As a busy mom with a focus on healthy eating, I am always looking for ways to make it easier for me to make quick and easy, yet healthy and nutritious meals for my family. One of the challenges I have to overcome with this goal is the picky eaters.
Well.
Picky EATER.
Me.
While I strive to set a good example for my kids, I also am pickier than they are when it comes to what I will and will not eat.
Last year I had discovered this book and it changed everything:
Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food
Finally I had discovered a way to incorporate a wide range of vegetables into our diets even if {we} won’t eat them directly.
The basic idea of the Deceptively Delicious book is that you serve vegetables and try to encourage your kids to eat them, but you also add pureed vegetables into your foods to make sure everyone is getting the nutrition they need regardless of whether or not they eat the actual veggies.
And you know what I discovered in the process?
Adding pureed vegetables to meals, sauces and other things actually adds a lot of depth and flavor to whatever you serve. It is a healthy way to make your food taste even better!
But there is a catch.
You need the right tools in order be able to sneak veggies into your meals. Sure, you can get by with a decent blender and a hand chopper to prepare and puree the vegetables, I did for awhile, but it seems like so much more work that way.
I knew I needed a food processor, not only for my purees but also for so many other uses in the kitchen.
Then, thanks to Hayneedle, the Cuisinart FP-14DC Elite Collection 14 Cup Food Processor came to my rescue.
This is the Cadillac of food processors.
How did I ever live without it?
*insert royal orchestral music here*
Product Info
Description:
This elegant, multi-functional Cuisinart FP-14DC Elite Collection 14 Cup Food Processor delivers three processors in one, with maximum bowl capacity to help you prepare all your meals to perfection, from everyday basics to gourmet specialties. Available in die-cast, white and black, the processor features a metal dough blade, stainless steel 6-position slicing disc and reversible shredding discs, large and small chopping and mixing blades, and a BladeLock system.
Additional features:
- 3 Food Processors in 1!
- 14-cup Large Bowl, 11-cup Medium Bowl, and 4½-cup
Small Bowl with Pour Spouts & Measurement Markings- Exclusive Patent-Pending SealTight™ Advantage System –
Seals Bowls and Locks Blades- Easy On/Off Locking System with Push-Button Release
- Stainless Steel Adjustable Slicing Disc (1 to 6mm)
- Stainless Steel Reversible Shredding Disc (fine/medium)
- Large and Small Stainless Steel Chopping/Mixing Blades
with BladeLock System- Dough Blade
- Cuisinart® Supreme® Wide-Mouth Feedtube and Cover Assembly
- Electronic Touchpad Controls – On/Off/ Dough/Pulse with surrounding Blue LED Lights
- 1000-Watt Peak Power Motor
- Retractable Cord
- Accessory Storage Case with Lock
- Spatula
- How-to DVD
- Recipe/Instruction Book
- All removable parts are dishwasher safe
- 20-Year Motor Warranty
- 3-Year Limited Warranty
I have to admit that my first time dealing with this machine was a bit intimidating. Luckily it came with an instructional video that walks you through how to use it and I watched the entire thing before even taking the machine out of the box. After using it just twice, I already feel like a pro with it.
The Cuisinart FP-14DC Elite Collection 14 Cup Food Processor packs a lot of punch with just a few tools. It isn’t overwhelming with tons of parts and is very easy to assembly for the specific task you happen to be doing. Pureeing, slicing, chopping, mixing, you name it!
You can make so many things you probably never imagined with this machine. Breadcrumbs, whipped cream, peanut butter, salad dressing, pizza dough, bread dough, pasta dough, dips, salsa, soups. The list literally goes on and on. Staples that you would normally buy from the grocery store that are loaded in sugars and preservatives, you can make quickly and easily at home with this food processor.
So far I have tackled vegetable purees and an au gratin potato dish using my Cuisinart Elite Food Processor. I really consider this one of the must have “small appliances” in any kitchen.
It’s easy to assemble. The 3 different sized bowls nest inside each other making it easy to select the size you need. The blade usage is straightforward and the settings are simple. On, off, dough and pulse. You don’t need 40 different speeds and have to guess at what will work best for what you are doing. The blades are easy to insert and easy to remove. The slicing and shredding discs have finger holes for safety (I’m extremely paranoid about the blades) and I love the adjustable slicing disc. It is basically 6 discs in one and it’s so easy to change the slicing thickness. And one of my favorite parts of this machine is the locking accessory storage case. It holds all the blades in a safe and secure plastic case making it so much easier for me store and not worry about anyone getting hurt reaching into a cabinet for something with sharp blades rolling around loose.
In the past, making my vegetable purees has actually broken machines. They couldn’t handle the all-day usage mixing and pureeing steamed vegetables. This machine had absolutely no problem and it took only about 2 minutes to fully puree each one. I did in a matter of a few hours what it has taken me a full day to do in the past.
Whether you are looking to make the smoothest mashed potatoes, vegetable purees, or even baby food, I have absolutely nothing negative to say about this machine. You can feed just a couple of people to a whole party with the different bowl sizes this machine has.
Speaking of baby food, it really is so easy to make your own with the Cuisinart Elite Food Processor. You can make fresh 100% pure baby food at home with no preservatives and know exactly what is in the food you are feeding your baby. I actually use baby food storage containers (Oxo Tot Baby Blocks) for my purees because they are the perfect size. They let you portion, store, freeze, heat and serve the food all in a single container.
I put together a video to show you how easy this machine is to use. It’s a little odd in that I didn’t do any talking because honestly I wasn’t sure I could be heard over the machine. Turns out, it’s pretty quiet and I probably would have been ok, it’s much more quiet than my blender.
So now admit it, you want one of these right?
Seriously this would make an AWESOME Christmas or holiday gift.
Well, I happen to have one to giveaway.
ENTER TO WIN A CUISINART ELITE COLLECTION 14 CUP FOOD PROCESSOR
ARV: $299.99
HOW TO ENTER (mandatory):
To enter, leave a comment telling me why you are interested in winning this fantastic food processor. Would it be for you? As a gift for someone?
EARN EXTRA ENTRIES (optional):
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Enter to win a Cuisinart Elite 14 cup Food Processor from @WhatsThatSmell & @Hayneedle ARV $299.99 – HOLIDAY GIFT IDEA http://ow.ly/7heUc
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Giveaway is open to the USA and ends on December 1, 2011 at noon CST. Winner will be selected at random from all eligible entries and will be contacted by email. Winner will have 48 hrs to respond. Please add kim@accidentalmommies.com to your trusted email filter. If original winner does not claim their prize within 48 hrs, it is forfeit and a new winner will be selected promptly.
Note: I received the product shown from Hayneedle. Prize also provided by Hayneedle. Opinions expressed are my own.
No purchase necessary to enter or win. Odds of winning are not increased by a purchase.
Please note that as much as we would like your prize to arrive before Christmas, we cannot guarantee it.
About Kim
DT: http://twitter.com/#!/ChristianClippe/status/143334980003692544
https://twitter.com/#!/CollectingK/status/143042391316758528
https://twitter.com/#!/mysweetcarolina/status/142731918302126081
DT: http://twitter.com/#!/ChristianClippe/status/142618087211012098
12/1 Final RT!
http://twitter.com/#!/EightyMPHMom/status/142463381872447488
Thanks!
I am interested in this Cuisinart Food Processor as a gift for myself. My older food processor broke this past year and I have not replaced it. I love the option of the three different bowls.