Sticky Fingers
26 Jan
I am about to say something that very few married people have ever said…I love my in-laws. Yes, you heard that right. They are two of the nicest people I have ever met. They are also two of the kindest and most generous people I know. I often wonder if they are the reason I married Ali. (I think Ali wonders the same thing). The day I met Ali’s mom she gave me a gorgeous dress that was not only exactly my style but the perfect size too. It was like my mother-in-law had the dress waiting for me, even before she knew I existed!
As their only grandchild Maya has definitely stolen some of my thunder but I do my best to not be jealous of her. She is after all only four-years-old. And my child. And no good mom should be jealous of her own child, right? Right.
So what do I give my in-laws in return for all their kindness and generosity? I wish I could say I lavish them with gourmet meals and gift certificates to the spa but the truth is that I give them absolutely nothing. Other than their only grandchild of course. But Maya aside we really don’t have much else to offer! So instead we just keep taking (and I say “we” because Ali is just as guilty of taking as me). We simply can’t help ourselves. Every time we visit I tell myself, “Ameena, there is no need to take anything! You were brought up better than that!” But then my eyes land on something and all my good intentions go out the window.
The stuff we pilfer can range from a bunch of bananas (there are always about 5 bunches in their kitchen at any given time), to brand new DVD’s, to clothes that just happen to be sitting around with tags on, in my size. We’ve also been known to take sheets, a vacuum, sparkling water, books (me), shoes (me), software (Ali), TV cables (Ali), travel guides, cutlery, and random pieces of furniture that were just made for our place. We have no shame. Sticky Fingers Maya has even gotten in on the act. Last week she took a pear and a box of Godiva “for later Mama.” In summary, we consider Ali’s parents’ house our own personal Costco.
So the other day I was innocently wandering around and came across this:
A brand new Rocket Blending Set from Bella Cucina. The box had never been opened and still had the Macy’s return sticker on it. Anyone else would reconsider taking something brand new right? But not me.
I’ve never used a Magic Bullet but I have a feeling this is another version of that. I figured a mini-blender would come in handy for Maya’s milkshakes and my flaxseed. So the Rocket Blending Set was loaded into our trunk (which also belongs to Ali’s parents as Ali is currently between cars), along with a Persian rug, and a $30 piece of Orange Roughy. Yes I just admitted to taking a piece of uncooked fish home.
This morning Maya announced she wanted a milkshake for breakfast. As her wish is always my command, I pulled out the milk, a banana, some frozen strawberries and blueberries, and our Rocket Blending Set, and set to work.
Thirty seconds later we had a smoothie that would put Jamba Juice to shame. And the absolute greatest thing about this blender? When you flip the container over and remove the lid it turns into a drinking glass.
Maya chugged the whole thing down in about 5 minutes flat and I didn’t need to wash a separate glass! We were both happy campers.
Since everything was already out and handy I decided to grind some flax seed too.
I was amazed when the Rocket Blender ground up my flaxseed to a sawdust consistency in about 15 seconds. It takes my big blender about 5 minutes, a burning smell, and a bit of smoke to do the same work. Two thumbs up Rocket Blender!
I am excited about the possibilities…pesto, pasta sauce, salad dressing, and even hummus. Maybe now we won’t have to steal the giant containers of Sabra from my in-laws refrigerator!!
But then again one can never have too much hummus, right?
