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Login Here Signup Here Signup using FacebookI have been raw now for almost a month! And feel great by the way!! And I have looked at every possible Raw vegan site out there and cant you just get away with a blender in the beginning??
I mean every where I look everyone seems to say you need a dehydrator and a vitamix and a blendtec and a processor
and this and that and this and that!!
Im a mom of 5 (a Single Mom of 5 )and I do not have that sorta of money to just go buy all these things!! and They are not cheap!!!
So i use one blender that seems to work great and make smooties and then eat everything else in its natural state!!
If someone has a suggestion that helps to obtain all these gadgets that Im suppose to have I'd like to hear!!
and trust me I looked on ebay and they are still 300 and up on a lot of thses items So where do you begin??
Hopelessly Wondering!!
Comments
I started with my ordinary blender, a knife for dicing and slicing, a grater, and a vegetable peeler. You don't miss what you don't have. I purchased a citrus juicer (under $30 at Walmart) early on. My hands just aren't strong enough to use a reamer effectively. I knew I would want to upgrade, so I literally saved my loose change until I had the money for a VitaMix. Don't get me wrong; I love my VitaMix. The flavor of a smoothie is much more intense.
I think we're "supposed to have" only what it takes to make us comfortable with being raw. Don't worry about what you don't have. Enjoy the raw style in your own way. I think the important issue is to eat healthy, and it sounds like you're doing that just fine.
PS: If there's a particular gadget you really want, you might try putting it on your gift wish list to friends and family. And do keep an eye on yard sales, etc. Someone posted several months ago that they got a VitaMix in excellent condition for under $100 at a pawn shop.
Don't worry about what the websites say you 'need'.
Some of the more complicated recipes call for certain pieces of kitchen equipment but there are a lot of people who advocate simplicity in eating raw and find fault with the elaborate dishes a lot of 'star' raw chefs come up with which often emulate taste and texture of SAD dishes.
I personally caved after about 2 weeks and bought a Vita-Mix but that's more due to laziness and trying to cram as many greens into my life as possible (green smoothies).
Having these gadgets may save some time but you can definitely be raw and happy without them.
Same goes for the myriad of supplements/superfoods that raw online stores carry.
I fell for the hype initially and ordered some to try them but will certainly not do that again.
Being/going raw is just like life...you live and you learn :)
I agree with emtpdmom and jul4 - dont worry about what everyone says you "need". All i have is my breville juicer, my generic magic bullet, my spiralizer and my teeny $20.00 food processor. its perfect for me and i am able to make so many things.
congratulations on doing so well on your raw journey (:
christian, the only appliance is use is my $40 blender and my mom's cutco knives (love those puppies). i bought a dehydrator, juicer, and food processor when i started off but only use them about once every 3 months, if that much!!! eating can be as simple or as difficult as you want it to be. i prefer simple.
The only appliance I use is a Blendtec blender, and I rarely ever use it. As long as you have opposable thumbs, you can go raw. :)
Swayze
I did finally cave and get a Juicer, food processor, and dehydrator (not all the same day, but over time). I rarely use them for my "raw" meals now. I have a cheapy "smoothie maker" that I use the most (and that's not every day anymore). It was maybe 15$ The food processor is good for if I want to make a coleslaw, But, I use it mostly to make pie crust dough (for those non raw times and for the rest of my family). The juicer, I use occassionally (glad I got it though). When I caught a cold this winter I made my own juice. And, I use it to juice fruits for making wine. The dehydrator- still glad I got it (there are occassions it is good for). But, I'm trying to eat mostly fresh fruits and greens (and not doing the gourmet stuff much anymore). It also works great around Christmas time for making cinnamon ornaments for the tree. Boy do those smell good when they are drying out. Anyways- those expensive appliances turned out to be nice on occassion. But, not neccessary (for me).
Yeah you dont really need all of it- i started with a regular blender and a cheapie food processor. I only got my vitamix b/c of that tax refund thing to stimulate the economy. all you truly need is a sharp knife. your raw kitchen will grow over time, but dont worry about the fancy things. the best raw meals are the simple ones.
A blender, good knife, and a cheap spiral slicer are the essentials as far as I'm concerned. I have everything else and then some, but they've been acquired over time, some at very reasonable prices online. I think of food as entertainment and it's fun for me to spend a lot of time, effort, and money on it, but I don't have kids to chase after!! If I did, my priorities would be quite different.
I use a sharp knife, a stick blender with processor attachment and a juicer, every day. Knives I had, blender thingy was a long ago wedding gift, and the juicer I got for free off of Freecycle.org. I'm working on finding a free dehydrator now! I can't find a spiralizer to save my life though.
I got my spiralizer for $30 on amazon. Works great! :)
Swayze
Thank you all for your comments and what I need it was a big help and I was amazed by the website FREECYCLE.ORG Wow really cool site Thanks for that Jenamarie.
I started just fine with a blender....then i got a juicer...then i got a deydrator over a period of time. by all means you dont NEED all that. a blender makes many lovely things
the only appliances i use: food processor (mini-one button $10 pulse-er), a blender (RARELY...maybe twice this month), a juicer (a lot...but got it for $12 at the thrift store...waited for 2mo but it was worth the wait i refused to pay $200 for a new one!) a free dehydrator (got it through my local Virginia Beach Freecycle), and a good knife set (I also got free!)