My mother is a great cook, and because I am not that interested in the culinary arts, she finds my kitchen woefully inadequate when she cooks one of her delicious meals at my house.

The one thing in my kitchen that impresses Mom, however, is my Vitamix blender. My husband Ian and I bought it (refurbished, as we really are serious about buying used products to reduce the waste stream) last year. I make delicious soup in it almost weekly. My favorite, which I have creatively named “Veggie Soup”, takes little preparation except to cut up broccoli, carrots, yams and onions (feel free to choose your own mix) and toss them into a vegan broth. When the vegetables are cooked, I transfer half of that concoction to the Vitamix, add some Bragg’s Liquid Aminos to season, and blend. I then mix the blended and unblended soups together and stir in steamed kale for a chunky puree of vitamins and yumminess. I always have something healthy, but quick, to eat in the fridge.

For dessert, Ian loves frozen peeled bananas with nut butter blended in the Vitamix, with a touch of almond milk for a creamier texture – banana ice cream that is actually good for you. Even as an adult, I still seek approval from my mom, so I love that my blender gets her blessing. I also love how it makes cooking easy, fast and healthy!