Good one Joni! Thanks for the recipe ideas.

I am sipping on my first smooth. LA Lite Vanilla Shake w/strawberries, ice, skim milk and splenda....yum yum in my tum tum

Jillian - Great idea for a reward...you will love it! I can't wait to make a frozen coffee delight. super duper yum!

So I'm looking at my Macy's flier, and the bottom looks the same as a blender, but you guys said it isn't? That stuff DOESN'T get stuck under the blades at the bottom and stay chunky? This picture makes the Bella Cucina look just like the blender I hate to clean. Hmmmm......

School bus at 8:20, Macy's by 8:45, conference call at 10:00. dOABLE? LOL

That is a great idea! Maybe I'll copy and make it my reward for 30. This thread makes my mouth water. LOL!

I just got back from Macy's. The Bella Cucina model was $24.99 - not $19.99 like I saw in an ad last week for this sale. Hmmm. I'm gonna have to look at the website again. Oh well, $25 bucks is still better than $60 :-)
I can't wait to try this out :-)

Let us know how the clean up is!

I picked up two Bellas at Macy's this morning...paid $19.99 each here in Georgia (regularly $59.99). No idea how it works....one step at a time. I'm contemplating doing another LAWL challenge and the second one will be the prize....those that know me know I love to challenge for material rewards!!

I have the Bella Cucina model and found that the first time or two that I used it that it didn't completely crush the ice cubes. However, with a little time I have learnt that if I use a pulse action and let it run for longer that I now have perfectly crushed ice. There have been no issues with chunky stuff at the bottom, particularly if you add the shake packet last.

As for clean-up, it's a breeze. Easily goes in the dishwasher, taking up no more room than a glass, unlike the big blender.

Well see, first there's this thingy that I'll call a "plug".. And you put the "plug" into the wall at a place I'll call a "socket"...

Got mine for 19.99 also, it was 20.something w/tax. Still in the box by the door, had to make that conf call, ya know! They had about a dozen of them out on the push cart, I showed up at 8:45, was greeted as I stepped onto the floor off the escalator, and shown right to them by the greeter. In an out in 5 minutes and back home in plenty of time. Even had time to pick up some cute $14 earrings for $4 on my way out (unexpected sale!)

In reading the instruction booklet, I just learned that Bella Cucina was actually the name of a small cafe opened right here in Atlanta, GA in the early 90s. The owner opened this place to share her passion for cooking.

Okay smarty pants Dan..........there are 17 pieces and I have to make sure I screw the right blade (blend or grind) and then there's four "suitable" covers.... and a page full of "Important Safeguards" and I know you're all about safety!!

Jrny2anewme - In the recipe/instruction booklet it does say things like "1 C of previously finely crushed ice" so I guess I better not expect it to crush ice for me!

Joni - I missed the "1 C of previously finely crushed ice" - LOL. Guess I should learn to read the instructions better! However, that being said I have found that even using whole ice cubes, if you "pulse" it and let it run longer, it will crush that ice!

Tonight I made an LAWL Frosty...yumm yumm

1pkg LAWL choc shake (lite)
crushed ice
4oz skim milk (1/2 dairy)
1/2 tsp of PB (who knows but I added in with my protein for dinner)

It was think and frosty and delish!!!!! Much better than an LAWL bar. Next time I will try it with water and no PB...maybe add 1/2 banana.

Oh Deb - that does sound good. How much crushed ice would you say you used??

Ok- so I think the MB and BC owe you guys lots of commission for all of the plugs! I haven't picked one up yet but will definitely be getting one soon. My friends at school all swear by them and are always walking into morning classes with great looking smoothies! I hear you can do onions, salsa, omlettes etc! Sounds good to me! Have fun!

Ok, I made my first smoothies this morning. Was SO good. Definitely worth the $$. I got mine for ~$75 on eBay, and am very happy.

It made the perfect consistency. Much better than the stands in the mall even.

I am looking forward to omelettes, etc. I mdae a "blizzard" last night with Light ice cream, FF coolwhip, caramel lite and RF chocolate syrup. Mmmm..

I definitely reccomend.