Time saving device.... (s)

I have gone a little retail crazy in the last couple of weeks and bought myself two appliances that are going to save my sanity a little. The first is a Roomba... I am not the most diligent of housewives... so anything that is going to vacuum for me whilst i am somewhere else (eg at work) is a friend of mine. The second is a Thermomix. For those who don't know what a thermomix is, go to www.thermomix.com.au and be prepared to be impressed! I wonder how it took so long for me to find out about this sensational appliance. Anyone who knows me also knows that I love a good party plan gathering... my massive tupperware cupboard, enjo gear (yes i do still have a clean bathroom) and room full of Le Reve perfumes, skincare and aromatherapy are testament to my faith in good quality products bought through party plan. So I got invited to a Thermomix demo. I had never heard of it before. I went, fully intending to not buy, just look. Yeah, right.... $2000 later I head home, wondering how I sell this idea to my husband and make it sound like a really good purchase. Turns out I really didn't need to work too hard to convince him - he knows that I don't actually spend money just for the sake of it, so if I had decided it was a good purchase, that was good enough for him. Trusting man... very trusting man...

Anyway, I also booked my own demo and we had that yesterday. I am sooooo excited to have my thermomix in the kitchen. Mushroom risotto for dinner last night, courtesy of the leftovers from the demo... The great thing about the Thermomix is that you know exactly what is going into your food. I can even make my own gluten free flour by milling rice (and tapioca and other gf grains if i really feel so inclined...)

So, how does this all tie in with Fructose Free living? Quite simply really. We tried the custard recipe and instead of pulverising raw sugar, then using the powdered form of that, i just put in the same weight of dextrose. OMG.... i am sooo never standing over a saucepan stirring and stirring and stirring and praying that the eggs don't curdle! That was seriously the best custard I have EVER made, and I have made quite a lot of custard in my life. Then, Scott said, do you think you could try some creamed rice? He was pleading just a little.... I have banned tinned creamed rice even though the boys LOVE it, because it is just too high in sugar. Well, we did it. And apparently it is just the way the little Greek shop in Casuarina Shopping Centre used to make it, so that is obviously a good thing! Again, no sugar - used dextrose instead and according to the official taster - perfect!

What is next? Well, gluten free hot cross buns are going to have to be attempted. I whipped up an ice cream batch (dextrose) last night to compare it to my tried and tested method. It is churning in Snowy at the moment, so we will see how that turns out. Again, the less standing over a stove stirring for me, the better.

Dips! Last weekend i tried a capsicum, cashew and sundried tomato dip, this weekend garlic, parsley and cream cheese. Can't wait to have another birthday party or something to try a few more of these recipes out!

So I have a couple of weeks holidays coming up - guess what Mr 5 and I will be doing? Cooking and playing! (and watching the floors get vacuumed) Can anyone tell I am a little bit excited? I firmly believe this whole fructose free lifestyle is going to get even easier when i make more of my own sauces - mayonnaise for example - so i have even fewer labels to read.

Of course it might make us incredibly boring people as we will be less likely to want to go out, but I live by the theory that if you are doing the right thing most of the time, then the occasional meal out is not going to do damage. Damage happens when the occasional turns into the regular. Kind of like drinking....