Going through the Eat Well, Spend Less basics of back-to-school ideas for staying sane as we head into the school year, and I’m giving away a Magimix 14-Cup Food Processor with the Juice Extractor and Smoothie Attachment to make it that much easier!
Stuff. Stuff gets in the way of the things I want to accomplish. It sits there towering, a giant pile of misshapen boxes precariously perched on top of each other and forcing me to deal with it by gingerly removing and dealing with one box at a time. Removing them is the only way to get to the other side where my goals like waiting.
I was walking through the farmers market yesterday between rows and rows of fresh produce in abundance thinking about how this is my favorite time of year. There is so much potential just waiting to be used. You just have to make the time to buy cases and cases of tomatoes and berries and green beans and then process them and put them up and THAT is about the time I started to feel my throat close and block off the oxygen from the anxiety of not having enough time.
It seems that there is never enough time for whatever it is we hope to accomplish. So, today, I share with you the secret to having enough time: You must make it.
Some things are worth setting aside the time for. You just need to prioritize what those things are. Last week it was making the drive to my daughter’s first ever swim meet on the high school team, sporting her shiny black and silver suit. I was up to my eyeballs in work. My house was trashed. There were so many things on my to-do list that day I had no hope of finishing them all, even without adding a rush-hour drive and sitting at the pool.
I arrived with the three younger kids in tow. They wanted to climb right over the wall of the balcony and jump in the pool. When it was Kiera’s turn to swim my kids screamed her name. They called down to her after she reappeared at the edge of the pool, and she waved and smiled. And it was worth every minute.
Taking advantage of the farmers market produce at this time of year is similar. You make the time or you don’t, and when I don’t, I regret it. I regret it for months afterwards. Last year I failed to make pesto. I was in the midst of writing my book, my son was in the ICU, I was chairing my kids’ elementary school book fair. It just didn’t happen because I didn’t make the time for it. Months in the winter when I really needed pesto it was unavailable. Our freezer stock was empty, and while I filled in with other things, I even purchased some at the store, it just wasn’t the same.
This year I am determined to kill the time demons where they stand. Pesto is happening. Quarts of crushed tomatoes have been put up. Green beans are next. (I’m coming for you.)
Which brings me to my next bit of business. For the pesto-making and the frozen-smoothie-creating, I bring you a giveaway for a fun kitchen tool that helps make things like this take far less time. You see, 14 cups will do that to you. No, not coffee. Fourteen cups of food processing goodness.+
A Giveaway:
I’m giving away a Magimix 14-Cup Food Processor (the one in the photos above, actually) with the Juice Extractor and Smoothie Attachment (Combined ARV $479.90). It’s a huge food processor that will hold your largest jobs. My favorite part so far is the giant bowl. I used to always get my last food processor to leak. Not so with this one. The variety of blades and their storage case make keeping it ready to go easy, and the juice and smoothie attachment means it serves more than one function.
TO ENTER:
Leave me a comment! Any little comment. Tell me a story. Don’t. You decide.
For Bonus Entries:
Tweet or share the following on Facebook and leave a comment letting me know you did:
Enter to win a Magimix 14-Cup Food Processor via @FoodforMyFamily http://wp.me/puu57-37l #giveaway
THE RULES:
This giveaway is provided by Magimix and will run until Sunday, September 23, 2012 at 11:59 pm CDT and is open to all U.S. residents 18 years of age and older. A winner will be chosen at random using Random.org from all eligible entries. Chosen winners must respond within 48 hours of notification to claim their prize. Good luck!
I have been rather quiet. Have you noticed? Yes, the mountain trapped me. Plus, I have guilt and believe I should cross all the stuff for others off my to-do list before I come and do something here for me. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the crazy amount of stuff fall seems to bring, I offer you these tips by the lovely Eat Well, Spend Less ladies to get your life back in alignment.
- Aimee will have you back on track and meal planning in no time with her no-fuss approach to weeknight meals.
- If you’re homeschooling, Amy has you covered for how to manage the curriculum and the carrots.
- Breakfast can be a hectic part of any day as you try to get ready for the day ahead. Carrie takes care of your breakfast blues and offers you a few hot suggestions for cold fall mornings.
- If you’re looking to make the most of the summer bounty that’s coming to a head, check out Jessica’s post on the how and what to do with it.
- Katie has the corner on easy weeknight meals with her school night dinner ideas.
- Looking for how to pack amazing lunches your kids will actually eat? Katie at Kitchen Stewardship has you covered.
- Mandi takes you through once-a-month menus to start each month just a bit ahead of the game.
- You can also catch my ABC Lunch Box Ideas. Yes, ideas from every letter of the alphabet.
More from Food for My Family
I just left a tweet about this giveaway!
i would love to make some pesto, omg yummmm
i tweeted https://twitter.com/buttmuffin/status/249955844920311808
this looks awesome!!
I like that it has a smoothie maker attachment.
This is an awesome food processor! I don’t even own this one, so this would be GREAT to win! Thanks for the chance! jenniferpeaslee at gmail dot com
I tweeted – @jyonkosk – jenniferpeaslee at gmail dot com
https://twitter.com/jyonkosk/status/249961666693980160
this would be great to make gourmet dressing.
kat_emerick@yahoo.com
Thanks for the giveaway!
this would help me teach my fiance how to cook a little more
Before I was gifted my Blendtec blender, I burned out many food processors in my attempts to use them in blending frozen fruits. So now I have a blender for the heavy duty stuff…but no food processor
hope I win!
katherinedibello (at) gmail (dot) com
tweeted
https://twitter.com/KayDay3/status/249977711722909696
katherinedibello (at) gmail (dot) com
I would love to win this blender
https://twitter.com/sweetums82/status/249980733521788929
I would love to win this!!
A great giveaway for those of us who are trying to eat healthy. Thanks!
https://twitter.com/Jardigirl/status/250004275642646528
I have never had a food processor before although I love to cook. Thank you for the chance to win!
lauraemerson17 at yahoo dot com
Tweet
https://twitter.com/laurallee56/status/250008950479659008
lauraemerson17 at yahoo dot com
I have tons of fresh basil & this would be so much easier than my 3 c processor to make pesto in!
Tweet
https://twitter.com/LyndeisLucky/status/250011978318364672
I’ve wanted something like this for a long time.
This looks like the King of all Food Processors. I could do so much with this! The pesto looks yummy!
Tweet
https://twitter.com/LauraUnger31/status/250021467033567232
https://twitter.com/miriama59/status/250022366728564736
I broke my old food processor months ago, but I’ve been too lazy to get a new one.
tweeted – https://twitter.com/twotil/status/250023919816437760
Oh, think of the things I could make with you(food processor )
Hello beautiful, how are you? Thank you for this opportunity.
we really need a food processor it would be a great addition to our kitchen
Great giveaway!
There are so many things that I could cook up with this gizmo.
https://twitter.com/fangirljen/status/250039467442831360 I Tweeted.
Thanks for a great giveaway!
I tweeted. https://twitter.com/angelbabies0507/status/250041969932390400
I’d love to make a watermelon smoothie in this!
Surprisingly, I’m still getting veggies from my garden. Time to make some soups to freeze for cold weather use.
Tweet!
https://twitter.com/tcrowley122/status/250045925882470400
https://twitter.com/SJDio/status/250045912162910208
I can tell you I’d love to win this. Looks cool!
i’ve wanted one of these forever! thanks and keeping my fingers crossed.
https://twitter.com/rsmc1/status/250050059989811201
tweet
Wow!I would sure love to win this–have been wanting one for awhile now!
tweeted https://twitter.com/pittsy82/status/250052429339578368
I’m so tired and just relaxing on the internet tonight, yesterday was my sister’s wedding so I’ve been on the go all weekend!
I tweeted about this giveaway http://twitter.com/elangomatt/statuses/250053350903668736
Your pesto looks delicious. I would love this to make my homemade salad dressings with. Thanks for the chance to win.
And they say men are the only ones with expensive toys….well this is 1 man that wants one of those
This will come in very handy in my kitchen
oooohhhhhh this would be wonderful! I’ve been looking for a juicer and this would be SWEET!!!!