Apple Bread & Bar Review 3/5
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Today’s Bar: White Chocolate Macadamia Luna Bar (also by Clif Bar)
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| Package Goodies: High in Calcium, Folic Acid, AND Antioxidants. 70% Organic, Entirely Natural (again, this means nothing…in some cases, things that are allowed by the FDA to be listed as “Natural Flavor†are more toxic than some “Artificial Flavorâ€). 6g Fiber, 3g Protein, Low Glycemic.
Ingredient List: LunaPro (Soy Rice Crisp [Soy Protein Isolate, Organic Rice Flour], Organic Toasted Oats, Organic Roasted Soybeans, Organic Soy Flour, Organic Flaxmeal), Organic Brown Rice Syrup, Organic Coating (Organic Evaporated Cane Juice, Organic Palm Kernel Oil, Organic Soy Flour, Organic Soy Lecithin, Organic Vanilla), Organic Macadamia Nuts, Inulin (Chicory Extract), Organic Macadamia Nut Butter, Vegetable Glycerin, Organic Oat Syrup Solids, Organic Sunflower Oil, Sea Salt, Natural Flavors. Very similar list of ingredients as yesterday’s bar. Chock full of nutrients and good-for-you stuff.
The Verdict: Was this actually nutritious? Because it tasted like dessert! White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies are one of my favorites, so I knew I had to try this flavor bar. So delicious! I really liked the texture of the puffed rice type bar, with the layer of white chocolate on the bottom (and swirled across the top!). Sometimes I need a more fruity snack, but this is perfect for that chocolate/sweet craving I get some days. I had a Luna Bar with Matt the other day at the gym…I think it was something with peanut butter. It was equally as satisfying. I can see why these are getting such rave reviews across the blogs! I will definitely be stocking up on these anytime I see them on sale!! I have noticed with both yesterday’s Clif Energy Bar and this Luna Bar, that I am completely a sucker for nice packaging. Pretty colors, interesting designs, feel-good statements about the product philosophy…this stuff absolutely works on me. (I think it’s interesting that the Clif Bar company has an entire bar spawned off of it devoted to natural energy for women…this seems a bit sketchy, but I’m still a sucker, so I’ll buy into it for now) I’m a marketing team’s dream. Does it affect whether I enjoy actually eating it?? I’m not sure…probably a little, but I also know that I’ve had bars in hideous packaging that I’ve loved, and bars in really cute, promising packaging that have been horrible. Either way, yum for Luna Bar! There are a bunch of flavors, so I can’t wait to try more! |
Even though I was really busy on Monday night, I managed to make some yummy apple bread for breakfast the next day! It’s from my Better Homes & Gardens cookbook, and it was super easy! We doubled this batch because we had a giant pile of apples leftover in the fridge that weren’t good enough for eating out of hand, but perfect for shredding into some bread!
Apple Bread
- 1.5 cups AP flour
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 beaten egg
- 1 cup sugar
- 1.5 cups finely shredded, peeled apple
- 1/4 cup cooking oil
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, toasted (I didn’t toast them because I was lazy…it was 100% fine)
- Grease your loaf pan (I used about 6 mini loaf pans for my double batch) and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, baking powder, and nutmeg. Make a well in center of flour mixture; set aside.
- In another medium bowl combine egg, sugar, apple, and oil. Add apple mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy). Fold in nuts. Spoon batter into prepared pan.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes (our oven is wonky and vacillates in temperature a lot, but all my mini-loaves baking at once took about this long to cook…I’d recommend checking on them at 30 minutes or so, just to make sure you don’t burn them!) or until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely on a wire rack. Wrap and store overnight before slicing (HA! This did NOT happen.)
I’m really glad I took the time out of editing to make this. It was really easy and everyone here, at my work, and at Matt’s work loved it! Fruit breads like this (very similar to bananananana bread) are so easy because there is no special folding or sifting or straining or anything to do….mix the dry, mix the wet, throw ‘em together and you’re good to go! I grew up with Shed’s Spread Country Crock spread, and it is the PERFECT smooth flavor for this kind of bread, even though we go for regular butter most other times.
If you’re not a big baker, this is a good kind of baked good to start with (probably why I love it so much!). Now, back to editing!! Tomorrow, guest post on Dori’s blog!
This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 8th, 2009 at 6:14 pm and is filed under Fun, interwebs, Life, Matthew, super-friends, Yum. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
6:52 am on April 9th, 2009
Yay White Choc Macadamia! Why no photograph of apple breads???