She Says: Return of the Pumpkin Dinner
Looks like you all like soup too! Keep entering the contest.
After school the sun emerged and Mark and I went for a long walk. It was so nice to walk, chat and enjoy the fall weather. After, I went to yoga at my gym, which I explained last week that I do not really enjoy for the full yoga experience, but do like for a quick stretch. It was really perfect for that. It was an hour of time that I had to stretch and focus on yoga, something I rarely have time or energy for during the week anymore.
When I got home I made one of my favorite blogger recipes last night. This one, Black Beans and Rice with Pumpkin Vinegarette, comes courtesy of Megan and I love it. It has everything I love about a meal – simple ingredients, quick to make, full of fun flavor, meatless and goes in one bowl!
I’ve made several variations using different grains and beans along the way. This version was kind of like the lazy person’s risotto. So yummy!
I am excited because I reserved some of the pumpkin and froze it to try to use it in some Banana Soft Serve soon.
Luna Bars … So Far
Remember last weekend my friend Joelle gave me a bunch of Luna Bars she received but could not eat due to a soy allergy? Well, I’ve tried few and thought I’d share my thoughts before they escaped me.
Luna Bars are marketed toward women and made by Clif Bar & Company. So far I’ve tried two flavors and I think Luna Bars are less dry and stale tasting than I remember. Perhaps it’s the new recipe? I love Clif Bars, but they are sometimes too big and caloric for my snack needs, and I must admit that I have a hard time eating some and saving some. These are not quite the same or as good as Clif Bars, which are more moist, dense and chewy.
Looks good, right? Yeah it is! It’s very sweet and dessert like, and I really enjoyed that it was soft and chewy. One bar has 170 calories, 4 g of fat, 13 g of sugar, 3 g of fiber and 9 g of protein. All the Luna Bars have similar nutrition information.
I love lemon things, but I am a tough lemon bar critic. I’ve had some really good ones and some horrible ones. This one is somewhere in the middle. The lemon flavor is definitely there, but something was a little off to me. It could be the fake frosting layer on the bar. I am adamantly against frosting on bars. Or, it could be the mismatch between flavor and texture. For some reason, I prefer smooth or fruity lemon bars that are more reminiscent of lemon squares than lemon granola bars (think Clif’’s Lemon Vanilla & Cashew Nectar Bar or Kardea Bars, but on the other hand, I did enjoy the Lushus Lemon Bumble Bar which is entirely seeds and nuts). Like the Dulce de Lece, it was really moist and I enjoyed the consistency, but I think I would pick a different flavor if making my own purchase.
Have you tried Luna Bars? What are your thoughts? I still have several flavors to try and because both of these were texturally more pleasing than I remember, I am excited!
October 29th, 2009 at 7:08 am
my favorite bar is the larabars, they have FEW ingredients all that you can read, and they taste good !!
October 29th, 2009 at 7:13 am
I love LUNA bars but I don’t like Lemon Zest so that flavor isn’t my fave. Their Macademia nut flavor (I forget the whole name) is SO GOOD!
October 29th, 2009 at 7:16 am
I actually just tried the chocolate peppermint yesterday. Just a teeny bit though. My hubs ate the rest, he didn’t care that it’s for women. Actually he didn’t know until he was done. I really like it! I’ve had the lemon one and i’m not a lemon eater but it’s really refreshing. I typically don’t eat bars but if in a pinch I would eat these.
October 29th, 2009 at 7:25 am
I am not really a fan of Luna. They taste fake to me. I prefer original Clif, white chocolate macadamia being my favorite!!!
October 29th, 2009 at 7:32 am
I love Luna bars, but have been trying to break my addiction to them LOL! My very favorite flavor is the Chai one, although the Peppermint Stick is a close second.
I’m like you with the lemony bars – I much prefer real lemon (same with banana flavored items)
October 29th, 2009 at 7:40 am
I’m kind of surprised you like them! I don’t think I’ve had one since they reformulated the recipe. I remember them tasting okay, but they kind of all had the same taste to me.
October 29th, 2009 at 7:49 am
that dinner looks great!
I like some of the Luna bars, but it’s been a while since I’ve had them, too. I remember liking the choc. peppermint one, the caramel brownie (which is really sweet +rich) and some of the ones with nuts?
October 29th, 2009 at 7:58 am
I used to eat Luna bars every once in awhile, but I really don’t like them due to a somewhat chemical taste to them. I have other bars that are my fav, but I would still eat em in a pinch.
October 29th, 2009 at 8:00 am
Frosting on bars pisses me off, too. I don’t want dessert, I want a healthy snack! I’m not a huge fan of Luna Bars for this reason – way too sweet/fakeish. Blech!
October 29th, 2009 at 8:49 am
I eat like one a day! I LOVE White Chocolate Macadamia and Peanut Butter Cookie. Clif are too caloric for me. I am not a big breakfast person (my gag reflex is high in the am) so a bar is usually it. I know they aren’t the best choice, but one bar won’t kill ya
October 29th, 2009 at 8:56 am
I like some flavors of Luna bars, especially the chocolate caramel brownie flavor. I use them more as desserts or snacks than energy bars
October 29th, 2009 at 9:06 am
I love the pecan pie flavor. I dip it into my coffee…so good!
October 29th, 2009 at 9:07 am
To be honest I don’t like them at all! They are too sweet and taste funny…
I think Lara bars, Kind bars, even Cliff and Balance are all better!
Love your blog!
October 29th, 2009 at 9:34 am
Give me a Larabar or Pure bar instead
October 29th, 2009 at 9:39 am
I’ve never been a fan of Luna bars… too sweet!
Pure bars are good, My fav is the chocolate peanut butter cliff bar
October 29th, 2009 at 9:43 am
I LOVE Luna Bars!!! Lovelovelove. Well, not all the flavours anyways. Actually the lemon one is probably my least favourite. It’s got the crispy texture of candy or something…
I actually like Luna Bars so much because they tame my sweet tooth. I choose them as a snack when I’m really craving a sweet treat or dessert. My favourite is probably s’mores, chai, or caramel nut brownie. Surprisingly, the raspberry one is really good too.
October 29th, 2009 at 9:44 am
I love luna bars more than clif bars. I think the Clif bars are just too sweet for me, but I do use them as fuel before a race because there are a lot of simple carbs in there. I love the chocolate flavored Luna bars, especially the Nutz over Chocolate. I also like the peppermint one but cant remember its name.
Your dinner looked amazing! Must try it.
October 29th, 2009 at 10:20 am
you sound super positive heather! woohooooo! LOVE that dish, it looks so tasty and satisfying.. and healthy! yum!
October 29th, 2009 at 10:38 am
I am so glad you love that recipe so much! I need to make it again soon!
I love the Dulce de Leche Luna bars, but I haven’t tried the Lemon yet.
October 29th, 2009 at 10:41 am
The Berry Almond Luna bar is quite tasty and does not have any frosting…
October 29th, 2009 at 10:45 am
i used to really like luna bars, but after doing more reading, i’m totally skeeved out by the soy protein base and crazy ingredient list! :/
the pumpkin recipe, on the other hand, sounds awesome!
October 29th, 2009 at 11:11 am
i like the taste of most luna bars but the lemon zest tastes kind of fish-y to me…
October 29th, 2009 at 11:29 am
I love sweet potato and black bean combos so I bet that’s one hell of a recipe
Luna bars I don’t really enjoy; I think the texture with the crisp rice is just not for me
October 29th, 2009 at 11:33 am
I like the Lemon Zest, but I think that the texture of the bar is a little off.
October 29th, 2009 at 11:42 am
I like Luna bars well enough, but their Raspberry flavor is phenomenal! It is B FAR my favorite and pretty much the only one I buy any more! And I end up going through quite a few of them every single week! The Peppermint Stick is my next favorite and all of the others are just OK.
October 29th, 2009 at 11:42 am
I used to eat Luna bars almost daily in college. It’s been a while, but I really liked the chocolate flavors (Nutz Over Chocolate and S’mores, I think). That being said, there are a lot more bar options on the market now.
Oooh, definitely want to check out this recipe. Pumpkin vinaigrette sounds fabulous… may have to make this for dinner
October 29th, 2009 at 12:21 pm
I like some lunas and not others. My favorites are raspberry chocolate and chocolate peppermint!
October 29th, 2009 at 12:46 pm
Looks like a wonderful and easy meal! I like luna bars but I only really enjoy the toasted nuts and cranberry flavor because it’s not too sweet like the ones with the frosting on the bottom. I don’t like that on a bar either.
October 29th, 2009 at 1:03 pm
I have never tried Luna bars (or Larabars), but only because we don’t have them here. I’m a bit curious because people talk about them all the time in blogs I follow.
October 29th, 2009 at 1:49 pm
For some reason I can’t stand Luna bars. I too hate that fakey frosting stuff on top – I thought bars are suppossed to be healthy and that frosting just adds more sugar! However, Cliff Bars are the love of my life :O)
October 29th, 2009 at 3:41 pm
s’mores luna bar..so delicious. cookies n’ cream is not bad either, but it doesn’t taste like cookies…or cream. it just tastes like something else that yummy.
October 29th, 2009 at 5:06 pm
Hey there. I have to be careful sometimes w/ bars like that, cause they upset my tummy. However, I have heard that Luna Bars are usually gluten/dairy free..which makes me happy. Will have to try some when I get back to the states.
October 29th, 2009 at 5:14 pm
Thanks for the Luna bar review. I don’t eat too many bars because they don’t keep me full and are generally higher in caloris than I would like. I do like the Larabars, though they are a bit expensive. P.S. I’m giving away two breast cancer awareness prize packs on my blog: http://lovinlosing.com/.
October 29th, 2009 at 5:52 pm
I hate to be all opinionated (but I don’t really), but I don’t like Luna bars. They all have this unifying flavor that I dislike. I don’t know.
October 29th, 2009 at 6:31 pm
I really like them but have to be in the mood, they can get fakey after a while. I think they’re good for a snack after workout if I can’t eat at home right away. Sometimes I spot a guy eating one and it’s just kinda silly
Good marketing on their part!
October 29th, 2009 at 7:35 pm
I like the white chocolate macadamia nut Luna.
October 29th, 2009 at 8:25 pm
I really like Lunas at times….I really like the S’mores flavor!! Give it a try:)
October 29th, 2009 at 8:47 pm
When I first tried Luna Bars, I thought they were too chalky tasting.. I tried the Luna bar chocolate mint cookie over the summer, though, and it was MUCH better in my opinion.
That din looks yummy- nice to see there IS a way to transition pumpkin to nighttime eating haha.
October 29th, 2009 at 8:53 pm
i love the caramel brownie, chocolate raspberry and peppermint the most!!!
October 29th, 2009 at 10:10 pm
[...] had a happy hour after work, so I thought I’d probably be on my own for dinner. This morning HangryPants featured a recipe for Black Beans and Rice with Pumpkin Vinaigrette (originally from Megan’s [...]
October 29th, 2009 at 10:23 pm
I had a Luna bar pretty much every day of my freshman year–they taste like cookies to me! I think their ingredients lists are a bit long, but they’re fairly natural and healthful.
October 29th, 2009 at 11:32 pm
i love clif mojo bars and a few of the luna ones. the white chocolate macadamia one is wonderful, its nearly always sold out at the store here.
October 30th, 2009 at 8:26 am
I’m definitely bookmarking that rice and bean recipe. It looks soo good.
Those 2 Luna bar flavors are actually two of my least favorite. The lemon just tastes funky to me and the Dulce de Leche is WAY too sweet. I used to eat them all the time and my favorites were Peanut Butter Cookie and Cookies and Creme. But my fave bar of all time is Clif Mojo Peanut Butter Pretzel.
October 30th, 2009 at 12:08 pm
I’m a big Luna Bar fan. Back when I wasn’t a breakfast fan (those days are LONG gone) I ate one every morning! My favorites are the peanut butter cookie one and the chai tea one. Delicious!
October 30th, 2009 at 1:54 pm
I’m sure someone else has commented the same, but the White Chocolate Macadamia Luna bar tends to be a hit. I’ve tried it and liked it, but I tend to lean towards the raw fruit+nut bars these days, like Laras and Pures. So good! Lara makes a lemon bar – I tried it recently and it was revolting but I think it had also begun to “ferment” if you know what I mean.
October 30th, 2009 at 3:14 pm
I really like the Nutz over Chocolate flavor!! Used to LOVE them, but yeah sometimes they are a tad too sweet. That rice dish looks and sounds awesome!
October 30th, 2009 at 4:36 pm
I haven’t had Luna bars in awhile. I never liked them (this must be the old recipe). I love a good lemon bar. Clif Bar used to have one, but pulled it off the shelf.
October 30th, 2009 at 8:52 pm
The Black Beans and Rice with Pumpkin Vinegarette looks amazing. I need to try that asap.
October 30th, 2009 at 10:43 pm
Wish I could get my kids to eat more beans and rice combinations. My daughter would try it but my son’s too macho. Guess I’ll try again.
October 31st, 2009 at 8:18 am
I used to eat Luna Bars before I went GF. My favorite was the S’mores or the Toasted Nuts & Cranberry, which tasted like a granola bar to me. They’re decent for a quick, portable snack.
October 31st, 2009 at 6:18 pm
Pumpkin Vinegrette! Genius!
October 31st, 2009 at 7:34 pm
[...] For dinner I had leftover Black Beans and Rice with Pumpkin Vinaigrette. [...]
November 2nd, 2009 at 10:18 pm
[...] was feeling so hangry, that I hit up Heather for a quick recipe: Black Beans and Rice with Pumpkin Vinaigrette. Too easy and sooooooo [...]
November 5th, 2009 at 4:27 pm
I think you hit the nail on the head with why I don’t generally like lemon food bars either – I’m looking for that lemon square consistency, not a granola bar texture. Plus I find they sometimes remind me of lemon scented cleaners.