THERMOMIX vs VITAMIX vs KENWOOD COOKING CHEF PART 2

First of all wow! What a response to my post about the above appliances. I did not know that there were so many people out there interested in them, like me! I thought I was the only one who cared to research the appliances to compare them and see what they are all about and which one is truly better than the others.
Personally, I have not come to a firm conclusion. I was at Bing Lee today with my mum and I took a sneek peek at the Kenwood mixers.The cooking chef was there in all its glory and costing $1999, but as they advertise, if I paid cash, I could bargain that price down!! Anyway, I did see that it was larger than a Thermomix and yes, heavier. I do also have to agree that it doesn't blend on its own, you do have to attach the blender. But it did look good!!! I checked out the other Kenwoods and found a cute one that is similar to the Cooking Chef, but does not cook. What I liked about it was all the settings were digital, and it had builtin scales, like the Thermomix. The price tag of $550 was attractive, but again, it doesn't blend by itself, you have to add that attachment.  However, you can churn your own ice cream with this mixer as well as do all the other things a stand alone mixer can do and the bowl is stainless steel and large. I still like the look of it, and my sister in law told me that her mum, just got her Kenwood serviced and its still working well after 30 good years of use. So Kenwoods, are basically built to last, not saying that the Thermomixer is not, don't misquote me on that!  With the more realistic price tags of the Kenwoods, at this stage I am leaning more closely to purchasing one. I'm starting to think that if I got myself a good quality blender(not necessarily a Vitamix), a Kenwood, and a larger slow cooker, I would have ticked all the boxes, but not come close to spending the same amount I would need to spend for a Thermomixer. So what I am saying is that the Thermomixer turns me off in the price tag, the warranty, and also the fact that that the bowl is a limited size for my family. However, I do like a lot of what you can achieve with the Thermomixer, but so far I have survived without one;)
The funniest thing about all of this is I have been thinking about it for almost a year now and I have not been close to taking the leap and purchasing something. If I had the spare cash 6 months ago I would have had a Thermomixer by now, and been on here writing up its praises on what I can make and achieve with it. I do wander though, if I would have figured out fairly quickly the limitations of the machine for my family and been a little cheesed off by that? Who knows!!
So, I am leaning more towards a Kenwood at this stage, and purchasing the other appliances. Yes, I am aware that I am purchasing 3 appliances and the Thermomixer is one appliance that can do all 3 and is light weight etc etc. But the price tag for me is what is important. I wonder if anyone out there who owns a Thermomixer did you get rid/sell your stand alone mixer (whatever the brand) or did you hold onto it, because you still use it?? Or if you are planning a purchase of a Thermomixer, will you sell/get rid of your stand alone mixer?? Would love to hear from you:) Until part 3 , take care and keep cooking in whatever you have, after all, its not what you use to cook, its about the good food you make:)

MENTIONED ON NOT QUITE NIGELLA - NQN!!!

I suppose if I was as into blogging as I thought I always would be, I would have known that NQN did a post in Feb this year mentioning my very wonderful and ever so easy Mint Slice, TimTam, or Oreo (or whatever cookie/bikkie ya love most!) truffles. Hang on, I should note that they technically aren't my idea, as they came from Bakerella. Anywoo, the main point to this post, is that I was mentioned on another person's blog, and not just that but it was the very popular NQN. I suppose the only embarassing thing that could come from this, is that I already knew that and wrote a post already about it!!! Hehehehe, its possible!!!

CHEAP WHOLESALE MEAT MARKET IN WESTERN SYDNEY

I have had friends and family tell me about this meat market down in Pendle Hill. I have put off going for a while as I thought it would be annoying to get to, now I am kicking myself! The first time I went was a couple of weeks ago as I had to pick up sausages and ham for a church Christmas party. I was a bit annoyed, as again, I thought it was going to be annoying to get to, but as it was for Church I made myself go. It was a Saturday at 12 noon and the place busy bees at a hive! We had an order thank goodness which made it easy. But I had a peek at the prices and couldn't believe my eyes, no wonder it was packed! I did not have the time that day to purchase for myself, so made the trip this morning. It opens around 8am and I got there about 820am and it was not as packed as I first went but still plenty of people there. I got enough meat to last me, I would say close to 3 months - so I am totally hoping there are no thunderstorms this summer that will cut the power out for a day!!! They also sell wholesale frozen foods like vegetables, chips, wedges, seafood, pies and sausage rolls etc. They also offer deli meats, cheeses, a small range of fresh fruit and vegetables. Its well worth a trip for the meat at least. I will list the items I purchased, which is just pinch of their wide range. I won't add amounts I purchased, its just a guide of what I remember the prices being, I also can't find my recipt;(
Chicken Breast - $7.99/kg
Chicken Marylands - $14.00 for 2 kg
Pork Snitzel - can't remember price
Diced Lamb - $18.99/kg
BBQ rump steak - $12 for 2 kg (special for the day)
Chicken wings - $2.50/kg
chicken drumsticks - $6 for 2 kg
Lamb mince - can't remember i think it might be $6.99/kg
Pork Mince - can't remember
Short Cut bacon - $10/kg

I also wanted to highlight the next item. The thick pork sausages which have 82% meat and NO PRESERVATIVES! Its so common these days to get sausages in the supermarket that have preservatives in them, so it was refreshing to find a sausage with a high meat content and only spices and water as the other ingredients.

I also got some salt and pepper calamari which my kids love and it was only $14/kg and some chicken pops around the same price for a kilo bag. I just have to say that it is so nice to buy things like this by the kilo and not in the amounts in the supermarket.  At the supermarket the calamari I think comes in 350-400g or something ridiculus like that and its around $7-9 and about $6 for chicken pops. The chicken pops I bought are 100% breast meat too!

So basically, I had fun! I enjoyed shopping there because I knew I was getting enough to cover my family for a while and I would not have to be going back there next week or even next month! I love places like this, which is why I am so looking forward to have COSTCO, not far away when it opens next year in june/july.

I suppose I should mention that I have 4 kids and a husband to feed. We have 3 boys and 1 girl, so need I say more, as to why we need so much food in our house!!!

If you have a good meat wholesaler near you, wherever that might be. I would love to hear from you so I can spread the word. We all need to know where we can save money on our food, as prices just seem to keep going up!

A SUMMER OF MOVIES, TO MAKE UP FOR MY SAD LIFE!!!

I have been soooo busy, I can't wait for school to be over with!! But I will miss my students and seeing my great work colleagues over the summer! Awww didn't that sound nice!!  I've been trying to work out what to do over the summer. I have a few things up my sleeve but I was sitting with my daughter this evening checking out some movies she has requested to put on her Itouch and I realised, I have not seen a movie in such a long time, its rather scary! I have seen some movies on TV, like repeat ones or ones for the kids, but I have not been to the movies since Feburary, when a friend had his 40th at the Gold Cinemas. Man, do I sound bad or what? It sounds like I won't see a movie unless its for free!! Na, not really, but I just don't seem to make time in my life for movies or going to to the movies.  So I have decided to make this summer a time to check out some flicks I have not seen (obviously there are many) and do some movie watching. 

I loooved movies as a kid and even a teenager and every school holidays I was at the cinemas with friends, or a sibling or two, or even on my lonesome. Don't awwww me, I didn't mind being on my own, I actually liked it!  But movies were a big part of my life. Now, movies aren't as big. I have other things in my life and on my mind before I can consider a trip to the movies or purchasing a DVD. Actually talking about a DVD, they don't last long in my house. If I purchase one, it has to be monitored at all time by moi and if I don't it will fall into the dirty, sticky hands of one of my chidlers and I may never see it again until I am cleaning out their room and find it all nestled on either old banana or something that just smells bad and all scratched up. So, we don't really have DVDs much in our house!

So I have been checking our Youtube for some trailers of good movies and I'm a liken what I see. However, if you feel there is some totally awesome movie that you think I must see, then please let me know.  I am aiming for at least 5 movies but really hoping for 10. I'm hoping if I keep it to mainly PG, then I can get some movie watching in while my kids are around and when they are off to bed, I am hoping I can squeeze in at least 2 or 4 over the whole summer with my husband. Now, you maybe thinking why am I only aiming for 2? My husband works a lot and has other commitments for church so, he is often home late, too late for me to stay up and then watch a 2 hour movie. Its true! Maybe I should have said we never have time for movies because we use our spare time catch up on that 'other' part of our relationship..hehehehe!! Blush!!!

Anyway, I will check back and see if any of you have suggested a good flick or two and I will  post reviews of the flicks I do watch and let you know what I think of them.  I  will also be blogging a little more often to about my regular food stuff too, so be sure to check in more often. I am also intending to head to the movies more often in 2011 too. So I hope there are some great flicks coming our way next year.

I hope you are all well and enjoying your lives wherever you maybe.