What’s For Dinner? Kitchen Superstar: Mini Blender

This kitchen superstar that I love so much has definitely earned a spot on my counter. Even though I didn’t want a Mini Blender I am SO glad we have one now! 

Have you ever noticed no matter how much counter space we have it is never enough?

If you are like me, the only items on your counter are things you use often. This little gadget has earned this spot, right beside my George Foremen Grill. I personally use mine daily, sometimes several times a day.

Disclosure: I may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

It’s the Mini Blender, from GNC.

How I got my Mini Blender:

I worked for a year in a place that sold all kinds of different items from building supplies to cooking gadgets to pet supplies. I used to ring through the Ninja blender set, the Magic Bullet, and any other little blender, as I did I would ask the customer, do you like it? Why are you getting this item? Have you had one before?

I really loathed dragging the heavy blender down from the cupboard, cleaning it was a drag and it didn’t always chop smaller items. They would get stuck underneath the blender blades, which was a real pain!

So research mode was on, and what a better way to do it then ask the people who used them? As I listened I learned, everyone loved the mini blender.

Some raved about one brand over the other, but I noted that once you got a mini, you always had one. Some were replacing ones that had finally kicked the bucket, others were buying as gifts for loved ones. Friends, housewarming parties, gifts for college students, family members that love to work out and more. No one seemed to complain. (odd huh?)

Interested, I kept an eye on sales for ones I wanted. Time goes by and one day we see this little kit in GNC, it’s a super cute mini blender. On Sale! (I love a good sale!)

So again, I talked to the helpful ladies behind the counter. They all had one and had one complaint. The little rubber seal would get dried out over time, but “hang on to your receipt and we can send you a new one.” That took care of that concern, so home it went with me!

Benefits of the GNC Blender:

First of all, this is what is in the box! It comes with two cups (BPA Free 28oz Cups) with two lids, which means taking your smoothie on the go has never been easier!

The “blades” as I call them, aka the blender lid has an Ultra Sharp Stainless Steel Mixing Blade, and the blender base contains a 300-watt motor. I am not sure what that means but it cuts through frozen fruit easy as pie and ice too. So it’s all good!

However, I was worried about clean up, as anyone with a regular blender can understand those are a pain to clean.

No worries! The cups and lids are dishwasher safe, and you can easily wipe down the base and by rinsing and hand washing the blades-it’s clean in less than a minute.

Points I love:

• small enough for the counter
• easy to clean
• comes with everything I need to blend and run out the door
• which in turn is great for busy mom’s on the go
• not expensive
• powerful enough to cut through frozen fruit and ice

If you don’t have a GNC near you, you can get a variety of mini blenders from Amazon. Be sure to check the reviews!

How I use my Mini GNC Blender:

Okay, now we got the “practical” stuff out of the way let’s have some fun!

Mini blenders are awesome, I use mine daily for smoothies. It is a great way to get good stuff in your system without cooking!

Recipe 1: My usual blend

• 1 cup of milk (you can use almond milk, soy etc. )
• 1/2 cup of frozen fruit
• 1/2 cup yogurt
• 1 tbsp of seeds (sunflower is my favorite but you can use any type you like, shelled & unsalted is best)
• 1/4 cup raisins or dates (for sweetness)
• Ice if your fruit is not frozen
• Blend until smooth 1-2 minutes

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Recipe 2: Protein Shake

• 1 cup milk (250 ml) (if you substitute notice your protein amount will be lower, check the label)
• 1/2 cup of liquid eggs, make sure they are pasteurized to be safe.*
• 1/2 cup blueberry
• 1/2 banana
• ice if your fruit is not frozen
• blend for 1-2 minutes
• Nutritional Values: Calories: 270 Protein: 24g Carbs: 62 Fat: 3g

This shake is great for me, I struggle with food sensitives so buying a “protein shake” is not fun. It is hard to get one that doesn’t bother my system. The above one works great, I know exactly what is in it, and it’s not expensive, win-win!

*Pasteurized eggs are heated to 161 degrees for 15 seconds then cooled rapidly. To learn more about the safety requirements read the Livestrong Article, Are Pasteurized Eggs Safe To Eat Raw. Always read all labels carefully. See Terms of Use of this website for more information.

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Recipe 3: Sneaky Veggie Smoothie

• 1 cup juice (Aim for just juice no additives. I like Oasis brand, they also have a veggie and fruit mix which I love to use in smoothies!)
• 1 cup yogurt
• 1 cup fruit
• 1/4 cup of chopped spinach, frozen ( I promise you can not taste it! It will turn it green)
• 1/4 cup ice
• Blend 1-2 minutes until smooth
• add sliced banana on top and go!

The kids really enjoy smoothies in the summer heat, I love that I can sneak veggies, seeds and other good things in it and they gulp it down. I always serve with a straw because they drink it better that way, who knew!

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Conclusion:

For busy mom’s on the go, I highly recommend owning a mini blender! You can make your shakes in as little as 5 minutes and be on your way with a healthy drink to cool you down on a hot day.

It is a great way to sneak more veggies into picky eating children, or even get them involved and have them “invent” their own recipes!

Do you have a mini blender recipe to share? Leave it in the comments below! Thanks for reading!

Related Posts:

What’s for Dinner? Kitchen Superstar: The Slow Cooker

What’s For Dinner? Kitchen Superstar: George Foreman Grill