Like A Kid Again

Ah, childhood memories...sitting on the beach, sipping milk out of giant coconut with a bendy straw, eating a mango and banana fruit salad with my fingers and

Wait.  Does this sound like your childhood?  

If so, I'm jealous.  But I did acquire a few things recently that brought me back to younger days.  

Yesterday I was lucky enough to receive a package from Matt's Munchies!  They're all natural fruit leathers (dairy free, egg free, nut free, gluten free!), which are pretty much the healthiest versions of fruit roll-ups you can come by.  How can fruit roll-ups not remind you of childhood?!  I think what set them apart in their kinship to fruit roll-ups (compared to other fruit leathers) was that they kind of have to be peeled apart like a fruit roll-up.  What makes these way better than a fruit-roll up is that they're made from either bananas, or mangoes, plus spices.  They come in six varieties:  Mango, Island Mango, Ginger Zest, Banana, Apple Pie, and Choco-Nana (Choco-Nana does have more ingredients, and some evaporated cane juice...but its worth it).  

I don't really know how to express to you that I liked them besides telling you that I got through more than half the package (there was two of each flavor) before I remembered that I really needed to take a picture. Uh...oops.  Here's what is left:

(Honestly, the Island Mango isn't actually left 

anymore either...they make good blog writing snacks)

One of the things I love about these, besides them tasting great, is that I feel like there's a lot in the package.  The Mango and Ginger Spice are about 50 calories per package and the rest are closer to 70 calories...and there is at least 6 pieces in every package.  My favorite is no surprise...Choco-Nana!  

Sometimes "natural" chocolatey stuff disappoints me, but these were such a perfect chocolately treat, that I'll probably be ordering more.  I did prefer all the banana based flavors over the mango (even the Apple Pie is banana based!), but the mango varieties were still awesome.  The Ginger Spice tastes just like a warming ginger candy, and the Tropical Mango has flecks of coconut in it.  

All in all, a big thank you to Matt's Munchies for letting me sample, and reminding me of the goodness that is smushed fruit (while being admittedly better than the childhood fruit roll-up). 

Now, while I didn't get to sip any coconut milk today, I did get a new lip balm.  My next door neighbor used to sell Avon, and one year for Easter, I got this cute coconut lip balm with a bunny on it.  I loved that lip balm.  It reminds of my neighbor, it reminds me of the beach, it reminds of the time in my life (most of high school) when I perpetually smelled like coconut (body lotions, shampoo, you name it).  A few months ago I mentioned a vegan lip balm that I got randomly at a Borders in Honolulu, and how much I loved it.  Well, there was a display at my local Borders today!  Even better, the flavor that popped out at me immediately:  Coconut Milk.  I snatched that sucker up with haste.  

I know I said it in my last post about The Giving Earth lip balm, but this stuff is the best.  It is so smooth and creamy and I just completely adore it.  I don't think I've ever stuck with a lip balm for so long...at least not since my coconut bunny lip balm.  There is a website on the lip balm, but it does not bring you to any sort of product page.  Check it out, its weird.  I also can't find anything about the company online, still.  However, I did notice that some of their flavors were in different, newer packaging, so maybe if I had gotten one of them I would have gotten an updated URL on it.  And maybe that means they're expanding and you should check your Borders for them! 

I'm off to bask in the coconut goodness on my lips and enjoy some Mango Matt's Munchies!  Just like a kid again.