The Pro 200, our version of the 5200.  This item is exactly like the 5200 blender in every way.  It provides the same power and amperage in the motor base with all of the same specially designed parts to protect your investment.  This is the most basic model that provides the greatest control.  This model incorporates all of the features of the Turboblend but adds a variable speed dial to give the user more control.  This allows for varying textures and the like, increasing the endless things that can be achieved with this blender.

The 5200, Vitamix’s roadshow blender.  If there is one question we get 1000 times a day, it is why do we not sell this blender?  This blender is sold specifically through Vitamix, it is their baby, and they do not allow anyone else to sell the blender.  However, because we are an authorized dealer, we advertise other Vitamix products to increase our selection to our customers.  This not only increases customer satisfaction, but allows us to suit a higher number of customers.

The Turboblend, Vitamix’s most basic model for entry level users.  This blender has the most simplest controls of any blender you’ll ever find, high and low (besides on and off).  It can be quite difficult for this blender to produce the needed results for anything but smoothies.  While possible, different textures can be hard to come by with only the two controls.  This is an excellent blender for drinks and the like, but an upgrade may be needed for anything more advanced.

A typically around the holidays and holiday parties, you always see the Eggnog. You probably know of a friend or family member, who happens to love Eggnog. What if you wanted to get them the gift of Eggnog for their birthday or Christmas, but you can’t? You can, if you send them the gift of Aspen Mulling Company Eggnog Mix. It is very easy to make Eggnog within a few minutes. All that you have to add to the mix is either water or milk, or you can even create your own special recipe. The powder will dissolve completely in hot or in cold drinks! Now you can give the gift of Eggnog.

JL Hufford just recently started carrying a brand call Frieling. They have brought in coffee and tea equipment, food storage containers, digital scales and durgol descaler solutions. Their food storage products are different than your typical food storage containers that you would find at your local grocery store, which has gaskets, which create an imperfect seal. Their containers will keep your food fresher by keeping the container 100% airtight, leak-proof and sanitary. It will even keep the aromas trapped inside the container! What are you waiting for? If you are looking for containers that will be 100% airtight, then look no further than the Frieling Emsa 3D Clip and Close Containers.

It has become the time for pulling the hot chocolate out of the cabinet. If you are sick of your normal hot chocolate and would like flavored hot chocolate, I would take a look at Cocoa Amore’s selection. You can choose from Caramel, Dark Chocolate, French Vanilla, Raspberry, Supreme and White Chocolate. My two favorites are Caramel and White Chocolate. Out of those six flavors, I am sure that you are going to find one that you are going to fall in love with. If you are giving Cocoa Amore as a gift, to complete the gift, you could pair it with a Lang or Cypress mug.

For those who like to keep things simple, there’s no need to buy a big expensive machine with all the confusing settings and choices. The simplest coffee brewing method is to use the Bodum Chambord French Press. All you need to have is fresh ground coffee and water. Depending on how much you drink coffee; there is the 3 cup maker or the 8 cup maker. I love the design with the glass cylinder better than other models I have seen. The filtering plunger to stop the brewing process is very convenient so that I can enjoy my coffee without the remaining coffee grounds. What I also love about this French press is its history.  The care and technique the original craftsmen put into this unique coffee maker shows the appreciation for better coffee and it is great to see that this French press keeps their design alive.

Pumpkin is a very popular flavor this time of year! Why not add some pumpkin flavor to your soup? Maggie & Mary’s Creamy Pumpkin Soup Mix is the perfect thing to try if you love pumpkin. My two friends are extreme pumpkin lovers and they absolutely loved this mix. It is an easy addition to any holiday meal or regular family dinner. All you need to do is add water and simmer for 45 minutes. This soup will taste delicious and you won’t have to go through the trouble of adding any spices because it is all done for you!

When I drink my coffee I love to add some sugar to it. I also sometimes add sugar to my tea. I did not have a sugar bowl until recently. Before I continued to buy sugar packets, but then I realized how much packaging I was wasting. Now I use a bag of sugar and refill my sugar bowl when needed.  The spoon is helpful so I don’t have to find a spoon to designate to my sugar bowl that does not fit in the notch in the top of the bowl for when the lid is closed. The exterior stainless steel mirror look matches my coffee maker.

Toasting isn’t the most exciting task, but if you use the Bodum Bistro Toaster with warming rack you can make it quick and painless. The stainless steel body makes this toaster physically appealing and will match your modern kitchen appliances. It is great to use because of the width adjusting toasting slots are able to fit any size piece of bread, bagels, muffins, or croissants. You will have no mess with the removable crumb tray. Usually toasters don’t have a removable tray and it can spill crumbs all over your counters. Also, never worry about the cord getting tangled or being too long on your counter since the neat storing in the footed base prevents extra cord from showing.

With the holidays coming up I know I am sure to see my fair share of food, especially appetizers in the coming months. As I am at the age where I should start bringing food to these get togethers I wanted find something to spice up that party platter with something other than the bland caramel sauce. I found Maggie and Mary’s Apple Cinnamon Cheese ball Mix this delicious mix is great with everything from Apples to Crackers and is very easy to make:

Combine mix with softened cream cheese.  Blend well.  Chill mixture until firm. Using plastic wrap, form chilled mixture into ball and roll into contents of packet 2.  Let cheese ball rest at room temperature about 30 minutes before serving. 

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 2 tsp. dry (8g)

Serving Per Container: About 12

Amount per Serving Calories 30 Calories from Fat 5 %

Daily Value* Total Fat 0.5g 1%

Sat. Fat 0.5g 3%

Trans Fat 0g Cholesterol 0mg 0%

Sodium 0mg 0%

Total Carbs 7g 2%

Dietary Fiber 0g 0%

Sugars 6g Protein 0g Vitamin A 0%

Vitamin C 0%

Calcium 0%

Iron 0%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

I was taken to dinner at a very nice steak house last weekend.  The steak was great but the pre dinner salad that they offered is oddly what I remember the most.  It was a very simple salad but it was outstanding.  I asked the server what the sauces was because the salad only consisted of lettuce and some sort of vinaigrette.  She went to the back and retrieved a bottle of the dressing they used and gave it to me.  It was made by a company called A Perfect Pear.  I had never heard of this brand of vinaigrette but knew that I had to get some to share with my friends. This was so simple and fresh that I think even those who traditionally do not like salads would enjoy this

¼ head of Ice Berg Lettuce

Champagne Pear Vinaigrette 

My father is a very hard person to shop for.  He has enough ties and golfing equipment to last him years and he has a very particular taste in clothing.  We traveled this past summer to New Orleans and stopped at the renowned Café Dumont.  Aside from the delicious beignets that we ate, we also drink some very delicious espresso.  My father rarely drinks espresso as he has tried to wean himself onto decaf but he still loves the taste and this triggered a great gift idea.  I came across a happy medium that I feel he will really enjoy, Chocolate covered espresso beans.  These are richly coated in a variety of chocolate and have the crunchy after taste of espresso without the high caffeine kick that a drink would offer.  I hope he likes these and if you have someone in your family that is hard to shop for this may be a great gift to give this holiday season!

My grandma absolutely loves tea which is why the Ashbys 12 Teas of Christmas Classic gift pack is the perfect thing to give her for Christmas. The gift pack includes 60 tea bags or 5 of each flavor. The flavors are white pomegranate, cinnamon orange spice, raspberry, ginger peach, Japanese green, English breakfast, afternoon, apricot, Christmas spice, decaf English breakfast, earl grey, and cinnamon plum. I know any tea lover will enjoy the wide variety of flavors. Also, you don’t need to worry about not using all 60 in a certain amount of time because the foil-wrapped air tight packaging holds the flavor in the tea bag longer.  

It’s that time of year where the weather is chilly and the best remedy is to have a nice cup of hot chocolate! King’s Cupboard Dark Chocolate Chunk Hot Chocolate is the pleasure without the guilt since it is sugar free. You can taste the dark chocolate in every sip and the chocolate chunks that melt into your cup add just the right amount of flavor. This low calorie option helps those watching their sugar intake, but those who aren’t watching their sugar can just add more marshmallows!

Are you looking for a simple grinder? Sometimes too many settings and choices can just confuse me. I bought the Capresso Cool Grind because it is a simple way to grind my coffee beans. I am a coffee drinker and I love how I have control over my grinder. With the Pulse action, I can control the fineness of grind. It is quick and easy to use which is very convenient. This grinder is small and compact so it doesn’t take up as much room in my kitchen as a full machine would. The capacity of 15 cups of coffee grinding is perfect. The fast stopping action makes it safe to use and I never have to worry.

If you are looking for a unique sauce, Mom’s Artichoke Heart & Asiago Cheese Pasta Sauce is a good one to try. My sister is an artichoke fan and loves the artichoke hearts combined with the sweet tomatoes. This sauce goes great with any type of pasta to enjoy the flavors of Italy. The combined spices and ingredients are better than anything I could make. You can also add this sauce to different meats, use for a pizza, or even as a simple dipping sauce. The different size selections are great so you can buy more if you’re serving more family and friends.

I usually guess when the recipe calls for 2lbs of this or 4 ounces of this.  Liquids are easy, a measuring cup can solve this problem but will solid food I did not have a great solution. My recipes tended to turn out but I did not have picky eaters. I did not want keep guessing and look for a solution and found this scale offered by Freiling: Frieling ADE Slim Digital Scale - KE86. It’s extremely thin and can measure food amounts up to 11lbs! it has a easy to use and easy to read converter that allows the scale to display its measurements in metric or standard readouts. It’s very practical handy and would strongly suggest this to any avid cook!

 Choosing the right Technivorm can be confusing especially when their names are so similar.  I wanted o find a way that could help our customers in deciphering the differences between them. The easiest way to start breaking these down would be to define them by their carafes.  (T) Thermal carafes are the stainless steel containers that keep their drinks warm but do not have a hot plate that continually keeps the container hot.  (G) Glass carafes do have hot plates but will not keep the drink warm if taken off the hot plate. The 2^nd major division between theses coffee makers is whether they have an auto drip stop or not.  This is neat feature that will prohibit the brew cycle from dripping into your carafe when the carafe is not seated against the coffee maker.  The 3^rd major difference in Technovorms has to deal with the filter baskets: open, half or closed option. This allows for a coffee drinker to opt for a few key features with Technovorms. The closed feature allows for a manual bypass of the brew processes.  This would be used if you wanted to get a cup before the full pot was finished. The half open basket technically for the person who wants to brew ½ a pot and still wants the even consistency that brewing a full pot offers.  This feature is frequently used on full pots to make the whole of the coffee stronger. It slows the extraction and can drastically change the taste. If left open the coffee pot will brew as directed and give you the great cup the all the Technivorms will. I hope this helps clear up some of the differences between.  I will leave the color differences up to you.

Here is a really neat recipe that I found that’s perfect non alcoholic drink for the fall!

Yucatan Peninsula Pumpkin Cocoa

1 oz. Torani Mayan Chocolate sauce
1/2 oz. Torani Pumpkin Pie syrup
8 oz. milk

Steam together milk and Torani. Pour steamed flavored cocoa into a tall glass and stir gently.

The other day I was looking for a quick and easy meal to prepare. I had bought this Pasta Partners Alfredo Pasta Sauce and thought it was a good night to try it. I always have pasta and I usually don’t know what sauce to add to it along with flavorful spices. This Alfredo sauce was simple to prepare with just butter and milk. It was the perfect addition to my pasta. I also recommend making this sauce with pasta and chicken or pasta and shrimp. If you’re making a meal for just yourself or even with family, everyone is sure to enjoy this sauce mix.

Over the last few years, whenever we went to use our food processor it was difficult. I am not even sure how old that thing was, but when I convinced my mom to buy a new one we bought the Delonghi Food Processor. This food processor is amazing. The built in digital scale is very helpful allowing us to measure the ingredients while adding them into the bowl. The power of the motor is great and works so much better than our old one. The safety interlock system is also convenient if my younger sisters are around because it stops the motor if the lid or base is not properly in place. We always have consistency in the food we blend and never have to worry about random chunks ruining our mixture. Lastly, the cleaning is easy with all the dishwasher safe parts so even clean up is easy with this machine.

About a month ago, I was visited my grandmother and she noticed the Big Train Chai single serving packets I had. I asked her if she liked chai and she said yes, but she had never tried this brand before. I gave her a few Vanilla Chai single serving packets to try. Later that week she told me how much she loved them and wanted more. She asked me all about where she could get more and I told her I could bring her a bigger bag of chai home for Thanksgiving! I recommend Big Train’s Chai for the holidays because it is a delicious drink that you can share and enjoy with family and friends.

Chocolate lovers unite! Chocolate frosting is my favorite and if it is yours too then you need to try King’s Cupboard Triple Chocolate Frosting. Add this frosting to any delicious dessert whether it is angel food cake, sugar cookies, triple chocolate layer cake, cupcakes, or even if you like to sneak a taste right out of the jar. Try this chocolate frosting for some rich chocolate flavors and some fluffy frosting that your taste buds will love. This triple chocolate frosting is just the thing to satisfy your sweet tooth!

I have not had great experience with thermal coffee containers.  I have found that they tend to have a few problems in common.

1) They will be too large for my cup holder and this is a must as I spend a good of time on the road.

2) They leak when you take a sip and then you have an awkward stain across your attire and nobody likes this.

3) Lastly they tend not to keep my drinks warm or cold for longer than 30 mins. 

This was unfortunate because I really enjoy a good latte or cold tea on the road.  A friend of mine knew of this dilemma and suggested the Thermos brand.   I was hesitant but he mentioned to me how he has had his travel tumbler for nearly 8 years and was very happy with its constancy to keep his drinks cold or hot.  I looked online and saw that they boast that it will keep drinks hot for 3 hours or drinks cold for 6.  I was skeptical but deiced to purchase a 14oz travel tumbler.  I was pleasantly surprised that it really did keep my drinks piping hot for hours! If you’re a disbeliever like I was, I know that this travel mug will suit your needs. It did not break the bank @ a little under $20 offered on JL Hufford!

I have not had great experience with thermal coffee containers.  I have found that they tend to have a few problems in common.

1) They will be too large for my cup holder and this is a must as I spend a good of time on the road.

2) They leak when you take a sip and then you have an awkward stain across your attire and nobody likes this.

3) Lastly they tend not to keep my drinks warm or cold for longer than 30 mins. 

This was unfortunate because I really enjoy a good latte or cold tea on the road.  A friend of mine knew of this dilemma and suggested the Thermos brand.   I was hesitant but he mentioned to me how he has had his travel tumbler for nearly 8 years and was very happy with its constancy to keep his drinks cold or hot.  I looked online and saw that they boast that it will keep drinks hot for 3 hours or drinks cold for 6.  I was skeptical but deiced to purchase a 14oz travel tumbler.  I was pleasantly surprised that it really did keep my drinks piping hot for hours! If you’re a disbeliever like I was I feel that this travel mug could suit your needs. It did not break the bank @ a little under $20. And I count on it lasting for years!

I love the pumpkin spiced latte that Starbucks serves but I am not a fan of spending $5 each time on one. I looked online and found a very cost effective recipe substitute using a coffee from JL Hufford. They have a pumpkin pie coffee that makes this recipe but here how I make it!

• 3 cups of milk
• 4 teaspoons white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 6  ounces of JL Hufford Pumpkin Pie Coffee
• 3 tablespoons sweetened whipped cream