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!
i so want a vitamix!!! i would say that if you have the chance you should splurge on that one…obviously it’s worth the price!
Hope the canopy works ok for you, but from the picture it looks a little weak. Just like a good quality blender, you’ll want your canopy at the Farmer’s Market to completely serve your needs as well. Sometimes it’s worth spending a bit more money to get a product that won’t fustrate you or disappoint.
Good, good luck on the market opening and I hope you sell lots of OSG bars!
Yes I agree. If it doesn’t hold up, we are going with one from Costco.
My blender died last week too : (
I just got the oster “beehive’ and LOVE it! and i am very picky blender person…I hate chunks and i love to use ice, but so far I am extremely impressed with this one
I have an oster blender that is just the worst! It always needs help mixing things up if the mixture is too thick. I have to constantly stir the mix with a spoon or just keep adding water to make it thinner :(
Pretty awesome that the $40 Oster is better than the $300 Blend-tec. I don’t know what brand I have, but it works pretty well. I won a Magic Bullet To Go on Monica’s blog Run Eat Repeat and it SUCKS!!
I would love a Vita-Mix but my goodness, that’s a lot for a blender. Anyhow, mine is useless and leaves chunks and forces you to stir constantly. It’s lazy and I dislike it so much I won’t even tell you the brand. As if I know it.
Oh my gosh, I totally did that too! I loved playing “teacher.” Maybe that’s why I enjoy teaching Sunday school so much!
I’m eating un-overnight oats at the moment, although I must say they are not vegan today.
I did the SAME thing as a kid in pretending to teach! I used to “teach” English and Math and taught all my stuffed animals (I had a LOT of stuffed animals). I LOVED using blackboards (still do) and I have to say, when I actually DID teach in Japan, I was super sad that they used whiteboards (not the same). Now I get to have fun with chalk and blackboards with my 5 year old niece! I’m still trying to get a blackboard for my house, just for fun! :D
Also had chocolate banana soft serve with raspberry overnight oats this morning…oh my…dangerous…
The gravitron is the only ride to have ever made me puke!
I caved and bought the BlendTec at Costco. It was a great price and came with a great extended warranty. I had been comparing for a long time & I kind of feel like a traitor since VitaMix headquarters are in my hometown! But VitaMix doesn’t fit under cabinets and I don’t care for the plunger thing. Plus BlendTec has that ‘will it blend’ thing where they blend up a Louisville Slugger or other crazy things! I am nothing but happy with it so far. I’m shocked its No. 5!
I’m curious to see which way you go with the blender. I have wanted a Vitamix for a while, but I just don’t think I blend enough to justify the price. Maybe I would if I had it. Tough decision.
I love everything Nativas… those cacao nibs are the BOMB.
I can’t wait to hear about your farmers market experiences, that would be SO fun! I love the atmosphere at our farmers markets here, getting to talk to the people who grew or made the food, and really, everyone seems to be GLOWING.
and, once again, I will add my 2 cents about Vitamix… I’ve had mine for 12+ years, I researched like mad before I purchased (I was in college on laboratory intern pay), and I should stop bragging about how old it is, but it is still in PERFECT condition. I use it a lot for everything. (and I thought of YOU the other day, really, when a friend who has a blendtec said “I wish I had the vita, they are SO much better”.
you deserve it, and so does Glo Bakery :)
Your bars are going to be a hit!!!
School used to be one of my favorite games to play too…funny, because I hated real school! I guess I liked the authority that came along with being a teacher…and now I’m a teacher! Ha!
Re: blenders– I LOVE my vitamix. As in, would get rid of my husband before I got rid of my blender. But, that’s just me. :-)
My blender is a Blendtec! It works quite well, but my only complaint is that it has square edges. When I make nut butters everything builds up in the corners… My opinion would be that you’re better off getting a food processor. :) Just my opinion! I mean, you can make juice using the food processor too, right? What do you use now to make your beet+carrot+ginger, etc juices?
Wei-Wei
I have a Breville Juicer
I LOVE my blendtec. You can get it with a 20% off coupon that you get a bed, bath & beyond. I went in store and asked them to order it for me since they were not in stock at my store. That $80 was a nice discount! I make green smoothies, and have even chopped an apple in half and thrown it in with no problems. I would get a vitamix if you want a pusher thinger, but I’ve been going fine without one with enough liquid.
I was wondering about the farmers market. That seems like a late start? The signs look great, I love signs made with chalk. I think it looks creative, chic but kinda hippy ish, and very artsy.
It’s not a late start for this area really…the weather doesn’t start getting warm until June usually. I think markets generally begin June 1st and later here.
Oooooh, good luck at your farmer’s market!! I LOVE the chalkboard, soooo adorable :) And I hope you find a suitable blender ASAP!!!
Oh my goodness-I played school just like that!
I have an Oster blender (not the one on the list) and it rocks. I always think I won’t be able to make something but it never disappoints. Just thought I’d let you know! It’s a good option until you feel like you can get the more expensive ones.
So I tired to make the banana soft serve overnight oats last night. Epic failure. I tried to use flax seeds instead of chia seeds. This morning the mixture didn’t thicken up at all. I couldn’t find the chia seeds in my local grocery store. Any suggestions? Also, where do you buy the cacao powder? Would whole foods be a good place to check? Thanks!!
I must get this to work soon… I am craving it!! : )
hmm weird I have heard that it works with flax and even without flax or chia seeds all together! Strange…Did you give it a good stir in the morning? I find I have to stir it well to mix in all the liquid. You can get chia seeds at bulk barn or online or at whole foods and some natural food stores too. I think WF should have cacao powder too…sometimes it is cheaper buying online if you search around though. I am not much help because I buy all of my stuff from a wholesaler for the bakery.
I got my Breville blender through Air Miles and love, love, love it. Went from my $40 Hamilton-Beach to the Breville and was SHOCKED at the difference.
I’ve also seen it at Future Shop for $250, but I’m not sure which model.