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Childhood Food Memories - Part One
The other night, during our usual post-dinner conversation time, my husband and I discussed our favorite foods from childhood. Oh, how I'd love to taste Mom's pot roast again! And Grandma's kotlety (pork burgers), sour cream potato salad, and spaghetti and meatballs!
In addition to home-cooking, we talked about the commercially prepared products we grew up eating. Take canned pasta, for example. I would only eat Franco American Spaghettios with mini meatballs, and Raviolos. They were one of my favorite lunches, and I was only allowed to have them once every week or two. Neal liked Chef Boyardee Beefaroni, but he wasn't as picky as me about canned pasta. I tried a can of Spaghettios (now Campbell's) a few years back, out of nostalgia, and was revolted. The sauce was thicker and had an unpleasant unctuousness. One spoonful was enough; the remainder went into the trash. I am afraid to try Raviolos. Forget the rest of that stuff!
In the snack food category, we both loved original and Nacho Cheese Doritos when they first came out in the 70s. Then came more flavors and suddenly, there was too much seasoning on them for our palates. Perhaps we can chalk that up to
I also had an unnatural fondness for Frito-Lay Funyuns. When I was very young, my mother made sandwiches of imported ham, iceberg lettuce, and Kraft Thousand Island dressing on rye (We ate everything on rye bread. White bread was for toasting only and was referred to, derogatorily, as wata [cotton balls].) for me and my grandmother, who was recovering from a stroke. She served Funyuns on the side. They are now inextricably linked to memories of sitting on the side of Grandma's bed and wondering when she would be able to get up and play with me again.
Bugles were another favorite, and I do still eat them on occasion. I don't think they've changed at all, but they are perhaps a little saltier than memory.
Our favorite childhood potato chips were Utz plain. Mom and I liked to eat them with vanilla ice cream, which Neal finds odd. (Maybe you do too.) He liked Utz Barbecue flavor, but I preferred the less-sweet, spicier, Wise BBQ chips. I haven't had the Wise chips since grade school, and I doubt they would be the same, but Utz chips are still crispy, golden, and delicious, and probably our current favorite plain chips. (Neal prefers the ridged type these days.) What about Pringles, you ask? I never did enjoy those fake, oversalted things (despite my love of Funyuns), but Neal will cop to liking them.
Today's kids have even more choices for salty snacking, most of which are over-seasoned for my tastes. And what's with the pre-made, multi-flavored Chex Mix? It's a far cry tastier when made at home; just omit the modern, egregious addtion of bagel chips, and use pretzel sticks instead of nuggets for an authentic taste of my childhood.
Original Chex Mix
1/4 cup Butter
1 1/4 teaspoons Seasoned salt
4 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 2/3 cups Corn Chex
2 2/3 cups Rice Chex
2 2/3 Wheat Chex
1 cup Salted mixed nuts
1 cup Pretzel sticks
Heat oven to 250°F. In ungreased large roasting pan, melt butter in oven. Stir in seasonings. Gradually stir in remaining ingredients until evenly coated.
Bake 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Spread on paper towels to cool, about 15 minutes. Store in airtight container.
4 comments:
Minx, we have similar junk food histories. I have many fond memories of Utz and ice cream, bugles, and my personal favorite...Fritos.
Oh, my...junk food. I still adore Utz cheese curls, but I almost never eat them anymore. We do occasionally indulge in the Utz Natural reduced fat potato chips.
I still make my own Chex mix, but I use a mixture of Smart Balance margarine and pure olive oil instead of butter to cut down on the saturated fat and cholesterol. I also use a mix of spices (chili powder, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and just a touch of cayenne and dry mustard) instead of season salt to cut down on the sodium, and when I make it for myself, I just use Chex - no pretzels etc. - because that's the best part, in my opinion.
Those pork burgers sound pretty good. Have the recipe?? I loved bugles, but always had a hard time with Fritos because the smell reminded me of my sister's smelly feet!! Now I think my dog's feet smell like Fritos. Sorry if I ruined them for anyone.
LOL Kristine! My dog's feet smell like Fritos too! (and grass)
I don't have a recipe for the pork burgers, nor have I attempted to make them. Knowing my grandma, they probably had a little bread and milk, salt and pepper, and possibly onions. They were crusty brown on the outside and pale on the inside, and she served them with a mess of fried onions. I probably should try to recreate them, huh?
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