When that fails to hold together into a bar form, you tweak the amount of fruit.  Then the nuts.  Over and over, until, a nearly-burnt-out food processor later, you have a formula.

Make a bunch, take it with you hiking and voila - great story to tell and a great hunger abater.

Years later, when you are a successful company, after many trying experiments such as proper shelf-life packaging (the tale of how to make a multi-layer wrapper for many months of shelf time is absolutely fascinating, but my Googlyness is failing me today - no link for ya), you, Lara Merriken, get an offer to sell.

Its General Mills knocking at the door.  Do you answer?

To Larabar, the answer was yes.

Good luck, ya’ll - please don’t change too much.