I totally get your concern about frozen fruit—I was worried about the same thing after my jaw surgery. Honestly, immersion blenders are great for soups and softer stuff, but mine struggled a bit with frozen berries. I found it easier to let the fruit thaw slightly first or use smaller chunks. As for cinnamon sticks...yeah, they're pretty tough. Ground cinnamon worked better for me—way smoother and less gritty. Hang in there, it gets easier!
Totally relate to the frozen fruit struggle. My daughter had jaw surgery last year, and I was super nervous about blending anything too hard or icy. We ended up microwaving frozen berries for like 15-20 seconds just to soften them a bit before blending. It made a huge difference—way less strain on the blender and smoother texture overall. Cinnamon sticks were a no-go for us too...I tried once and it sounded like the blender was gonna explode, lol. Ground cinnamon was definitely easier, but even then, we had to be careful not to add too much at once or it got gritty. Honestly, the first couple weeks were rough, but after some trial and error, we found our rhythm. Hang in there, you're doing great.
Microwaving berries is a smart idea, hadn't thought of that. Did you find microwaving changed the flavor at all? I've been hesitant about heating fruit because I worried it'd taste weird or lose nutrients. Totally agree on cinnamon sticks though—tried it once and my blender sounded like it was chewing rocks, lol. Glad to hear things got easier after a couple weeks...gives me hope we'll get there too. Thanks for sharing your experience!
I've microwaved berries a few times, and honestly, I found it made them a bit mushy and overly sweet. Not terrible, but definitely different. Nutrient-wise, quick microwaving probably doesn't hurt much, but texture and flavor did change for us. We ended up preferring to thaw frozen berries overnight in the fridge instead—keeps the freshness intact without extra heat. Might be worth trying if you're worried about taste. Good luck with everything...those early weeks are tough for sure.
"We ended up preferring to thaw frozen berries overnight in the fridge instead—keeps the freshness intact without extra heat."
Totally agree with this. Fridge thawing is gentler and keeps that fresh berry taste. Another tip: blending thawed berries with yogurt or almond milk makes a tasty smoothie that's easy on the jaw and nutritious too. Hang in there...it gets easier!
