One of the first things we noticed using how much better dishes are made with fresh ingredients. You can have the same thing (take the broccoli cheese soup we had last night) you've had dozens of times before, and it is much better with fresh ingredients. It tastes better, it's better for you, and it's exponentially easier to make; what's not to love (besides the price 
).
Is there a way to get it to not get things so fine, or would you use a different tool for that? I.e. if you wanted some chunks in your soup or whatever?
Ooh! Loving this kitchen gadgets thing that's happening on this Board. (Millie had that hot pockets thing, too!)
What are some of the other recipes you've made, LIFL?
May 2008 CSR 
cdub - That's one of the things that makes it so handy; you don't have to change anything out or use any different attachments or anything. You can use a lower speed for a more coarse chop, also (as with soups) when you want chunks or whole pieces like corn; you just add those things in towards the end. It's very simple.
bali - We've made all sorts of things. It comes with a really cool expandable recipe book (3-ring hard-cover binder with tabs for sections and everything you need to make using it quick and easy), and we try something new several times a week. We've had tortilla soup numerous times (sounds somewhat banal, but it's made with fresh ingredients like squash, carrots, cabbage, and other fresh veggies - but it just tastes like delicious and spicy tortilla soup), spicy tomato, tomato vegetable, chicken taco soup, gourmet sweet potato soup, salsa (with fresh, organic roma tomatoes from our garden), whipped cream in seconds, ice cream, all kinds of healthful juices and smoothies (this is an every day, usually more than once a day, thing). This morning DW made me a delicious mixed fruit smoothie with apples, oranges, grapes, some veggies, maybe banana, and tofu believe it or not. Not sure what else was in it because all I could taste was fruit and yummy.
Went and found a link with recipes for those interested.
Sounds like this thing would be great for parties! Have you guys used it with friends?
Of couse, I go right to the "butters" section. These sound amazing! http://www.vitamix.com/foodservice/recipes/food_prep.asp#butter
May 2008 CSR
You could make cold drinks too. Fun.
Yeah, it's great for cold drinks. They use them at lots of restaurants, bars, and smoothie places for that reason. We don't have time to entertain guests and we don't drink at home; BUT we have made some delicious dessert-y drinks/shakes. That frozen drink consistency you could never get at home, you can with this! It's awesome. I think I'm going to make an orange cream treat today!
edit: I don't drink at all. DW does occasionally, and may have a glass of wine at home now and then.
LifeIsForLiving wrote:Went and found a link with recipes for those interested.
Sounds like this thing would be great for parties! Have you guys used it with friends?
Of couse, I go right to the "butters" section. These sound amazing! http://www.vitamix.com/foodservice/recipes/food_prep.asp#butter
I LOVE butter 
Trying to decide if I'll try the deep-fried butter at the state fair this year... 
We made apple butternut squash soup the other night and it was fantastic! Also did make orange cream dessert (just vanilla frozen yogurt and oranges and/or OJ). Could make the same thing with healthier options like yogurt, skim milk, tofu, and ice.
I have something called a Magic Bullet that is an As Seen on TV product. It actually works okay for what I use it for, but it's clearly cheaply made. I should have bought a Vita-Mix.
I don't have a Magic Bullet, but some family members do. It does work okay, I'm told - it does what it's supposed to. There are lots of decent blenders you can get for, say, $30. They mix, and they blend. Some of them will even last a few years. That said, there is no comparison. This can do many things they can not and anything they can do; this does much better and much faster. I never would have thought I'd happily spend so much on a blender, but now that I own one and have had a chance to use it thoroughly; I would happily pay even more than I did for it. It's worth every penny.
An aside, a departure from the whiz-band gadgetry aspect, this makes it so much easier to eat healthy. That was a big selling point for us, and it delivers in spades.
I'm not sure I've mentioned how all this started. So...
We were just picking up a few things from Costco, and they happened to have a Vita-mix demonstration. I consider myself a realist, ergo am often rather skeptical. I am quite familiar with the conventions of salesmanship, as I myself have used many of the very same tactics. When you can see what this thing does right before your eyes, it's very hard to refute. I got online right there in the store and did my own research and found the claims made were substantiated. The demo guy really did make a soup from scratch in seconds, it really was delicious. I tried everything he made, and they were all great. Even the chocolate ice cream with carrots and cabbage (and maybe a couple other healthful ingredients). He said it was cheaper there than we'd find it anywhere else (including the Vita-mix website). Again, I was incredulous. I looked it up myself at various online retail sources including Amazon and eBay. Sure enough, it was cheaper there than anywhere else.
So...we bought it, and boy are we glad we did.