Smoothies are a delicious example of a drink that can be made in the blender. You can be as creative as you like with the ingredients and experimenting with tastes and textures is a lot of fun. You can whiz up milk and fruit, mixed fruit with honey and much more. If you have a blender and you only use it occasionally for making a smoothie now and then, you are missing out on a lot of other ways your blender can help you.

Here are some handy tips on how to make the most of your blender.

1. You can make your own baby food using the blender. This works out cheaper than buying baby food, plus you will know exactly what goes into it.

2. Blenders can help you with cooking because you can use them to chop and puree your ingredients, which is a real timesaver. Some people prefer not to cook because they don't have time but using a blender can solve this problem. You can liquefy, chop, blend and puree in a blender and they come in handy with a multitude of different recipes.

3. You can make nice sauces using the blender to chop ingredients evenly. This is a great timesaver as well as being easier and safer than using knifes to chop your herbs, vegetables or whichever ingredients you are using.

4. If you have family or friends coming for a visit, you can whip up spreads, dips and other exciting mixtures in the blender. You can even make a business out of it if you are good at creating culinary masterpieces. All it takes is some experimentation and practice.

5. You can grate hard cheeses such as Swiss and Cheddar in the blender. Cut it into cubes and add them through the feeder cap while the blender runs.

7. Your blender can grind whole spices, coffee beans, nuts and crackers. You can make delicious nut butters or spice butters in this way.

8. Use the blender to grind poppy seeds, grate fresh coconut, dissolve gelatin and reconstitute frozen fruit juice and dry milk.

9. You can puree hot soup in the blender. Only fill it half full and leave the feeder cap open for the steam to escape. Begin on a very low setting and turn it up gradually.

10. And of course, there are smoothies!

The blender was invented in 1922 by Stephen Poplawski to create soda fountain drinks. He placed a blade at the base of a tall container and the first blender was born. Of course, the blender has been developed more since then and a blender is a frequent sight in most people's kitchens these days. Blenders come in glass, plastic and steel.

You can get ready made mixes for smoothies or make your own from scratch. Whether the sun is shining or it is a cold day, juices and smoothies always go down a treat. A blender is designed to add air to a drink, to make it frothy, which is why blender smoothies always come out so good. So if you have a blender and hardly ever use it, why not try out some of the above ideas! About the Author

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