Review Round-Up #2

This is another review round-up, since I have so many opinions that need sharing. I’ve been meaning to start twittering Micro Reviews when I try something I really like, but the name has been holding me back. I want to call them MicReviews (the schwa in the second syllable nicely bridges ‘micro’ and ‘review’, I thought), but I’m a bit ambivalent. If you say you like it, though, I’ll go with it.
Anyway, onwards, towards the various foodstuffs I’ve tried lately and my very, very important opinions. Click through to the full post to read my reviews.

Three Sisters Instant Oatmeal — If I had no self control, I would collect boxes of instant oatmeal at a rate that would far exceed my consumption (which is very slow, as I hardly ever make packets of instant oatmeal!). But Whole Foods had these boxes on a 2 for $3 deal, and I’m SUCH a sucker for lovely packaging, so I bought a couple. I tried the Dark Chocolate flavor right away, and A) if I’d been blindfolded, I wouldn’t have known is was chocolate and B) it was oddly salty. But I DID like it; I think the addition of some chocolate stevia drops would boost the flavor and balance out the saltiness. The texture was awesome, and since the instructions call for only 1/2 cup water, I was able to add some almond milk to thin it out after microwaving — which was good, because it would have been scaldingly hot, otherwise.
Luna Bars — Specifically, Blueberry Bliss, Lemon Zest, and Chai Tea, as I tried these flavors for the first time recently. I accidentally picked up the Chai flavor (which my fingers insist on calling ‘chair’) because it was in the wrong box (I was aiming for Toasted Nuts ‘n’ Cranberry, which is one of my favorites); I didn’t realize until I was home, but I figured Alex had praised it in the past, so perhaps it was a lucky mistake. It was not. I should have known better; I don’t like chai flavor except in actual cups of actual chai ordered at actual Indian restaurants. Oh well. Lemon Zest fared better — it really does taste of zest, and there are little candied bits of it in the bar. Blueberry Bliss was my favorite, though, despite its shocking sweetness. A tasty treat.
Zone Perfect Cookies ‘n’ Creme — I picked this up at the supermarket as something new to try; it has decent protein and appears to be vegetarian (a lot of the mainstream bars sneak in gelatin or fish bits). The main downside was its dryness, but if I’d had a cup of coffee alongside, I wouldn’t have noticed as much. The flavor was good, though. Sweetly chocolate-y and with that odd (but good) Oreo flavor that made it convincingly cookies-’n'-creme-y.
Smart Strips Chick’n — First of all, I like pretty much everything that Light Life puts out. I’ve often seen these fake chicken bits, but it wasn’t until today that I decided to try them. The pieces aren’t as small as the photo on the box makes them look, unless my sense of perspective is way off. I sauteed half the package with my usual mix o’ greens as of late. Flavor-wise, I think they could back off the liquid smoke — that was what came through most strongly. They’re quite chewy, too. Maybe real meat is that chewy and I’ve just forgotten, but I actually had a few trying-to-swallow-before-I’d-chewed enough moments. And I’m not THAT greedy of an eater! I think they’d be very good chopped up a bit more and mixed with BBQ sauce for a sandwich. Or possibly with a sweet and sour stir-fry (although the smokey flavor might dominate). But I know me, and I’m going to prepare the other half of the package exactly like I did tonight. Because I like me some green veggies!
Barney Butter — Okay, fine, I reviewed this in my last round-up. But I finished off my first jar, so when I made my instant oats this afternoon, I decided to top them with some peanut butter that was already open. It made me realize all over again just how much I love Barney Butter, and the superiority of almonds over peanuts.