Big Sandy has a new locally made snack option. With Easter on the horizon, Samantha Potter recently announced the launch of Montana Mommy Made, which offers a unique fare of candy items. She explained "It's mostly freeze-dried candies or treats, ice cream included." These freeze-dried treats are far cleaner and more portable than many alternative options, which is part of the reason she developed the line of snacks in the first place. With 3 small children of her own, portable and clean snacks are vital. They are also very tasty and offer a different candy eating experience than the norm.

The unique thing about these snacks is the way the freeze dryer changes the consistency of the food. "A freeze dryer is kind of like a dehydrator, but it helps keep the shape better. It actually pulls out less nutrients out of it than the dehydrator does, and it brings it down to like negative 40 degrees. Then a vacuum pump kicks on and it starts sucking the moisture out of it. I don't know the science behind it. But Jolly Ranchers, nerd clusters, and caramels, they all expand. Really, they will! I'd say four times the size." Sam describes the change in the consistency of the snacks as "a mix between the texture of cotton candy and Lucky Charms marshmallows... If you freeze dry a Jolly Rancher candy and bite into it, it's not hard like a Jolly Rancher." Looking at the candy, very few of them resemble their original form. Of course, Ice Cream Sandwiches look like Ice Cream Sandwiches. And they taste roughy like the old astronaut ice cream, only better because Sam uses higher quality ice cream. Otherwise, they are very different. The Skittles inflate to about the size of chickpeas. The freeze dried caramels look a lot like oversized cheese puffs, only caramel colored.

Montana Mommy Made is currently offering freeze-dried Jolly Ranchers, Nerd Clusters, Caramel, Milk Duds, Skittles, salt water taffy, and ice cream. Sam says that her sons really enjoy the ice cream and will often go for her version over regular ice cream. They also love all of the candies that expand in size as they are freeze-dried.

I sat down with my my kids this evening to taste test the various offerings. They all agreed that they loved the crunchy skittles, which sell for $4 a bag. The change in texture was surprising, but they really enjoyed it. They unanimously agreed on their love for the caramels, which my daughter compared to caramel corn. The texture was very similar to divinity cookies. A bag of those also cost $4. I will confess that I gave the kids fewer of these, because I liked them so much I didn't want them devoured before I could really enjoy them. The next container of candies we tried was a plastic container of various freeze dried candies. We all agreed that the salt water taffy was excellent. They had the consistency of butter mints. They came in various flavors, like Neapolitan, mint, and banana. The nerd clusters were very similar to cotton candy, only crunchy. When you put them in your mouth, they quickly evaporate in a crunchy/delicious puff. The nerds really add a lot to the taste. The most intense flavored of the candies we sampled was the jolly ranchers. They were more firm than the other candies, with the rough consistency of cheese puffs. My wife pointed out that they stick to your teeth just like the original jolly ranchers. All of these candies come in a plastic container that costs $6. The final item we sampled was the freeze dried Ice Cream Sandwich bites, which cost about $8 for a large sized bag. These are my favorite without question. They melt in your mouth, leaving a yummy layer of creamy vanilla flavor on your tongue. I cannot recommend these more highly. They are delectable.

In the future, Samantha will be looking at selling freeze-dried fruit as well. If you are interested in ordering from Montana Mommy Made, you can find them on their Facebook page or talk to Sam in person. You can also email her