No preservatives. It's counter intuitive, isn't it? For all of time, humans have wanted to live for all of time. The afterlife, reincarnation, alchemy, Tuck Everlasting. Why, then, do we seek to eliminate those crazy life-extending chemicals from our comestibles?

Unnatural. The word is whispered behind backs, with pointed fingers. Though we inject our skin with plastic, our food must remain pure.

In an attempt to soothe a sensitive stomach, I tested the "all-natural" waters with an easy breakfast bar recipe. Raw almonds, oats, shredded coconut, peanut butter, agave, honey... and bittersweet chocolate to make it all worthwhile.

Raw Almond Breakfast Bars

1 cup chopped raw almonds
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup all-natural peanut or almond butter
1/4 cup honey
1 tbsp agave syrup
1 tsp chia seeds
1/4 cup bittersweet chocolate chunks

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine ingredients in a medium bowl until a sticky "dough" is formed. Line a 9x5 baking pan with parchment and press mixture firmly into it. It's important that you really pack it down, to ensure the bars hold together post-baking.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, until edges are golden brown. Allow to cool completely before slicing into squares.