'them'. Its an easy exercise, that costs nothing and its something the your children will cherish forever and it will keep them HAPPY, at least for a little while!! If your children enjoy this time with you, you can also use this as your leverage when they aren't behaving well or threatening that they won't do their jobs. For now, it works. I am sure there will come a time that I will need to be more creative, but I will be happy with what I have for now!!!
Sunday, February 26, 2012
HotMix Pro vs Thermomix TM 31 part 2
So in my last post I farewelled the Kenwood Cooking Chef as an option. I do use the HotMix Pro Gastro machine and I want to share some comparisons of the Vorwerk Thermomix TM31 and why I think the HotMix Pro at the end of the day is the winner for me.
I will say first and foremost. All the thermal cooking machines that I have mentioned in all my posts are good machines. What I assume a lot of you are here for is what is the best machine. There is a lot of things I need to tick boxes for when looking for the best cooking machine. I have been researching this topic for quite sometime now and I am very critical. I ask a lot of questions and have drilled thermomix reps like crazy and likewise for HotMix Pro. The price of these machines are not everyday pricing. You have to know what you are spending your money on and you have to know why you need to spend the money. So, naturally your choice has to be the best choice.
Here are is what the Thermomix TM 31 looks like:
Here is the HotMix Pro Gastro:
With your TM 31 machine you get a 2L bowl, the Varoma, which for steaming, you get a spatula, a paddle for things like whipping cream. You also to my understanding, if you hold a party for your friends a bowl that keeps foods either hot or cold for up to 4hours. There might be other things I am missing, but my critique today is purely about the machine.
One thing I do like about the TM 31 is the bowl is that is has a wide base. I like wide base bowls and glasses in general, because I think they are easier to clean. That being said, its not the be all and end all! Its just a good feature.
The HM Pro bowl looks like this:
What I don't like about the TM 31 bowl is the bottom attachment.
There is a lot to get off to take out the blades to clean the bowl out. On the HotMix Pro there is no bottom attachment or heating prongs. All you have to do is take the button 'nut' off by unscrewing it, remove blades and you can clean bowl or pop it into the dishwasher, its easy as!
I want to show you what you will see on the front of the TM 31 machine. The temperatures and the other dials etc.
As you can see, there is a lot going on here!! It's a bit busy, and I have heard it takes some time getting use to working it. In comparison to the HotMix Pro Gastro, there is one LCD screen, with easy push buttons for speed, temperature, time, up and down, menu program (will explain later), start/stop, pulse/turbo.
The highlighted screen is a welcome bonus with the Gastro model.
A few things that I like about the HotMix Pro Gastro, is the fact that the bowl can be fitted either in a left hand position of a right hand position.
You will also notice in this last picture, that the lid clips on either side of the bowl and can be lifted up if you wish to add more items quickly. I really like this feature. I like that you don't have to take the lid off completely if you want to check something that can't be done through the lid hole.
You will notice from any of the above pictures that there is no 'Varoma' style add-on for the HotMix Pro machines. Thermomix pride themselves on this feature. I do have to admit, its a good feature. Its a healthier cooking option. However, if you have never had a TM 31 machine and already steam your food in another way, then you can keep doing this. Its just an added bonus for the TM 31 but I don't believe it should be your deciding factor between the two machines. You can cook sous vide in the HotMix Pro which is just as healthy as steaming. If you are unsure of what sous vide is check it out here. You can cook prawns using the sous vide method in a HotMix Pro machine on 51C within 30mins, which is amazing! This is also why cooking using 1C increments is so useful and important in making amazing food and dishes at home.
One feature that the HotMix Pro machines do not have, is the inbuilt scales. Again, this is a feature that Thermomix pride themselves on. It's a good feature. For a novice in the kitchen that either never used scales or doesn't like using them, I can understand why you like this feature. However, I don't personally like the inbuilt scale option, and its a personal thing. I like to measure my ingredients separately and I like to make any measurement mistakes outside the bowl where it can be easily corrected. I have discussed this point with other foodie friends who don't own either machines and they have surprisingly agreed, that measuring the ingredients separately would be the better way to go. That being said, my TM 31 using friends swear that the in built feature is one of the best things about their machine. Again, its personal and I really don't think it should be the reason why you make a decision over one machine or the other.
So what should your decision making be based on? I believe it should be performance. Both machines perform well, to a certain extent. On an even playing field you can only compare the two machines when their features are equal. The HotMix Pro excels beyond the TM 31 in speed and temperature. It is a faster machine, and because you can increase the temperature by 1C increments and the fact that the temperature cooks as a max temp of 190C, it beats the TM 31 hands down! It is a superior machine and if you are serious about your cooking its the better machine. Its kinda like comparing the top 10 fastest sports cars. They all look and sound good, but you have to know or research the specs to know the what the best really is!
The higher cooking temperature allows you to make things like candied nuts, nougats, pralines, toffees etc. If any of you know what its like to stand at a hot stove stirring constantly for up to 20minutes to achieve caramels or nougat, then you will be able to celebrate with me know that this machine does this for you! How bliss!!
In my opinion the HotMix Pro machines are the better machines. If you are serious about your cooking and would love to be able to cook dishes in a variety of ways, just like the top chefs do, then you need to choose the best machine, which is the HotMix Pro Gastro. If you are not as serious but still want the best machine the meets your cooking level, then the HotMix Pro Easy is your machine. The price of the HotMix Pro Easy is not much different to the Thermomix TM 31. The HotMix Pro Gastro model more expensive, but you are paying for a quality machine.
In my next instalment, I will share with you some recipes that you can achieve with the HotMix Pro Gastro machine. If you have any questions, or comments, please don't be shy in sharing your thoughts below.
I will say first and foremost. All the thermal cooking machines that I have mentioned in all my posts are good machines. What I assume a lot of you are here for is what is the best machine. There is a lot of things I need to tick boxes for when looking for the best cooking machine. I have been researching this topic for quite sometime now and I am very critical. I ask a lot of questions and have drilled thermomix reps like crazy and likewise for HotMix Pro. The price of these machines are not everyday pricing. You have to know what you are spending your money on and you have to know why you need to spend the money. So, naturally your choice has to be the best choice.
Here are is what the Thermomix TM 31 looks like:
With your TM 31 machine you get a 2L bowl, the Varoma, which for steaming, you get a spatula, a paddle for things like whipping cream. You also to my understanding, if you hold a party for your friends a bowl that keeps foods either hot or cold for up to 4hours. There might be other things I am missing, but my critique today is purely about the machine.
One thing I do like about the TM 31 is the bowl is that is has a wide base. I like wide base bowls and glasses in general, because I think they are easier to clean. That being said, its not the be all and end all! Its just a good feature.
The HM Pro bowl looks like this:
What I don't like about the TM 31 bowl is the bottom attachment.
There is a lot to get off to take out the blades to clean the bowl out. On the HotMix Pro there is no bottom attachment or heating prongs. All you have to do is take the button 'nut' off by unscrewing it, remove blades and you can clean bowl or pop it into the dishwasher, its easy as!
I want to show you what you will see on the front of the TM 31 machine. The temperatures and the other dials etc.
As you can see, there is a lot going on here!! It's a bit busy, and I have heard it takes some time getting use to working it. In comparison to the HotMix Pro Gastro, there is one LCD screen, with easy push buttons for speed, temperature, time, up and down, menu program (will explain later), start/stop, pulse/turbo.
A few things that I like about the HotMix Pro Gastro, is the fact that the bowl can be fitted either in a left hand position of a right hand position.
You will notice from any of the above pictures that there is no 'Varoma' style add-on for the HotMix Pro machines. Thermomix pride themselves on this feature. I do have to admit, its a good feature. Its a healthier cooking option. However, if you have never had a TM 31 machine and already steam your food in another way, then you can keep doing this. Its just an added bonus for the TM 31 but I don't believe it should be your deciding factor between the two machines. You can cook sous vide in the HotMix Pro which is just as healthy as steaming. If you are unsure of what sous vide is check it out here. You can cook prawns using the sous vide method in a HotMix Pro machine on 51C within 30mins, which is amazing! This is also why cooking using 1C increments is so useful and important in making amazing food and dishes at home.
One feature that the HotMix Pro machines do not have, is the inbuilt scales. Again, this is a feature that Thermomix pride themselves on. It's a good feature. For a novice in the kitchen that either never used scales or doesn't like using them, I can understand why you like this feature. However, I don't personally like the inbuilt scale option, and its a personal thing. I like to measure my ingredients separately and I like to make any measurement mistakes outside the bowl where it can be easily corrected. I have discussed this point with other foodie friends who don't own either machines and they have surprisingly agreed, that measuring the ingredients separately would be the better way to go. That being said, my TM 31 using friends swear that the in built feature is one of the best things about their machine. Again, its personal and I really don't think it should be the reason why you make a decision over one machine or the other.
So what should your decision making be based on? I believe it should be performance. Both machines perform well, to a certain extent. On an even playing field you can only compare the two machines when their features are equal. The HotMix Pro excels beyond the TM 31 in speed and temperature. It is a faster machine, and because you can increase the temperature by 1C increments and the fact that the temperature cooks as a max temp of 190C, it beats the TM 31 hands down! It is a superior machine and if you are serious about your cooking its the better machine. Its kinda like comparing the top 10 fastest sports cars. They all look and sound good, but you have to know or research the specs to know the what the best really is!
The higher cooking temperature allows you to make things like candied nuts, nougats, pralines, toffees etc. If any of you know what its like to stand at a hot stove stirring constantly for up to 20minutes to achieve caramels or nougat, then you will be able to celebrate with me know that this machine does this for you! How bliss!!
In my opinion the HotMix Pro machines are the better machines. If you are serious about your cooking and would love to be able to cook dishes in a variety of ways, just like the top chefs do, then you need to choose the best machine, which is the HotMix Pro Gastro. If you are not as serious but still want the best machine the meets your cooking level, then the HotMix Pro Easy is your machine. The price of the HotMix Pro Easy is not much different to the Thermomix TM 31. The HotMix Pro Gastro model more expensive, but you are paying for a quality machine.
In my next instalment, I will share with you some recipes that you can achieve with the HotMix Pro Gastro machine. If you have any questions, or comments, please don't be shy in sharing your thoughts below.
Friday, February 3, 2012
HotMix Pro vs Thermomix TM31 vs Kenwood Cooking Chef Part 1
I will be writing some posts about the comparisons of the above machines. Since I started using the HotMix Pro, I have discovered some interesting comparsions that I desire to share with you all. I have decided to do this in parts, because there is a lot of information I would like to share with you and I don't want to overwhelm you in one post. I will begin this review with basic comparisons of the the three machines. The second part will be are more intense comparison of the Thermomixer TM31 vs the HotMix Pro machine. I will show you photos of what each machine looks like and my pros and cons for each machine. Lastly and most importantly, as I have a HotMix Pro I will show you what you can achieve with it and why I think its the better machine than the Thermomixer TM 31
It seems from the response on my posts and the talk else where that the above three cooking machines are the ones that most people are talking about. Naturally, for those that care to know, TM 31 gets a lot of recognition and discussion because it targets the mum-chef market via party plan. The demonstration party shows you how to make an entree, main, salad, bread rolls, and dessert all in the one machine within the hour. Its rather impressive and most women are in awe of the machine by the end of the demonstration and impulsively begin thinking or rationalising how and why they need the machine day/night or when they will hold their own party to take advantage of the gifts they supply if you do so. However, one should be conscious of whether this truly is the only machine like this available in the market. Once upon a time Thermomix was loving the attention and sales because there was nothing else really like it on the market, either in party plan or commercially. However I am please to inform you all, that Thermomix needs to worry because they are no longer lone rangers on the market. There are more machines popping up that compare and even are better than the TM 31. I have written a few blog posts already about thermal cooking machines so please feel free to take a look at those. Once you have done that sit down with your cuppa and read on to see what else is available.
I have had the pleasure of using the HotMix Pro and I love it!! HotMix Pro is fairly new to the Australian market. The Hotmix Pro machines are designed and made in Italy, so you can be assured of quality. The TM 31, is German designed, but made in France. Since using this machine I have discovered there are many great features that make HotMix Pro better than the TM 31 and the Kenwood Cooking Chef.
I won't harp on too much about the fact that you don't have to have a party to purchase a HotMix Pro machine. Just contact them(in your own country) and they will get you in contact with your local state rep. The NSW rep is Ralph Goodwin, who is lovely and will help you out with no worries at all. Stewart Fruhwald is the Natioanl/Victoria contact and you can also purchase HotMix pro in New Zealand. All other countries can make enquiries via the worldwide page at www.hotmixpro.com.
HotMix Pro provide two different machines depending on your needs. The two models are HotMix Pro Easy, and HotMix Pro Gastro. To get an idea of the difference between the two Hotmix models you need to work what you need it for. If you are a home chef and are considering a Kenwood Cooking Chef or a Thermomixer TM 31, then the HotMix Easy model is for you. However, if you own a restaurant, catering business etc then the Gastro model is more on your end of the market. That being said, there is nothing stopping the home chef purchasing the Gastro. If cooking is your passion, there are some great features on the Gastro that would benefit you, however it is a little more expensive. I have done a basic comparison checklist to give you an idea on what each machine offers and for what price.
From first glance, they all seem fairly comparable except for the fact that the HotMix Pro machines and the Kenwood Cooking Chef have a more powerful motor in comparison to the TM31. To truly compare the HotMix Pro machine with the TM 31 I used a TM 31 recipe book and I discovered I was using lower speeds on the HotMix pro and getting the same results and in some cases mixing or grinding in shorter time and cooking on lower temperatures because I can change the temperatures by 1C. You will also notice that the maximum temperatures are much higher in the HotMix Pro machines compared to the TM 31. I feel it very important to emphasize that the increments of temperature on the HotMix Pro machines go up by 1C which is important in achieving results for some recipes such as caramelising sugars. Textures and tastes of meals can be enhanced if you have control over how your food is cooked and this is something that the TM 31 can not do.
It seems from the response on my posts and the talk else where that the above three cooking machines are the ones that most people are talking about. Naturally, for those that care to know, TM 31 gets a lot of recognition and discussion because it targets the mum-chef market via party plan. The demonstration party shows you how to make an entree, main, salad, bread rolls, and dessert all in the one machine within the hour. Its rather impressive and most women are in awe of the machine by the end of the demonstration and impulsively begin thinking or rationalising how and why they need the machine day/night or when they will hold their own party to take advantage of the gifts they supply if you do so. However, one should be conscious of whether this truly is the only machine like this available in the market. Once upon a time Thermomix was loving the attention and sales because there was nothing else really like it on the market, either in party plan or commercially. However I am please to inform you all, that Thermomix needs to worry because they are no longer lone rangers on the market. There are more machines popping up that compare and even are better than the TM 31. I have written a few blog posts already about thermal cooking machines so please feel free to take a look at those. Once you have done that sit down with your cuppa and read on to see what else is available.
I have had the pleasure of using the HotMix Pro and I love it!! HotMix Pro is fairly new to the Australian market. The Hotmix Pro machines are designed and made in Italy, so you can be assured of quality. The TM 31, is German designed, but made in France. Since using this machine I have discovered there are many great features that make HotMix Pro better than the TM 31 and the Kenwood Cooking Chef.
I won't harp on too much about the fact that you don't have to have a party to purchase a HotMix Pro machine. Just contact them(in your own country) and they will get you in contact with your local state rep. The NSW rep is Ralph Goodwin, who is lovely and will help you out with no worries at all. Stewart Fruhwald is the Natioanl/Victoria contact and you can also purchase HotMix pro in New Zealand. All other countries can make enquiries via the worldwide page at www.hotmixpro.com.
HotMix Pro provide two different machines depending on your needs. The two models are HotMix Pro Easy, and HotMix Pro Gastro. To get an idea of the difference between the two Hotmix models you need to work what you need it for. If you are a home chef and are considering a Kenwood Cooking Chef or a Thermomixer TM 31, then the HotMix Easy model is for you. However, if you own a restaurant, catering business etc then the Gastro model is more on your end of the market. That being said, there is nothing stopping the home chef purchasing the Gastro. If cooking is your passion, there are some great features on the Gastro that would benefit you, however it is a little more expensive. I have done a basic comparison checklist to give you an idea on what each machine offers and for what price.
| Hotmix Pro Easy
Max Temp: 25-130C
Motor: 1200W
RPM: 10000
Bowl Capacity: 2 Litres
Price : $1895 + GST
| TM 31
Max Temp: 37-100C
Motor: 500W
RPM: 10200
Price: $1939
| |
| HotMix Pro Gastro
Max Temp: 25-190C
Motor: 1500W
RPM: 12500
Bowl Capacity: 2 Litres
Price: $2395 + GST
| Kenwood Cooking Chef
Max Temp: 20 - 140C
Motor: 1500W (1100W induction cooking system)
Bowl Capacity: 6.7 Litres (3 L for cooking)
Price: $1999
|
From first glance, they all seem fairly comparable except for the fact that the HotMix Pro machines and the Kenwood Cooking Chef have a more powerful motor in comparison to the TM31. To truly compare the HotMix Pro machine with the TM 31 I used a TM 31 recipe book and I discovered I was using lower speeds on the HotMix pro and getting the same results and in some cases mixing or grinding in shorter time and cooking on lower temperatures because I can change the temperatures by 1C. You will also notice that the maximum temperatures are much higher in the HotMix Pro machines compared to the TM 31. I feel it very important to emphasize that the increments of temperature on the HotMix Pro machines go up by 1C which is important in achieving results for some recipes such as caramelising sugars. Textures and tastes of meals can be enhanced if you have control over how your food is cooked and this is something that the TM 31 can not do.
For me the major draw card for the Kenwood Cooking Chef was the capacity bowl and the fact that you can cook a larger sized meal in the one bowl and make 6L of ice cream in the one bowl at the one time. However the main draw back for the Kenwood is that you are limited to what you can achieve with the machine by what attachments you do or don't have. If you want to juice your fruit, you have to buy an attachment. If you want to grind, that's another attachment, if you want to make a smoothie or milkshake, again its another attachment. The point of the other machines is that you have it all in the one machine. I am not sure that the Kenwood's blender attachment could achieve grinding ice , wheat or, sugar in the same speed and fineness like the other machines could either. So this is where I must say adieu to the Kenwood Cooking Chef! I am sure you are a great and fascinating machine, but you can't compare in as many ways as the others do.
So now I am down to the Thermomixer TM 31 and the HotMix Pro machines. This is where it gets intense and specific. My next installment will have photos and because I have used both machines, I can tell you what the pros and cons are for each.
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