Sponsored post: This post is the first of three recipe posts and is brought to you by Blendtec. All opinions are my own.

We debated for what seems like ages on whether to go with a Vitamix or a Blentec because the promises of both were almost too good to be true. Soups! Salsas! Spreads! Almond milk! Peanut butter! Smoothies! I mean, what couldn't these things make?!

So we got a Vitamix. And had a little love affair with it. But I'll be honest, the plunger thing was a pain, and when my arthritic issues were flaring up in my hands, it would be physically painful to use it. So when Blendtec offered to let me try one of their blenders, I was pumped because it meant that there'd no longer be any kind of pushing or stirring or jamming of the plunger.

Blendtec Designer Series Review

At first I was skeptical of the preset buttons. It just seemed too simple to me, you know? But the settings really work, and it's not just one speed for each food item you're making. Instead, it starts really fast, then slows down, then gets faster, and in turn, the food is blended and just when it starts to look like it's sticking to the sides, the speed changes and the food falls down into the blades. It's pretty genius, actually.

I was also sent the twister jar, which is sold separately and is the best bet for nut butters. (See it in action here.)

Clean up, which is a key factor when purchasing a juicer or blender, was simple. Easier, dare I say, than the Vitamix, which has four short, spiky blades which can be difficult to clean if you get something sticky on them and need to scrub them by hand. The Blendtec, by comparison, has two long blades, so if you have to get in there with your hand it's just a quick swipe of the sponge and you're done. No curves to get around.

Ok, so it was obvious to me after the first use that it was easy to use, it worked, and cleaned quickly and easily. So I set out with a mission - to figure out if these types of expensive blenders could actually save us consumers money in the long run?

I put it to the test. Throughout the week I'll be posting new recipes and discussing the cost of making the food with a Blendtec blender versus buying the same quality in stores.

Up first, a tomato sauce.

Ingredients for Quick Tomato Sauce

8 vine tomatos, cubed

3 big basil leaves, minced

2 cloves garlic

3/4 c tomato paste (or you can make your own)

1T oregano

salt and pepper to taste

Directions for Quick Tomato Sauce

Put all the tomatoes in a pot over medium heat until the skins are soft and start to shrivel. Liquid will begin to form from the tomatoes. After about 10 minutes, pour half the liquid out. Then, put all the ingredients in the Blendtec and press the soup button. Voila!

Homemade Tomato Sauce Cost:

8 organic tomatoes: $10.35

basil leaves (from a plant we had)

2 cloves garlic: approx $.10

tomato paste: $2.49 (would be cheaper to make your own, obviously)

oregano: $2.99 for the whole bottle, but only used 1T, so let's say .10?

salt and pepper to taste: .05?

Total cost: $13.09, which made three 16 oz mason jars, so it came out to $0.28 cents per oz.

Store-bought organic tomato sauce cost:

I found this tomato sauce at the store which was going for 8.99 for one 24oz jar, which comes out to about $0.38 cents per ounce. Note that it is not organic- I couldn't find an organic version.

So yes, the bottom line is that at least for pasta sauces, it is less expensive to make your own - sure, only by ten cents, but you can't beat the taste of homemade pasta sauce, you know what I mean?