I have friends who are makers. Amazingly talented people who design, sew, crochet, paint or just knock together some artwork for their child’s bedroom. I am, and have always been, in awe of these people. There is not a single artistic bone in my body. Back when I was teaching, I was a constant source of amusement to my pupils as I repeatedly drew, then rubbed out, bananas on the whiteboard. The only distinguishing feature ever being the colour. Imagine the dramas I had when expected to draw a banana and a lemon side by side. And no, I know, it shouldn’t be that hard.
I also have incredible friends with the skill, persistence and enthusiasm to grow their own produce. They instagram photographs of fresh, organic greens, herbs and strawberries and of their little people digging up carrots. Again, it’s not me. I have issues with keeping plants alive. I have been known to allow cacti, succulents and other hardy natives to perish. So no, I don’t think I’m going to be the next Stephanie Alexander any time soon either.
My friends brew beer, cure meats, turn apples into cider and grapes into wine. They nurture sourdough starters and turn scobies into gut healing kombucha. They ferment vegetables. They are just too clever. Is it just me? Am I drawn to these people? Living on the Mornington Peninsula means that every weekend, I can visit markets and take advantage of other people who make and grow. I am completely spoiled.
However, owning a Thermomix has changed my perception. Increasingly, as I walk around craft markets and farmers markets, I am becoming reluctant to spend money, often substantial amounts, on things I can make myself. I am not an artisan, I never will be. That involves time, patience, commitment and far more traditional methods of making than Thermomix and while I do not intend to devalue the process of making, there are only so many hours in a day. The majority of us simply do not have time for making and resort to buying processed supermarket food or expensive market buys. Thermomix means that I make much more than I ever did before and achieve great results in very little time. And it feels good! There is a sense of achievement from making everything from scratch and knowing exactly what is in your food. I make biscuits and cakes, jams and chutneys, spice mixes and pastes, raw chocolate and other raw treats, fancy bread, gluten free bread, grain free bread and bog-standard-spread-it-with-Vegemite-and-fling-it-at-the-kids-for-lunch bread, ricotta, butter, paneer, yoghurt, coconut yoghurt, coconut cream, nut milk, nut butter, mayonnaise…and I could go on. There are inedible items too. Washing powder, cleaning products, dog biscuits and I am currently looking into skincare. After all, if I can emulsify mayonnaise, I can do the same with a face moisturiser or body butter, can I not? Watch this space. Thermomix takes the mystery out of making. It makes things that I would never have attempted suddenly accessible. Maybe I should set up a stall at the market. I seems I am a maker after all!
Buy a Thermomix. Unleash your inner artisan!
mrsmixalot 