Wanna hear something crazy? I’m not really a huge fan of marshmallow. I know, there’s something wrong with me.

It may come as no surprise then that I have never really understood the hype surrounding s’mores. I mean, sure they’re good, but they don’t make my eyes roll back in my head at the mere mention of them like they seem to do for some people.

But, something about the drippy chocolate and barely toasted marshmallow “O” on the packaging for this Halo S’mores bar by Pro Bar caught my eye. It might have also had something to do with the fact that the graham cracker letters look more like shortbread to me with their golden hue and intentional dimples, and I am nothing if not a sucker for a butter-laden crumbly shortbread.

The ingredient list is a bit lengthy, but nothing too scary to be seen on it.

Surprisingly, although this bar is obviously trying to sell itself as a dessert replacement, the sugar content is lower than I would have expected at a mere 13 grams. And at 150 calories it stands no chance of making a dent in your healthy eating habits, or your hunger for that matter.

Appearance: The bar is about the size I expected from the size of the packaging. The look of it however, is nothing like what I expected. I knew it wasn’t going to look exactly like the cute packaging letters, but I at least hoped that it would be layered or have distinguishable graham cracker, chocolate, and marshmallow pieces. I guess it doesn’t matter what it looks like as long as it tastes good, right?

Taste: Well it doesn’t….taste good that is. Or I guess it tastes fine, but it doesn’t taste even remotely like a s’mores bar. In fact, it doesn’t taste even remotely like graham crackers or marshmallow and the chocolate is a bit off-tasting as well. I guess the flavor that stands out the most to me is brown rice syrup, followed by oats, not surprising since those are the first two ingredients.

Texture: Reminds me a lot of a chewy granola bar, lots of oat pieces and other unidentifiable bits of “healthy-tasting” things. There were approximately 3 chocolate chips, all of them on one side of the bar and some weird clump of sugar on the other.

Overall, this bar is hugely disappointing. I might have liked it if it were not marketed as a dessert because it set my expectations too high. There is no way in hell anyone would be satisfied with this as a dessert replacement, it is decidedly undessert-like and tastes nothing like the dessert it claims to imitate. It also didn’t do much to take away my snack cravings with such a low calorie count. 100% sure I won’t be buying again.

What dessert would you most enjoy recreated in bar form?

(Again, unless otherwise stated, these “bar exam” reviews are all unsolicited and reflect my true opinions of the product.)

June 20, 2011 Alayna Discussion 3 comments

(For another raw vegan treat, check out my recipe for raw nectarine dream cookies!)

Oooooo! These are so good!

I just love the combination of orange and pistachio together! These bars are so soft and citrusy, they remind me a bit of lemon Larabars, and yet they’re totally different from any Larabar I’ve ever had.

Here’s what you’ll need for these little emerald gems:

• 3/4 cup raw cashews
• 3/4 cup raw pistachios
• 1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
• 1 tsp. agave nectar
• 1 tsp. coconut oil
• 1 tsp. chia seeds
• zest and juice of a small orange such as a clementine or satsuma
• desiccated coconut for dusting

Start by pulverizing the nuts in a food processor…

Then add the chopped apricots…

Then grate over the orange zest and add the remaining ingredients…

Blitz it til it pulls away from the sides and looks fully incorporated…

So green!

Now you need to mold it into bars. I lined a loaf pan with wax paper to help pull the bars out with later and then poured some desiccated coconut in the bottom so they wouldn’t stick to that.

It took a while to press it all out flat in the pan, just keep working at it until you get it to reach the edges.

My loaf pan was just a bit too big so these didn’t quite make it all the way to one side. After spreading it out I topped it off with more coconut.

These should get popped in the freezer for a while to make them easier to cut. I chose to cut mine into little squares.

They are delicious! The bright orange flavor really stands out and contrasts with the earthy and slightly bitter green pistachio flavor. They taste so springy and fresh!

I’ve been keeping them in the fridge since they have orange juice in them that could go bad if left out. It also helps them to hold together better being that they’re very soft at room temperature. They are even more refreshing nice and cool right out of the fridge anyway.

Raw vegan orange pistachio bars

Bright citrusy orange zest accents these nutty raw pistachio bars.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Yield: about 10 squares

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup cashews
• 3/4 cup raw pistachios
• 1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
• 1 tsp. agave nectar
• 1 tsp. coconut oil
• 1 tbsp. chia seeds
• zest and juice of a small orange such as a clementine or satsuma

Cooking Directions

1. Pulverize nuts in food processor until very small.
2. Add all other ingredients and pulse to incorporate.
3. Press mixture into a wax paper lined baking dish with desiccated coconut.
4. Sprinkle more desiccated coconut on top and press in lightly.
5. Freeze until firm then turn out and cut into squares or bars.
6. Keep refrigerated.

What is your favorite snack bar/granola bar/protein bar?

March 8, 2011 Alayna Discussion, Recipes 20 comments

Ugh. I feel terrible today.

Why? Because of yoga. Yes, I feel like I’ve been run through a pasta machine because hot yoga kicked my butt last night.

I went back to Atlanta Hot Yoga with Lee, Laura, and Kristy again for essentially the same class we all took together last time. A few things were different though: we had a different instructor, the class was probably twice as packed as last time, and it felt so much hotter!

Last time I was never thinking about the heat, this time it was all I could think about. I got really dizzy and was having trouble breathing at one point so I had to sit down. I really pushed myself to at least try to do the poses even if I couldn’t do them very well, but any time we had to put our arms up for a pose I would feel like I was gonna hurk.

We all agreed that it was much harder this time. Still, I think that I had so much trouble mostly because I didn’t drink enough water yesterday. I know better now.

It felt so good to step out into the cold air outside the studio. Kristy surprised me with a Picky Bar, she was talking about them on her blog the other day and I thought they sounded interesting.

These are so good! This flavor tasted like peanut butter with chocolate chips and a fruity flavor in the background. I could only eat a bite or two when she gave it to me because I was feeling so run down, but I polished off the rest of it today and loved it!

This morning I tried to eat a banana and a carrot cake breakfast bar, but my body just said no.

Half of this is still in my fridge. My body just wants liquids like crazy today, further suggesting to me that all my troubles stem from dehydration.

Amazingly though, I really did still enjoy myself. I think I’m going to buy a package of 5 visits to my local Decatur Hot Yoga studio soon and try to turn this into a habit. I love how strong I feel the next day, like I’ve worked every tiny muscle in my body. My shoulders look rounded, my legs are more defined, and my butt is tight! Love that!

What is your favorite snack or meal replacement bar?

February 10, 2011 Alayna Discussion, Fitness 3 comments