The General Chat Thread

Padraig Mor wrote: »

Our neighbour has a boat and regularly goes fishing (we live in Cork harbour). He's a single guy so doesn't really need all the fish he catches - instead he goes around to local families with kids (my own included) doling out free super-fresh fish! I had to learn how to gut and fillet them but it's a handy skill to have. Got 4 jumbo sized mackerel from him the other day.

Lucky you! Nothing better than fresh mackerel. Reminds me of years ago (in secondary school) when myself and my best mate would sale his boat into Kinsale (sounds a lot fancier than it was!)....we would have nothing with us but would catch our lunch on the way. Filleting the mackerel and throwing the heads up to the swooping gulls was great fun!

Hi all,

A few weeks ago I wrote about buying a juicer and from the advice here I decided not to go ahead, until yesterday! Mrs Loire was speaking with a customer and the topic of juicers came up. The customer was raving about an "extractor" she bought in Brown Thomas called the Nutribullet. On pure impulse I brought the kids into town after work yesterday evening and bought one.

It's amazing! Basically you have a plastic cup. You fill the bottom 1/2 with greens (I used spinach) and the remainder with fruit / veg (I just added a banana, a peeled orange and some rasberries). Then you add water (less water = thicker). You screw the lid on (which has the blade) pop it onto the machine, twist and in about 5 seconds you have a superb juice. There's no juicing where the fibre is lost by removing the pulp...you get everything isas there is nothing disgarded.

Our youngest loves his food once it's not green, so hard to get the good stuff into him. He was slurping his smoothy containing a good portion of spinach. My eldest asked straight away if I would make her one for her school lunch every day.

Cleaning is extremely easy - just detach the cup, remove the lid and wash / rinse.

It's a compact unit too.

I was 120e but as I had a 50e gift vougher it only cost me 70e.

I would highly recommend this product... 10/10

Loire.

Faith wrote: »

Funnily enough, I saw that in someone's house the other day and was wondering about it. If it really retained all the nutrients and fibre, I'd be all over it like a shot. I must do some research into it.

Everything is retained. Adding the water is the key I think, otherwise it would be sludge. So easy and simple. The book with it has loads of recipes too. I also added some pumpkin (and other) seeds that Mrs Loire keeps in a jar, as well as some flax seeds.

Loire.

iwantmydinner wrote: »

That sounds awesome, Loire. Bit much for me at the minute but I'm definitely keeping it in mind once the busy summer calms down. Your kids will be lepping around!

I'll let you know when I put mine up on DoneDeal :D

BaZmO* wrote: »

Was thinking the same thing. What makes it different from the much cheaper MagicBullit? And are both not just mini blenders?

The MagicBullit is supposed to have lower wattage. Same principle though.

It probably IS a blender, but having never owned one before I can't really comment / compare. From using it though, it makes creamy tasting "smoothies" in seconds with fruit & veg, without any disgarding of pulp. It's also a doddle to clean and takes up little storage. Thumbs up from me anyway.

Loire.

dipdip wrote: »

I have a question for those of you who do green smoothies - have you ever used frozen spinach? It's so economical and I have a freezer full of the stuff.

Also - any favourite green smoothie recipes? I like things that are zingy but can't abide bitter flavours.

Only getting into green smoothies myself and that's a good idea re frozen spinach.

I work with a guy who puts ginger into his smoothies to give them a bit of taste.

Found a way of getting full use of my cocount oil. After frying some onion bhajis in excess oil I pour the leftover oil into a cup, I then pour water into the saucepan, this is warmed up by the hot pan and you swirl it around a bit and the oil mixes in (well sort of). Now pour this oily water into the cup and stick it in the fridge. The oil rises to the top and sets and can be very easily picked off the top of the water.

Before I used to pour it in cups with no water but it would set and stick to the cup.