Can a thermomix solve my cooking dysfunction?

So apparently this little gadget, the Thermomix, is the answer to my problems in the kitchen, although I'm not sure anyone can cure me of putting something in the oven and running to check facebook and then finding out half an hour later there's a wafting burning smell coming through the door.

Today I got the results of food allergy blood tests for my two older children. And yes, they were conclusive, and yes, it means much more work for me in the kitchen.

Altogether we've got three children all intolerant of cows milk, sulfites and oats, and then individually intolerant of malt, brewers yeast, soy, peanuts, peas (!), mushrooms, tartrazine and bananas. The fourth child has not been tested. I shall assume that she will be the same. (The fact that she hasn't weaned herself at the age of 2.5 gives me some indication that perhaps cows milk won't be her fave food either...)

On the positive side, At Least We Know Now. I'm extremely hopeful of a huge jump in Bright Eyes' development once we get his food sorted out, given that my younger son took massive leaps forward in the couple of weeks after he started his diet. 

On the negative side, it's a whole lot more work for me. Readers of this blog may be aware that I am not the world's greatest or most enthusiastic cook. As I said, I'd much rather check things like my book downloads on itunes. So the thought of (a) organising all of this, (b) enforcing all of this and (c) providing alternative food that they will eat gives me the horrors. I have been envisioning thankless hours spent in the kitchen, gritting my teeth and muscling through recipe after failing recipe. 

When I lamented all of this on facebook, its reputation as an information and solution source proved itself once again to be completely deserved. Within an hour more than six people told me "You need a thermomix" and so I have bowed humbly to superior knowledge and have booked myself a demonstration. For now I'll just suck in my breath and pretend the price tag is a tenth of what I think it is.

But let me tell you - if one machine can do all it says it does, I might just think it's worth it.