7 Things You Didn’t Know You Could Do With A Blender

This article originally appeared on the Springs "You're Home Blog."

From Vitamix to Ninja to Hamilton Beach, chances are a blender of some type sits on the kitchen counter of your Springs Apartments home. Yes, they're great for whipping up smoothies, but these hard-working appliances can do a whole lot more. Make your own peanut butter, guacamole, and even ice cream in just minutes.

Nut and Seed Butters

Of course, peanut butter is the classic go-to in this category, but why stop there? Cashews and almonds make delicious butters, or you can really go out of the box and try pistachios or sunflower seeds. Add flavors and seasonings as desired to sweeten it up, or go a savory route with a spicy cayenne or chili powder. The best part is that the finished product is all-natural with no preservatives.

Flour

Are you trying to reduce your use of processed white flour? Get the healthy benefits of whole grains by using your blender to make flour from wheat or rye berries, quinoa, buckwheat or amaranth.

Condiments

Store-bought condiments often come loaded with sugar, preservatives and other things you would probably rather not think about. Make your own mayonnaise, sour cream and ketchup with all-natural ingredients. You can also make a tasty barbecue sauce and doctor it up to make it hotter, sweeter, or whichever style you prefer.

Soups

• Gazpacho is a delicious low-fat summer dish, but who wants to chop all those veggies? Just toss them into your blender along with some garlic and olive oil and let it run until it reaches your desired consistency.
• Butternut squash soup has become a modern-day comfort food. Mix up a batch that gets some extra mellow sweetness with the addition of apples.

Dips and Sauces

• Onions, tomatoes and avocados make a quick and tasty guacamole. Use a slow speed to start so you can stop it easily if you like a chunkier texture.
• If you love hummus but you're not crazy about the fat content, make your own so you can control the amount of olive oil.
• With a good pesto recipe, all you need to do is cook some pasta and you have a quick and easy meal.

Pies

Yes, you read that correctly. Make desserts like this healthy but luscious pecan pie by literally blending all the ingredients and pouring them into a pie pan. The pie even makes its own crust!

Ice Cream

Ice cubes, vanilla, sugar and milk plus your blender equals a quick summer treat. If you like, take it to the next level with some colorful cake batter ice cream.

What handy appliance or accessory is a must-have in your kitchen? Share your thoughts in the comments!