I think I may be the only person on the planet who doesn’t really like Clif bars. At least not the original variety that are like thick chalky bricks, those always give me acid reflux and make my tummy hurt. I have no idea why they do that.

I decided to give this Clif Mojo bar a try because…well…because it has pretzels in it. There’s really nothing more to it than that, I was just intrigued.

Ingredient list is pretty clean, lots of stuff in it but nothing I’m too afraid of.

It clocks in at 190 calories which is a little bit low for a satisfying snack but still good. 9 grams of protein and another 9 grams of sugar are both respectable stats. And I was worried about the salt content with this being chock full of pretzels, one of the most classic of salty snacks, but at 220 milligrams it’s really not totally unreasonable.

Appearance: I like the cobbled-together look of this bar. Loosely clinging together pieces of pretzel, puffed rice, peanuts, and peanut butter chips. I was very excited to see those adorable little peanut butter chips, I didn’t even know they were there until I opened it. Nice golden sheen from the brown rice syrup too.

Texture: Crunchy and chewy, a bit jagged but not unpleasant. There’s no sogginess in the pretzels from being in contact with the moisture from the brown rice syrup. Peanut butter chips are buttery smooth and the puffed rice is a nice subtle crackle.

Taste: I expected this to be a contrasting sweet and salty flavor, but it was really mostly salty. Not a bad thing, just not what I expected. The peanut butter chips are subtle, they provide a nutty flavor without any additional salt or sweetness. The salt comes solely from the pretzels, with some bites being less salty and others very salty when you bite into a piece with big salt crystals.

Overall, I liked this bar but I don’t think it’s one I’d add to the regular rotation. It’s definitely light years better than those regular thick pasty Clif bars, but still not that exciting. However, if you’re a lover of salty snacks more than sweets, this might be just right for you. I, however, was really hoping for that awesome contrast between salty and sweet. I think a bit of honey flavor would have taken this over the edge for me.

Salty, sweet, or both at the same time?

August 31, 2011 Alayna Discussion 8 comments

Good morning!

Another nanner for breakfast today. I’m really starting to get addicted to this nut butter, I love how salty it is!

Last night I made a pan of enchiladas in green chili sauce. They’re filled with brown rice, vegetarian refried beans, black beans, salsa, and pickled jalapenos. I ended up going back for another half of one, so good!

And yesterday afternoon I made a recipe that I intended to write as a separate post, but it didn’t turn out so I’ll have to try it again.

These are Chines tea eggs, essentially boiled eggs that are marinated in an aromatic sauce. The marbling effect comes from cracking the shells before marinating, but I might not have cracked them hard enough because they didn’t get as intensely marbled as they’re supposed to.

They taste great, but I want a better picture for the recipe page so I’ll try them again when I get more eggs.

I did manage to complete some of the blog changes I mentioned yesterday but I’m having some issues implementing them, so I’ll probably have to wait until Jeff get’s home today to get some help with it. My Blogroll page has been updated though, if you wanna check it out!

Workout time!

June 22, 2011 Alayna Discussion 8 comments

Hope you all enjoyed Lee’s curry recipe yesterday. As you read this we are on a plane heading home, so until we make it back safe and sound, I leave you with one more guest post from another fellow Atlanta blogger.

Kristy is my home-town running hero. Girl eats miles for breakfast, and maybe sometimes some overnight oats. 😉 Thanks Kristy for this wonderful guest post!

Hey, Y’all!  This is Kristy from KristyRuns.com.

Big thanks to Alayna for allowing me to do a guest post for her!  She rocks.

Alayna and I share a love of eating and cooking whole, nutritious foods…although her cooking is, like, phenomenal.  Mine’s more like throw it in the oven and let it bake for 30 minutes.  

Since I’m a runner [and always hungry], I keep my fridge and pantry stocked with delicious, healthy foods.  Let’s take a peek inside them, shall we?

Some things I always keep on hand:

Nut butter.  Almond, hazelnut, peanut…you name it, I love it.  Whether straight out of the jar, slathered on a ‘naner, or mixed in a smoothie, the protein plus healthy fats make a satiating and tasty combo.  Love.

Oatmeal.  I can’t even remember the last time I ate this stuff cooked!  I love to make overnight oats with them!  My new favorite way to eat them is with yogurt, chopped almonds, and sliced banana.  Oatmeal is packed with fiber, vitamins, minerals, and iron. Hello, awesome snack!

‘Naners.  I always have several bunches of bananas on hand.  Between smoothies, yogurt/oatmeal bowls, and slathering them with almond butter, I go through a lot of ’em.

Spinach and carrots.  Speaking of smoothies, you’ve tried a green monster before, right???  So. Good.  My standard recipe includes spinach, carrots, banana, frozen berries, and almond milk.  Since I’m a vegetarian, I give these smoothies all the credit for keeping my iron levels at a normal level.  The vitamin C in the berries helps your body absorb more iron from the spinach.  I can almost hear my body thanking me when I guzzle down one of these babies.

Yogurt:  I used to avoid all animal products before I went to Europe a month ago.  After that trip, I realized that I could eat dairy and eggs in an ethical, responsible way.  Fortunately in Atlanta, we have several local companies that produce quality organic dairy products.  Calcium plus protein?  I’ll take it!

But hey, sometimes you just need some gelato.  😉

What are your favorite healthy foods to keep on hand?

May 7, 2011 Alayna Discussion 5 comments