Preface: Normally I would avoid anything with the word “flax” in the name because, really, what the hell is “flax,” anyways?!  Frankly, I still don’t know, but at least I’m still alive today to tell you all about it, so there’s always that…
Granola Gripes: Also, I probably made it clear in my last granola-bar-related rant that non-chewy granola bars aren’t exactly my forte.  For some reason I have memories of the crunchy, “good for you” ones being the ones the kids whose cheap parents wouldn’t pop for the Quaker ones would always bring in and want to trade … as if!
Forcing It For The Greater Good: That said, I decided to give these another try because I thought that Kashi deserved a chance to redeem themselves, and my doctor has been hinting that “it wouldn’t kill me to eat something healthy every once in a while,” anyways!  So despite not being my personal preference, I choked them down anyways and truth be told … they really weren’t half bad.  The flavor somewhat varies from bar to bar – I’ve had some that were pretty great and some that were arguably plain ones that had gotten mispackaged, but overall the cinnamon and other spices offered a nice distraction from the fact that I was basically eating as a wild chipmunk would … if chipmunks did their grocery shopping at Publix, anyways…
Kashi Rating: Partially redeemed, definitely a step up from those ones with the fruit stuff on top!  Still, I think you can do better, and I know it’s not really your thing, but I have one word for you – chewy.

Tagline: “I can’t believe I ate the whole bag!”
Seriously, How Did These End Up On My Desk???: I’m most definitely the kind of guy who absolutely should not go grocery shopping on impulse because I’ll just throw random stuff into the cart when it sounds good, different, or even just really weird. As you might expect, anything with the pumpkin keyword also tends to appear, which admittedly sometimes leads to some less than desirable results, however surprisingly enough this wasn’t one of them…
Justification: My snack food of choice is typically potato chips, but unfortunately they tend to not last long when I open a bag at home, so I’m always on the lookout for a snack that I can enjoy, but not so much that I can’t pull myself away from after eating an appropriate serving!
Taste: Surprisingly good!  I wouldn’t normally just eat granola without it being prepackaged into a bar form of one type or another, much less anything in raw seed form, however after giving this a try I actually found that I really liked it.  Obviously the seeds themselves don’t lend the same flavor as the stuff that I traditionally mention around here, but they added a nice texture to the rest of the mix, and whatever they were using to facilitate the “cluster” effect almost had a honey-like taste to it.  Mildly sweet, crunchy, and I could pour a small pile on the desk to pick at without going back for seconds and thirds and fourths!
Oh Yeah…: Apparently it was also healthy for me, which was another plus…

The Skinny: same aisle, same trip, not the same results
The Backstory: Actually noticed as a last-minute grab during the same trip that discovered these muffins, I picked up these intriguing cookies thinking that they might be good for a little late-night sustenance after a long day of running around Disney’s theme parks.  Besides, I’d already gathered selections to cover both the chip and cracker categories – all that was left was something to cover the cookie option and my snacking varieties would be good to go!
Except…: Except for the fact that these little puppies taste absolutely nothing like pumpkin.  I even double-checked the ingredients list afterwards to be sure and although “Pumpkin Spice Powder” is specifically listed, to me these were nothing more than gingersnaps with orange sprinkles on top … which for snacking purposes still ended up being perfectly fine and I most certainly managed to finish the whole container in roughly a week’s time, but all in the same, you may have noticed that I kind of have a thing for pumpkin and in that regard, these autumn cookies were nonetheless not up to par.

Initial Reaction: a bit of surprise, as I don’t really expect to see much more with regards to pumpkin-oriented products on the shelves this time of year
Origin: Where else?  Super Target!
Good Find?: Well … maybe. Despite my poor assumption that these would be just like any other granola bar, but pumpkin-y, they definitely live up to their description at fruit and grain bars, which are much different from the traditional Quaker Chewy Granola Bars that I tend to enjoy.  The “fruit topping” is definitely very pumpkin-ish – about the consistency of maybe the pumpkin butter that I sampled earlier this year, which was ok – but the pecans on top I could’ve done without.
Ultimate Verdict: A bit too grainy for me, and the pumpkin fruit topping just isn’t enough to help me limp past that.  It wouldn’t surprise me if it takes quite a while to work through the remainder of this box…

Aside Plea to the Fine Folks at Quaker: This is your opportunity to fill a much-needed niche market!  Just take one of your regular chewy granola bars, splash some pumpkin-y goodness into the recipe, and presto – instant success, at least with this pumpkin fanatic, anyways!  Something to think about, guys…

Origin: Where else?!  Super Pumpkin, errr, Target
Influence: Despite having grown up in the Boy Scouts, the chances of finding me out on the open trail with nothing but a hiking stick and a bag of mixed nuts are about as good as the chances of us finding such a wild array of pumpkin delicacies like these the rest of the year!  Still, I can’t blame the nuts themselves for the fact that I’m no longer an outdoorsman, so I thought I’d give these a shot.
Flavor: Like nearly all trail mix, some pieces were certainly better than others – I, for one, could do without the “graham squares” and “yogurt raisins” in this one, but as for the pumpkin slice almonds?  Heavenly.
Marketing Note to Target: How about a festive, holiday jar of nothing but the almonds for this pumpkin-lover’s stocking next season?

Origin: another Super Target super-find … sort of
Prospective Ease of Creation: easy
Actual Ease of Creation: not so much
Explanation: This kit is presented as a very simple, out-of-the-box-type recipe – you know, just add water, but unfortunately when your recipe consists of 90% flour and 35% other dry goods, just water doesn’t exactly make for easy mixin’!  I finally ended up just diving in and kneading it with my hands after nearly breaking a wooden spoon in the mixture, but even then, this was a pain in the butt.  Prepare to get messy…
Enjoyability: Despite constructive difficulties, this pumpkin-y version of the old favorite still tasted quite good out of the oven, however once allowed to cool even the microwave couldn’t soften them back up – the entire batch definitely needs to be enjoyed by four or five friends fresh from the oven.  I didn’t end up making the suggested Powdered Sugar Glaze because they already seemed pretty fattening as it was.
Flavor?: I think the mix itself smelled more of pumpkin than the final product, but the spice was still decent in the bread, too.

Purchased From: the same Target as the last three posts…
Delicious-ness Factor: moderate
Notable: These are the first true pumpkin cookies that I’ve seen this season, meaning that they actually taste like pumpkins and not simply resemble them.  Not too shabby!
Flavor to Beat: My Mom makes a killer pumpkin cookie that puts even the best to shame – they not only taste like pumpkins, but I’d be a monkey’s uncle if they didn’t look like them, too.  Unfortunately, I can’t buy Mom’s cookies at Target for $1.99 / box … yet.