When Thyme Goes Bye

[Meaghan]

1. Sugary cereal, particularly Lucky Charms - "Pink hearts, orange stars, yellow moons, green clovers, blue diamonds and purple horseshoes." It took me about 18 years to translate that jingle. "Micosta lucka starhs. Macock a leakaleesha"

That con wasn't even really Irish!

2. Push-Ups. I realized on Sunday, as I walked out of CVS, that it wasn't right for me to enjoy a Nestle Push-Up with Fred Flinstone on the package.

3. Dinosaur Fruit Snacks. I once saw a 72 year old eating those. Don't be that guy!

4. Yahoo! I mean, Yoo-hoo!

5. That cheese with the laughing cow on it that comes either wax-encasing or in little cubes wrapped in foil. What the hell is wrong with me?

6. Fanta grape soda. Can't say I really like anymore, but I used to love it more than life itself.

7. Tang. Who else ate it in powder form?

8. Luden's Cherry Cough drops. I remember we weren't allowed candy, but Luden's were okay. That shit is not for coughs.

9. Betty Crocker everything.

10. Lima beans. What fun is the lima bean without incentives? Plus, those things aren't THAT great for you. I'm going to push okra and sushi on small children.

Futhermore:

Songs like Billy Ocean's, "Hey you, get into my car. Who me? Yes you, get into my car." People get arrested for saying things like that.

[DameEdna]

When I was in school, we would go to the Krispy Kreme store at about 3:00 A.M.

A dozen glazed doughnuts, still hot. Part of the fun was being away from home,

and not having anyone to tell me "no".

Now doughnut gluttony is too easy. I walk past their store every day, without

yearning for a dozen glazed.

[bilrus]

You people are crazy.

Sugar cereal, grape soda and hot donuts are some of the things that make life worth living. It's OK to want to feel like a kid sometimes.

You can keep the Lima beans and Billy Ocean though.

[Biotech]

Slurpee: The product itself isn't actually banned for those above 10, but mixing every damn color/flavor together is generally frowned upon when you are, oh, I don't know, 32 like me. My sone loves the Frawg flavor (sour apple) and as any good father and grandfather would do, we convinced him that it is made of pureed frogs.

Pixie Stix: Kiddie Crack aint' so cute in a suit.

Fluff - in any form or delivery mechanism.

I'm sure there are many others I'm forgetting.

I agree though that hot donuts, crap soda, and a bowl of the Cap'n are some of life's guilty pleasures.

[shogun]

Slurpee: The product itself isn't actually banned for those above 10, but mixing every damn color/flavor together is generally frowned upon when you are, oh, I don't know, 32 like me. My sone loves the Frawg flavor (sour apple) and as any good father and grandfather would do, we convinced him that it is made of pureed frogs.

Yeah, but they're good loaded with booze. Maybe not for your son, though, but sour apple and Mount Gay Rum is a winning combination.

[nyani]

Velveeta Shells & Cheese- we only ate it on holidays, and so I thought it was fancy. I used to turn my nose up at my mom's great baked macaroni & cheese with buttery bread crumbs in favor of this orange gooey mess.

[giant shrimp]

i ate the tang, but it was not as good as the fizzy citric powders and sugar blocks i bought as a young child from a corner candy store in frankfurt. i don't remember their names, but one had a happy sun on the wrapper. i liked these so much that i shared them with my pet frogs, but decided it was probably not good for them when they turned strange colors.

timtims (gummy bears) were five for a penny, or a pfennig apiece, the exchange rate in those days. i still like them, now not as much as then, and children can associate with them (and other candy) in a way that most (normal) adults cannot, even if they try.

sensens (?), little black breath mints, seemed almost as adult to me as smoking.

picked growing wild, there was nothing more delicious than a bowl of red currants with cream and sugar. as an adult, they taste infinitely better in my memory.

i never acquired a taste for the big snails leaving their slime trails all over the place. the germans would eat them right out of their shells, and at one spot on a trail through the woods someone had gotten sick on them. children walking alone through the woods were warned that they risked having their heads cut off.

[Biotech]

Yeah, but they're good loaded with booze. Maybe not for your son, though, but sour apple and Mount Gay Rum is a winning combination.

See, now that's what I was saying to my wife.

When I was a kid I loved the slurpee for what it was.

Now the first thing we do with a slurpee is mentally work through the booze that would work in that flavor . For instance, my wife had the pina colada one a week ago and said it was really good, but would've been better with rum.

I'm thinking that the orange creamsickle one would work with vodka.

Frawg and Mount Gay sounds good.

[clayrae]

Chicken flavored Rice-a-Roni

My “only from scratch” mom would serve it to us when the babysitter was coming. It was a “special treat” (artificial food out of a box- how fun!)

When I went off to college I reveled in the fact I could eat Rice-a-Roni for dinner every night if I wanted – now that I was an adult!

And I did just that- for about a week. Haven’t touched the stuff since…

Edited October 4, 2005 by clayrae

[bilrus]

Chicken flavored Rice-a-Roni

My “only from scratch” mom would serve it to us when the babysitter was coming. It was a “special treat” (artificial food out of a box- how fun!)

When I went off to college I reveled in the fact I could eat Rice-a-Roni for dinner every night if I wanted – now that I was an adult!

And I did just that- for about a week. Haven’t touched the stuff since…

If you add Noodle-Roni (or Lipton Noodles/Rice in Sauce) I went pretty much my whole senior year with that combo, aside from the one night a week my roomates and I would splurge and make Hamburger Helper and Crescent Rolls.

Oh and microwaved hot dogs with Heinz 57 sauce - but this was only OK when high as a kite.

[jm chen]

In my youth I had a habit of biting the ends off Twizzlers and using them as straws to drink Sunkist through.

Tried it again last year. Guess what? Still good.

[perrik]

I survived my freshmen year at university thanks to birch beer (this was in Philly) and chocolate fudge Pop-Tarts. I ate a lot of chocolate fudge Pop-Tarts. No other flavor, just the toothachingly sickly sweet fake-chocolatey chocolate fudge version. I tried them again a few years ago, and my teeth nearly fell out.

My mother was a native Japanese woman raised in Korea who also lived in China for a few years. My typical after-school snack was chicken gizzards or fish. So when I got to have peanut butter & jelly instead... wow, exotic! I've long since outgrown any interest in eating PB&J, especially not with the Welch's grape jelly that's mandatory. (fiery oil-braised chicken gizzards remain a favorite comfort food, yum, I should bring a dish to the next picnic)

Come to think of it, all those childhood foods that frighten me now are of the sugar-intensive variety. I used to love those little candy dots and candy necklaces and chocolate cigarettes and bubble-gum cigars and wax bottles of pure concentrated sugary crap...

[mktye]

Sugar cereal, grape soda and hot donuts are some of the things that make life worth living.  It's OK to want to feel like a kid sometimes.

I'm with Bill on this one. I can still down a whole box of Cap'n Crunch in one sitting.

A couple of years ago, I ran across a jar of Goober PB&J (the kind with the peanut butter swirled with the strawberry jelly, not the more common grape jelly variety) and had to buy it... eating it straight up with a spoon was as satisfying as it was when I was a child... that super-sweet, squishy jelly and the oddly-firm, sweet-in-its-own-right peanut butter... mmmm.

Edited October 4, 2005 by mktye

[Meaghan]

Hey, I still eat Nerds in a big way. They're excactly the same. Even the little mini boxes that you give out for Halloween, the same. It's the only candy that really is as it was in 1983.

[Free Wilma]

My dad still makes sure to have a big box of Lucky Charms whenever my brother and I come home to visit....and we all fight over it! It's great to know at 39, 34 and 34 we can still revert back to our 10 year-old behavior when it comes to something so sacred as Yucky...errrr....Lucky Charms. Now we just have to add OUR kids into the fight for sugar based cereal!

[TinDC]

I used to like the Oscar Meyer wieners with the "cheese" injected in them. I used to heat them in the microwave and eat them as a snack.

I don't know if they even still make them...

[Faboo]

Morton's Frozen Honey Buns. Four in a box. I'd BEG my mother to buy them for me. Now the thought makes me nauseaus.

[Sthitch]

Morton's Frozen Honey Buns. Four in a box. I'd BEG my mother to buy them for me. Now the thought makes me nauseaus.

This was the one snack from a box that I could get my mother to buy me. If I could find them again, I would buy them in an instant.

[Mrs. B]

Morton's Frozen Honey Buns. Four in a box. I'd BEG my mother to buy them for me. Now the thought makes me nauseaus.

Your post nearly brought a tear to my eye Faboo. My late mother and I shared boxes of these in my youth. For me they were a special treat and for my mom a guilty pleasure.

Pepperidge Farms frozen chocolate layer cake.

Welcome to DR.com Faboo!

[Barbara]

Morton's Frozen Honey Buns. Four in a box. I'd BEG my mother to buy them for me. Now the thought makes me nauseaus.

I completely forgot about those. I LOVED 'em. I have no desire to eat them now, however. Ditto the "Welcome" from Mrs. B.

[LolaDC]

Kraft Mac & Cheese with cut-up hotdogs was always a favorite growing up. Also was a big fan of baloney (that's how we spelled it) and Kraft singles on Wonder bread. My goodness.

Guess that's no so bad when you consider I also used to eat poi.

[Faboo]

Wow! I am the genius of myself! I'm pretty sure the honey buns are still in the frozen food section. I'll take a look/see next time I'm at Shoppers or Food Lion. If they are there, I suggest you all let your memories stay fond and not try to recreate them

One other item I frequently pass in the food store are the little rectangular (nabisco?) cheese & cracker packages. They're about four inches long, four club crackers and some cheese wiz in a separate part of the package w/a little plastic stick for spreading. I remember being too cool for school when I had that at the cafeteria table. Can't bring myself to buy them again, but I enjoyed intensely spreading the cheese over the entire cracker and then cleaning out the little cheese bin with the plastic stick. Good times.

[Heather]

One other item I frequently pass in the food store are the little rectangular (nabisco?) cheese & cracker packages. They're about four inches long, four club crackers and some cheese wiz in a separate part of the package w/a little plastic stick for spreading.

The little stick was highly prized as a hopscotch marker. Do kids even play hopscotch anymore?

The great thing about having kids is that you can buy all this stuff without any apologies.

[goldenticket]

Along the lines of the Velveeta shells - one of my guilty pleasures (on very rare occasions) is, as my mother calls it, "cardboard with cheese sauce" - Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. Following the straight off-the-box preparation, it doesn't quite cut it anymore, but with a little sour cream or plain yogurt stirred in....mmmmmm.

Spaghettios are another one of those things that, to my adult palate, are gross beyond compare but were a huge treat as a kid. Now it just tastes like the sauce is loaded with sugar (hmmm....) and heaven only knows what's in those meatballs.

Edited October 6, 2005 by goldenticket

[jm chen]

Oh, man, the meatballs in the Campbell's Meatball Vegetable soup were the BEST. I believe they discontinued it, though, I haven't seen it in years.

That and Mr. Phipps' Pretzel Chips. Sigh.

Jael

[MelGold]

I think I have to add Juicy Fruit bubble gum to this list. I used to love it (it was a flavor of gum sure to annoy my mom to no end - second only to anything grape related). A co-worker just offered me a piece, and I have to admit my mom was right...this shit is nasty!

[laniloa]

I think I have to add Juicy Fruit bubble gum to this list.  I used to love it (it was a flavor of gum sure to annoy my mom to no end - second only to anything grape related).  A co-worker just offered me a piece, and I have to admit my mom was right...this shit is nasty!

blasphemy!

For me it would have to be the frozen yodel and Elio's pizza. Combined, they made the perfect lunch.

[hillvalley]

I agree-Melgold's statement is complete blasphemy and grounds for dismissal

Under the guise of "buying treats" for my students I often indugle my childhood loves-there is a bag of mini 3 muskateers in my desk right now.

The only things I have tried lately that didn't live up to the memory were Lik'em Sticks and Razzles.

[MelGold]

I agree-Melgold's statement is complete blasphemy and grounds for dismissal

Fine...go ahead and blast me...see if I care! I stand by my tastebuds!!!

Just for the record, honeybuns, spaghettios and Hubba Bubba (which I don't think exists anymore) are sacred. Not that I indulge (often) anymore.

[DameEdna]

Does giving up Boone's Farm apple wine count? I used to think that splitting a

bottle with a girl down at the Day N Nite Laundromat was a fun date. Nowadays

I don't think my wife would agree.

[Barbara]

Does giving up Boone's Farm apple wine count?  I used to think that splitting a

bottle with a girl down at the Day N Nite Laundromat was a fun date.  Nowadays

I don't think my wife would agree.

That's only because he doesn't know about the "wine coolers" (cheap red wine mixed with 7 Up) in the car at the drive-in movie in Texas.

Edited to add: After thinking about this for a day or so, I remembered that we used to make wine coolers out of Boone's Farm Apple wine, too. I just thought it was too disgusting for this crowd but, apparently not.

Edited October 8, 2005 by Barbara

[Meaghan]

Don't be mad at me for continuing to tear away your childhood. I'm the one that's messed up; I think I like the memories the best.

Here are some more:

Jiffy Pop (popcorn) that pops on the stove! Remember that giant puff of tin foil? That <pop> <pop> noise was special, though.

Hi-C from the can (yuck!)

Combos. Maybe I'd still get them at Sheetz on the way back from white water rafting in West Virginia or something.

Tato Skins. I'll eat 'em, but without a little elf saying, "Tato skins from Keebler, baked potato appeal!" ....it's just not the same.

Bosco

Boku (sounds too much like Raku and comes in cardboard box)

The hard stick of gum hidden in packs of Garbage Pail Kids

Too smart to eat it:

Cuddlefish snax

Question of the day: Where did Bonkers go? Great ads, no?

Edited October 10, 2005 by Meaghan

[JLK]

Spaghetti-o's, for sure. Bubble Yum.

<I still occasionally drink Tang>

[mdt]

Fine...go ahead and blast me...see if I care!  I stand by my tastebuds!!!

Just for the record, honeybuns, spaghettios and Hubba Bubba (which I don't think exists anymore) are sacred.  Not that I indulge (often) anymore.

Hubba Bubba

[crackers]

Cracker Jack. I don't know if it tasted so good as a kid because of the prize in every box, but that prize just doesn't do it for me anymore, and neither does the cardboard tasting stuff I have to eat to get to the prize (and besides, I'm way too dignified to be shaking a box of Cracker Jack vigorously so the prize, that I don't even want but can't resist getting, will be at the top when I crack the box open.)

>tang with grape nuts - ancient family recipe when hiking in the High Sierras. so good.<

Edited October 11, 2005 by crackers

[ustreetguy]

Morton's Frozen Honey Buns. Four in a box. I'd BEG my mother to buy them for me. Now the thought makes me nauseaus.

Whoa - that's quite the blast from the past. I remember eating them frozen right out of the box! No heating it up in the microwave for me!

[Heather]

Cracker Jack.

No Cracker Jack. Screaming Yellow Zonkers.

[crackers]

No Cracker Jack.  Screaming Yellow Zonkers. 

oh yeah. and Fiddle Faddle too. blech.

[Meaghan]

We still eat Poppycock, though, right?

This is how my Mormon friends enjoy poppycock.

[giant shrimp]

i don't think it is manufactured any longer, but it is hard to imagine that there is anything out there today like bonomo's turkish taffee. the bars came in chocolate, vanilla, strawberry and banana, and i collected all of them. for a variation, you could freeze them and then smack them in their wrapper flat on the table and they would turn into dozens of pieces and shards.

what did they call the giant sugar daddies. when you worked on them long enough, you could start stretching the caramel. and there was a version covered in chocolate.

i remember chocolate bubble gum, tiny brightly colored sugar dots on paper that typically would peel off the roll with some of the paper attached, giant charm lollipops, which were as hard as your teeth if you started chewing on them -- a mixed bag.

my mother-in-law banned wax lips because they would give you cancer. which in a child's eyes made them all the more desirable.

red-tipped candy cigarettes were a bit of a disappointment when you stopped smoking and decided to eat them. licorice pipes were tasty, especially the pink (?) tobacco.

few children will have the adult sensation of feeling a crown pulled up by a hard caramel. i try to stay away from these things because i really don't want to become one of my dentist's best friends.

and i still remember the television commercial with choo-choo charlie plugging good and plenty. they really don't make them like that anymore.

[Camille-Beau]

Quisp cereal Edited October 12, 2005 by Camille-Beau

[clayrae]

i didnt look up any of the products mentioned here, and ive never ordered from this site, but im always facinated by what they offer:

The Hard To Find Grocer at Hometown Favorites

http://www.hometownfavorites.com/shop/htfg.asp

They carry products that are still manufactured, but that may be in limited supply or only available in certain geographic areas.

Ok i just looked it up, they do carry Quaker Quisp cereal...

oh, and Big League Chew

Edited October 12, 2005 by clayrae

[Heather]

i didnt look up any of the products mentioned here, and ive never ordered from this site, but im always facinated by what they offer:

The Hard To Find Grocer at Hometown Favorites

http://www.hometownfavorites.com/shop/htfg.asp

Thanks for the link. No Mr Mustard, oh well.

[squidsdc]

Quisp cereal

(I always preferred Quake myself)

[Pete]

Count Chocula tastes every bit as good today as it did when I was a kid. The only difference is that nobody can stop me from eating it for dinner!

My absolute, favorite drink growing up was Hi-C Citrus Cooler, which looks like something that leaked from a nuclear power plant. The only good thing about getting sick when I was a kid was that my mother would take pity on me and pick up a few cans of the stuff. They eventually re-named it Ecto-Cooler, but I haven't seen it in years.

[Meaghan]

My absolute, favorite drink growing up was Hi-C Citrus Cooler, which looks like something that leaked from a nuclear power plant. The only good thing about getting sick when I was a kid was that my mother would take pity on me and pick up a few cans of the stuff. They eventually re-named it Ecto-Cooler, but I haven't seen it in years.  

What about Hi-C's Ecto Cooler, insprired by The Ghostbusters? I loved The Ghostbusters!

Edited October 13, 2005 by Meaghan

[jm chen]

The Hard To Find Grocer at Hometown Favorites

http://www.hometownfavorites.com/shop/htfg.asp

Damn, no Fruit Brute.

[Camille-Beau]

Space Food Sticks

[Meaghan]

Way, way, way too old to eat this. (I'm vomiting ----->>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

[Heather]

Corn dogs. Bleah.