Vega One All-in-One Nutrition Bar.

This barfly recently received samples of the new Vega One Bar, which promises the nutrition of their popular Vega One shake in "bar" form. I was intrigued, although I consume more "shakes" and smoothies these days than actual nutrition bars. That's mostly because I have the time to prepare things and prefer to get my nutrition that way, but it's not always easy if you're a busy student or constantly traveling or stuck in meetings. So that habit of keeping a bar on hand, tucked away in my bag? I've never quite been able to shake it, and it has saved me from hungry situations/mood swings more times than I can count.

The Vega One Bar comes in 3 flavors: Double Chocolate, Chocolate Cherry, and Chocolate Almond. It is truly a traveler's best friend, a nutritional powerhouse, and sounds perfect on paper: 15 grams of protein, 6 grams of fiber, 1 serving of greens, probiotics, Omega-3s and covered in...Chocolate. I couldn't really ask for anything more in a bar. Here is the nutritional label for the Chocolate Cherry flavor.

So how does it perform flavor-wise? The most important part, always.

I was having a typical Kelly Phillips craving for dark chocolate in the afternoon and unwrapped one of these for a snack, ignoring the raw dark chocolate bar in the cupboard that I save for days like these. The Chocolate Cherry was very rich and indeed chocolatey, without tasting too "healthy" or chalky the way that other chocolate protein bars can taste. It was fruity and had a slight crisp taste to it from the rice crisps and white chia seeds. Chocolate coated and good for me? Win. I found it very satisfying and would gladly add one of these to my stash.

Does it pass the husband test? Josh tried the Double Chocolate yesterday and asked me his favorite question: How much is it? Which means that yes, he really liked the Vega One Bar, and to answer the question, the bars will sell for $3.99.

A Low-Key Spring Break & Cheesy Miso Sundried Tomato Spread

I had a much needed spring break in Philly last week. Even though the temps were frigid and bikinis and rum were far from my reality, I spent a solid week re-connecting with friends, working through challenges at work and with family and yes, challenges with my wintered-out self. But most of all, I talked. I vented. I emoted. Good stuff.

I cooked, I sweat a ton, I hugged my mom, I started to write a novel, I took bubble baths, I had wonderful dinners out, I churned out my work, I made giant batches of green smoothie for the family, I kissed my husband a lot, and I learned how to sleep again without freaking out.

When we got back to Ithaca, it became clearer than ever that we are almost done this challenging year. Two more months. I'm just going to cook and write and vinyasa my way through it.

First up is this spread, which I don't call hummus because there is no garlic or lemon. It's more of a cheesy spread, a clearing-out-the-cupboard blend, and it's totally addictive. I plan on using it as the filling for collard wraps this week.

Cheesy Miso Sundried Tomato Spread

2 cups cooked chickpeas 

1/4 cup sundried tomatoes

3 tbsp nutritional yeast

2 tbsp miso (I used barley but white also works well)

2 tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp tahini

1 tbsp rice wine vinegar

1 date, pitted

sea salt and pepper to taste

1/4-1/2 cup water for blending

I soaked and cooked the chickpeas first, so they were warm for blending. If using canned chickpeas instead of dry, you may want to heat them up first, I swear it makes a difference. Add all ingredients to Vitamix or food processor and blend, drizzling in water as needed.

Makes 6-8 servings.

A few fitness highlights from my trip:

First Time at Flywheel. Flywheel's Philly location recently landed at 15th & Locust, and I headed over for my first ride (the first one is free!). I'm new to spinning and was glad to have extra staff available to help me adjust my bike and clip my shoes in. I wasn't sure at all what to expect as I've never taken a full spin class. The studio itself is really nice, clean, and yes, a bit intimidating at first, but my instructor was full of smiles and energy, and the playlist was upbeat and I ended up loving the intensity. Numbers junkie? You can track your performance data and calorie burn after class in your online account. I also think it's neat that you can choose to have your name on the Torqboard to compete with other riders, to push you even harder. At $25 a class, it's pricey, but with free shoes, free towels, free lockers, and tricked out bikes, I can see why, and will definitely try to fit in an occasional ride. See you on the Leaderboard?

Maha Yoga Studio. One of the things I will miss the most about Ithaca is my yoga studio. There are studios I like in Philly, but I was on the lookout for something close to where we will be living in Philly this summer. I decided to try out Maha after my teacher here recommended it, and 1700 Sansom was only a quick two block walk.

Yogahour is Maha's $7 class that runs twice a day, usually around noon and 5pm. I immediately felt welcome when I walked into the lobby and was introduced to instructor Andrea. The studio was full of natural light and was quite large, and Andrea eased us into an alignment-based practice that wasn't too sweaty (perfect for noon if you want to take a class during your lunch break) and opened me up. The second class is free and as another bonus, Maha also offers massage, so I think I will be spending quite a bit of time there this summer.

And something to look forward to THIS week: Beauty Detox Foods Book

A friend and I are pretty much Kimberly Snyder superfans and are not-so-patiently awaiting the release of her second book, out tomorrow. Her beauty and nutrition tips are the best. You can preview a few of Kim's recipes on her blog and order the book here. Stay tuned for a full review later this week.

[image via Amazon.com]