The Part-Time Vegetarian Smoothies and Juices - A Book Review & Giveaway

Apparently, it's book review time over here at Produce On Parade! I obviously couldn't be happier. Having the exciting privilege of reviewing books, making wonderful recipes from said books, and hosting giveaways is so fun. 

Tina Haupert from carrotsncake.com is the author of this huge and colorful Part-Time Vegetarian Smoothies and Juices Recipe Book, and I'm excited to share my review with you!

Precaution

I reluctantly admit that I usually don't go in search of smoothie recipe books. My smoothies are more often than not a mishmash of random ingredients I need to use up. Sometimes I'll make a concerted effort to have them taste good, but most of the time they're somewhere in between super-healthy and only moderately-tasty, when making them for myself. 

So to be honest, I wasn't really sure how much I would actually use this recipe book, although it is stunning. I'm a skeptic of epic proportions, if nothing else.

As soon as I opened the box, I plopped down on the couch to review the book. After about ten minutes I started to hear laughter from Todd. I asked him what was so funny and he said I was making him laugh! "What am I doing?", I asked. Apparently, I was muttering to myself in a rhythm of page flips and non-stop chorus of "Ohhh this looks so good! Omg, I am totally making this tonight. Whoa, I'll definitely have to tab this one. Oh, my, gosh...this looks amazing. Yummmmm."

So you see, I feel rather silly for having doubted how influential a smoothie book could truly be on me. Todd asked me if I would be making every recipe from the book in the next week...

A Insightful Introduction

Chapter one in this book is titled Getting Started and it gives a short introduction on the benefits of consuming more fruits and vegetables while reducing one's meat/dairy intake. Tina walks the reader through choosing a blender and gives great smoothie tips. Some of the tips one would perhaps otherwise have to learn the hard way. Like how it's a good thing to peel bananas before you freeze them (learned that one on my own, the hard way). Or chopping up aging fruit to use in smoothies instead of throwing it out. 

She also discusses how to choose a juicer and the difference between masticating and centrifugal juicers. There's also more great tips like only making as much juice as you'll need and drinking it right away before the nutrients are lost. 

A Smoothie and Juice For Every Occasion

I love that the chapters are broken down by breakfast, green, workout, dessert smoothies/juices and so on. It's easy to pick a meal for exactly what you're looking for. The back of the book has an index too. One day I had five, yes five, pears that were all a little worse for the wear. I went to the "P" section of the index and found a smoothie with pears and went to town!

Easy, At A Glance

Perhaps my favorite part about the book, which I confess took me several minutes to discover, is at the bottom of each recipe are circular photos of each ingredient. So, if a juice recipe contains apples, celery, carrots, and parsley...there would be a small photo of each at the bottom so you can see exactly what you need to make it. You know, for us visual people.

There's no super weird ingredients that you'd have to look online for and all the ingredients are clean too. I really like the "Tip" section for each recipe. Tina suggests swapping mint for basil or adding ginger for a kick.  

Are They Tasty Though?

I've made three smoothies so far. A muted green Coconut-Kale Smoothie, a vibrant magenta Pearberry Smoothie, and a creamy Banana Foster Smoothie. All were absurdly delicious. The pear one was my favorite and I will definitely be making it time and time again as I can never seem to catch that two minute window where pears are perfect for consumption. Next on my list is the Gingerbread Smoothie and the Cinnamon Butternut Smoothie. Follow along on social media to see how they turn out in the next week or so. Sounds like the perfect after work snack to me!

Would I Buy The Book?

Even though I personally don't have a particular interest in smoothie recipe books...and even though I don't juice at all (why juice when you can eat the veggies and get all the fiber?!), I would STILL buy this book. The recipes are really sound. They're consistent in size and texture, and use everyday ingredients. I love the tips and tricks, and the layout of the book is beautiful. I think this book would also be a great gift idea! Especially since it's labeled "Part-Time Vegetarian", it won't scare away that disapproving Aunt too much (for the record, I have no disapproving aunts). Tina is an immensely talented recipe developer and I know you'll love her smoothies and juices. It'll be only scrumptious smoothies for me from here on out!

Stop by your local bookstore or hop on over to Amazon to purchase The Part-Time Vegetarian Smoothies and Juices Recipe Book for $13! It's time to get some more fruits and vegetables into your diet!

Win This Book!

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*DISCLAIMER*  PRODUCE ON PARADE IS A PERSONAL BLOG WRITTEN AND EDITED BY MYSELF ONLY, UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED. MY REVIEWS ARE COMPLETELY BASED ON MY OWN OPINION OF THE PRODUCT REVIEWED. I AM NOT PAID TO WRITE POSTS. THESE PRODUCTS WERE SUPPLIED TO ME AS GIFTS FROM THE COMPANY TO TEST AND REVIEW. OTHERWISE, IF I MENTION A COMPANY BY NAME AND THERE IS NO DISCLAIMER AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST, I AM MERELY WRITING ABOUT SOMETHING I LIKE, PURCHASE AND/OR USE. THE FACT THAT I DO RECEIVE A PRODUCT AS A GIFT TO TEST AND REVIEW, WILL NEVER POSITIVELY INFLUENCE THE CONTENT MADE IN THIS POST.

Bare Crunchy Coconut Chips

If I'm being totally honest, which I always am, (I'm seriously horrendous at lying) I'm not much into snack food or snacks in general. They're usually quite processed and often laden with added sugars and/or fat. I'd much rather munch on a few dried figs (maybe with chocolate), assorted berries, or just hummus and some veggies. 

However, when I was contacted to see if I wanted to sample Bare Crunchy Coconut Chips, I was super excited. I've actually been wanting to buy them and even looked for chips in our local grocery store, but I couldn't find them. Is it weird to have a Pinterest board full of food you want to try? Well, these were on there. Check.

If you live in a small town like I do, or a state that doesn't have Whole Foods or Trader Joe's (seriously get on up here already, WF and TJ), or if the closest "healthy" food store is 50 miles away, Bare has a store locator on their website so you can partake in these scrumptious little guys. They also can be purchased on Amazon. Huzzah! 

Now, it's important to note that not all their flavors are vegan. The Simply Toasted and Sweet n' Heat, however, are! 

Details

• They're baked, so a bit healthier than your average fried snack.
• No preservatives.
• No cholesterol.
• No trans fats.
• Gluten Free.
• 3 grams of fiber per serving.
• Kosher.
• Non-GMO certified. 
• No wheat or nuts involved in the process of making the chips.
• They are "lactose-free"...but that doesn't exactly mean milk-derived-free (damn you coffee creamers).
• Made in small batches. 
• Each 1/2 cup serving has about 150 calories.
• Versatile snack eaten plain, or an addition to trail mix or salads. 

Taste

I loved the clean, coconutty flavor and crunchiness of the Simply Toasted version. It would be akin to eating the bulk bin coconut flakes from the store, but much more crunchy and chip-like, and about three bajillion times more delicious. 

The Sweet n' Heat version may have been my favorite, if only because I am a sucker for any "sweet and spicy" food. I was thinking they would be great as a sort of "crouton" atop an asian salad...as I shoveled them into my mouth. 

I just devoured these chippies plain, by hand, and utterly without shame. Also, they weren't so spicy that it slowed down the devouring process...just to let you know. If you're a wimp when it comes to spicy (I actually am), you'll be fine with these. They had the perfect amount of heat. 

Todd, however, wasn't impressed with these chips. As he says, "I'm not much into coconut." His judgements cannot be trusted though...the man doesn't like pesto. Who on Earth doesn't like pesto?! It's preposterous!

Price

On Amazon, they'll run you about $2.50 a package, which has 1 1/4 cups of chips, which is a serving and a half. I can't tell you what they cost in local stores, because I haven't been able to find them. 

It would take me about 45 seconds to eat an entire package, so that's a quick $2.50. To be fair though, a $4 latte isn't that far of a stretch from this. Unless you're literally addicted to caffeine...like me. Suffering from a wicked caffeine headache, I'd pay any amount to make it go away. 

However, these are made from coconuts. While admittedly I haven't bought a coconut lately (I'm much too lazy and ignorant with regards to cracking one open), I'm sure they aren't running as cheap as the dodgy corn used for tortilla chips. 

Pros

• Delicious.
• A natural, whole food. 
• Light in weight.
• Can be savory or sweet.
• You'll be getting 3 grams of fiber per serving.

Cons

• Can be a tad on the sugary side, depending on the flavor 
• High price.
• Lack of availability for some (like me).
• A bit calorie dense for the amount.
• The package is quite big for it's contents (this always disturbs me).

Would I buy them again? Not as a regular item, mostly because they're addictive, calorie-dense, and kind of pricy. But for a treat or an airport snack, I would most definitely be all over these. 

*DISCLAIMER*  PRODUCE ON PARADE IS A PERSONAL BLOG WRITTEN AND EDITED BY MYSELF ONLY, UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED. MY REVIEWS ARE COMPLETELY BASED ON MY OWN OPINION OF THE PRODUCT REVIEWED. I AM NOT PAID TO WRITE POSTS. THESE PRODUCTS WERE SUPPLIED TO ME AS GIFTS FROM THE COMPANY TO TEST AND REVIEW. OTHERWISE, IF I MENTION A COMPANY BY NAME AND THERE IS NO DISCLAIMER AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST, I AM MERELY WRITING ABOUT SOMETHING I LIKE, PURCHASE AND/OR USE. THE FACT THAT I DO RECEIVE A PRODUCT AS A GIFT TO TEST AND REVIEW, WILL NEVER POSITIVELY INFLUENCE THE CONTENT MADE IN THIS POST.

The Lines We Draw - A Book Review

A few days ago I was invited to read a book, The Lines We Draw by Sangamithra Iyer. At the exact moment that I was reading the invitation, I was actually listening to a vegan podcast, Our Hen House, who was interviewing the author. I decided that it was clearly fate. Also, if you haven't discovered Our Hen House yet, go listen to Mariann and Jasmin. They are seriously funny, explore fantastic subjects, and always bring on terrific guests. I know you'll love their vegan banter as much as I do!

The Lines We Draw - A Book Review

The Lines We Draw is a short ebook that was published on January 19th, 2014 about the author's interview with a retired scientist who performed research on chimpanzees, Dr. Alfred Prince. It's a story that explores the ideas about why and how we could justify what we do to animals that are so closely related to us humans and the devastating effects we create in the wake.

It's a short book, only taking about 30-60 minutes to read. What I learned with regards to research performed on chimps, was surprising less poignant as my ongoing and pervading thoughts on why and how humans can justify these horrendous injustices carried out on all animals, including chimps. This book will stick with you. It will make you think. And it's important to note that this is done largely without graphic detail of the monstrous acts. I, myself, just can't bare to read or view such sadness. I rarely have it in me. I'm in awe of the undercover activists and applaud all the work they're able to do. I don't know how they do it. 

Prince's relationship with the chimps is explored and it's an interesting one, indeed. Iyer doesn't lend an overwhelming opinion in the book, but allows you to form your own beliefs with the facts and story provided. It's a very thought-provoking book and one that demands a spare half hour. 

The book description from Amazon:

"This is a story about boundaries – physical, biological, ethical. It evolved from a conversation with the late Dr. Alfred Prince, a hepatitis researcher, about the use of chimpanzees in medical research and expanded into a larger discussion about ethics. Prince left New York University’s Laboratory for Experimental Medicine and Surgery in Primates (LEMSIP) in the 1970s to establish New York Blood Center’s chimpanzee research colony in Liberia. The story weaves various threads and makes connections between logging, the Liberian Civil War, and vivisection. Chimpanzees are slowly being phased out of research in the United States, and the New York Blood Center has ceased testing in Liberia, but questions remain about the fate of laboratory chimpanzees."

The Lines We Draw is available for download at  Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.

Take action now: You can help! Sign this petition to release the Rockville 15 to a chimpanzee sanctuary!