Tasty Treats For Trips And School.

 Everyone needs a boost during those long vacation trips. This is where Unite protein bars come in handy. They are perfect for those hours spent on the roadThey';ll be great for  school as well. 

These are my go to during those long trips to the  New Jersey shore. what I like is that tall the bars have no artificial ingredients The founder Clara Paye, has insisted the base be nit butters as opposed to a base of nit butters..

The flavors are unique, reflecting the country's diverse ethnic population.There is the mellow tasting bubble, tea, the spicy churro, the kid favorite peanut butter and jelly, the exotic baklava and my favorite Mexican hot chocolate. This is delicious with a kick of spice . It's like a chocolate bar but a good for you one. These are perfect add ins to any lunch box. Get plenty of peanut butter and jelly and churro for the year ahead.

UNite Bars are united in giving us a healthy snack when we need it. Pack a few for your upcoming trip. add them to the lunch menu for the new school year. They are perfect bites for anywhere and any time.

Protein Bars With A Flavor Kick

Protein bars can either taste too crunchy granola or like twigs. Not so with Unite, a new company out of Yorba Linda, California, They've come up with three flavors that's sure to make everyone happy. There's  PB &Jelly, Churros and Mexican Hot Chocolate. They are unusual too, in the sense that they're the world's first globally inspired flavors. Another unusual aspect? The main ingredients are dates, hemp seeds , nut butters and probiotic fibers, great for your gut.

How are the flavors? The best is the Mexican Hot Chocolate which has a layer of dark chocolate on the bottom.It has cinnamon too and the unexpected kick of hot chili. The Churro flavor has almonds and sweet vanilla with a dusting of cinnamon on top, exactly like the fried doughy treats.

The peanut butter has creamy peanut butter and little gobs of strawberry jam. All three are interesting, a bit intense for my taste but kids should love them. They're also moister than the average granola bar, and very chewy. thanks to the main ingredient being dates. The bars can be the perfect snack for backyard picnics and soccer games.The Churro and Mexican Hot Chocolate are only 190 calories a bar while the PB & Jelly is just 180 calories. There's no trans fat or cholesterol, so they're even good for adults watching their weight or trying to lose weight from being cooped up;

 A different spin would be cutting them up in small chunks and mixing them with either vanilla, chocolate or strawberry ice cream.

Try Unite's globally inspired protein bars. Have the PB & Jelly for a snack and Churro or Mexican Hot Chocolate for a different kind of dessert. They're a nice change up from the usual protein bars.

Spain In New York

The Iberian Peninsula has so many delicious and flavorful dishes. Now New Yorkers can have the best of Spain thanks to culinary greats Jose Andres and Ferran Adria. These two famed chefs along with Chef Adria's brother, Albert have brought the best of their country to underneath the famed High Line walkway and Manhattan's newest mall. Their mercado or market is worth a trip to the city on a hot summer's day.

Pete Well,s restaurant critic for the New York Times visited the market and highlighted the best dishes for yesterday's NYT 's Food section. This is a drool worthy pictorial that features a vast array of savory and sweet dishes.The place itself , called Mercado Little Spain, is situated underneath Hudson Yards, a melange of mall, hotel (home of the famed Equinox Hotel),  food court and residences.  You can easily see most of the above however it's the mercado that is the most interesting. According to Mr.  Wells, stick to the kiosks. The restaurants , in his words "are poky and a bit green". There are Lena - which offers grilled suckling pig(!) and lamb and Mar - a seafood restaurant featuring all sorts of seafood. There is also The Spanish Diner which is a Spanish take on American diner cuisine.It offers classics such as pan con tomate and French toast. Best to stick to the many kiosks that offer everything from savory to sweet, decadent to awesome.

There are pictures of the best dishes and all can make you take a trip to the mercado. There is the classic gazpacho which would drive me over there. It's blended with bread crumbs which undoubtedly gives it another layer of flavor and texture.Another must try is pan con tomate made with pan cristal or glass bread. Its' crumb is so delicate that it breaks like glass yet toughens up when olive oil is poured in it. Another worthy bite is chistorria con patatas fritas, a potato chip like fritter stuffed with a small sausage. There are the original empanadas, not those crescent shaped pasties but squares of flaky crust filled with tuna or stewed pork.  Of course the sweets rule too. There is the classic churro, crispy and dense with a rich bittersweet chocolate dipping sauce. Another must taste is Albert Adria's cardenal,  meringue domes gracing a sponge cake.It comes with a small creamer of dark molten chocolate for more decadence. For a real naughty treat try the pina borracha or drunk pineapple, shot through with dark rum and spiked with chopped mint and lime zest.A more sedate yet heavenly alternative is the tarta de queso, a cheesecake with a blackened crust and fluffy , light interior.

New York in the summer can be hellish. Get a bit of heaven and visit the Mercado Little Spain. It is worth visiting for the variety of delicious foods of Spain.