Meme post

[cabenson]

coldbeer-I'm all about childhood anecdotes

I struggled with this one because there is so much to choose from. While trying to decide, I went to grab a snack and happened upon the gift my sister gave me this past Christmas- Candy from the 70's.

Candy was a vital part of my life in the 70's. Not only did it satisfy my sweet tooth, it brought about opportunity. See, I not only ate candy as a child...I sold it to my friends at a price just above market. I think it started in the 4th grade with cinnamon flavored toothpicks being sold 3 for a nickel. See, in Catholic school, during school hours, the only thing one should ever have in their mouth was the Holy Eucharist and your lunch. Cinnamon toothpicks could be broken into small pieces and sucked on until the flavor became, well, wooden, without much notice from the nuns.

As the candy companies started producing "fun" candy, kids started to be a little more brazen about eating it during school. It was always amusing to see the face of one of the guys start turning red as he tried to keep the mini-explosions of Pop Rocks quiet during a lecture on Self Control.


My sales involved Now and Laters. I would buy a pack of Cherry and Sour apple with what, maybe 7-8 pieces in each pack for 15 cents and sell the individual pieces for a nickle a piece.(Nickles were very big back in 1976). There was quite a bunch of us doing this-we even went to the grocery or Ben Franklin store before school to stock up.

As we got older, we bought candy not for profit, but for personal enjoyment. Pop Rocks, Bottle Caps, Zotz, and one of my favorites, Wonka's Everlasting Gobstoppers. Layers and layers of colors, never knowing what the center would be.

Candy bars were another favorite. During the summer, we lived at the park-softball in the morning, swimming pool the rest of the day. The concession stand at the pool sold frozen candy bars and I could usually be seen with a frozen Zero or Milkshake bar in my hand. Then came the Marathon Bar:


A lacy weaving of delicious caramel, covered in creamy milk chocolate and hawked on TV by The Duke's son. I was in love. I really wish they still made these.

We moved away the summer before my sopohmore year, but my love for candy remained. Our stepfather was the Candy Buyer for a local grocery chain and he attempted to win our affections by supplying a constant stream of goodies. Needless to say, I gained a few pounds during highschool.

As I grew older, my candy buying decreased as my wine buying increased. I have gained a greater appreciation for GOOD chocolate and have even ventured into odd chocolate pairings: Mrs CB even found a candy bar I have been wanting for a long time-two of my favorites, bacon and chocolate combined in one form:

Nowdays, a bottle of good red and some dark choclate fills my need for candy, but I may open up those Gobstoppers....

Comments

[charliesmum.livejournal.com]

OMG! I Totally forgot about that Milkshake candy bar! That and Marathon bar is sending me back to my summer days at the swimming club. We didn't have a snack bar, but there were vending machines, and once in awhile we were allowed to get a candy bar, and those two were among the choices. I can still feel the slightly clammy, wet cement under my bare feet as I stood, dripping, in front of the machine, coins in hand, debating on which sugary treat to get.

[cabenson.livejournal.com]

And the candy bars were bigger than they are now...
Sigh...good times.

[stargazer1960.livejournal.com]

My favorite treat at the swimming pool was 100,000 bars--crispies, caramel, and chocolate--the best.

[cabenson.livejournal.com]

I love those. Try and eat them frozen and break your teeth.

[kjaneway.livejournal.com]

Then came the Marathon Bar. A lacy weaving of delicious caramel, covered in creamy milk chocolate and hawked on TV by The Duke's son. I was in love. I really wish they still made these.

You know... that sounds decidedly like one of these: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curly_Wurly

...which are still readily available in UK.

[cabenson.livejournal.com]

I have seen those CW bars and been quite tempted...

[shaych-03.livejournal.com]

cinnamon toothpicks. oy, does that bring me back. i'm a child of the 70s as well, and i can clearly recall buying vials of cinnamon oil, flat toothpicks and always having a pocket full of quarters afterward LOL now and laters were okay, but for me, it was jolly ranchers... yum! :)

i still love sixlets LOL.

do you remember the suckers that were kind of powdery and shaped like flying saucers? i think they had some space oriented name...

[atfm.livejournal.com]

I adore popping candy, and I'm not amused that they're not selling it here. I had chocolate with bacon in it the other day, only very little though, but it was interesting.

That Marathon bar sounds awefully similar to the Curly Wurly. I don't suppose you get Cadbury candy over there?

http://picnic.ciao.com/de/4323644.jpg

[coldbeer.livejournal.com]

Hee! Best memepost ever - although I fear you may have woken up my sweet tooth! :)