Literally Mix & Go!

We moved to Spain in July 2018, and my husband started teaching English at an English Academy. He worked crazy hours from the afternoon into the late evening, with very short breaks of between ten and twenty minutes! He therefore needed to take food with him to work that was healthy, easy and quick to eat, not messy, and would sustain him until he was able to eat a regular meal. We knew that smoothies would be the only thing suitable, other than fruit or strips of veggies (we eat whole food that is plant-based), so we decided to get a smoothie maker.

Just in case you are not sure what a smoothie is or if you are wondering what the difference is between a milkshake and a smoothie:

Key Difference: Milkshake is a dairy based beverage which is generally made by the combination of ice creams and fruits. On the other hand, smoothies are primarily fruit blended beverages which have a base of ingredients like yogurt, milk or fruit juice. Unlike milkshakes, smoothies are used as meal replacements.  www.differencebetween.info/difference-between-smoothie-and-milkshake)

We went onto Amazon on the internet. There are not many shops catering for this type of equipment, at reasonable prices, here in our little Spanish village, and so shopping online is the best way to get reasonably priced good quality items fast. We searched for a smoothie maker or blender. It needed to be simple to use, not bulky to store and not a pain to clean, as our time in the house is also limited with four young children to look after.

We found it! A brilliant smoothie maker that I would highly recommend to everyone. It’s the Russell Hobbs Explore Mix & Go Cool Mini Blender. 

These are the reasons that I really like this machine:

• Russell Hobbs is a well-known brand that has been around for quite a while and they make excellent quality goods (From Wikipedia: Russell Hobbs is a manufacturer of household appliances based in Failsworth, Greater Manchester, England, United Kingdom. Founded‎: ‎1952).
• All you do is put your ingredients into the bottle, attach the blade to the bottle, push the bottle down into the blender and it blends! No buttons, just fill, mix and go (as they perfectly describe it on the box). Quick and easy; simple like I prefer it.
• It has a two-year guarantee.
• There are two Cool Tubes that you freeze and then insert into the lid of the bottle to keep your smoothie cooler for longer.
• It comes with two 600ml bottles (a great size) and lids, instead of one lid like most of the other blenders have.
• The bottles are dishwasher safe and BPA free (very important!).
• It grinds up hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds and nuts into the smoothie beautifully.
• The lids on the bottles seal really well, so that there are no leaks.
• I like the fact that the bottles are two different colours: one green and one transparent, so that you don’t get the smoothies mixed up if you place different ingredients into them.
• The bottles are made from a very hardy plastic and seem like they could last a long time, withstanding accidents.
• The machine is a fantastic size, in that it is not too big to fit into a little corner of your kitchen counter. There is nothing worse than having big bulky machines standing all over your work space, right.
• It has a wonderful handle that makes it easy to move around.

The one negative that I have found with regards this blender:

The bottles and lid are not that easy to clean as Russell Hobbs advertises. There are spaces at the bottom of the bottle that are really difficult to get to, and the lid has crevices all over it that take a small bottle brush to get into them and not easily.

Other than that, this is an impressive machine and I think that every kitchen should have one. It’s not too expensive as well, at Euros 25.99 (with free shipping on Amazon Prime) (this price was at October 2018).

In case you are new to smoothies, here is my favourite immune boosting, energy increasing, thick smoothie recipe that I put together. We have it almost daily and it is really tasty.

Add the following to your blender and blend:

1. One cup of milk
2. One cup of water (or another cup of milk)
3. One Banana
4. Half an Avocado or a whole one if it is small
5. One tablespoon of Hemp seeds or Chia seeds
6. One tablespoon of Pumpkin seeds
7. One tablespoon of Sunflower seeds
8. One teaspoon of Maca powder
9. Two to three tablespoons of oats
10. One tablespoon of Peanut Butter or peanuts or another type of nut (to mask the bitter taste of the Maca as well)
11. Optional handful of berries

Let me know what you think. What is your favourite smoothie recipe? I am always keen to try other new and interesting versions.