Disclosure- I received samples of the product(s) mentioned below to facilitate my review but all opinions are 100% my own.

First let me start by saying how much I LOVE LOVE LOVE this blender.  I received a Designer Series BLENDTEC Blender with WildSide Jar as well as the Twister Jar.  I never realized just how much I would use a blender and how much I would come to rely on it in such a short time.  The Blendtec does everything from sauces and dressings, smoothies, ice cream (YES, ICE CREAM!) and frozen yogurt, milk shakes, whole food juicing, and it even makes hot soups and fondue’s.

It is so sleek looking and looks great on my kitchen counter.  It does not have any raised buttons to get dirty which is a plus in my kitchen.  The control panel buttons light up when you turn the blender on.  There are six different symbols on the blender control panel making it so easy to use.  There is a button specifically for smoothies so all I need to do is put the ingredients, in close the lid, and press the smoothie button.  The blender will blend the smoothie at the right speed and for the right amount of time for when I’m making.  There is also a setting for crushing ice or making milkshakes.  There is a button to make ice cream and frozen yogurt.   The button that looks like a whisk is to make batters, sauces, dips and dressings.  The button that looks like a citrus fruit with a drop of juice is the button to press when you want whole juice.  My absolute favorite button of all is the one that sets this blender apart from most other blenders.  It looks like a steaming bowl and it makes hot soups, syrups, and fondues.  No matter what the recipe, there are three steps to a perfect blend- add the liquids first, the solids in the middle, and the frozen items on top.  That’s all there is to it.  The blender came with the Fresh Blends Cookbook that had lots of delicious recipes to get me started and they also have lot of BLENDER RECIPES on their website but you are only limited by your imagination.

The control panel on the Designer Series Blendtec Blender also allows you to completely control the speed of the blender.  By placing a finger on the slider and dragging to the right you can increase the speed of the blender.  When you slide your finger to the left you can decrease the speed.  You can also touch anywhere on the slider strip to go straight to any desired speed.  It is just so easy and intuitive to operate.

In trying to eat healthy with my family I have been trying to use a lot more fresh fruits and vegetables in my cooking. The blend Tech blender has really helped with this.    I start off by making healthy smoothies in the morning with frozen fruits, fresh greens like kale and spinach, some ice cubes, and sometimes a little yogurt or Greek yogurt.

Later in the day I have been able to make several varieties of fresh, homemade soup for my family that we are all enjoying.  Plus a benefit of having soup before our meal means we fill up on the fresh soups with vegetables and get full faster.  I have made tomato basil soup, broccoli cheese soup, and my family favorite, baked potato soup.  It was so simple to make.  I precooked the potato and bacon and warmed up the milk on the stove.  Then all I had to do was add all of the ingredients into the blender and press the soup icon. It really was that easy.  I couldn’t believe how easy it was.  Check out the recipe linked below.

Soup has become a first course for many of our dinners lately but I have used the Blendtec throughout all of our meals.  I was so proud of myself for making fresh, homemade tomato sauce to serve my family. There is a recipe for making fresh pasta dough included in with the Twister Jar that I plan to tackle soon. It is made from one egg, some water, spinach, and whole wheat flour. I like that I’ll be able to make fresh whole-wheat spinach pasta from scratch to feed my family. That is not something I would have never thought to do or been able to do before I received the blender.  As I said, I’m trying to have my family eat healthier so I’ve been able to make lower calorie versions of our favorite salad dressings with the Blendtec.  There is a recipe in the cookbook that came with the blender for a garlic blue cheese dressing that is really delicious and only has 20 cal and half a gram of fat per 2 tablespoon serving.  It is nice and creamy and goes well on salads as well as using it as a dip for chicken nuggets or a spread for sandwiches.

Chocolate hazelnut spreads are very popular these days but they are loaded with fats and preservatives.  I was able to use the Twister Jar to make my own version that was much healthier.  The recipe is linked below.

Is it is cold in other parts of the country, but right now it’s hot here in Florida so my girls love coming home from school and having a cold treat. We throw some frozen fruit with some frozen 100% fruit juice into the blender to make a healthy sorbet. Sometimes we throw frozen bananas into the blender with some other goodies like chocolate chips, to make a healthier version of ice cream.

The blender is so easy to clean by simply adding a little soap and water and pressing the pulse button for a few seconds.  I find myself using the blender so many times throughout a meal because it’s so easy to clean in between each thing that I’m making.  Every day I find a new use for my Blendtec. I love that will grind up grains, grind raw meat for things like meatballs, shredded cooked meat for chicken salad or pulled pork, make doughs for breads and pizza, make homemade bread crumbs, and let’s not forget all the delicious frozen cocktails that it can make.  This is not your mother’s blender although I know once my mother sees what mine does she’s going to want one too.  I love that it is great for a novice cook, a busy mom who is trying to learn how to cook healthier for her family, and even for experienced cooks.  I truly believe that my Blendtec is helping me be a better cook.  I have been making so many things from scratch that I never would have even thought to make before.

Mother’s Day is coming up very soon. When your family asks what you would like, make sure to tell them you would like a Blendtec Blender.  You can choose from either of two different BPA-free jar styles.  The Four Side Jar measures up to 32 fluid ounces with the volume of 74 fluid ounces.  This jar is great for smaller recipes such as sauces dressings and nut butters.  The jar I received is the Wild Side Jar.  It is a five sided jar that measures up to 36 fluid ounces with the volume of 90 fluid ounces. This jar has a larger base which increases surface area.  The fifth side offsets the blending vortex, resulting in improved blending performance and reduced possibility of an air pocket forming above the blade. This jar is great for larger recipes as well as yeast breads quick breads and frozen desserts. The vented gripper lid and insert on either of the jars allows steam to escape while blending warm contents.  The inner insert makes it easy to add ingredients while blending.  The additional Twister Jar is great for thick recipes such as nut butters, hummus, baby foods, dips thick shakes, sauces, and so much more.  It comes with a special twister lid that features tines to pull dense food away from the walls of the jar and into the center of the blending vortex.  It also comes with a Spectacula, which is a specialized utensil with a contoured shape to fit inside the twister jar and scrape out every last bit.

Easy Broccoli Cheese Soup-
1 head of broccoli (about 4-5 cups chopped into florets)
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock (I used chicken because that is what I had on hand)
3 oz shredded cheddar cheese (reserve a bit to top the bowls of soup)
1 cup heavy cream (or milk to keep it lower in calories)
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg (optional)

Steam broccoli in microwave until tender and reserve 1 cup.  Put the remaining broccoli, stock, heavy cream (or milk), cheddar cheese (reserving a bit to top the bowls of soup), salt, pepper, and nutmeg into the Blendtec Blender.  Secure the lid and blend using the SOUP setting.  Chop remaining broccoli into desired size pieces depending on how smooth or chunky you like your soup.  Add broccoli to the blender and pulse at low speed for 1-2 seconds to mix the soup.  Pour into bowls and top with remaining cheese.  Enjoy!

Want more recipes using a Blendtec Blender?

Check out my Bake Potato Soup recipe post.  

Don’t miss my Chocolate Mixed Nut Butter post.

I’ll add more recipes using my Blendtec Blender as I make them.