> >> > Companies live and learn as well as people.
> >> Yes, thank goodness.
> > If they didn't, someone else would learn and start
> > to steal market share from them. And that's the way
> > things should be.
> IIRC Whirlpool owns KA now. When Hobart owned the Kitchenaid series of "home"
> mixers that's when I believe the quality was built into the mixers. I read
with
> a search online that Hobart sold the small appliances to Dart & Kraft
(Kraft as
> in cheese ) sometime in 1980 and Whirlpool bought KA from Dart
> & Kraft in 1986. Just from my experience with some other Whirlpool products
> that doesn't thrill me :)

A pity, that. Whirlpool owns other companies that 
had at least when I was growing up decent reputations,
such as Amana and Maytag. Sounds like it bought the
brand image and loyalty but didn't put in the effort
to maintain the quality.
 
> Anyway, that first mixer of mine has a "Hobart-Kitchenaid" name on the metal
> strip on the top of the mixer.  I may take it to a repair shop and get it
fixed
> professionally just because it does have the Hobart name on it and since it
> still runs at slow speeds, the motor seems good.  Hobart is still selling
> commercial products by the way.. with what seem to be very "monsterous"
motors,
> transmissions, etc. :)  No clue as to the price for those Hobart mixers.  The
> do come with 5Qt. mixing bowls (and larger) so it could be interesting to find
> out more.

I've seen the name Hobart in some of the commercial
kitchens I've visited or cooked in but don't recall
whether there were any mixers or blenders.
 
> >>years.  It was a great mixer.  That's the one Ron fixed, then some other
gear
> >> went on it.. sad.
> > Those old workhorses were great, and I've seen a number
> > that have survived for that long and more.
> Yes, well look that first one I have still runs.. just not at high speeds. I
> guess that could be indicative of problems with the motor but not being a
> machinist, I have no clue really .. belts and gears we can deal with...
motors,
> not at all (or at least we haven't tried :) )

I can't say anything either about that, having taken
apart and unwound one back in my youth but not being
to put it together again. Same with a watch.
 
> > Even a few
> > old "blendors" around that I've used. Speaking of which,
> > I've noticed a lot of words that used to end in -or now
> > have an alternative or even preferred spelling of -er. I
> > wonder how long it's going to be before they have authers
> > and counselers?
> Heh.. I don't think I've ever seen 'blender' spelled blendor.. maybe my brain
> is past retaining that far back? haha

Blendor was the trademarked term.
 
  Once Fred [Waring] showed Rudy [Vallee] how fast and easy 
  it was to make a frozen daiquiri with the Blendor, he 
  became the device’s best salesmen, trying to sell it to 
  every bartender in the United States!
  -- www.libraries.psu.edu/psul/digital/fwa/fwblendor.html

> > I wondered (regarding the original KA mixers) why
> > they couldn't make an adjustable multistop lifter
> > for the mixing bowl. As I'm fond of triples, I'd
> > advocate for settings for small, regular, or
> > large loads.
> On the KA?  perhaps they didn't do that since they knew the motor couldn't
> handle much past a certain amount of dough.. On the KA, small amounts are no
> problem from what I remember.. it was the advertised large batches that it
> couldn't handle (4-6 loaves).  I'm somewhat tempted to get a new KA just to
> test it with large loads now but not tempted enough to spend the $$ for one :)

Looking askance at the modern product as I do, I'd 
not be inclined to experiment in that way with that 
kind of "dough."
 
> >> whips, and the instrument you play.  With MS, when something says I quit,
> >> that's it though.. but I know it so well now I can figure the time 'til use
> >> will return.
> > Yes. The musician I knew who had MS had a terrible
> > time and then of course gave up completely.
> I understand that one.  The worst thing about this devil is that for years one
> can go on with little or no symptons.  It can even make you think "it's gone"
> and then start progressing again.  Now for my dad it did go away.  I mean he
> was diagnosed with MS when he was discharged from the Navy after his ship was
> sunk in WW2 (USS Quincy), but it _did_ go away after a few years and never
> returned. So I always hoped Lol... but all in all I can't bitch to much about
> how I have it. It's just a PITA sometimes. :)

Very stoic. I'm not sure how I'd be able to take it,
either as a patient or a loved one.
 
> >Strange
> > thing, in the Boston musical community, which has just
> > a few hundred members, I have three friends whose
> > spouses (two women, one man) came down with it.
> That's the "northern latitudes" issue I believe.. IIRC (and it's been a while
> since I've read about it) at one point studies were talking about that if one
> had lived in the "northern latitudes" until perhaps age 13, one stands a
> greater chance of getting MS... but there are some places in the world
where MS
> doesn't exist in spite of the latitude: the Inuit, Yakutes, Hutterites,
> Hungarian Romani, Norwegian Lapps, Australian Aborigines and New
Zealanders. So
> you say to yourself, "go figure" :)

Interesting. Sounds like climate isn't the real issue.
Maybe some genetic thing to cause a predisposition to it?
 
> >>One of the first things I tested on the Bosch was whipping 1 egg white.
Works
> >> great, which I was really happy to see.
> > A nice feature, since whipping one egg white is a
> > relatively common task.
> Yes, I figured if that was a problem I'd have other ones.  The one thing I've
> noticed is like any 'strong' mixer, with cakes you have to watch beating times
> because well, you know what happens to any cake that is "over beaten" :)

And in fact wonder if there's a way to "unbeat" it, to
unfold the gluten strands the way that it has been
discovered possible to unboil an egg, structurally.
 
> > Lexan I think doesn't carry the same contraindications
> > that most plastics do, as it's really hard and not
> > really porous.
> Also,  one would not be storing batters, etc. in the bowl for long periods
like
> in a storage container.

The amount of junk that leaches out of plastic is
minimized by cold temperatures; so Tupperware and
the like are not so bad if you keep them in the
refrigerator.
 
> > Ground nuts sounds like a great dessert crust -
> > or even for non-desserts as well. I could see a
> > quiche with a nut crust, for example.
> Yes... I really like using blanched Almond flour for pie crusts.  They
taste so
> good.  But then so do un-blanced crusts.  It costs more for blanched almond
> flour but if you buy it in bulk, it costs less of course.

Are blanched whole almonds more expensive than
unblanched? Didn't use to be. In which case 
Cuisinart to the rescue. I'd think the best
thing would be lightly toasted blanched almond
flour.
 
> > Coconuts are the greatest thing, aren't they.
> > Used to be people would tut-tut about all their
> > fat, but then it's turned out that that fat is
> > good for you.
> Yes :)  and coconut oil is a great moisterizer to boot (grin>

I don't need moisturizer except for my hands and feet.
It might be my diet, but my face has plenty of oil.
 
> > I wonder if sheepiness develops with aging, either of
> > the product or of the mother. In any case, though I
> I'm not sure, but I suspect the flavor may be related to storage on the
> shelves?  Those I had to toss weren't past the expiration date or
anything, but
> I noticed at the time Wegmans had tons of them "unsold".  When Ron went to P&C
> market, he found that sheep's yogurt that tasted so good.

I wonder if the literature says anything. Of course
the natural food guys probably like the sheepiness,
so as far as taste goes, not sure whether they're to
be trusted.
 
> >> I can see how that one might be flavorful or -eh- not (grin)
> > It wasn't too bad grilled, but the uncolored part
> > was a bit weird-tasting, and the charred bits on
> > the end were very odd, sort of burned woolly; it
> > was the somewhat crunchy browned stuff in between
> > that tasted okay.
> Burned away the nasties maybe? :)

I don't think so - more like the caramelization flavor
took over at just that point but itself changed as it
got darker.

Frozen daiquiri
categories: booze
servings: 1

3 oz light rum
1 1/2 oz fresh lime juice
1 ts simple syrup or superfine sugar
1/2 c cracked ice

Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend until 
frothy, and serve in a large cocktail glass.

Variations

Frozen Banana Daiquiri. Add a sliced banana 
before blending.

Frozen Strawberry Daiquiri. Add 1/2 c fresh 
strawberries before blending. 

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