10. Vitamix - The Motherfucker of All Blenders

My God, I love this machine! I used it during treatment primarily for smoothies but it has a multitude of possibilities. Friends gasp as I throw in whole apples, lemons and chunks of ginger that are annihilated by the flip of a switch. Oops, there goes another ex-husband, I mean apple! Whirrrrrrr!!!!! Fabulous therapy, too! And the thing can even pulverize a single peppercorn. Seriously! A single peppercorn! (Try that, Magic Bullet!) My fridge hasn't seen a limp celery stalk or wrinkly lemon in years. Any fruit or vegetable showing a hint of weakness gets tossed in the jaws of smoothie hell.

I know. They're stupid expensive. Grrrr. But my research-obsessed daughter found rebuilt ones online, still with a five year warranty, that are WAY cheaper. See vitamix.ca. And they even offer no-interest six-month payment plans that really make owning one of these puppies an actual possibility. Honestly, it's quite amazing how often that motherfucker shows up in my gratitude journal.

The following posts are a few of my go-to recipes that brought me through chemo - and remain staples in my life. I make these in batches and store them in mason jars in the fridge.