Cinnabon snacks are lowly Pop Tarts

Kellogg's Cinnabon Snack Bars. Original, and Caramel. $3.09 per 7.8-ounce box containing six bars.

Bonnie: Kellogg's has introduced a heatable snack bar in two flavors, purportedly with the flavor and aroma of those big mall Cinnabons.

I'm here to report that my kitchen was not filled with the wonderful smell of a warm cinnamon bun after microwaving these the suggested three seconds. And the bar itself wasn't even warm. At 25 seconds, I ended up with bars with no aroma that were too hot to eat.

That said, these could save you lots of fat and calories over a real Cinnabon. To be precise, 700 calories and almost 30 grams of total fat over a giant Cinnabon, and 180 calories and almost 9 grams of fat over a mini. That is, if you find this an adequate substitute.

Me? I find the Cinnabon in all its forms eminently skippable.

Carolyn: That puts you in the extreme minority, Bonnie. One whiff of Cinnabons at a highway rest stop or in a mall and most people turn into Pavlov's dogs. Too bad Cinnabons are so darn indulgent. But these new Original flavor Cinnabon Bars from Kellogg's have shrunk Cinnabons' fat and calories down to snack-bar territory while doing an amazing job of capturing their wonderful smell and taste (again, I say in direct contradiction to Bonnie). The frosting-less Caramel variety isn't quite as tasty or as much like a Cinnabon.

Notice I didn't say anything about texture. The pastry part of these bars is closer to a dry Pop-Tart slab than a soft Cinnabon roll — which makes sense, considering that Kellogg's also makes Pop-Tarts.

In fact these new bars could have just as easily and probably even more accurately been named Pop-Tarts Cinnamon and Caramel Bars. But that wouldn't have sounded nearly so delicious.

Simply Asia Steamers. General Tso Chicken, Kung Pao Chicken, Hunan Broccoli, and Szechuan Green Beans. $1.99 per 1-ounce to 1.25-ounce packet.

Bonnie: Simply Asia recently hopped on the microwave steam-cooking train. Instead of containing all the ingredients in the bag, as in Birds Eye Steamfresh Meals for Two, Simply Asia Steamers feature a special steaming bag and seasonings — in separate parts of the same packet, which I thought a neat package-engineering feat. You supply the meat and veggies.