Ok, so I’m a few days late in saying this, but happy April! I don’t know about you, but I couldn’t be more thrilled to see spring. It’s been unseasonably warm in Colorado and I’m loving every minute of it, even with the weeds multiplying daily in our yard! As much as I cherish the high number of sunshiney days here year-round, looking at all the brown after a few months of winter really gets me down. There’s nothing better than greening grass, budding trees, and emerging daffodils to lift your spirits. 

Better yet, fingers crossed, I’ll be fully crutch-free in just a few days, which only means one thing: hello hiking and biking season; yippee! Sure, I’m getting WAY ahead of myself, but I can see the light and it’s brilliant.

Regardless of the season, I always have a stash of energy bars on hand. In addition to pre- and post- workout fuel, they make a great trail nibble, afternoon snack, and even breakfast on the run. I try to keep it healthy and stick to the more natural ones, i.e. those made with pure nuts, seeds, and fruit. (I hear it’s quite easy to make them yourself though I have yet to tackle that task. If you have a tried and true recipe that’s – here’s the catch – not crazy time consuming, I’d love for you to share!)

In the meantime, I came across a new brand of bars called Orchard Bar. They craft five original flavors, including:

• Banana Mango Macadamia
• Cherry Almond
• Blueberry Pomegranate & Almond
• Pineapple Coconut & Macadamia
• Strawberry Raspberry & Walnut

Pineapple Coconut & Macadamia is my fav! These bars are 60% organic, non-GMO, gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, and kosher, and contain no preservatives or trans-fats. Made in Washington state, they are super-moist and chock full of whole nuts and seeds. I found them tasty and surprisingly filling. Though they haven’t yet made it to stores outside of the west coast, I have your chance to preview them here. In fact, I have a whole 10-pack to share with you, two of each flavor (a $25.00 value). I’m so excited!

Here’s how to play:

• Sign-up on the home page to automatically receive new posts by email. That’s right, give yourself some soul! (If you are already subscribed, you can skip this step. If you are a new subscriber, keep in mind that you can unsubscribe at any time. Of course I’d hate to see you go, but I promise not to hold it against you).
• Come back here and leave a comment below telling me (1) why you dig energy bars so much, and (2) what flavor Orchard Bar you’d break into first.
• The order of your comment (top to bottom) is your “number.”
• The contest will officially close at 11:59 p.m. MST on Tuesday, April 17.
• I’ll use random.org to choose a winner and make the announcement on Wednesday, April 18.

That’s it! Easy peasy. So please don’t be shy; let’s get you a 10-pack of Orchard Bars! They’ll come in handy during the super fun spring activity of your choice. You’ll find me fueling up right before I have to start pulling all those weeds.

Good luck!

I shared this post on Fat Tuesday, Hearth and Soul, Tasty Tuesdays, Tuesdays at the Table,  Tuesday’s Tasty Tidbits, Frugal Ways Sustainable Days, Healthy 2Day, Whole Food Wednesday, These Chicks Cooked, Creative Juice, It’s a Keeper, Catch a Glimpse, Frugal Food Thursday, Tastetastic Thursday, It’s a Blog Party, and What I ate Wednesday, Fresh Bites Friday, Freaky Friday, Friday Food, Flaunt it Friday, Home and Family Friday, Savory Sunday, and Scrumptious Sunday.