"We made the smoovie and enjoyed it. Shared it with my mom she liked it too. It's a great invention. I didn't have canned carrots..so I used fresh [carrots] and steamed fresh carrots. It took longer but tasted great. Thank you."
-Email from satisfied reader of TheSmoovie.com

Alright, I'm excited to share this delicious concoction and although I don't have the "draw you in with words" skills of a professional blogger, check this out because if you enjoy this little 'discovery' ("invention"?) I recently made half as much as I do, you'll be glad you did. In bullet point steps:

1. Pre-History: "Can in a Blender??" So the pre-history is that I've known since the mid 2000's, the trick of putting a can of crushed tomatoes (not tomato paste but whole crushed tomatoes) into a blender. This is NOT what I'm describing here, but in-the-passing, here's the deal on that older trick: You get a whole food, probably less 'processed' than tomato juice, and definitely a richer more complex set of flavors and even smooth but enjoyably non-watery (read: thick) texture. Plus in many places, you can more easily find an organic version of canned tomatoes than of organic tomato juice. Diluted with a bit of water, adding a bit of seasoning..and it was great.. Not any cheaper (as I recall) than store tomato juice but with all the above advantages.

   Now, I haven't done that in years for various reasons..and partly since I've been cutting down on acidic tomato juice...I do have tomato juice (TJ) or more accurately, organic "V8" type juice, but my tastes have moved to where I actually don't like (even the salt free) version undiluted, whether TJ or Veg-J or fruit juices for that matter..they are too strong (or too sweet, if fruit juice) for my tastes, so I use about one-third to one half water, stir with a fork, and: perfect! But back to our story, I means I do have a local brand (Weis Market's) organic Vegetable Juice.

2. The Inspiration (part 1) In the past I've used my juicer, not so often now (takes a while to clean..) but have enjoyed carrot juice a lot. Sometimes I splurge on Lakewood brand carrot juice and enjoy that (diluted a bit) by itself or to mix with the vegetable juice (VJ)...as you know, "VJ" while more tasty (often) than TJ in complex flavor, it's still MOSTLY (I sometimes wonder if it's 90%? 95%??) tomato juice, probably because they are cheap or too lazy/scared to mess with the traditional formula..so adding some carrot juice (from juicer or from bottled like Lakewood, which is has a nice more complex flavor, not just super sweet but a pleasant savory and slightly, slightly bitter mixed with plenty of sweet).
   

3. The Inspiration (part 2) What do you get when you "put two and two together"? Think about the previous two ideas...And try to keep an open mind, you'll be glad you did...but when you put the two ideas together, one day the light-bulb goes off and I think to myself: "well, I enjoy these salt-free, no-other-ingredient, inexpensive, whole-food, phytochemical rich cans of sliced carrots...what if I put them in the blender? Definitely it'll be way way too pasty to make a juice by itself, but if I mixed with TJ or rather, with my regular VG...then..maybe..?"

   As it turns out folks, it works! :-) The flavor works, very nicely, and the texture works great too...nice way to thicken to almost "smoothie" texture (don't expect it to be identical in texture: enjoy it for its own unique thick texture..but it's kind of similar) whether cold, or room temp, or warmed in a microwave.

   Great thick texture and loads of phytochemicals, a whole food, all that plus it turns nicely tasty VJ into amazingly tasty super wonderful, Juiced-Over-with-Carrots-SMOOthie-like-VJ (JOC-SMOOV?? SMOOV for short?? Still working on a name..) Maybe just "smoovie" with a "v"...hmmmm...

4. So far our directions are:

   "Place all the water and 2/3 to 3/4 of the carrots from a no-salt can of sliced carrots

   (avoid putting all can until you get the hand of it so make sure you will get smooth texture). but don't blend yet..keep reading!
   

   Next: Add one thin slice from a medium red onion, and one medium to largish clove (or two med-small cloves) of raw garlic. It's important to blend them now, before we add a huge amount of more liquid; if we wait until the blender is full to half or even higher level, the onion and garlic will not blend as smoothly (based on experimenting with other recipes in the past) since little bits of them will bounce up and down and all around the blender. Better to use the lower semi-liquid (or really, 'paste') level in the blender...and the usefully thicker than pudding initial texture to blend them better. We'll still have small little bits of onion and garlic but they will be smaller tinier bits this way, and just as part of the thick texture as the bits of carrot fiber throughout our mixture. Don't blend yet.

   

5. One last crazy inspiration..please try it just once! Don't be afraid..the recipe is even better if you don't skip this step. This is not about putting a capful of olive oil together with water and stir because if you do that (water and olive oil, p lus 1T of lemon juice, stir, drinking one pint or more, is a workable gentle laxative or a second use: if the first half of your day you're semi sick and mouth doesn't want to eat but stomach needs a few calories..) of course the oil floats to the top pretty quickly in THAT..so that one one needs to drink right away....but what about our smoovie here? With the thick paste and fiber in there? Would the oil just add even more smoothness and not float to the top but be part of the drink? Yes, this works too! Add 1 to 2 capfuls (I recommend 2 since we'll make a full blender's worth of volume of drink..it takes me two days to finish it even drinking a LOT per day of this great stuff (it's so good I could finish it in one day but unless I go for replacing most of my meals, I'm afraid of hurting myself with this much liquid on top of the gallon or so of water I drink, so I force myself to have it over two days)..it could last you 3+ days) so only 100 to 200 calories and enough thickness and volume to make for a semi-"fast" (can replace an entire meal, at least, in the day) since you'll be quite full. Not the end of the world if you really really want to skip this but urge you to try it with this step included either later or why not, on your first try..?

   NOTE: I know many health food people (including me) are trying to reduce (some to even eliminate) added oils, maybe try a piece of a very ripe avocado instead..but the extra smoothness on top of the already smooth can of carrot in blender secret trick, is nice...how much harm from one or two tablespoons for a supply that will last 2 or even more days?

   You're almost there but don't blend just yet....

6. Add spices: 2 to 4 shakes of fenugreek seed powder; 2 shakes of ginger powder; two shakes of cumin; two shakes of turmeric powder. You can modify or skip some if you don't have all right now, but this gives you the general ballpark for the flavoring. Also for the very large volume we'll make these are really "micro" flavorings. Later when you learn your tastes better, you can add more of some of these, if you wish, but be conservative for now.

7. Last micro flavorings: One capful of (ideally, organic) lemon or lime juice, one capful of balsamic vinegar, and one capful of (mild!) Mae Ploy brand Sweet Chili Sauce (or other mild one, Thai Kitchen has some) DON'T over spice, even if you like things spicier than I do. In fact, this part of the recipe you can skip the first time since just the (Veg-Juice + Smooth Carrot Pulp + Onion slice/garlic pulp + Olive Oil) makes for a great very pleasantly thick but smooth, and delicious dish. Or just those plus the others above (lemon/lime juice (optional: one capful of a sesame based natural salad dressing. Remember, it's about micro-flavorings, not to overpower the great natural flavor)

8. Now Blend for a good 20-30 seconds until very smooth. If you put only 2/3 of the carrots in there it should work. Sometimes the full can works but be cautious until you get good results. (I could be accused of being over-cautious; I even usually unplug the blender when I'm temporarily done; the buttons have been known to accidentally start the thing when bumped and with the top of the blender off between steps, that makes a mess!) CONSISTENCY WILL BE LIKE A THICK PUDDING. See first cellphone picture, the paste at bottom of the blender:
   

   Add VJ (or TJ) until blender is about 2/3 to 3/4 full, and add remaining carrots. With cap back on, blend until smoothie texture. Then add about 1 cup of water to dilute a bit more, so blender is near full (as high as possible without it spilling when you blend) and blend again for 2 seconds so its' all mixed.

   It's just a little bit more strong/thick than ideal in my book, so at this point I pour into my favorite 16+ ounce cup until it's 3/4 full and add water for the remaining 1/4 and stir with a fork for a second and DONE! Best flavor and texture (and you have a bit more than a full blender's worth of this smoothie) Of this wonderful stuff:

   

   Poor lighting; more attractive, well lit images below! But:
   (As you can see from the little bubbles how thick it is - this is before I add 1/4 of the glass to be water and stir, which leaves it still wonderfully thick and flavorful but not quite as thick. See it makes sense, not just me being greedy to 'stretch' it so there is even more than a blender's worth of fluid ounces, just so there's more, but to really to optimize texture/consistency and flavor.)

1. In a future post, I'll write about maybe a few other variations (if you DO want to use a juicer, you can add/modify the flavoring) but mostly how I'm more and more loving these kinds of drinks. And I'll argue why it's a great "piece" to have as part of the puzzle for one's diet for those of us who are not trying to lose any weight for many reasons (and thus all that plus one more reason for those who maybe are) in the context of, yes, that "semi-fast" (a partial food fast, using it to replace a meal) or just to have smaller meals plus this. Unlike the chemicalized versions of "meal replacements" this is not just plant-centered (phytochemical/phytonutrients/antioxidants!) but is also minimally processed: is Whole-Foods based and delicious and with lots of phytochemicals, the veggies, onion, not to mention, having two med-small raw garlic bulbs per day while you go on this regimen.

2. For summer one could put cans of carrot into fridge, if "cold refrigerated VJ plus room temp cans of carrots" isn't cold enough. I enjoy this even in the microwave (if you don't "nuke" it TOO much, just to warm to "warm" not super hot, and then stir, it will not mess with the great thick texture) And have enjoyed this over this winder (Dec 2013/Jan 2014) so far very much.

   Anyone have family/friends who have "smoothie" type and health-conscious business? Drop me a note..This would be a great addition for someone with a stand near a beach or in a mini mall, etc, it seems to me

3. Other ideas for future experimentation - two other ways to possibly use "vegetable pulp" besides this smoothie, that I'd like to try, they might (unlike the "drink of the vegetable gods" above!) be failed experiments, but have to try to find out..

   1. The "frozen smoothie" recipe I first learned from Dr. Greger (frozen berries, non-dairy milk, one very ripe (frozen if desired) banana, and 2T ground up flax-seeds) actually works ok without the frozen berries. But would it work if we ADDED a bit (less than a can, maybe a third or half) of CANNED PUMPKIN or (after ground up in blender) canned carrots? That would be a variation with even more vegetable/phytochemical (and flavor, and thickener) than the above? That's for a future experiment.

   2. Likewise would canned carrots or pumpkin used as in the previous item, work for PUDDING if combined with the "traditional" vegan recipe, of putting one packet of Silken Tofu in the blender, with flavorings (spices, agave nectar etc)? Again could be in the right proportions, one could improve (or at least equally good) as far as texture, but interesting new flavors and a *whole*food* rich in not just anti-oxidents but other phytochemicals...

   Given how well this smoovie above works, I would like to find the time to experiment with the above too (though, given the time this entry took...several sittings...over more than a week..to write up this entry, I'll need to pause and catch up with other areas of life and other projects..but so glad the above worked and excited to share with you all :-)

-Harel
Two more images (click for full size versions) of a Smoovie, delicious either cold or microwave-warmed:

---

To the above (can or carrots, its water, liquid flavorings, olive oil (optional) and herbs and seasonings) add: 17oz cup - and and a half - about 25oz of organic vegetable juice, plus 8 to 16 oz water, add a little at a time in two or three steps, and with lid on (!) mix for 1-2 seconds, until liquid is at the top

---

Back Of Envelope Business/Cost Analysis And Summary:

* 14.5 oz can, No Salt Added carrots: $0.79 (Weis Markets, MD, Spring 2014)

* Pure Water (cost varies, fairly cheap; about 16 oz)

* Roughly One-third of 46oz (or 16oz which is just a bit over 1/3) Full Circle Organic Vegetable Juice:

     2.69/3 about $0.90 (Weis, MD, Spring 2014)

* Organic onion and organic garlic clove: very lost cost

     e.g. organic med. red onion, ~$2, each
   can be used for about 10 slices, so about $0.20 cost per Smoovie

* Subtotal: 1.89 + water + garlic clove + water ; add cost of
condiments, should be well under  $3, probably under $2.75 and that's for MANY cups! Imagine
  selling on the beach for $3 for ONE cup!

* ($7 for cheaper (still extra-virgin) non-organic, perhaps $14-21 for fancy/organic
50-servings olive oil: use 1-2 servings per large Smoovie tub;
 cost 0.14-0.28 (1-2 servings) for extra virgin economy olive oil, and
2 to at most 3 times that for fancy/organic; use just 1 serving of
most expensive, so 0.less than 42cents, or 2 servings so about 28 to
56 cents..)


* Above makes enough for MORE than my 7-cup (7·8=56 oz) blender tub

* You do NOT need a "Vita-mix or other expensive  blender; "cheap" $50
or so blender does great job.

* Roughly 8-10 8-oz cups. Conservatively 9 (8oz) cups or 6 (12oz)
  cups can be sold for these ingredients costing under $2.75-$3 total
  (or $2.50 without olive oil)for all these MANY LARGE GLASSES (which
  can probably be  sold for many dollars each — each large glass
  is about TWO CUPS) worth of Super Healthy,  WHOLE-Foods
  Based plant phytochemical goodness, largely Organic, High Fiber/Stomach Filling, *Creamy* textured
 (and more!) wonderful Smoovie!
  
  
  
  


MAY 1, 2014, AT COMMON MARKET, UPDATE:
"16-17$ coop.63-68 servimgs respectivelt organic olive oil wait 3rd
  organic 67 servings 1tbsp each, for$11.79"