It is amazing to think that it has been 29 years since I purchased my first bright and shiny new stainless steel Vitamix. At that time it was the Vitamix’s capability of grinding grains that drew me to purchasing it. I promptly bought buckets of various types of grains including corn, and set about making flours for homemade bread and more. Little did I know that something as simple as grinding corn would become a special memory and a family tradition.

My young niece was visiting, and I made cornmeal pancakes with fresh orange zest for her. My niece remembered those pancakes for years to come, and this impression became not only a memory of our time together, but one that was extra special, as they were made in the Vitamix.

In 2007, even though my 26 year-old stainless steel Vitamix was still in wonderful condition, I decided to get the new Vitamix 5000. Retiring my first Vitamix felt strange, as it had become a fixture in the family. Many loaves of bread, countless bowls of ice cream, gallons of tasty drinks and soups were poured from its spigot, and much more. However, it wasn’t long until the new Vitamix became appreciated for its increased power, see through containers, and different blades and container for grains. Over the years, the new Vitamix has become an indispensable part of my family’s nutrition.

I passed the stainless steel Vitamix on to my niece, who now has a young child, so that she could carry on the family tradition of making cornmeal pancakes from freshly ground corn. I have no doubt that she will use the Vitamix as frequently as I have and leave her family with the same image as mine has had of me, standing before the Vitamix creating foods that are not only amazingly yummy and nutritious, but also foods that have become a family tradition.