Home > Media > Books > Mary Corpening Barber, Sara Corpening, Sara Whiteford Corpening, Lori Lyn Narlock - Smoothies: 50 Recipes for High-Energy Refreshment
Mary Corpening Barber, Sara Corpening, Sara Whiteford Corpening, Lori Lyn Narlock - Smoothies: 50 Recipes for High-Energy Refreshment
serc's Full Review: Mary Corpening Barber, Sara Corpening, Sara Whitef...
I love smoothies. Smooth, cool, fruit drinks... mmmmmmmmmm. When I see them on the menu at a restaurant, I invariably order one. I'm dying to try out the smoothies from Jamba Juice. But what do you do when you are a stay at home mom with little money for restaurants (not to mention living almost an hour away from the nearest Jamba Juice?)? My answer is to find a copy of Smoothies: 50 Recipes for High-Energy Refreshment by Mary Corpening Barber, Sara Corpening, and Lori Lyn Narlock.
Smoothies begins with a brief introduction to the benefits of smoothies, followed by nutritional information (smoothies can be very healthy) and information about selecting and storing ingredients. The bulk to the book is dedicated to the recipes, which are divided into four sections.
1.Wholesome Mergers. This section features blends of fresh fruit with fruit juice or yogurt. I have been making the Smoothie Classico, a blend of orange juice, strawberries, and banana, frequently. It is delicious and refreshing. It is also a recipe that is simple to halve, which is wonderful since my husband doesn't enjoy bananas very much. (Each recipe in this book produces 2 servings.)
2.No-Moo Blends. As the title suggests, these are non-dairy smoothies that blend fruit with sorbet, soy milk, tofu, or rice milk. My husband chose to make us the zippy Cran-Zania smoothie, a combination of cranberry juice, raspberry sorbet, orange juice concentrate, orange segments, and cranberries. It was just his speed, and while it will never be my favorite, it was certainly enjoyable. (I want to try the Almond Joyous, which features light coconut milk, chocolate sorbet, bananas, grated coconut, coconut extract, and almond extract - it sounds quite decadent!)
3.Speaking of decadent, the next section is Decadent Medleys, combinations of fruit and frozen yogurt. We tested out the Planet Pineapple tonight, a blend of light coconut milk, nonfat vanilla frozen yogurt, fresh pineapple, and a bit of lemon juice. It was a hit with both of us, and it got me through a pre-dinner meeting without the usual hunger pangs.
4.The final section is Drunken Concoctions, smoothies which include alcohol. We haven't tried any of these yet, but the Tropical Teaser is on my list; the combination of light coconut milk, rum, fresh pineapple, mango, and banana sounds heavenly. (Maybe this weekend...)
The smoothies are easy to make and most of the recipes look very appealing. (I do have to question the Plum Regular one, which features stewed prunes, but I'm willing to try anything once...) Preparation of the fruit involves cutting it up while fresh, storing it in the freezer, then blending what you need according to the recipe - even I, the non-cook, can manage these.
I should also mention that the book itself is very inviting in appearance; it looks cool, smooth, and refreshing. On a hot day, just looking at it might improve one's disposition.
A few of the recipes call for ingredients that I have never seen in my grocery store. I know someone out there must make passion fruit sorbet, but I don't think they are marketing it in small town America quite yet.
If you are a smoothie lover, Smoothies is a title that you will want to add to your cookbook collection. For only $15.95, it will inspire you all summer long.
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