the pixie cut series: an update

You all remember the beloved Pixie Cut Series , yes? Well here is a little update on the growing out process.

My hair grows fast. My last pixie cut was in December 2011. This photo was taken in July 2012, after two maintenance cuts to keep it at a short bob length. Long hair! All of the sudden I realized that it is no longer "Oh yeah, I'm growing out a pixie cut" but is just in full-fledged, vintage Christine chin-length bob mode.

I mean, it's a bob! When did that happen?


And look! I can even pull it into the world's stubbiest ponytail!

For those keeping track then, it took me about seven months to completely grow out the pixie cut. Really, you could consider a shorter time but even when other people told me it was grown out I still think there were awkward bits for the last few months. Now I am completely satisfied that is has grown out.

And now I'm also seriously considering how to chop much of it off at my next hair appointment. Or at least, spruce it up a bit. 

The Pixie Cut Series
Part 1: Chopping it all off
Part 2: Rocking the pixie
Part 3: Growing it out
An Update- 8 Months Later

mr. vitamix & family

You all remember Mr. Vitamix, yes? The love affair is still very much alive and well. We blend something with the Vitamix probably four times a week, at least. He has a permanent spot on our kitchen counter and in my heart.

So many people have contacted me with questions about the Vitamix in advance of their big purchase. I wrote about the appliance over at From Scratch Club awhile ago, but here are a few more FAQs. (Note: I joined the affiliate program five months after the FSC post was published, and none of the links in that post are affiliate links.)

Do you really use it often?
Yes. I use my Vitamix much more than I used any previous blender. It just draws you into blending and juicing and pureeing.

Tell me about the weird stuff you can blend in it.
You can add so many veggies to your smoothies and not even notice it! Leafy greens, carrots, squash, broccoli, etc... it all just gets pulverized into a smooth, delicious drink. I promise. With other blenders, I couldn't imagine adding kale to a drink but this one... this one works.

Can you make fresh juice in a Vitamix?
Well, yes. You can add your fruits and veggies along with a bit of water and make what Vitamix calls a "whole food juice". Fair warning though, this is different from what an actual juicer will make because it leaves in all of the fiber and pulp. So it can be a bit grainier than actual juice. There is always the option to strain out that pulp from the juice using a coffee filter or nut milk bag. I've done that, and while it's not a bad option at all, it is kind of a pain to rinse out the nut milk bag afterwards. I don't do it often.

Can it really heat up soups and sauces?
You bet. We've only made hot things in there once or twice, because I personally think it's just as easy to make those things on the stovetop. We made a vegan alfredo sauce with cashwers that was delicious and it got steaming hot in the Vitamix. It does, however, need to run continuously for 5-10 minutes to heat something up and that's a long time for that much noise.

Speaking of noise, is it crazy loud?
It's kind of loud, about what I expected from a two-horsepower machine. Smoothies typically take a minute or so to blend, so that's not too bad. We use to blend regularly with nearby neighbors and never feel too bad about it, but I suppose it could wake a sleeping baby if their crib was nearby.

Don't you hate cleaning blenders?
I do. For most things you make in the Vitamix, you can just rinse it out to clean it or you can fill it up halfway with soapy water and run it for a minute to clean it. It's actually really easy. Maybe once a week I give it a good scrubbing or whenever I make something stickier in there.

Tell me about it's ice-crushing capabilities.
It's a beast. It crushes ice like a monster, without even a hiccup. There is a Whole Fruit Margarita recipe that calls for tequila, one whole peeled lemon, lime and orange and ton of ice and it purees up beautifully. Occasionally when you load it up with harder-to-blend things, you have to use the tamper that it comes with to push everything down into the blades and remove air bubbles. It's a big plastic stick that you shove in there, but it's too short to ever get caught in the blades.

Can you mill your own flour?
Yes, but you need the dry blade attachment, which I don't have.

Is the Vitamix worth the money?
It really is. It's a big investment for a small appliance, but it has actually changed the way I eat. I make smoothies three times as much as I used to and I'm able to pack in a ton of fruits and veggies in each one. I've had mine for nine months now and haven't regretted it a single day.

Ok, the exciting news is that I'm now a certified Vitamix Affiliate, which means I can offer you blending freaks free shipping on all Vitamix 5200 blenders (which is the one I have, and the one I would recommend for most of you). Click here to order your Vitamix with free shipping, or click anytime on that little banner in the sidebar. You are welcome. Blend away, sweethearts.

A quick note about my affiliate status: Eight months after I purchased my Vitamix, I became a Vitamix affiliate, which means that I can offer my buddies free shipping on their Vitamixes and then I snag a percentage of the sale. I did that because I sincerely, dearly, whole-heartedly love Mr. Vitamix. Ask anyone. I'm a fanatic. It's dreamy. And since I'm pretty sure I've already sold 3-4 Vitamixes based on my wild enthusiasm, I thought why not pass along the benefit to you & me. You get the free shipping, I get a few bucks and we all blend fruits and veggies happily ever after. Nothing else will change here, and I will still be just as obnoxious about the Vitamix in person as I've always been :)

fresh from the farm, weeks VIII, IX, X & XI

I know you have been just dying to see our veggies the past month or so. I can't believe I've fallen so far behind! How empty your afternoons at work must be when you can't check in and see a box full of vegetables here on a regular basis. For that, I apologize. I've been working hard, playing hard and busy hanging out by the ocean, running through mud and rocking out to boy bands from my childhood on the weekends. Oddly enough for a blogger, I've also been working at staying away from my computer and phone as much as I can handle it. I'm not always successful, but I'm trying not to be glued to technology.

Without further suspense, here are the veggies from the past five weeks. FIVE WEEKS of PRODUCE, people!

(7/18) Ooh, this sweet corn got grilled right in its husk and turned into a mayo-y, spicy, tangy Mexican Street Corn. We also grilled up the peppers with goat cheese and made kebobs out of the onion. Lettuce went on vegan BLTs and other such sandwiches and sometimes was torn into big salads.

(7/25) Veggiepalooza. Tomatoes! Funky carrots! So many cucumbers!

(8/1) We were out of town on our mini-vacay for this pickup, so Sister generously grabbed and stored our veggies for us in exchange for a melon and a few ears of corn. Fairest trade in the world. Cucumbers were pickled, squash was eaten in ten different ways, swiss chard was sautéed with eggs and peppers were chopped up for salads and sandwiches.

(8/8) I sliced up these little eggplants along with some leftover summer squash, breaded them and baked 'em as part of an easy dinner for my mom and sister. The watermelon served as a perfect summer dessert. Cucumbers continued to be turned into pickles. Tomatillos miraculously became salsa verde one night while I was out and Chris was home. Those carrots were transformed into a favorite carrot slaw recipe with raisins, walnuts and coconut.

(8/15) So many tomatoes! Lots of these went into a batch of delicious tomato jam. It didn't set as firmly as I'd like, but I still can't wait to tear into those jars. Tomato jam has become an unexpected new favorite of mine. I used the same Food in Jars recipe as last year, but this time it was even better because I've now met and learned from Marisa of Food in Jars! More about that soon :)

warrior love

Warrior Dash! I've been wanting to sign up for this muddy, obstacle race for a few years and this year we finally made it. Two Sundays ago, we drove down to Windham for a day of mud. I was worried about climbing the walls. I pictured myself crying, or perhaps stuck at the top in a compromising position while everyone laughed at me. And I wouldn't even have Richard Gere there to cheer me on. As it turns out, I was a godforsaken spider monkey up those walls but a pathetic walker up the rest of the mountain. I hadn't really thought about how the course was set on a ski mountain. The entire first mile was straight up the slopes. That was by far the hardest part of it. It was just an ocean of over-excited weekend runners huffing and puffing. Except for the guy I brought with me. At one point he was the only one near us trotting up a muddy incline and the girl next me was all, "What the HELL?!" and I was like, "Ugh, I know..." and totally pretended I didn't know that fast guy who was making us look bad.

The mud pits, barbed wire, water cannons, rope bridges, warrior walls & flames were easy. Sort of. 

Anyway, we got super muddy and then wore our warrior hats and sat out in the sun for a few hours. I tossed my old, muddy sneaks onto this gigantic donation pile.

It may not sound like fun to everyone, but once I got my uphill breathing under control, it was really a blast. A gigantic muddy playground for grown-ups. I highly recommend you check out a Warrior Dash near you, either as participant or spectator. It's a sight.

gloucester

The timing didn't work out for Chris and I to take a full week-long vacation, but we declared it to be Vacation Time anyway. While at home, we made fancy drinks, went on a trail run, gardened on the patio and watched the Olympics. We were able, however, to escape for a few days to beautiful Cape Ann, Massachusetts. On a whim, we booked a room at an oceanside inn in Gloucester.

It was a great getaway. We stopped in Northampton on the way there to walk around and grab lunch. We went running both mornings we were away, sat out on ocean rocks, caught a few rays and took our time doing everything.

On the way back, we stopped in Pittsfield for my mom's art opening at the First Fridays Artswalk. The Artswalk is a monthly event where downtown Pittsfield shops transform into art galleries featuring some of the very best of the Berkshire artists. Read more about the night and Susan Himmel Art here.

summer thyme cocktail

Remember when I hinted about that delicious muddled herb anniversary drink? You are in luck, because the recipe for it is up on From Scratch Club today as part of their Drink Week! Grab some fresh thyme and start those bicep curls, because it is muddling time. Get the full recipe here.