I am in love!!!

And I mean seriously in love. I may leave my husband in order to marry this thing. I recieved many wonderful gifts for Christmas but this one was the most surprising. I had recently picked up a new vegan cookbook and there was a section on tools for the kitchen. The authors are city cooks who have tiny NYC kitchens and when they suggested an immersion blender I thought, hmm, why not. I have every other appliance known to man and I needed a gift idea to pass on to Greg's mom. I didn't even take it out of the box until late Jan. HOW DID I LIVE SO LONG WITHOUT THIS THING????? It is awesome. I have decided if I don't pull out my regular blender in the next 6 months it is going to Goodwill. This little baby is not only easy to grab and use in a pinch but it is also a breeze to clean! Just whiz it in some soapy water, rinse, and detach the end to dry! No huge glass pitcher to deal with. I have been using it all the time for whipping up marinades, blending drinks (even hot cocoa on the stove to a frothy consistency) and it is great for soups. No more transferring batches of hot soup to my blender and making a HUGE mess. This puppy makes creamy soup right in the pot. But my latest use is the world's fastest smoothies in the morning. I invented a new one (well new to me) this morning that was so great I have been dreaming about it all day. With the stick blender I can make the smoothie and clean up in about 2 minutes. Here is my new favorite smoothie recipe for you to try!

Peanut Butter Dream Smoothie
1 whole banana (fresh or frozen)
1+ cups of soy milk (for desired consistency)
1 spoonful of peanut butter
1 pinch of salt (our PB is the hippy kind with no salt or sugar so a little salt helps bring out the sweetness)
1 drizzle of agave nectar (you could use honey or a spoonful of jam!)

Blend until smooth. Drink and enjoy! It tastes like a PB milkshake but much lower on calories. SO DELICIOUS!