The Rich Vegetarian

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September 6, 2012 / 0 Comments

Pure Bliss Organics, Marietta

I am always looking out for tasty-healthy snack options. My fondness for Larabar has been well documented on this site. For a long time, I wondered if I would find another product like Larabar. As tasty, as healthy, as reasonably priced and as easily available… a tall order, I know! In addition, I am also known to be extremely picky when it comes to the ingredient list. As tasty and cheap a product may be, a long list of unfamiliar ingredients generally leaves me uncomfortable, and I find myself putting the product back on the shelf.

One day, I chanced on an Acai Coconut bar at a local Robeks outlet. Can’t recall the exact price but it didn’t make me wince. Plus it was made by a local company! I picked it up. Tasty, tasty! I have an issue with many energy bars in that they tend to be dry, almost cardboard-y in texture. Not this one. It was definitely not as soft/moist as Larabar but not dry/dense either.

Pure Bliss Organics, Marietta

Pure Bliss Organics is a Marietta-based company that sells gourmet nuts, energy bars, granola, etc. I sent a note through the website asking if I could sample the products and write about them on the blog. Soon after, I heard back from Jon, one of the owners, asking if I wanted to come check out the company’s facility. I jumped at the offer. And so it turned out that one warm Tuesday morning, I found myself at Pure Bliss Organics. I couldn’t have been more surprised at the location; it was mere minutes from my home! Literally in my backyard, you can say!

Jon and Antonio, the owners, welcomed me warmly and showed me around. The tiny office provides abundant evidence of the company’s philosophy on life, happiness and food. A sweet space with a cute little altar, incense and pictures… I couldn’t have felt more at home if I had tried!

Antonio (L), Lakshmi, Jon (R)

As Jon showed me around the bakery and store room, he mentioned that all Pure Bliss products are certified organic. A few of them are vegan while some are wheat-free. Not all ingredients are sourced locally. For instance, Jon mentioned that there are not many organic blueberry vendors in Georgia, and so, the blueberries come from Michigan. I saw two huge ovens, each capable of roasting up to 40 trays of nuts and seeds. Many of the products are made by hand. I saw one of the employees mixing blended banana with dry ingredients for making Banana Gorilla granola. Jon also showed me the packing and cutting machines acquired recently by the company. Pure Bliss Organics products are stocked at Whole Foods and Sevananda, among other locations.

Making Banana Gorilla Granola

I left the office clutching a generous bag of complimentary samples… Mmm.

Samples Galore!

P and I went through the samples pretty quick. The energy bar bites are a great idea… excellent for sharing! Each little bite packs a nice punch, perfect for the 3 p.m. snack craving. The Mocha Java Bites have sharp notes of espresso that jive beautifully with the crispness of brown rice crisps and the soft chewiness of dates. The Appleachia is a great combination of apples, walnuts, brown rice crisps, flaxmeal and a host of other delicious ingredients. Some of the gourmet nuts have a lingering heat, courtesy cayenne and chilli. Good in small bites!

Pure Bliss Organics is a company grounded in its philosophy of creating foods that nourish the mind, body and soul. Now that is a mindset I can totally get behind… 🙂

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May 22, 2012 / 0 Comments

Larabar Uber

Announcing the latest offering from Larabar, Uber!

I got a package in the mail containing 4 Uber Bars – Cherry Cobbler, Roasted Nut Roll, Apple Turnover, Bananas Foster. Gotta love the cute cloth bag!

Cloth Bag

P and I shared the Bananas Foster. This is what he had to say, “I like that there is some saltiness in there. I would have liked more dates to be included. Way more nutty than I like.” My take? Bananas + Salt is a great combination. A little overloaded with nuts, I agree.

P sampled the Apple Turnover. He thought that the flavors were great but the nut-fruit ratio was too high for his liking.

I ended up feeling the same about the other two, Cherry Cobbler and Roasted Nut Roll. Both bars were waaaay overloaded with nuts. The issue with this is that the bar tends to develop a stale-rancid overtone. I am a big consumer of Larabars, and not a single one so far has tasted stale or spoiled. But two of the Uber bars, I am sorry to report, tasted a tad rancid.

Brown rice vinegar and peanuts are part of the Uber bar ingredient roster. I am no fan of peanuts and I dislike the idea of including them in a fruit-nut bar. I think almonds and walnuts are the best kinds of nuts when it comes to taste, nutrition, health and energy. Peanuts? A firm No. As for brown rice vinegar, I am not sure if it is not an ingredient I’d like to see in a fruit-nut bar. Why add a fermented ingredient to a fruit-nut bar?

Uber Bars

Thanks to Larabar for sending me these samples! I am looking forward to the day when they send me a bar with my most favorite flavor combination – Fig + Walnut + Ginger + Dates. Soon, please? Thank you!

 

 

 

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January 5, 2012 / 0 Comments

New Member of the Delicious Larabar Family – Cappuccino!

A cute little box arrived in the mail two weeks ago. Nestled in between the attractive red packing straw and the holiday card were four bars from Larabar… Cappuccino! These bars contain dates, almonds, cashews, fair trade certified coffee and vanilla extract. A delicious list of ingredients, I have to admit.

Unfortunately, I am not a coffee drinker. I love its strong aroma wafting across the room when my colleague walks in with his cup brimming. I love the strong scent of coffee that hits me as I step inside Starbucks to get a cup of my favorite hot chocolate. I love waking up to the smells and sounds of my mother making a delicious cup of Bru or Sunrise instant coffee for us.

That being said, I have been unable to develop a taste for coffee sold here in the United States. Every time I have ordered coffee (Cappuccino, Mocha, Cafe Latte – whatever!), I have felt its jarring effects. Too sharp and intense, it gives me the jitters. Well, I haven’t gotten coffee from any place other than Starbucks, so I don’t know if my opinion actually counts. Let’s just say that I am highly wary when it comes to ordering coffee. Not to mention the countless options of roasting, brewing, country of origin, etc. Suffices to say that I stick to other warm beverages.

So when I got this package in the mail, I knew that I needed help. Actually, I sampled a tiny piece. It was too strong for me. It’s probably my low tolerance for coffee speaking but I felt a strong sensation of heat rising up in my face, pricking my insides. My breath became faster, heavier. I knew I couldn’t eat more of it.

So I recruited a few good friends who also happened to be coffee-drinkers to give me their opinion.

Here’s what T has to say, “There is a hint of coffee smell, though not too strong. The bar appears quite enticing with a nice even look with almonds and cashewnuts identifiable and the dates acting as a binding agent. The bar is good to taste, however, the coffee taste disappears after the first bite and is dominated by texture of the nuts and taste of dates. The texture is quite homogeneous except for a bite or two of almonds interspersed in the bar. The coffee taste differentiation is lost, the bar is indeed very good otherwise. To enhance the taste of coffee in the bar, introducing coffee flavored chocolate would help – maybe small granules or chips.” I love how seriously he took my request!

As per N, “There is an intense taste of coffee and that’s great. But it gets lost amidst the sweetness of dates and cashews. The bar should have been less sweet.”

Here’s what T has to say. “People are not used to the flavor combination of coffee, nuts and dried fruit. It takes some getting used to.”

Here’s what the husband has to say (and I agree with him). “The biggest problem with this flavor combination is that the coffee does not seem to blend it in with the other flavors. It feels grainy and stands separate from the other flavors.”

Thanks, Larabar, for sending me your newest flavor! I may not be a fan but I am sure others will like this one.

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August 9, 2011 / 1 Comment

Lara Bars

A few years back, my dear friend V introduced me to Lara Bars. And I was officially hooked.

Dried fruit and nuts have to be hands down the most delicious combination ever. I chanced on a raw food site where I found this lovely recipe for raw fig and date squares. It is oh-so simple to make but it does get terribly sticky and messy what with blending dates and figs into a paste. But delicious? Oh yes, so tasty.

Back to Lara Bars… this is one delicious fruit-nut bar. It has zero additives of any kind, just plain old-fashioned dried fruit and nuts. Plus it costs only $1.25 a bar!


There are a bunch of delicious flavors to choose from. I have seen Ginger Snap, Carrot Cake, Lemon Bar, Coconut Cream Pie, Banana Bread and others at Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s. My favorite? It’s a toss-up between Ginger Snap and Cashew Cookie. Hmmm, add Pecan Pie to the mix.

Enjoy the Energy!

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