Last night I got to be a kid again…
Chalk and I go way back.
Did I mention that when I was a kid I used to ‘play school’ a lot? I would pretend I was a teacher and I had a whole room full of ‘students’ which were all of my stuffed bears, of course. Sometimes, I managed to con OSGMOM or my sister Kristi into participating for a bit or a friend that was over. I used to make up attendance lists and everything. :lol: I remember calling out everyone’s names on the very long list and say things like, ‘James? JAMES?! James isn’t here today I guess.’ [heavy sigh].
Eric and I started gathering some items for the Oakville Organic Farmer’s Market that begins very SOON. Orientation is this Saturday and the market begins the following Saturday on June 19th!
We went for the cheapest canopy tent we could find- on sale for $69 at XS Cargo a couple months ago.
The jury is still out as to whether it will keep out the rain. We are going to test it this weekend…fingers crossed that it does…
I bought two chalkboards that I will hang from each side of the tent. I am going to list the Glo Bar flavours and prices on the boards. If this isn’t home-made, I don’t know what is!
The jury is still out as to whether our $69 tent will hold up two chalkboards. Minor details! We also need to make cement pails to tie the tent to (it’s a safety requirement).
Then I got dizzy from chalk fumes because I had to erase and start over so many times. I certainly have lost my touch!
Speaking of dizzy…this placemat never fails to make me feel like I spent all night at a club or an amusement park.
See any resemblance?
I used to love the Gravitron!
:pinch:
This angle is a bit easier on the eyes…
I really wanted to show you something new for breakfast because you are probably sick to death of looking at Banana Soft Serve Vegan Overnight Oats, but I could not bring myself to make anything else.
Don’t even mention the word Green Monster…I will shed a tear. My Kitchenaid blender is in a very sad place where blenders go to die. The body still remains in my kitchen, but the spirit has left. (I hear that Vitamix blenders are never found in the blender graveyard.)
Speaking of Energizer Bunny Blenders, check out the top 5 blenders according to a Consumer Report’s test of over 80 different blenders:
1) Vita-Mix: for $499 from Pleasant Hill Grain.
2) Oster BCBG08: for $39.99 from Bed Bath and Beyond.
3) Breville 800BLXL: for $277.91 from Amazon.
4) L’Equip 306500: for $163.13 from Amazon.
5) Blendtec Total Blender: for $399.99 from Amazon.
[Of course, Consumer Reports wants your cash forked over before they will let you see the entire study in their June 2010 issue…I just may have to buy it!]
I thought it was very interesting that Vita-Mix came out on top while Blendtec was 5th. I have been debating between the two for a while. I also loved that the second best blender was the $40 Oster! Anyone have this one?
Back to breakfast.
I had my parfait with raw cacao nibs sprinkled on top:
Some of you have been asking me about the raw nibs. Raw cacao nibs are very nutritious- they have more antioxidants than blueberries, red wine, and green tea, and they are rich in many vitamins and minerals such as zinc, magnesium, and beta-carotene. The nibs are also high in fibre with about 9 grams per 28 gram serving.
Be warned though, raw cacao nibs are very bitter (now I know why chocolate has so much sugar added to it!) and are best enjoyed along with something very sweet (like banana soft serve). They are very crunchy and add a wonderful texture to other sweet foods.
Giveaway Alert:
- Check out this fun giveaway over at Eating Journey for a chance to win GLO Bars, the Operation Beautiful Book, and gorgeous cards!
I realized I promised you a post about tri talk, however that clearly did not happen. It is coming. I am still processing a few thoughts in my mind… :whistle:
Enjoy your day!
The vita is a solid investment. Not sick of your overnight oats yet!
we got that exact oster model. i really like it alot. use it daily. but i could totally see you with a vitamix. : )
Oh I loved the Gravitron!!!!!
Good luck in your blender hunt!
I used to LOVE writing on chalkboards! How fun!
Just have to weigh in on the blender issue! I have been coveting a Vitamix for years…when my blender dies..but my OSTER is going strong! I have had it longer than I have had my husband! LOL…It is at least ten years old and it was used when my mother gave it to me!!!
It gets serious use too…I use it at least three to seven or even more times a week for green monsters, homemade hummus, veggie burger mixtures, and occasional blended juices with the pulp even though I have a juicer. When I make the green monsters I put it on frappe and then walk away and let it whirl its heart out while I get other stuff going…and still it lives!
I was kind of thrilled to see it in second place on the list (not necessarily the same model though!) For $40 it should make a good “temporary” replacement if the other is not in your budget right now.
My mom gave me one of those rocket blenders (similar to magic bullet) I thought it would be great for camping or bringing the green monsters in the car since it blends right in the cup, but it never blended well, so it went into the Goodwill donation pile last week!
Finally, weighing in the nibs..I LOVE them! I had been wanting to try them when I won that wonderful box from you, and you had a bag in there…well now we re-order them regularly. Of course I can’t eat them right out of hand…way too bitter….but they are great in my oatmeal (they add a fantastic crunch), banana soft serve (but you already knew that) and yogurt (which you don’t eat anyway!
Thanks for sharing! I think my mom has an Oster and I remember it working very well (and it was an 80’s model I think!)
I’m debating on what blender to get too!! please keep me up to date with your research and what you end up getting. All I want is to make homemade almond butter!!!!! :( stupid blenders
Oooh! I’m so excited about the farmers market; I live in Oakville but had no idea this was going to be happening! Totally made my day!
whohoo hope to meet you there!
Good luck with the tent and your GloBar sales!
I like the $40 blender! Just because I think paying $400 for a blender is a little ridiculous. I actually think the blender I have now is an Oster but I’m not sure. It blends. It makes green monsters. Works for me!
I’ve worked with a canopy like that before. If the rain is coming straight down you’ll be fine. Just be sure to have a long stick. The water tends to pool along the edges of the canopy. You’ll need the stick to push the water over the edge so it doesn’t weigh down the canopy. If the rain is coming down on an angle you’ll want something to cover the sides. If the canopy didn’t come with side attachments, garbage bags are a bit ghetto but they work. :)
My old blender was a 15-year-old wedding present to my parents. I upgraded this past Christmas – I bought an Oster Professional Series Blender (http://www.amazon.com/Oster-BPST02-B-Professional-Blender-Black/dp/B000FBLQLG/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1276098858&sr=8-3). It retails for $170 but I got it for, like, $40 or $60 on Amazon. Can I just say that I LOVE Amazon.com? haha
Ignore any bad reviews of this blender; I’ve had no problems with mine. It pulverizes everything.
I hope you can get the perfect blender for you!
Thank you so much! I have been needing a new blender but can’t afford the Vita that I want and haven’t had time to do any research, looks like I will be getting the $40 runner up!
I agree on the Oster. I have a different version, but until I feel like shelling out for a Vita-Mix, it does the trick :) And it gets serious mileage too- I use it almost everyday. I’m talking nut butters, green monsters and banana soft serve.
I love how cheap the second best blender is!
It’s a hypnosis place mat! You’re getting verrrry sleeeeepy… ;)
Thats interesting! The oster is better than the blendtec. I would get a vita mix if I won the lotto….
I <3 my oster though, 30$ at target.
You and I are kindred spirits. There is a story I wrote for the book about my love affair with the Gravitron.
I had the Oster. Let me tell you, there is a huge range of performance difference between #1 and #2.
haha LOVE IT.
Your sign looks great so far! I’m sure it will draw in the crowds! :D
I used to love making huge chalk murals on my driveway when I was a kid. I miss those days!
I LOVED playing school when I was little! I made my sister be one of my students, and we had this easel thing with a painting station on one side and a chalk board on the other. It was THE best. Yours look so cute!
My blender is ancient – it’s an Osterizer, and my parents bought it before I was born. Looks a little old school but it’s an absolute beast!
My two cents on the blender debate – I had a (supposedly) very nice Breville for a while, and would not recommend it just based on what happened to me. First, the one that came from Amazon initially was broken, wouldn’t power on. They sent me a new one and it worked okay for a while, and then after less than a year a part broke that was not easily fixable. I wasn’t doing anything crazy with it, just smoothies and soups and stuff. I probably could’ve gotten it fixed, but at that point I was so tired of it I just went and got a $30 model at Target, which works okay. My ultimate dream blender is the Vitamix, they’re so amazing!
Your “playing school teacher” story sounded like a page out of my own personal memories – minus the occasional “real student”. I could never sucker anyone in & I don’t have a sister :-( . I even made copies of coloring pages and worksheets that I pretended students turned in. My mom even found a life size chalk board at a thrift store, I was so sad to leave it behind…
I used to play school all the time with my sister, but the one my mom still teases us about is when we used to play church and use potato chips and juice for the bread and wine! Once she caught us holding up an american flag with our hands on our hearts singing Silent Night before beginning the service;)