This blog has moved

This blog is now located at http://blog.elementbars.com/.
You will be automatically redirected in 30 seconds, or you may click here.

For feed subscribers, please update your feed subscriptions to
http://blog.elementbars.com/feeds/posts/default.

Biking to work

The weather this past week here in Chicago has been comparatively tame by Midwest standards. You'd be hard pressed to find someone to call the 6 AM, 35 degrees temperature balmy but by late afternoon it's hovering around 50. I felt it high time I start biking to work. And so after my morning coffee and my custom Element Bar I braved the near-freezing morning air, two wheels rolling.

Despite the initial chill, the morning ride was wonderful – crisp air, clear streets, and power-a-plenty thanks to my tailor made energy bar. Its days like this that remind me that sometimes we need a little winter to appreciate the spring just like we need the late summer heat to make it through the winter.

I wisely crafted my bar with brown rice syrup for long-lasting, slow-release energy along with some walnuts for brain power to make sure my memory is working at peak potential. My AM Energy bar is balanced and perfect for my morning.

What does your morning bar have in it?

Our New Office - DIY

Last month we talked about some of our growing pains with the new website functionality to ship to APO and Canada. Since then, we have literally reached the capacity of our old office. In fact, the caption of the picture on the left should be "room for 2 more" since the week after this picture was taken, 2 more people joined us at Element Bars HQ.

At the end of January, we packed up our things and (with the help of a few Crispy Cranberry bars!) moved a whole 500 feet down the street to rent a space of our own in a converted warehouse. In the spirit of any start-up, we decided to do as much as we could ourselves. We rented a U-Haul truck, bought some used furniture, and got down and dirty as we sanded and painted the new walls. The space is large and we have room to grow, but the cement floors and 14-foot high ceilings conspired to create a big echo problem. A few room dividers, soft carpets, and a little furniture help fixed that problem. If you give us a call and you hear an echo in the background, we apologize in advance!

In the end, the new Element Bars HQ has everything - some pens, plentiful desk real estate and all-natural energy bars. What more is there?!

Growing Pains

This month brought many changes to the Element Bars shipping options first, with APO/FPO and then with Canadian shipments. Adding features to websites can sometimes be a harrowing task as seemingly every new addition breaks an existing component. We do our best to make sure everything works when we add something to the website, but on occasion, something slips by us. Shortly after adding the ability to ship to Canada, we realized that we had effectively "broke" the site.

It was pretty bad. Not "dogs and cats, living together" bad but "lost your only pair of glasses" bad.

Thanks to a few internet Good Samaritans, we were quickly alerted to the problems and we're fairly certain that they have been fixed. That being said, bug reports are appreciated greatly and welcomed!

We're proud to offer Element Bars to our new customers in our armed forces and in Canada and are grateful for our customer's patience through our growing pains!

Element Bars - Healthy Recipes

This special blog post is by Amie Valpone, Author of The Healthy Apple, www.thehealthyapple.com

Amie Valpone, HHC, AADP is a Manhattan based Culinary Nutritionist with a passion for cooking, baking, and healthy living in the Big Apple of NYC, she strives to find the right balance for her clients using whole, natural, unprocessed foods.

Below are 12 recipes using Element Bars as ingredients, followed by 4 of my very own favorite Element Bars creations! Enjoy.

Element Bars Recipes

Element Bars Oatmeal Pancake

Ingredients

* 1/3 cup oats

* 2 eggs

* 1/2 tsp baking powder

* 1/2 tsp almond extract

* 1 Element Bar, crumbled into granola consistency

* 1/2 a mashed, ripened banana

* Cinnamon to taste

Directions

* Mix together oats and two eggs with baking powder, almond extract and cinnamon in a bowl. Add mashed banana to the batter. Mix well.

* Add Element Bars pieces and continue to mix.

* Preheat a skillet on the stovetop sprayed with non-stick spray. Pour batter into skillet over Medium heat, forming into a pancake shape with a spoon.

* Cook for 3 minutes or until slightly brown; flip the pancake with a spatula and cook for another 3 minutes.

* When pancake is completely cooked and has started to brown, remove from skillet and serve.

* Top with fresh fruit and drizzle with honey, syrup or warm nut butter.

Element Nut Butter Muffins

Ingredients

* 1 Element Bar, crumbled into granola consistency

* 2 eggs

* 1 tsp. vanilla extract

* ¼ cup natural crunchy peanut butter

* 1 cup whole wheat flour

* ¾ cup flour

* 1 tbsp. baking powder

* 1 tbsp. melted butter

* 1/3 cup sugar

* 1/3 cup brown sugar

Directions

* Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

* Spray muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray.

* Mix all wet ingredients together; beat on medium speed with a mixer.

* Add dry ingredients (including Element Bars pieces). Mix well.

* Pour into muffin tins.

* Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

Element Popcorn Snack Bars

Ingredients

* 1/2 cup honey

* 1/3 cup natural peanut butter

* 1 Element Bar, crumbled into granola consistency

* 1 cup honey roasted peanuts

* ½ tsp. sea salt

* 3 cups air-popped popcorn

Directions

* Line an 8 or 9-inch square baking pan with foil. Spray foil lightly with cooking spray; set aside.

* Heat honey in a large saucepan until boiling. Stir in peanut butter until well blended.

* Remove pan from heat and stir in Element Bars pieces, peanuts, sea salt and popcorn until coated.

* Press mixture evenly into prepared pan. Refrigerate until cool; cut into bars to serve.

Element Chicken Salad Sandwiches

Ingredients

* Whole wheat bread slices

* 1 Element Bar, crumbled into granola consistency

* 1/2 cup seedless red grapes, cut into halves

* 1/4 cup chopped red apple

* 1 Tbsp. agave nectar or honey

* 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

* 2 cups chicken salad for sandwiches

* For chicken salad

* Plain Greek yogurt

* Chicken, cut into chunks

* Celery, diced

* Sea Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions

* Make chicken salad with yogurt, chicken, celery and salt/pepper. Set aside.

* Mix all remaining ingredients; combine with chicken salad and mix well. Refrigerate until needed.

* Spread chicken salad mixture over slices of whole wheat bread.

Element Bars Zucchini Bread

Ingredients

* 1 cup water

* 2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

* 1 tablespoon butter

* 3/4 teaspoon salt

* 2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour

* 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

* 1 Element Bar, crumbled into granola consistency

* 1/3 cup nonfat dry milk powder

* 4 teaspoons brown sugar

* 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

* 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Directions

* In bread machine pan, place all ingredients in order suggested by manufacturer.

* Select basic bread setting.

* Bake according to bread machine directions.

* Be sure to check dough after 5 minutes of mixing; add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water or flour if needed.

Element Bars Banana Bread

Ingredients

* 1 Element Bar, crumbled into granola consistency

* 1 cup sugar

* 3 ripe bananas

* 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt

* 2 tbsp. melted butter

* 2 eggs

* 1 tbsp. vanilla

* 2 cups flour

* 1 tbsp. baking soda

* Dash of cinnamon

Directions

* Preheat oven to 350 degrees

* Spray bread pan with non-stick cooking spray

* Combine all wet ingredients together in a medium sized bowl. Mix together with a mixer on medium speed; slowly add in Element Bars pieces.

* Add dry ingredients. Mix well.

* Pour into bread pan and bake for 35 minutes.

Element Coleslaw

Ingredients

* ½ head green cabbage

* ½ head purple cabbage

* ½ Element Bar, crumbled into granola consistency

* 2 tbsp. honey

* 1 cup plain Greek yogurt

* 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

* Dash of each dried herb/spice (chili powder, sage, cilantro)

* Sea salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

* Mix all above together in a medium sized bowl

* Refrigerate and serve chilled.

Coconut Cream Cheese Dip

Ingredients

* 8 oz. cream cheese

* ½ cup unsweetened flake coconut

* 2 tbsp. honey

* 1 tsp. vanilla extract

* 1 Element Bar, crumbled to granola consistency

Directions

* Mix together cream cheese, honey, vanilla and coconut; mix well. Add Element Bars pieces and continue to mix until pieces are completely coated.

* Form a ball with the cream cheese and place on a plate.

* Serve with graham cracker sticks, cookie sticks or apples.

Element Apple Crisp

Ingredients

For Apples:

* 6 apples, cut into pieces

* 1 tsp. honey

* 1 tsp. flour

* Dash of cinnamon

For Topping:

* 1 Element Bar, broken into granola consistency

* ½ cup oats

* ½ cup oat bran

* 2 tbsp. water

* ¼ cup brown sugar

* Dash of vanilla

Directions

* Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

* Mix together apple pieces, cinnamon, honey and flour. Place apples onto a baking sheet and begin baking.

* Mix topping ingredients together in a separate bowl. Mix well.

* After apples have cooked for 20 minutes, pour over apples and continue to bake for another 20 minutes.

Turkey Cranberry Salad

Ingredients

* 1 Element Bar, broken into granola consistency

* 1 cup Greek plain yogurt

* ¼ cup dried cranberries

* ¼ cup walnuts

* 2 large turkey breasts (cut into chunks)

* ½ cup red onion, chopped

* 2 stalks celery, chopped

* Drizzle of honey or agave nectar

Directions

* Mix together above ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Mix well.

* Place salad atop a bed of greens or on inside a pita, wrap or sandwich.

Element Smoothie

Ingredients

* 1 banana

* ½ cup silken tofu

* ½ cup yogurt

* 1 Element Bar, crumbled to granola consistency

* 1 tbsp. honey

Directions

* Slice banana and freeze until firm.

* Blend tofu, yogurt, Element Bars crumbles and honey in a blender until smooth.

* With the motor running, add the banana slices through the hole in the lid and continue to process until smooth.

Honey Apple Salad

Ingredients

* ¼ cup pineapple salsa

* 2 cups apples, sliced and diced

* 2 cups jicama, sliced and diced

* ¼ cup dried cherries

* ¼ cup slivered almonds

* ½ Element Bar, crumbled into granola-like pieces

* ½ cup plain Greek yogurt

* 1 tbsp. honey

* 2 tbsp. of fresh cilantro

* Sprinkle of cinnamon

* Sprinkle of chili powder

Directions

* Chop jicama and apples and place into a medium sized bowl.

* Mix chili powder, Element Bars pieces, salsa, honey, cinnamon and cilantro with yogurt in a large sized bowl. Add chopped apples, jicama, dried cherries and slivered almonds. Mix well.

* Chill in refrigerator before serving.

The Healthy Apple’s 4 Element Bars Creations

1. My Chewy Nut

Ingredients

* Chewy

* Cranberries

* Soynuts

* Brown Rice Syrup

* Omega 3

2. My Oaty Chip

Ingredients

* Oaty

* Cherries

* Pumpkin Seeds

* Chocolate Chips

* Immunity

3. My Crispy ‘Honey’

Ingredients

* Crispy

* Blueberries

* Peanuts

* Honey

* Fiber

4. My ‘Date’

Ingredients

* Datey

* Apricots

* Almonds

* Flaxseeds

* Soy Protein

An Experimental Month

Here at Element Bars we are constantly reading up on and experimenting with new and exciting ingredients to add to our already delicious and nutritious line-up! Recently, we've been baking test batches with stevia as well as quinoa.

Stevia is a natural, zero-calorie sweetener refined from the leaves of the Stevia rebaudiana plant and is several times sweeter than sugar and while being diabetic friendly.

Quinoa is an ancient grain native to South America. It is an extremely nutritionally dense grain and is considered a complete protein. Quinoa has recently become very popular, so much so that many suppliers are clean out until 2010!

While the recipes haven't been perfected, we've had some promising results and we hope to add them to our options soon. In the mean time, check out some of our current ingredients or build a bar today.

Introducing Chris

Questions? Comments? Concerns? Suggestions? They go to me, Christopher. I manage the baking operations here at Element Bars and I can answer any questions you have about our ingredients or about your order. I'll be experimenting with potential new ingredients and making sure your bars are delicious.

For example, I recently made a couple of test batches using whey protein "crisps" instead of the whey protein powder. Overall the results were promising. The real advantage to the crisps was that they behaved more like puffed rice instead of powder resulting in a much less chalky bar that had a better consistency than when using the powder.

So if you have any questions or would like to suggest a new ingredient or just want to say hello, shoot me an email at Christopher{dot}lowe[at]elementbars.com and I'll do my best to get back to you as soon as possible!