pantry-purging granola bars

I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one with a fondness for anything that comes out of the Smitten Kitchen. (Beware: clicking on either of those links will begin a new obsession for you!) After an unexpected snow day in Austin, TX, I made it home from work a little early with just enough time to throw something fun together before preparing a heart- and hand-warming soup for dinner. These granola bars were just the thing. In fact, I didn't even take the time to read the entire recipe before tossing remnant trail mixes and such into a bowl. As I went along, thankfully, I had all the necessary...

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my conflicted food journey

This whole "vegetarian thing" began as a challenge to myself. In fact, I call it that because I don't feel that I've earned the merit badge to call myself a full-blown vegetarian yet. It's been a year of tackling physical things I didn't think I could: an 85-mile bike ride, a sprint triathlon, and this weekend, a half-marathon with my fiance (I realize I shouldn't go touting its completion when the day has yet to arrive; consider this self-motivation). So it seemed to follow suit that this would be the year I took my diet to a new level. In the last couple of years, I've been phasing out things...

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