[2] Yummy yogurt bars—refrigerated, not frozen—from Clio Snacks. The halved bars show the consistency of the yogurt (photos courtesy Clio Snacks).

[3] Sparkling Diet Cranberry from Ocean Spray: just 10 calories a can (photo courtesy Ocean Spray).

Some of them are good, some great, some just not right for us. Here, five products that are right for us, in alphabetical order.
 
1. BANNER ROAD BAKING COMPANY GRANOLA

While Banner Road granolas are delicious on any morning, we particularly like them as house gifts. $12 per 11-ounce cylinder, and $6 for the four ounce size (a great party favor or stocking stuffer).

The gift appeal comes from the charming packaging (photo #1), evoking the rustic goodness which the healthy blend of ingredients provides.

The granola is gluten free, some flavors are vegan, some ingredients are organic, and a serving has just 5g of sweetener per 1.7-ounce bar.

This granola is made in clusters, the grains and seeds (oats, seeds, quinoa) baked into clusters that provide sweet crunch. The binders are extra virgin olive oil and, depending on the flavor, honey, maple syrup, molasses or tapioca syrup. Flavors include:

 
GET YOURS AT BANNERROAD.COM.
 
 
2. CLIO GREEK YOGURT BARS

What happens when you cross a cup of yogurt with a frozen yogurt bar?

A very tasty snack: Clio’s Greek Yogurt Bars, a refrigerated bar of yogurt enrobed in dark chocolate (photo #2). They are yummy!

The yogurt is thicker than standard yogurt cups, in:

 
You can turn them into dessert with fresh fruit or a dessert sauce like caramel; or make them food fun by inserting an ice-pop stick

Each gluten-free bar as 8g protein, 140 calories and billions of probiotics. The line is certified kosher by OU.

DISCOVER MORE AT CLIOSNACKS.COM.

Our new favorite low-calorie sparkling drink is Diet Sparkling Cranberry from Ocean Spray, made with their cranberry juice.

At 10 calories per 8.4-ounce can, it’s a caloric bargain. But amazingly, there is no artificial sweetener flavor.

The sweeteners are sucralose and acesuflame potassium (ace-K—see the different artificial sweeteners).

For everyone who mixes cranberry juice with club soda: Here it’s done for you. There’s also a conventional version (with sugar)

CHECK IT OUT AT OCEANSPRAY.COM.

4. SEASNAX ROASTED SEAWEED SNACKS

Many healthy eaters and sushi fans have discovered seaweed snacks: the crisp sheets of nori used to make sushi rolls, repurposed as crunchy yet delicate snacks.

Seaweed is nutrient-rich; the snack sheets are made with seaweed, olive oil and sea salt or other seasoning(s). They’re gluten free, non-GMO, paleo and vegan. SeaSnax is certified organic.

We love them: The crisp sheets of seaweed crunching happily in our mouths.

We eat them as a snack, plain or with beer and wine; as a “cracker” with miso soup; and when we want something to eat with almost no calories. The entire package has just 15.

THe original, plain nori sheet has been joined by flavors; most popular are chipotle and wasabi. A package of 6 packets is $8.95.

FIND OUT MORE AT SEASNAX.COM.

Note: Eat the whole pack at once. If left out for a while, or next to moisture such as a cup of tea, the sheets start to lose their crispness.
 
 
5. SEJOYIA COCO-ROONS

We love coconut macaroons, a cookie usually found plain or coated in chocolate.

Sejoyia offers two options we haven’t seen before: bittersweet chocolate and lemon flavors.

The Brownie macaroon is a bittersweet chocolate (we wish there were a touch more sugar); Lemon Pie is lusciously lemon.

We’re big, big fans of the latter. If you’re a macaroon lover, treat yourself without delay!

ORDER THEM AT SEJOYIA.COM.

And check out the history of macaroons.

[5] Coconut macaroons in chocolate and lemon (photo courtesy Sejoyia).

[2] Some people like their meringue slightly browned (photo #1); some like the full-on treatment here (photo courtesy McCormick).

[3] Deconstructed lemon meringue tart, a work of art. Here’s the recipe (photo courtesy @Chef_Lymalaya.

August 15th is National Lemon Meringue Pie Day.

While meringue was perfected sometime in the 17th century, it took for the 19th century for the modern lemon meringue pie to appear, in Switzerland.

Americans are happy about that: It’s always on the list of the Top 10 Favorite Pies.

We’ll start today with the recipe for classic lemon meringue pie (photo #1).

But here are creative variations:

 
DRINK LEMON MERINGUE!

 
THE HISTORY OF LEMON MERINGUE PIE

Lemon-flavored custards, puddings and pies date to Middle Ages, a time period of more than 1,000 years, from 476 C.E. to 1492 C.E. It was followed by the Renaissance, 1300 to 1600. Meringue was perfected sometime in the 1600s (the 17th century).

The modern lemon meringue pie is a 19th-century recipe, attributed to Alexander Frehse, a Swiss baker from Romandy, the French-speaking part(s) of Switzerland.

It combines a lemon custard single crust pie with meringue, the fluffy topping made from egg whites and sugar, baked on top. Here’s the classic lemon meringue pie recipe from McCormick.

Thanks, Chef!

PIE HISTORY

The ancient Egyptians, who were great bread bakers, worked out the details of early pastry. Theirs was a savory pastry: a dough of flour and water paste to wrap around meat and soak up the juices as it cooked.

Before the creation of baking pans in the 19th century, the coffin, as it was called (the word for a basket or box), was used to bake all food.

Pastry was further developed in the Middle East and brought to Mediterranean Europe by the Muslims in the 7th century. Another leap occurred in the 11th Century, when Crusaders brought phyllo dough back to Northern Europe (the First Crusade was 1096 to 1099).

Greek and Roman pastry did not progress as far as it could have because both cultures used oil, which can’t create a stiff pastry. In medieval Northern Europe, the traditional use of lard and butter instead of oil for cooking hastened the development of other pastry types.

Pies developed, and the stiff pie pastry was used to provide a casing for the various fillings. By the 17th century, flaky and puff pastries were in use, developed by French and Italian Renaissance chefs. These pastry chefs began to make highly decorated pastry, working intricate patterns on the crusts.
  

August 14th is National Creamsicle Day. Creamsicle is a flavor combination that people either love or not. We love it, and have even created our own variation, The Nibblesicle, with raspberry sorbet instead of orange.

The Creamsicle was created by the Popsicle Corporation, established during the Depression by Frank Epperson, who had invented the Popsicle®. The vanilla ice cream pop, coated with orange sherbet, became a sensation.

Today Creamsicle® and Popsicle® are registered trademarks of the Unilever Corporation. Here’s more Creamsicle history.

On each National Creamsicle Day we try a different variation of the vanilla and orange combination.

This year, it’s shortcake. Links to previous years’ recipes are below.

This year’s recipe was inspired by a shortcake photo (photo #1) from Cindy’s Rooftop in Chicago. The restaurant calls it Dreamsicle Cake.

You can bake individual angel food cakes in muffin tins, as shown in the photo, or bake or buy a cake and serve conventional slices.

Cindy’s Rooftop uses a white chocolate sauce. We made crème anglaise (recipe below), a thin custard sauce. Raspberry purée would have pleased our palate, but it doesn’t fit with the vanilla-orange profile.

 
RECIPE: “CREAMSICLE” SHORTCAKE

Ingredients

 
For The Creme Anglaise (Makes 1 Cup)

 
Preparation

1. SUPREME the orange segments (here’s a video) and set aside with the juice. This can be done a day in advance. If garnishing with orange peel curls, peel the curls before segmenting the orange.

[2] Prefer a cheesecake? Here’s the recipe (photo courtesy Sweet Street Desserts).

[3] Try a Creamsicle milkshake (photo courtesy Williams-Sonoma)

3. WHISK the egg yolks and sugar together in medium bowl; then gradually whisk the hot milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture. Return the custard to the pot and stir over low heat until it thickens, about 5 minutes. DO NOT BOIL. The sauce is thickened when it coats the back of a wooden spoon.

4. STRAIN the sauce into a bowl, cover and chill until ready to use.

5. ASSEMBLE: Place the cake on a plate, topped with a scoop of sorbet. Garnish the plate with orange supremes, and add the sauce. Top with an orange peel curl and serve.
 
 
FAVORITE CREAMSICLE VARIATIONS

The easiest, and a favorite of ours, is a simple bowl of vanilla ice cream and orange sorbet (mango sorbet is a great substitute).

You can also make vanilla cupcakes with orange frosting or top vanilla ice cream with orange liqueur.

Here are more celebratory recipes:

 
Also check out fior di Sicilia, an Italian essence used to flavor baked goods and beverages. Its flavor and aroma are reminiscent of a Creamsicle.