Blog Archives - Page 22 of 25 - One Girl and her Thermie

Thermomix Cost Saving: Chocolate Ice-cream

Leave a Comment / Baking (Sweet), Blog, Dessert, Eggs, Recipes

How do you save money with your Thermomix? There are so many ways that owning a Thermomix can help you save you a little or a lot off your weekly grocery bill that I thought I’d share some of my Top Tips! In this series of blog posts, I will share Thermomix Cost Saving tips, let’s talk about ice-cream, chocolate ice-cream in the Thermomix to be exact…

Summer is here and for anyone who has visited an ice-cream van in the past few weeks, will realise that you don’t get much change from £20 for a family of 4. We went to Ikea last week and my daughter wanted an ice-cream from the van in the car park. She requested a lime screwball and I was hit with a bill of £4.50! I wouldn’t mind if it was worth it but when she was eating it, she said she could taste the sugar – highly sugared ice-cream and the lime syrup was sickly. What a waste of money.

We have been doing cost savings with my team and I was glad to see that Ellie Mantle had actually made and costed out the savings making homemade ice-cream.

How do you make chocolate ice cream in the Thermomix?

Ingredients

Whipped Cream

300 g double cream
50 g icing sugar

Chocolate Custard

350 g dark chocolate, small pieces or callets
300 g double cream
100 g caster sugar
6 egg yolks, from medium eggs

6 egg whites, from medium eggs
1 pinch cream of tartar
2 Tbsp caster sugar

Instructions

Whipped Cream

Place the freezer-proof container for storing the ice cream in freezer.
Insert butterfly whisk. Place cream and icing sugar in mixing bowl then, without measuring cup, whip without setting a time/speed 3 until softly whipped, watching carefully to avoid over-whipping. Remove butterfly whisk, transfer to a bowl and refrigerate. Clean mixing bowl.

Chocolate Custard

Place chocolate in mixing bowl and grate 5 sec/speed 8. Transfer to a bowl.
Place 50 g grated chocolate in a bowl and set aside for garnish.
Place 300 g grated chocolate, cream, sugar and egg yolks in mixing bowl then cook 8 min/80°C/speed 4. Transfer to a wide, shallow bowl to cool. Clean mixing bowl and butterfly whisk thoroughly (see tips).

Egg Whites and Serving

Insert butterfly whisk. Place egg whites, cream of tartar and caster sugar in mixing bowl then, without measuring cup, whip 3-4 min/speed 3.5 until stiff peaks form.
When chocolate custard mixture is cool, gradually fold in whipped cream with spatula.
Remove butterfly whisk, then carefully fold egg whites into chocolate custard-cream mixture with spatula. There should be no swirls of egg whites or whipped cream in the mixture.
Spoon mixture into the container from freezer. Cover tightly with cling film on the surface and freeze for 2 hours or longer. Check consistency before serving. If very hard, place in fridge until desired consistency is achieved.
Serve ice cream sprinkled with reserved grated chocolate.

Useful Items

cling film, freezer-proof container, freezer, refrigerator

Hints & Tips

Use good quality dark chocolate with high cocoa content (70% cocoa) for best results.
Cream whips better when chilled and may not take long to form peaks depending on temperature and fat content. Watch carefully to avoid over-whipping.
Egg whites whisk better at room temperature.
For best results use egg whites that are approx. 7-14 days old.
The egg whites, mixing bowl and butterfly whisk must be free of any trace of egg yolk or grease when whisking or they will not rise properly.
To make your own icing sugar for the whipped cream, grind 100-200 g granulated sugar 15 sec/speed 10. Retain excess for future use.
Other garnishes can include candied orange zest, finely chopped hazelnuts or roasted almonds.

This is a Cookidoo recipe – Chocolate Mousse Ice-cream

Ellie shopped in Lidl so ingredients used to cost the following:

350g Dark Chocolate, £1.50
6 medium free-range eggs £0.70
600ml of double cream £1.70
Sugar (caster and icing) £0.008
Pinch of cream of tarter 0.1p.
>>Cost per scoop = 43.5p!

That’s a 10-fold cost saving. And if it just wasn’t for the money, my daughter said it tasted better too. Of course, it did.

Fit Farms Life Long Living

2 Comments / Blog

I’ve recently spent a week at FitFarms Derbyshire.

The company, FitFarms specialises in non Fitness and Weight Loss Boot Camp style programmes allowing people of different fitness levels, shapes, sizes, and medical conditions to join and feel comfortable in a retreat environment. Their tailored programmes provide a holistic approach without the fat camp or fitness boot camp regime guaranteeing you lose body fat, tone up, and kick start a healthy new lifestyle with the support of an aftercare programme. The FitFarms course is scientifically proven and has appeared on The BBC and Channel 4 helping the NHS with new fitness and lifestyle initiatives. The success of these courses is based on creating an educational lifestyle retreat as opposed to the traditional fat camp.

I originally booked this during lockdown when my sister and I were so frustrated with staying home that a reset and restart week away (read, away from the husbands and children) was exactly what we were looking for. Yes, I could lose a little weight but when I booked I was more looking forward to the retreat part of it. Yoga, meditation, talks etc.

Well, now that I’m back, how different things are. I did lose weight, 4lbs in 4 days after the relaxing and rigorous exercise, from gentle walking in the Dales to HIIT sessions, a plant-based meal planning, and intermittent fasting.

The plant-based menu was to die for and given that I am a Thermomix owner and Advisor, watch out for me converting Justin Lord‘s recipes into a Thermomix version. Every meal I ate during my time way could be re-engineered to a TM-way, so I’m excited and raring to go. Justin gave an amazing program of fitness classes but what I loved more than anything was the mindset classes and science behind it all. I’m a scientist, I like medical evidence. For example, having the science behind stuff and seeing the chart on how your blood sugar remains high throughout the day with snacking means that I’m now a no-snack girl.

I won’t lie though. For those who know me, I do like a sweet treat, so I’m going to follow the FitFarms philosophy and reward myself with a treat at the end of the meal. It means I still get that hit of sweet but I’m eating at the right time. So my current regime is IF for 16-18 hours, black coffee and a walk, following by breaking fast with a smoothie or breakfast bowl, light lunch and dinner before 7pm.

So, join me as I continue this fitness and weight loss journey and experimentation into plant-based nutrition. I’ll be reblogging some of the FitFarms recipes which I know are easily converted to Thermomix.

Thermomix Cost Saving: Pizza

2 Comments / Blog, Breads, Vegan & Vegetarian

How do you save money with your Thermomix? There are so many ways that owning a Thermomix can help you save you a little or a lot off your weekly grocery bill that I thought I’d share some of my Top Tips! In this series of blog posts, I will share Thermomix Cost Saving tips, pizza…making homemade in the Thermomix to be exact…

As a family, Fridays are always pizza night. We’ve taken it a step further in our family and made it our weekly “pizza and movie night”, complete with fresh, amazing homemade pizza. In this blog, I’m going to compare the costs between buying a pizza and making your own.

If you ordered take away or went to a restaurant, you could be paying on average £12 just for a Margherita Pizza (other pizzas will cost more). That translates into at least £24 for two people and £48 for a family of 4. The same family of 4 would probably spend at least £24 on the supermarket’s not so freshly made pizzas.

Dominos Cheese and Tomato 13.5″ pizza (Docklands Branch) £16.99

Franco Manco (Canary Wharf) £7.95

Papa Johns (Docklands Branch), large pizza £16.99

Pizza Express Margherita £8.45

Pizza dough only has a few ingredients, most of which are probably already in your store cupboard. As for toppings, let’s start with a simple mozzarella and basil pizza with tomato sauce, otherwise known as Pizza Margherita. Here’s a list of the ingredients and their cost for two medium pizzas.

Ingredients & costs

Flour, bread flour, 500g, 65p
Active dry yeast, 1 packet (8g), 20p
Olive oil, extra virgin, 2 tbsp, 10p
Salt, 1 tsp, less than 1p
Sugar, 1 tsp, 5p
Whole peeled tomatoes, 1 can (400g), £1
Mozzarella cheese, 125g, £1.25
Basil, free from the garden

That’s a rough total of just £3 each versus a potential £12-£24 or £48 spending. Oh, and let’s not forget that the kneading will be done for you in just 2 minutes by the Thermomix. This is just a simple example of how the Thermomix pays for itself.

Now, this is what I call a no-brainer…

Lifetime Achievers Awards – Level 6

Leave a Comment / Blog

Enjoy a demonstration with Ankita Stopa, UK’s leading Diamond Advisor and Team Leader and now the first in the country to reach Level 6 of the Lifetime Achievers Award.

I’m super proud to announce that I am the first Advisor in the UK to reach the newest level for the Lifetime Achievers Awards – Level 6.

The achiever’s awards began at the launch of the TM5 in September 2014 and are in recognition of an Advisor’s lifetime achievements.

These can be celebrated at the following levels:

Level 1- 10 sales
Level 2- 25 sales, 2 recruits
Level 3- 50 sales
Level 4- 100 sales, 10 recruits
Level 5- 250 sales, 25 recruits
Level 6- 500 sales

It so wonderful to not only enjoy what I do, I really do love sharing my passion for healthy cooking with the time and cost savings of the Thermomix with anyone who will listen BUT also be rewarded and recognised for my commitment to the business.

Thank you to Thermomix UK and Ireland for this. I’m so, so happy.

Protected: Thermomix TM6 Virtual Demonstration

Blog

Thermomix Cost Saving: Cheese

Leave a Comment / Blog

How do you save money with your Thermomix? There are so many ways that owning a Thermomix can help you save you a little or a lot off your weekly grocery bill that I thought I’d share some of my Top Tips! In this series of blog posts, I will share Thermomix Cost Saving tips, cheese…grating cheese in the Thermomix to be exact…

Why grate your own cheese?

Taking Catherdral City Mature Cheese as an example, 550g block costs, £4.50 which works out at £8.18 per kilo. A 180g bag of grated cheese costs, £1.50 bringing the cost per kilo to £8.33, so a small cost-saving can be seen.
However, if we take parmesan as an example again from Sainsbury’s supermarket, a 200g block of Sainsbury’s Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese costs £3.30 (£16.50/kg). The same brand of grated cheese in a 120g bag costs £2.65 (£22.08/ kg) and the 60g bag costs £1.35 (£22.50/kg). That’s £6 per kilo saving which is considerable. Think about how many times you sprinkle parmesan on your pizza, risotto, or spag bol and therefore how much you could be saving using use on cheese.
Commercially grated cheese includes anti-caking agents
More than twice the plastic packaging required.

How do you make grated cheese in the Thermomix?

Grated cheese is super quick to make in the Thermomix.

Take 1 kg of block cheese and divided it into 250g blocks. Divide each block again into quarters.

Place 250g of the cheese cubes into TM bowl. Grate 4 seconds on Speed 9. Remove the cheese and place it into a container for storage in the fridge. Continue to process the cheese in 250g batches until all the cheese has been grated.

For parmesan, place up to 100g in the TM bowl in 30-40g chunks and grate 30 seconds, speed 10. You can also use the rind which helps your parmesan go further.

Notes: Prices and links to Sainsbury’s Website are correct as of May 2020. Please do drop me a note if the links have changed or been deleted.

Thermomix Cost Saving: Sugar

Leave a Comment / Blog

In this series of blog posts, I will share Thermomix Cost Saving tips, starting with Sugar…

Sugar! How Many Different Types Of Sugar Do You Have In The Cupboard?

Do you buy granulated sugar, caster sugar, and icing sugar? Purchasing different types of sugar is not only not economical but it’s also taking space in your cupboard. I live in London, with small kitchens and even smaller cupboards. Sugar sitting in the cupboard waiting to be used is not very economical. Plus, these sugars take up valuable pantry space.

How do you make caster sugar in the Thermomix?

Add regular granulated sugar to the TM bowl. Mill 2 -3 seconds on Speed 8.

How do you make icing sugar in the Thermomix?

Add regular sugar to the TM bowl. Mill 1 minute on Speed 8. If you want the icing to be even finer. wait until the TM bowl cools (it will get hot from friction) then mill again for 1 minute on Speed 8.

Top tip

To ensure that your sugar grinds perfectly, use a maximum of 100g in the TM bowl and repeat if a larger quantity is needed.

The cost saving is incredible.

As you can see you can save at least £1 each time you stop buying caster or icing sugar.

Notes: Prices and links to Waitrose Website are correct as of May 2020. Please do drop me a note if the links have changed or been deleted.

Top 10 Bakes during Lockdown

2 Comments / Baking (Sweet), Blog, Breads

Baking has become the nation’s biggest boredom breaker to fill the days of lockdown which has resulted in shortages of flour and yeast all over the country.

Baking is a great way to unwind, pass the time and bring some fun into the household.

So here’s are the top 10 favourites as compiled by BakeryandSnacks.com with my favourite recipe suggestions to use with a Thermomix.

Apple Pie – A truly delicious apple pie is about two things: perfect pastry and a generous filling of sweet, fluffy apples. This recipe delivers on both counts.
Cheesecake – This is a classic New York Baked Cheesecake that turns out perfect every time. It’s actually the most popular recipe on The 4 Blades blog, so when they were developing the ‘Champion Cheesecakes’ section, it was an absolute must-include. This is my all-time favourite recipe and when my Dad tried it, he said I should open a dessert shop, it’s that good.
Rhubard Crumble For a classic spring pudding recipe, make this pretty rhubarb crumble recipe and serve with plenty of custard.
Victoria Sponge The perfect party cake, a Victoria sponge is a traditional bake everyone will love. This recipe from Cookidoo is a good one and from the British Isles on a Plate cookbook.
Cupcakes. I can’t take credit for this recipe, as it’s been converted by my friend Kerry New, who I believe converted it to the Thermomix from Country Women’s Association in Australia (CWAA) a recipe that her grandmother made. Hats off to the original creator of this recipe, it is still single-handedly my favourite vanilla cake recipe and my go-to for birthday cakes and cupcakes. There’s also variations to the recipe which turn this basic recipe into chocolate, coffee, orange or lemon cake. No wonder it is my go-to.
Bread Cooking can be good for the soul and making bread is such a rewarding, therapeutic, tactile thing – you’ll be so proud of yourself when you’ve cracked it. If you have never made bread before, I suggest you try this ‘Quick Bread’ recipe on Cookidoo which uses a Dutch Oven (I use my Le Creuset Cast Iron Casserole) to bake the bread. Do try it.
Chocolate chip cookies A chocolate chip cookie is a drop cookie that originated in the United States and features chocolate chips or chocolate morsels as its distinguishing ingredient. Circa 1938, Ruth Graves Wakefield added chopped up bits from a Nestlé semi-sweet chocolate bar into a cookie.
Lemon Drizzle Cake Everyone needs an easy lemon drizzle cake that is super-quick to bake and perfect to wheel out for office cake days or visiting mothers-in-law.
Savoury Pie The secret it a good pie is the ingredients. This chicken and leek pie is a Cookidoo recipe from the British Isles on a Plate cookbook. I absolutely adore this recipe, as from start to finish the recipe is made in the Thermomix and it’s a great recipe.
Rainbow Coloured Sponge Cake I’d like to take inspiration from Great British Bake-Off winner Candice Brown reveals how to make this show-stopping rainbow cake. Candice Brown’s rainbow cake recipe would be the perfect centrepiece for any charity bake sale, or party. The Great British Bake Off winner has created this showstopping rainbow cake to support children’s charity the Rainbow Trust – who offer support to seriously ill children and their families. And yes, I know this link isn’t to a Thermomix recipe. But if you’ve got this far, you surely would ve able to convert a recipe by now. If not, this is a fabulous time to try.

12-reasons to invest in a Thermomix

Leave a Comment / Blog

With our 0% finance offer on in April 2020, available for all purchases for Thermomix TM6, I thought I’d give you 12-reasons to invest in a Thermomix this month.

1. To simplify your life (in and out of the kitchen)

Doesn’t it feel good to declutter?!

The Thermomix replaces over 20 of your household appliances. Imagine the space you’ll create in your kitchen cupboards. Have a garage sale or eBay those big items (like the bread maker) that take up a lot of room for the limited time they’re in use! No need for measuring cups with the built-in scales in the Thermomix, or for smaller chopping gadgets that take time to pull apart and clean.

This is actually a picture of my friend and TM customer’s kitchen redesign by Omni Home Designs in Hertfordshire. Isn’t it just beautiful?

2. To save you valuable time in the kitchen.

Chopping, mincing, milling, grinding, stirring and kneading all done for you!

We all see how life throws certain demands at us and it’s easy to take short cuts in the things that matter most. Food preparation is one of those things! We choose quick frozen, or takeaway meals because we haven’t got the time to prepare more nutritious food…and quite frankly, convenience is killing us. Then, there’s the time you save cleaning up- one seamless, non-porous bowl helps clean itself! This is the ultimate fast food machine!

3. To eliminate those packaged foods with harmful additives and preservatives.

It allows you to avoid the chemicals in modern processed foods and returns you to the tradition of wholesome home-style cooking using the technology of the future. Make your own delicious nutritious marinades, sauces, butter, condiments like mayonnaise & custard.

This is the ultimate health machine.

4. To save you money in your trolley on many general items. (And on takeaway)

Did you know you could make 1 litre of fresh fruit sorbet for just £2.00? 500ml of Tesco’s Raspberry sorbet costs £2.20, so for the same cost, you can make double.

A good quality bread in the Thermomix will cost you around 50p as to £2-4 in the supermarket
Risotto in the TM is around £5 to make and it serves 5, I have paid up to £18 in a restaurant for a serving for one! These are just a few ways the Thermomix saves you money.

5. To save on your energy bill

The Thermomix costs around 15p an hour to run. When I got my Thermomix I reduced the amount of gas I was using with my cooker and my energy bill went down 20%; now that’s impressive especially since I was suddenly using the oven a whole lot more. We’ve done analysis that cooking a soup is 40% more energy-efficient than doing on the stove-top.

Faster and more efficient, and has no rival on the market. Featuring a gearless motor, Solingen steel blades, and a stainless steel bowl, Thermomix brings a new dimension to food preparation and cooking. The Thermomix is great for families on a budget!

6. Creativity made easy

Beautiful, infinite recipe possibilities with a line up of many books, websites and our very own recipe platform, called Cookidoo. With over 50,000 recipes available at your fingertips and new recipe collections every single week, in every single country, there’s always something new to create.
Cook like a pro with gourmet recipes all made by your Thermomix. The Thermomix gives you the edge!

7. It will reduce your carbon footprint (and your household rubbish)

It’s dreadful the amount of waste the average home creates on a weekly basis. Seeing that many of your meals can be made from basic ingredients such as vegetables, grains, legumes nuts and seeds, you’ll see a dramatic impact on your household waste. No more juice containers, no more cardboard boxes, less tin cans, and a reduction in plastics; the earth will have you to thank.
The environment is grateful for the Thermomix!

8. It will get the whole family preparing nutritious meals.

The delight to many of my customers has been, that their family has taken on more meal preparation! Previously, meals in my home were primarily made by me but now with the Thermomix having gone digital and easier to use, even hubby’s that don’t cook enjoy and appreciate the gadget that ends all gadgets! My kids as young as 8 and 11-years now use the Thermomix guided cooking functions unaided. The Thermomix brings families together in food preparation.

9. It’s compact and portable, making it the perfect travel companion. Who wants to be spending time cooking while on holidays?

Many of my customers have taken their Thermomix in their campers and away to their holiday homes as an all-in-one appliance that does the lot. You don’t even need saucepans and a kettle. This is the ultimate super kitchen appliance. I regularly take mine on holiday with me and last year, when we went to France, my Thermomix was slipped in the back of the car for our self-catering holiday. Yes, I know a holiday is a time to go out and eat, indulge in local cuisines and I’m all for that. But eating 21-meals in a week’s holiday out can be expensive and sometimes, that quick breakfast of perfectly boiled eggs or no-lump porridge for breakfast, or quick tomato sauce and pasta for little ones who need to eat early is a lifesaver.

10. It puts the enjoyment back into cooking.

The Thermomix does the hard jobs for you like stirring the risotto for 17 minutes while freeing you up to go have a shower, check your emails or just go put your legs up! What about the lump-free bechamel or custard without burning the bottom of the pan…gotta love that! The Thermomix will give you a love for cooking again.

11. To make beautiful homemade inexpensive gifts is just another way to save with the Thermomix. Give a gift that you’ve lovingly prepared and everyone will enjoy.

Make your own Christmas pressies such as Dukka, Lemon butter, Jam, and homemade chocolates!
The Thermomix makes gift-giving affordable and gift ideas easy. It’s also much cheaper than buying a hamper.

12. Makes entertaining a breeze!

Whip up dips and salads in just seconds. I use to spend the day in the kitchen preparing a dinner party- not anymore. I can whip up all sorts of delicious recipes in no time from starter to dessert.
Then there’s the superb cocktails, and after dinner coffee…oh yes it makes Cappuccinos & Lattes too! The Thermomix is being bought by cafes and restaurants all over the world!

*As you can see the investment in initial outlay, is nothing compared to all the things you get back with Thermomix. This is why Thermomix is sold every 2 minutes around the world. In China, during the Covid_19 lockdown, sales of Thermomix went up 80% as people were home.

Why wait when you can buy now, pay later?

You may like to take the opportunity to with our Ikano finance options to purchase a Thermomix.

If you would like a chance to see the Thermomix in action, why not join me on one of my Virtual Cooking demonstrations. I’m hosting them every couple of days. Why not? We’re all home.
To book call me today on 07977 563537 or see one of my socials for more recipe inspiration in terms of photos and videos.