The jig is up.

It’s time for some new snacks around here. Don’tcha think?

You really don’t believe I can survive on peanut butter slathered bacon and margs, do you?

Don’t answer that.

I do, which is half the problem.

Anyway! I made something.

Strawberry chunks.

Mango matchsticks.

Kiwi cubes. Cute little see-through wraps. Sticky vanilla honey to dip.

Fun, right? Different? Non-boring? Colorful? I thought so too. I need a little of that in my life.

Springs of fresh mint add some zing too. Are you one of those people that bites a mint leaf and chews it? I totally am. Some days it’s the only leafy greenery I absorb.

The best snacks can be thrown together in a matter of minutes. Chop, wrap, dip and you have a full belly.

Oh… but there is one thing.

Good grief.

Have you ever tried to use rice paper wrappers? Yeah. Disaster time. Thank goodness I bought an extra package. I’m not exactly cultured, so this was a lesson to be learned. They stuck to my hands and then ripped in two and they were too wet then too dry then too thin then too sticky then looked ugly. I decided that my favorite way to use them was to double them up. Thoughts from my rice paper connoisseurs? It worked.

 

Just… don’t be like me. Be patient. You will be juuuust fine.

Tropical Kiwi Strawberry Spring Rolls

adapted from Veg Times

makes 6 or 12 rolls, depending if you double wrap them

12 rice paper wrappers (I found mine at Whole Foods)

1 1/2 cups chopped strawberries

2 firm yellow bananas, chopped

1 mango, cut into matchsticks

3 kiwi, chopped

a bunch of fresh mint

Note: I double wrapped my rolls, resulting in 6 roles. If you use one wrap, you obviously will end up with 12 rolls. The amount of fruit you need will be dependent on how much you add. I added about a tablespoon of berries, kiwi and banana each, and 6-8 mango sticks, plus 2-3 mint leaves. You may want more or less. I used half the amount of fruit here for 6 rolls, so this *should* be enough for 12, just use your eye.

Fill a large baking dish with warm water. I found that the easiest way to makes the rolls was to take the dry rice paper, dip it in the water very quickly (less than 5 seconds), then pat dry with a paper towel. Either add your second paper on top (if making 6 rolls) or begin filling. Add fruit in the middle of the wrap; I used mango on the bottom, then stuffed with the remaining fruit. Some mint leaves I chopped, others I left whole – it’s all on your preference. Once the fruit is on the wrap, fold up the bottom and tuck under the fruit. Fold in each side (like you would with a burrito), then roll the wrap to the end. It should seal itself since the wrap is damp. Eat whole or slice in the middle at an angle. Serve with honey dipping sauce.

 

Vanilla Lime Honey Dipping Sauce

1/3 cup honey

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

contents of 1/2 vanilla bean

zest of one lime

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix. Serve!

I’m pretty tan, eh?