3 Snacks That Remind Me of My Childhood
Food and Memory
Certain foods have a way of becoming associated with memories.
When I pass a certain product in the local Safeway, I sometimes think back to a time when I ate the particular item. Some foods remind me of where I was sitting, who I was speaking with, and what was going on in my life at the time.
Three particular food items take me back to my childhood, growing up in Victoria, BC, Canada.
PB On Celery Sticks
PB is the shorthand term for peanut butter. As a little girl, I remember my mom serving me dishes of chopped celery sticks with peanut butter smoothed along the ridges. I made the snack for myself today and realized I hadn't tasted this combination in years.
I noticed the slippery way that the peanut butter slid along the juicy celery sticks. I thought of my mom making the snack for me as a little girl in our kitchen lined with red bricks on the walls. I loved peanut butter. Sometimes I just ate a cup of peanut butter with a spoon as a snack.
Peanut butter is still one of my favorite foods today.
Ding Dongs
Ah yes, another snack that reminds me of my childhood is the Hostess Ding Dong. As a child, I thought it was such a treat to eat the snack cakes that were individually wrapped in foil; I bit into the chocolate coating to reveal the white creamy filling.
My mom didn't often buy them growing up, so when I was offered one I did not decline. When she pulled out the white box from the grocery bag there was no mistaking my smile. I knew I would get at least one from the box.
I remember eating a Ding Dong while standing on roller-skates in the carport of my family's home. I was taking a break from the skating; roller blades were not yet on the market. I was surrounded by neighbourhood girls who were sharing in the fun activity with me.
Funny that while I remember clearly eating the snack cake, I do not recall if they were also eating the treats. I suppose I was content on my own snack and the sweet taste! Chocolate is still a favourite food of mine.
Oh, the Wagon Wheel!
Wagon Wheels
I remember Wagon Wheels! I recently bought a box. Yes, they are still in the grocery stores! Wagon Wheels are round chocolate-coated biscuits that are thinner than Ding Dongs and have marshmallow inside rather than a whipped creamy substance.
When I was in Elementary School, my mom often packed a Wagon Wheel into my pink Rainbow Brite cloth lunch bag. I remember that the snack was often crushed when I went to open the white package that protected the treat. Despite the crushed chocolate exterior, I still ate the snack. Hey, the cracked appearance didn't hurt the taste!
Today, Wagon Wheels have undergone a bit of a transformation appearance-wise. The packaging is now a clear wrapper rather than a white one. As well, the chocolate shell seems sturdier as it doesn't crack as easily in transport. Eating the snack brought back memories for me and was still a tasty food to tide me over until dinnertime.
Food
Food is more than just a combination of ingredients whisked together or a particular boxed product purchased from the grocery store shelf. Snack foods can hold memories of times we consumed the products. The memories may not always be pleasurable either. These three snack foods remind me of happy memories during my childhood. I enjoyed eating the foods even now as an adult.
More About Food
- The Connection Between Chocolate And The Holidays
Chocolate is often associated with the holidays. The word - Don't Eat The M&Ms Ear Buds!
And so the fun begins... I take a closer look at the candy, er, ahem, I mean the packaging. I'm so glad the M&M's company notified me not to eat the package! I was tempted until I read the line: Not Candy!