Our newest book offers cool treats that are so worth the brain freeze

When we started on Chill, I admit that I'd kinda already had enough of juicing and smoothie books. I'd bought a juicing book for my parents a year before, along with a juicer (it was, admittedly, an example of parenting my parents and trying to get them to eat a little more healthfully). Mom and I sat down and used Post-Its to flag at least a dozen recipes to try. I bought beets, carrots, tomatoes, berries, ginger, greens… Then we hauled out the juicer. Two drinks later, and after half an hour spent cleaning the thing, the juicer was put back in its box. It's been in her garage ever since.

So, like me, a lot of people in our team had their own juice and smoothie drama — and loves (several are passionate smoothie drinkers and juice makers). We brought our ideas and experiences to the table, and we wanted to create a book that we'd love so much, it'd be dog-eared and splattered in no time. On the wish list:

* We wanted fun treats, things that reminded us of growing up and going to the drive-thru for a slushy or a creamy shake, or getting a snow-cone from the ice cream truck making rounds in our neighborhoods.

* Everything had to be easy to make. We focused on ingredients you can get anywhere, and we wanted the recipes developed for a regular home blender. You don't need to buy a pricey blender or juicer to use Chill.

* There had to be something for everyone. We particularly wanted to offer dairy-free options for people who need or want them, and our Test Kitchen tried multiple versions of many of the recipes with different dairy-free ingredients.

* And, of course, we wanted health benefits. We decided to use all-natural sweeteners and ingredients. We created smoothies that are great for a quick breakfast or a post-workout boost. And the recipes meet the same nutrition standards that you find in Cooking Light magazine every month.

One of the recipes we all loved is the Honey-Peanut Butter Shake (page 95). It hits all the notes on our wish list (it's even dairy-free). It's got that addictive sweet-salty combo, and it's wonderfully thick and creamy: just what you want for a dessert to slurp.

Honey-Peanut Butter ShakeHands-On: 5 minTotal: 5 min

Silken tofu and peanut butter make this shake a thick, dairy-free treat. You can add a teaspoon of ground flaxseed, if you like, or add a drizzle of extra honey on top.

1 cup light vanilla soy milk1/3 cup cubed soft silken tofu1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter1 tablespoon honey2 cups vanilla frozen tofu yogurt

1. Place first 4 ingredients in a blender; process until smooth. Add frozen tofu yogurt, and process until smooth.

Serves 4 (serving size: 3/4 cup).

CALORIES 276; FAT 16g (sat 2.5g, mono 4g, poly 8.4g); PROTEIN 4.7g; CARB 29.1g; FIBER 0.3g; CHOL 0mg; IRON 0.4mg; SODIUM 179mg; CALC 80mg

Chill is in bookstores this week! Order your copy today.