I’ll
be the first to admit that I have a fascination with nostalgia. Having grown up
in the 1960s, I can recall what it was like to view the introduction of new
products advertised on television and then saddened to see them go when
discontinued or replaced by another.
Recently
during a discussion with a younger colleague, I tried to describe “Fizzies,”
which were one of my favorite treats as a child. “Fizzies” were similar to Alka
Seltzer, effervescent candylike tablets that bubbled when put in a glass of
water.
Coming
in a variety of flavors, “Fizzies” could be found near packages of Kool-Aid in
the grocery store. My favorite flavor was root beer and it was an amazing sight
to watch the tablet dissolve before my own eyes and turn into soda pop without
the bottle or can.
Alas,
“Fizzies” soon fizzled out and were gone by the time I completed junior high
school before they were revived and discontinued several more times over the
years.
Another
product I enjoyed in my youth was a cereal called “Crispy Critters.” It was
sweetened oats made into the shape of animals like animal crackers and the
cereal box featured “Linus the Lionhearted,” who was the star of a Saturday
morning animated TV show.
Heavily
promoted by Post Cereals, “Crispy Critters” initially sold well, but faced
enormous competition and I stopped seeing it on supermarket shelves by the
early 1970s.
And
while I’m discussing cereal, when is the last time you could find Alpha Bits in
the store? It seems to have disappeared for good like so many other brands from
my childhood.
As
I got into college and started working, and being on a limited budget and
miniscule salary, fast food restaurants appealed to me because of economics.
One of my favorites was Taco Bell and at the time they offered a tasty item
called the “Bell Beefer” on its menu. It was seasoned hamburger meat on a bun
served up with diced onions, shredded lettuce, taco sauce and optional grated
cheese.
For
me, the “Bell Beefer” was akin to a sloppy joe and often paired with nachos on
late-night trips through the drive-through. Sometime in the mid-1980s, Taco
Bell dropped the “Bell Beefer” and the world seems a much lonelier place
without it.
As
a young reporter for the Albuquerque Journal newspaper in the late 1980s, I
worked evening shift from 2 to 11 p.m. and always ended up being sent to dinner
about 8 p.m. by my editors. When I didn’t brown bag my lunch, the only place
open near the newspaper plant was a Wendy’s less a half-mile from there.
I
rapidly became a huge fan of Wendy’s “Build Your Own Salad Bar,” which included
every salad item known to modern man and a “Build Your Own Taco Bar.” For just
$2.99, I could satisfy my hunger and I’d be remiss to not mention the heaping
bowls of chocolate pudding for dessert included at Wendy’s with the “Build Your
Own Salad Bar.”
But
alas, like many other food trends of years past, Wendy’s phased out the “Build
Your Own Salad Bar” and by the time I became an editor myself in 2007, they
were gone for good.
Lastly,
those who know me well are also aware of my sweet tooth and inability to pass
up candy.
Two
personal favorites of mine from childhood, “Turkish Taffy” and “Chick-O-Sticks,”
appear to have vanished from the candy selection in modern stores.
At
a price of just 5 cents, “Turkish Taffy” was a slab of gooey chewy delight that
defied eating all in one setting. Banana was my favorite flavor, but I
challenge you to find “Turkish Taffy” anywhere today other than in the
nostalgia candy offered in the gift shop at Cracker Barrel.
“Chick-O-Sticks”
was a crunchy spear-shaped mixture that indulged my affinity for peanut butter
and coconut and usually required me to brush my teeth afterward to remove
crunchy after-bits that clung to my molars like there was no tomorrow. Like
“Turkish Taffy,” I believe “Chick-O-Sticks” can only be found today in vintage candy
sections.
And
my wife frequently reminds me she thinks I’m the only human left alive who
still buys candy “Circus Peanuts” when I see them at the store.
Like
they say, all good things eventually come to an end, but memories do indeed
last a lifetime. Nostalgia sure isn’t what it used to be. <
—Ed Pierce
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