I LOVE ginger. I love it in soup, in tea, in applesauce, in ice cream, pickled, raw, any way you can dream it I will love it.

So when I was shopping for bars to review on the site and I came across this lemon ginger Flavor & Fiber bar by Gnu Foods, I was like “Oooo! That’s definitely for me!” In the excitement of finding such a zesty flavor that so perfectly tingled my tastebuds, I failed to realize that this was a bar being marketed as a regularity helper. Oh well. I really just do not get how trendy fiber is right now, but if the bar tastes good then I guess I don’t care.

This is certainly the best-looking ingredient list out of the bars I’ve reviewed so far. Lots of fibery stuff followed by some fruits and of course ginger. I got a little worried that with ginger so low on the list that it might not taste very gingery after all.

It has 130 calories, so it won’t hold off your hunger for too long. With only 10 grams of sugar and all of it coming from fruit sources, this bar is definitely a good choice for a snack and doesn’t edge into the “dessert replacement” category. Since this bar is touting itself as a fiber source, I’ll tell you that it has 12 grams of the stuff.

The bar is definitely a substantial size, no misleading packaging here.

Appearance: Nice golden brown color and plenty of visible textural stuffs. The flax and millet grains are in-your-face and the ingredients look pretty evenly distributed overall. Smells heavily of spicy ginger with a mellow rather than sour lemon aroma.

Taste: Any fears I had that this would not be gingery enough were cast away at first bite! It had a very fresh and real ginger flavor, not fake or faint. It was mildly tingly and warming and with the hint of zesty citrus it really reminded me of a hot cup of ginger-lemon tea with honey. So, so tasty.

Texture: Lightly chewy with firm whole oats and lots of tiny seeds that pop in the mouth without being hard or crunchy. Very enjoyable.

Overall I really enjoyed this rather unusual bar. I think it’s a great break from all the same ole flavors you see everywhere like peanut butter or apple cinnamon. I really feel like a lot of people would pass this up if they’re not looking exclusively for a fiber supplement, which is a shame because it doesn’t taste “fibery” at all. This one might become a repeat for me.

Are you a ginger fan?

June 26, 2011 Alayna Discussion 3 comments

I read a lot of blogs that always feature the most beautiful and decadent breakfast recipes. French toast covered in berries, fluffy pancakes dripping with nut butter and syrup, veggie-stuffed omelets, smoothies in a bowl with pretty toppings, elegant overnight oat parfaits with melty banana soft-serve….and let’s not forget the endless oatmeal permutations.

Here’s a confession: I am just not a breakfast person.

When I wake up I usually just want to shove food in my mouth as fast as possible, so I cannot fathom making homemade waffle batter or processing frozen bananas before I get to eat. I also can never manage to eat very much even though I feel really hungry, so a giant stack of pancakes would go largely uneaten.

You’ve seen my fruit and yogurt bowls, nanner with nut butter, and the occasional bagel with cream cheese, but here’s another one in heavy rotation: muesli.

Essentially a bunch of nuts, grains, and dried fruits that I eat like a cereal with almond milk and seasonal fruit.

For this muesli, I tried my hand at popping amaranth for the first time. It was really easy!

Just heat a pan to medium-low and add about a tablespoon of raw amaranth.

It should start popping within 2 seconds if the pot is hot enough. I clamp on the lid since the little buggers like to jump straight into my eyeballs. Just wiggle the whole thing back and forth to make sure every grain gets heated evenly.

Just like with popcorn, some grains are just not ever going to pop, so get them outta there as soon as things start quieting down.

I love the warm nutty flavor and crispy texture of the popped amaranth.

Mixed in with all my other favorite bits and bobs, it makes for a healthy and filling breakfast.

My muesli

This healthy muesli is quick and customizable, delicious served with cold almond milk.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Yield: approx. 3 cups

Serving Size: 1/3 cup

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup slivered almonds
• 1/4 cup popped amaranth
• 1/4 cup chia seeds
• 1/4 cup flax meal
• 1/4 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 cup oat bran
• 1/4 cup toasted buckwheat
• 1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds
• 1/4 cup golden raisins
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
• 1/8 cup dried goji berries
• 1 tbsp. cocoa powder

Cooking Directions

1. Mix everything together thoroughly and serve with almond milk like cereal

The cocoa in this is a little bitter, but once the sweet almond milk hits it becomes the perfect sweetness. You could absolutely leave it out if that’s not your thing. It’s a great breakfast for a hot summer day and it keeps me full for a long time.

Have you ever made your own cereal?

June 25, 2011 Alayna Discussion, Recipes 6 comments

Oh yeah, there is nothing better than cake for breakfast.

I’ve had about 8 out-of-season honeycrisp apples in my fridge for a month now because they were sour and not good for eating out of hand. This week I’m vowing to use them up in various baked preparations that will bring out their sweetness.

First use: Emily‘s recipe for cinnamon apple glazed cake squares that was featured on Eat Live Run recently.

I made a ton of substitutions to work with what I had. Apple butter rather than apple sauce, chickpea flour rather than whole wheat pastry flour, a little oil to fill in for not having enough butter, added an extra apple, and used real eggs rather than flax eggs. I also tried baking it in a 9×9 pan instead to make them fluffier, and with 20 extra minutes of baking it worked!

These cake squares are so, so insanely good. I fully intended on making the glaze that goes with them but after trying them naked I decided to leave it alone.

With a hot cup of tea, inspected for quality by Liam, it was a fantastic breakfast.

3 apples down, 5 more to go.

What’s your favorite baked apple recipe?

June 24, 2011 Alayna Discussion 4 comments