MK: If you had to sum
it up Peace, Love and Snacks in 30 or less words, what would you say?
SS: It has a ridiculous tone but with seriously
great and original snack food combinations and ideas.
MK: What inspired the idea behind your
book?
SS: As much as I like to eat healthy
I find that eating snacks like apples or bananas can get pretty boring. However, most of the recipes that I found for
so called healthy snacks contained large amounts of processed sugar...So in a
quest to eat healthier snacks, I began making my own granola bars. Soon I was making healthy dips and I
eventually came up with a wide range of original snack ideas.
MK: Where did you come up with the title?
SS: I wanted to find a title that had
a lighthearted tone. So my sister
suggested the title “Peace Love and Snacks” and I decided to take her advice.
MK: Do you have a favorite character in Peace, Love and Snacks? Who and why?
SS: Yes,
granola...I think granola symbolizes healthy snack food. (I got a kick out of this one-granola as a character).
MK: Without giving it all away, please tell us
a little something about how 'Granola'
is going to get through their biggest challenge.
SS: The biggest challenge that I had with granola
at first, was that I could not get it to stick together when making granola
bars.
MK: What has been your greatest challenge in
writing the book?
SS: The greatest
challenge was coming up with new recipes.
MK: What has been your greatest pleasure in
writing this book?
SS: Finishing it.
MK: What is your favorite non-writing
pastime?
SS: Sure, coming up with
mouth-watering snack combinations.
MK: What message do you hope readers take away
from the book?
SS: I hope that readers will
now be empowered to “take revenge against junk food” and will choose to make
and eat healthier snacks.
MK: When did you decide to take that step that
made you a published author?
SS: I was
making healthy snacks for family members and my cousin pushed me to write the
book. (Ah, the persuasion of family).
MK: What do you have in store next for your
readers?
SS: I am doing a series of snack
recipe videos which you can view at http://peaceloveandsnacksvideos.com/
MK: Will you share with us a short preview of Peace, Love and Snacks?
Like
you, I also have a past.
It
all began many years ago when I operated a vending machine route. I started out
small, distributing snacks from a minivan, and as my route expanded, I moved up
to a cargo van. Eventually, I was driving around in a fourteen-foot box truck
delivering salty chips, candies and soda, and for the five years I spent as a
junk food dealer, everyone else was expanding, too.
So,
how did I wind up writing a cookbook about wholesome edibles? Hold on, I’m getting there.
I can’t justify my years as a distributor of junk. Maybe it was
the thrill of the cash business or the glamor of driving a loud ten-year-old
cramped box truck with a broken air conditioner in the height of the summer.
Whatever the reason, I had essentially become a fallen snack angel—an empty
soul delivering empty calories.
I
have to admit, running a vending route really is great exercise. I was loading
cases and cases of sodas and snacks on and off a truck and into buildings all
day long, burning lots of calories.
As
a result, I would get really hungry, and after a while, I would stand in the
back of the truck as my stomach rumbled, surrounded by so-called food but
seeing nothing I wanted to eat.
You
see, when I first started the route, I opened up some of the packages and ate
the contents. The snacks sure tasted good, but I never felt too good afterward.
So,
I was in a pretty dark place, snackfully
speaking. I actually prefer not to talk about it. I was overwhelmed and full of
despair, and my heart was heavy with painful memories of artificial flavors and
preservatives.
I
had to make a change...I wanted out of this snack enigma...this soda-filled,
chip-heavy, candied conundrum.
Maybe it was because I felt threatened by the sweets, the deep-fried
chips and other completely empty calories surrounding me. Or maybe I was
feeling a bit guilty for peddling barren calories and needed to even up my
snack food karma. Or maybe I was just drawn into the irony of it.
Title: Peace Love and Snacks
Genre – Non-Fiction/Healthy
Living/Weight Control
Publisher – Self-Published
Email – stan@peaceloveandsnacks.com
Website – www.peaceloveandsnacks.com
Publisher – Self-Published
Email – stan@peaceloveandsnacks.com
Website – www.peaceloveandsnacks.com
Purchase Link: http://peaceloveandsnacks.com/buy/
Thank you for joining us today Stan. I know I'm ready for some yummy snacks now.
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