I have just polished off a
bag of Bear Naked granola Original. How disappointing. I should know better
than to buy granola that claims to be granola by name AND appearance. (Trader
Joe’s pumpkin granola does not look like granola, therefore, it is acceptable
to buy, try, whatever.) Having made granola for so long, I have high standards.
But that was below my lowest of low standards. As I looked over the package and
ingredients, as if looking at the ingredients in the store wasn’t enough, I
shook my head. Crisped this, that, and the other. Soy protein isolate. What are you on crack? What
else . . . canola oil, fine, fine, we used to use that. The cranberries’
ingredients: cranberries, sugar, and glycerin. Glycerin . . . that makes me
think of explosions. Big explosions. Maybe that’s nitroglycerin. And then it
makes me think of homemade snow globes. I don’t know where I get these ideas.
Back to Butt Naked. Erm, Bear Naked. A serving size is a quarter
cup.
You’re
shittin’ me, right?
You
know, I’ve never actually understood that expression, but no, I’m not “shitting
you.”
Who eats a quarter cup of granola? Maybe
if you’re sprinkling it over ice cream . . . As I continued to peruse the
package that seemed less than recyclable, I saw that at least they made an
effort to encourage customers to send it back, as they have a proud partnership
with TerraCycle. Cool. As if anyone does that. Maybe recyclable containers? Living
with people for whom recycling is like pulling ticks, I think we need to keep
it simple. Oh, they call it natural too. Isn’t that cute? If Prop I can’t
remember which passes, no more of that garbage. I seriously hope not to see
that tramp-stamp reading “natural” on items that may or may not classify as food (The
other classification: consumable compound).
I’ve gotten off topic. I’m
washing away the taste with my organic, two percent milk. (Yes, when I drink
milk, I drink two percent. Bite me.) Ah, yes; as I looked over the package, I
found its home: La Jolla. Oh. That explains a lot. “Granola” that is “natural”
and hip (it is a protein boost!) and healthy (and that protein comes from soy!
and since vegetarians consume soy, it must be magical!) and born in southern
California. In LA JOLLA. Southern California is an okay place, there are some
great features, such as my sister, however, La Jolla has no business making
granola or pretending to know anything about it. Even if the founder attended
UCSC or Humboldt State, her/his brain and mode of being has surely been
polluted by the confusion of that place. Or, La Jolla has sent the original butt
naked granola down the drain, thus providing customers with a sorry product
that is only bear naked.