We had some friends in town this weekend and after a long Saturday, elected for a light dinner. I laid out the ingredients for smoothies along with the blender and proceeded to heat the oil for the popcorn. Cooking the popcorn on the stove is one of the jobs I usually leave to Paul because he is so good at it and can move faster in case the oil splatters. This time, it was up to me, but the guys in the group were most intrigued. I covered the bottom of the pot with oil, turned the stove on medium-high and dropped five corn kernels in the bottom. Later, one of the boys asked me what the deal was and I said "Beats me, that's just the way Mom always did it." (Now, mom has my hot-air popper, and I'm stuck with the old-fashioned way.) But truth is, a few kernels on the bottom is the best way to know when the oil is hot. When all the kernels have popped, you take them out and cover the bottom with fresh corn kernels.

In addition to the previous list of smoothie ingredients, we experimented with honey, orange juice, Nutella (a chocolate and hazelnut spread), vanilla flavoring and kiwis. They were great additions. One of the girls added a half a cup of ice to the blender to make the drink more frozen. It was a good deal.

One house guest asked her husband if he would share half of hers because he had too much. He hemmed and hawed and finally said "no," because then he couldn't make his own. Another husband said he liked our style. We lay out all the ingredients and tell them they are welcome to use anything in the kitchen. Go play! The meal can be time consuming and most people eat in shifts due to the one blender and each person wanting his or her experience. By the time the last one is done creating a drink, the first guest is ready for seconds.

Last night's smoothie concoctions, the noise, the amusement, the "Can I try yours?" led me to a revelation this morning. The blender is the quickest way I know to bring two genders together. A girl can make hers taste fruity while a guy can make his taste like "chocolate waffles". The female can be happy working in the kitchen while the thought of running a potentially loud machine (depending on the number of ice cubes in the drink) can be very enticing to the male of our species. So, I've decided blenders really do have a place in the home and on the gift table at weddings. You just have to teach a new couple how to use it for exceptional bonding experiences and for full tummies.

Thank you Joel, Kristy, Kyle and Rachel! We had so much fun!