GOOD & GATHER PUMPKIN SPICE GRANOLA

Welcome to day 17 of Tag Sale Tastes’ Pumpkinpalooza 2020!

My daughter joined in the pumpkin fun by surprising me with a bag of Good & Gather Pumpkin Spice Granola

The orange package has a fat little pumpkin, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and pumpkin seeds:

But the only pumpkin spice-y ingredient listed is cinnamon bark (pumpkin seeds are a nice addition, but they’re not pumpkin spice-y):

Let’s take a look, shall we:

Looks like granola.  Usually I appreciate a visual clue, like the orange tint to the Pumpkin Spice Cheerios, but in this instance, I am glad that the granola was not orange.  In comparison to many other granolas, this one was quite a bit lower in calories — 1/3 cup is 110 calories, compared, for example, with Bear Naked Maple Pecan Granola, which is 120 calories for 1/4 cup.  The granola was dry and crunchy, presumably because it contained less oil, and was tasty eaten dry out of hand (I’ve never actually eaten a bowl of granola with milk), lightly spiced and not too sweet.  It makes a great snack.

But wait — the package has a “serving suggestion” — “layer granola into a jar or small bowl with yogurt and chopped fresh apples”:

Well, sprinkled on yogurt is, in my opinion, the highest and best use of granola, so I gave it a whirl, although I used a perfectly ripe fuyu persimmon instead of an apple:

I loved this delicious breakfast treat.  A few notes:  First, I layered it in a jar so I could show you the layers, but I am happy to see that for the most part the “food in a jar thing” is a thing of the past.  Have you ever eaten a salad out of a Mason jar?  It makes for cute Instagram pics, but is one of the stupider ways to eat a salad.  Second, I used Greek Gods Honey Greek Style Yogurt, which is our favorite yogurt by a long shot.  Third, if you have never tried a fuyu persimmon, I encourage you to do so now while they’re in season.  When they’re first ripe, they’re firm and crunchy, with a taste something like a combination of apple and carrot.  As they ripen, however, and become slightly soft (not mushy), they develop a wonderful sweet honey-like flavor.  Treat yourself to a Harvest Parfait this fall!

Rating:  5 pumpkins (out of 5)

KIND CARAMEL ALMOND PUMPKIN SPICE

Welcome to day 16 of Tag Sale Tastes’ Pumpkinpalooza 2020!

Today I bring you a Kind Caramel Almond Pumpkin Spice bar:No pumpkins or fall leaves to herald this nutty bar, just the orange areas on the wrapper.

In the world of pumpkin spice products, this is a healthy standout — 64% nuts, gluten free, low glycemic index, no genetically engineered ingredients, no sugar alcohols, very low sodium, and high in fiber — fits in with so many diets:

The ingredient list was very pumpkin spice-y — in addition to 4 different nuts, there’s pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cardamom.  Hail, hail, the gang’s all here!

So  how does it taste?  Well, it obviously didn’t lie about being 64% nuts — just look at all of them:The majority of the pumpkin spice is contained in the coating on the bottom:I was predisposed to like this bar.  Costco sells a 36-count variety box of mini ones (peanut butter dark chocolate and caramel almond and sea salt) that are just 100 calories each, and are a perfect little snack — we usually have some laying around the house and office.  And I did like this bar, although the coating on the bottom can go — it just doesn’t play nice with all the healthy stuff in the bar.  It had a mild pumpkin spice flavor, and if they had added just a touch of the sea salt that usually accompanies the caramel almond version, I think this would be even better.

Rating:  4 pumpkins (out of 5)