Top 10 Awesome Nostalgic Foods We Want Back

Required Eating

Posted by Erin Zimmer, April 16, 2008 at 9:45 AM

What are your favorite snacks of yesteryear that don't make the grocery shelf cut anymore? They probably wouldn't survive a transfat ban and they'd make healthy-school-lunch lobbyists wince, but gee whiz, we can't help the way we feel. Here's to gushing over the landmark snacks of the 1970s, '80s, and '90s—inspired by a Talk thread from last week.

10. Crystal Pepsi

For only one glorious year ('92 to '93) was it possible to let that un-brown, caffeineless cola touch our lips. Purity, clarity, and see-through unbelievability made this a breakthrough soda, even if it was still crammed with phosphoric and citric acids. Saturday Night Live took the concept to another, more carnivorous level with Crystal Gravy. When viewed today, the commercial for Crystal Pepsi is almost indistinguishable from such parody:

Link: Crystal Pepsi 1992 [YouTube]

9. Keebler Tato Skins

A beloved portable version of the bar food mainstay, these haven't been spotted since the late '90s, but their classic commercial is still out there. Showing us around the fantastical 'tato-skin-making factory, the ominous narrator repeats three times, "the potatoes are REAL." Do we sense some overcompensating? How real, Keebler? The closest replacements these days are T.G.I.Friday's Potato Skins, but who wants them if they're not made by mini elves with mini spud peelers?

Link: 1980's Keebler Tato Skins Commercial [YouTube]

8. Gatorade Gum

GatorGum, like its liquid sister, attempted to "quench thirst." Non-jocks were apparently allowed to chew it, too. More sour than your average wad of chicle, the lemon-lime and orange chewiness made the mouth pucker—and almost swallow the darn thing. It was just that good.

7. Thomas' Date Nut Loaf

So missed, they've made the Thomas brand's homepage on the FAQ list. The bread officials answer, "No, it was discontinued some time ago." But rumor has it they've resurfaced on grocery shelves between Thanksgiving and New Year's. Those in really desperate states should try this B&M brand brown raisin bread. (Yes, bread from a can!)

6. McDonald's FRIED Apple Pies

In 1992, some McFool decided these should be baked instead of fried, hence a companywide transition. But wait: Certain oddball Mickey D's locations at Wal-Mart stores, airports, and various overseas branches still have them. Since these holy spots are too cramped to fit ovens, they can't sell the baked doosies! Only the fried, cinnamon-dusted nostalgia.

5. Ecto Cooler

Was it the ectoplasmy shade of green or Slimer's possessed face that make us miss these juice boxes so? The Ecto Cooler went so well with peanut butter sandwiches, barbecued chicken, chocolate cake, Chinese food, anything. Lasting for two decades, Minute Maid finally yanked them in 2001, replacing them with some lame Shoutin' Orange Tangergreen flavor.

Link: Ecto Cooler! [YouTube]

4. Keebler's Magic Middles

Dome-shaped cookies magically injected with chocolate goo. How did they do it? Well, little elves have little hands, naturally. Nothing gluten-free, organic, or low-carb about them. Ah, the late '80s. Maybe we should start an anti-environmental campaign and burn down Keebler elf trees until they bring them back?

Link: 1989 Keebler Magic Middles [YouTube]

3. Hostess Pudding Pie

Little Debbie is trying really hard to fill this gap, but who is that curly redhead kidding? Nobody wants the syrupy cherry filling, we want the tapioca-like creaminess! According to one RoadFood forum, the pies have cropped up at wayward convenience stores in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, and New Hampshire. Road trip, anyone?

Link: Classic 1980's Hostess Pudding Pie Commercial [YouTube]

2. Ninja Turtle Foods

The anthropomorphic reptiles had time to battle petty crimes and alien intruders—and to develop their own line of foods. Everything from a frosted Chex-like cereal with ninja-inspired marshmallows to Pizza Crunchabungas (vaguely pizza-flavored corn snacks) to themed Hostess Pudding Pies (see above, then multiply by a green sugary crust). Secret ingredient? Sewer gunk.

Link: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Cereal Commercial [YouTube]

1. C3P0s Cereal

Yet another cereal inspired by a film, which usually means lazily throwing in a few marshmallows abstractly reminiscent of the character's head and—bam!—rush to get them on the shelves before the film loses mass appeal. Not so with this one. The Honeycomb-ish o's actually tasted good! Kids love 'em... and aliens love 'em too, yay! And they'd probably sell just fine today to man-child fanboys.

Link: Kellogg's C3POs Cereal [YouTube]

About the author: Erin Zimmer, our Washington, D.C., correspondent, is a new media analyst and frequently writes for Washingtonian, DCist, and other local publications. While Georgetown's food columnist, she investigated the cafeteria's omelet station, Hoya coffeeshop's cultish pumpkin muffins, and what exactly the basketball players ate.

86 Comments | Tags: nostalgia, retro

86 Comments:

My high school was a test market for Crystal Pepsi. I never really liked the stuff, buy I had one friend who had to have it every single day. I really do miss the fried apple pies though, they just seemed to taste better. I think Hardee's fries their apple pies, so if you're hankering for a fried apple pie, that may be the place to go (I could be wrong though).

feep at 9:57PM on 04/15/08

I totally agree with the Tater Skins chips and the magic middle cookies, both by Keebler. Loved those.
What I haven't seen in years but loved as a child, are pudding pops. Remember the ads with Bill Cosby. Maybe they're still made, but I can't find them, I loved the swirled ones the most. I once found a recipe and made some, but they just weren't quite the same (though pretty tasty).

aprille at 10:03PM on 04/15/08

Does anyone else remember Frank 'n Stuffs, those hotdogs that had chili in the middle? or the ones with cheese inside? My brother always wanted them, but my mom said the chili was actually canned dog food.

beth1 at 10:16PM on 04/15/08

Pudding pops were the bomb!

I can't believe they made Ecto Cooler until 2001. We had a family friend who ALWAYS had some form of Hi-C in her fridge and Ecto Plasm was one of them. I figured EP faded out sometime in the 90s!

AuntJone at 10:18PM on 04/15/08

I'm not sure if they discontinued these chips, but I definitely don't see them anymore around me, but I used to really like the Doritos 3D's...

Joseph Bayot at 10:42PM on 04/15/08

I'm pregnant and unfortunately craving all things carb-o-licious and bad for me. JUST YESTERDAY I wanted a tato skin. For real. Man oh man.

Confabulation at 12:31AM on 04/16/08

Magic middles! Wow. Those were the best. Now I want some.

brandi at 12:43AM on 04/16/08

You ABSOLUTELY need a motherfudger like animated Einstein to make some magic middles. Fudgin' good casting. Fudgin' a.

bvllets at 2:12AM on 04/16/08

Magic middles were definitely the bomb. Does anyone else remember the s'mores cookies that were sold in the red wrapper that you could pop into the microwave and have s'mores anywhere? Oh, how I miss those.

TodayIsTomorrow at 2:29AM on 04/16/08

Man, to this day I crave a candy bar called a "Powerhouse" and I miss "Ski" soda.

They also need to bring back "Spacesticks". Those things NEVER filled you up~

Hunnyoil at 3:21AM on 04/16/08

I have a funny story about the microwave s'mores. My son was like five back then and he put one in my grandmother's microwave. Instead of zapping the thing for 30 seconds, yup, he zapped it for 30 minutes. He wasn't near it by the time the s'more caught fire, thank heavens! But Nana needed a new microwave after that.

Calichef at 3:55AM on 04/16/08

Gosh - look at all these snacks! I remember Crystal Pepsi having a nasty aftertaste, but I still drank it because it was so "cool" looking. Magic Middles...those cookies were AWESOME! And, those Tato Skins - so good. The ones that are made by T.G.I. Friday's pale in comparison. I really wanted to try the Hostess Ninja Turtle pie, but my mom said it wasn't natural looking...I wanted some green covered pudding, dang it!

If you go to Hometown Favorites, you may find some foods that you may not be able to get locally....not Magic Middles, unfortunately!

http://www.hometownfavorites.com

fatitalianbroad at 7:03AM on 04/16/08

ok I'll be honest the only thing on that list I remember vagely is the crystal Pepsi, but even that is a maybe. I feel old now:( does anyone remember pepsi free the first version of diet pepsi with lemon, I think it came out in the late 70 early 80's it was much better than the new version, or maybe thats just me being old and cranky ;)

huney_bumper at 7:11AM on 04/16/08

What? McD doesn't fry their apple pies anymore? I haven't had one in many, many years, but those were pretty awesome.

Just the other day, my husband was talking about C3PO cereal...he had all of those 80s fun cereals. We just had Life. Once in a while, we had Cookie Crisp, but I hated those. Didn't the Ewoks have something too?

Do they still make hot dogs weiners with cheese interspersed?

Cassaendra at 7:34AM on 04/16/08

Does anyone remember O'Boises Chips? They were awesome! Super salty and full of bubbles. I wish they would bring those back.

Tres2006 at 8:50AM on 04/16/08

I had totally forgotten about Magic Middles!! But I will NEVER forget about Ecto-Cooler and that magic elixir of Crystal Clear Pepsi. As a I child, I drank Crystal Clear Pepsi through a straw shaped into glasses that sat on your face. I can't decide if that is incredibly lame or just really really incredibly awesome.

mstrickland at 9:28AM on 04/16/08

My roommate and I had a serious discussion last night about how we could make some kickin' mixed drinks with Crystal Pepsi.... like banana rum and CP. AMAZING.

Hostess Pudding Pies were amazing. I still love the fruit filled ones... even if I only eat one every 3 years...

modysoul at 9:44AM on 04/16/08

TGI Fridays is making the Tato Skins these days:
http://snacks.cyberpunks.org/tgifridays-potatoskins.html
For some reason, I can get them at the gas station, but not at the grocery store...

I would like to see Burger King bring back those mini cheeseburgers. It must have been in the mid-80's. There were three or four little cheeseburgers per package. And as we all know: miniature == awesome!

mrecord at 9:53AM on 04/16/08

I was kind of surprised to see the pudding pies on the list. I never knew they were discontinued because around here you can pick them up at every grocery store.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/evilchefmom/2333721396

http://www.flickr.com/photos/evilchefmom/2332892935

http://www.flickr.com/photos/evilchefmom/2332895725

evilchefmom at 10:00AM on 04/16/08

I loved Gatorgum. I was just thinking about it the other day. Yum.

lisambb at 10:00AM on 04/16/08

I never liked pop, but I did like the Hi-C ECTO cooler!!!

HelloChris at 10:09AM on 04/16/08

the only thing thats not on this list that should be are those s'mores cookies that you popped in the microwave and the marshmallow would puff up. I need those in my life. Does anyone remember what they were called. I want to at least find the commercial on youtube.

sweetsneats at 10:13AM on 04/16/08

I remember when Crystal Pepsi first came out, it basically tasted like regular Pepsi, minus the caramel coloring. Then some time afterward they totally changed the formula to be more like a lemon-lime drink, and then after that it died. I like the first incarnation, just for the "doesn't taste like you would expect" factor.

Does any else remember OK Soda? Maybe it was just test marketed where I was living (Denver, CO area) but it was another wildly popular flash-in-the-pan. I remember getting a can that had a hat inside. Loved that hat until I lost it. Very sad...

rheogs at 10:29AM on 04/16/08

I LOVED O'Boises! Same goes for Tato Skins and Ecto-Cooler (I drank it every day with lunch for like two years straight, then I got tired of it) and McD's FRIED apple pies. I grew up vegetarian so when my family went to McDonald's (against our parents' will; my brother and I *insisted* we go there because all our other friends ate there), we would get french fries, Cokes, and FRIED apple pies. Man those pies were good. The baked ones they make these days suck.

charm city cupcake at 10:36AM on 04/16/08

I miss the fried cherry pies from McDonalds. What did I ever do to deserve them taking those away?

orinky at 10:45AM on 04/16/08

Keebler's Tato Skins, while certainly noble in their own right, cannot even begin to stack up to the magical goodness of Keebler's Cinnamon Crispana Chachos.

DJ Dedd at 10:45AM on 04/16/08

Whenever a question like this comes up, I find myself wondering what happened to my favorite childhood treat: Doo Dads. They looked an awful lot like Chex Mix -- same cereal pieces plus pretzels, cheese crackers, and peanuts -- but (and this may be the distorted memory of my youth) much, much tastier. Does anyone remember them besides me? Were they a midwest thing? I haven't seen them in years.

RickO at 10:53AM on 04/16/08

I would like to know what I ever did to Carnation that warrants them discontinuing the Instant Breakfast Bar. My roommate and I lived on the Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip and Peanut Butter Crunch flavors in college. I want them back. Waaaaahhhhh.

FoodPorncess at 11:08AM on 04/16/08

please, please bring back Mr. Salty pretzel sticks. i'm lonely without him.

pcullie at 11:17AM on 04/16/08

What about the MARATHON BAR? The candy bar, not the newfangled energy bar. It was my childhood pick when I found change in the couch.

nantaylor at 11:33AM on 04/16/08

I miss pudding pops, Eagle snacks (made by Anheuser Busch in the 80's), and those french fries that you could microwave but they would turn out cripy because each fry was in a little foil "apartment" box.

Hunnyoil, they still make Ski soda. It was bought out by Coca-Cola I think, but it's still available in the St. Louis area and sometimes in the Nashville area.

Emsev333 at 11:35AM on 04/16/08

What - no FRIED pies at McD's and no more Hostess puddin' Pies ??? Not that I would eat those anymore, but I can't believe they are gone. they were good back in the day!

GingerSnap at 12:00PM on 04/16/08

My mom and I were just discussing the other day how much we miss McD's fried apple pies. What were they THINKING? Who was the marketing guru who decided to draw the health line at frying pies? "Burgers with fillers and fat from cows pumped full of antibiotics and growth hormones? No problem. Beef extracts in the McNuggets? Fine. Flavoring agents in the fries? Great. Fried apple pies? Not health conscious at all...bake them!" I feel a road trip to a still-fried apple pie in my near future.

vinovamp at 12:15PM on 04/16/08

O'boisies are O'boisterous, they're bubbly, crackly, roisterous!

I miss eagle snacks, too. Their chips were so thin and crispy, but not greasy. Perfect to smash up and sprinkle over cottage cheese.

Jello pudding pops were discontinued for a while, but seriously, THEY ARE BACK. I buy them. And eat them.

Also one more vote for ecto cooler. Does anyone know what it was really supposed to taste like? What fruit was that flavor supposed to represent? Guava, maybe?

Kerosena at 12:16PM on 04/16/08

For all of you who miss the fried apple pies - VISIT Puerto Rico.... where the apple pies at both McD and BK are FRIED!!!! KFC used to have them fried too, but I have not been there in ages... we need the tourism dollars!!!!

MadelynRodriguez at 1:46PM on 04/16/08

C3PO's were a wonderful cereal. They are truly missed.

worldcupfever at 1:54PM on 04/16/08

Wow! I was reading this, thinking "When I was in like 7th grade, my favorite thing in the world was those Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle pudding pies. I'm going to comment!" and then, there they were. So awful and fake and gooey and delicious...

lo82070 at 2:35PM on 04/16/08

I also miss Smurf Berry Cereal. I completely forgot about those microwavable smores, but I loved those things too. I will keep my eye out for pudding pops! I could find them in Missouri and I haven't seen them in California yet.

aprille at 3:04PM on 04/16/08

Hydrox!

omnivore at 3:29PM on 04/16/08

Ninja Turtle pudding pies! And by the way, the new Miller Chill tastes basically exactly the same as Ecto-Cooler, except fizzy and alcoholic. It's really weird. I went to a beer festival in NYC that had it, and when I asked the woman behind the Miller table if she'd ever had Ecto-Cooler, she game me a really aggravated nod- must get that a lot.

DanielJ at 4:23PM on 04/16/08

What! No Cornquistos? Crunchy corn tubes prefilled with something much like aerosol cheese! They are missed.

StatelyWayneManor at 5:15PM on 04/16/08

I'll second the call for Carnation to bring back the Instant Breakfast Bars. I also miss Rondo, a citrusy soda in a yellow can.

Alex Gordon at 5:49PM on 04/16/08

I also miss those salads in a cup that McD's had. Those things were great!! Add your dressing, put the lid on, shake it up and eat it out of the cup.

BRING EM' BACK RONALD!!

Hunnyoil at 7:32PM on 04/16/08

Ya'all covered just about everything I'd want to discuss... except PB Maxx. I'd kill for one of those! Maybe with a tasty New York Seltzer to wash it down.

The Burger King mini burgers were called Burger Buddies. And they ruled. So did KFC Chicken Littles.

It's a miracle I'm not 500 pounds

adrockuw at 9:35PM on 04/16/08

They actually still sell Tato Skins. You can buy them at Meijer... at least in Indiana. =)

piphiangel at 9:57PM on 04/16/08

cookies and cream twix anyone?

rrakes at 10:12PM on 04/16/08

I remember those, rrakes, but don't remember being very impressed. Original Twix is delicious, though.

Fried pie lovers, you can still get the goods at Popeye's. Cherry folks are sol, as far as I know.

And Ecto Cooler, I believe is the same as the new tangogreen or whatever flavor. It's just that kids these days don't know who Slimer is or what Ecto Cooler means.

I swear I've had Tato Skins in the last year or two, from a vending machines. Maybe I was dreaming.

renzata at 10:33PM on 04/16/08

I completely forgot about Gatorade gum, but the taste memory immediately came back.

Miller Clear > Pepsi Clear

cooksultant at 2:16AM on 04/17/08

We can get the Pudding Pops here again. I re-discovered them last summer and was THRILLED!!

I miss Tato Skins, the fried MickeyD cherry & apple pies & those microwaved s'mores. I loved those things!

Erinay77 at 2:42AM on 04/17/08

I really really miss "Crunch Taters"..those extra super so-crispy-they-almost-make-you-chip-a-tooth potato doohickeys that came in BBQ and (most awesome) jalapeno flavors...YUM!

monicalups at 6:42AM on 04/17/08

A friend of mine who worked at BK when those Burger Buddies were around hated to make those. They had to throw out the bread if they broke, since they had to be served connected. The connections were quite fragile. They probably discontinued it because of the waste. lol

Cassaendra at 8:25AM on 04/17/08

For the record, the TGIFridays's potato skins are manufactured by the same company that manufactured the original Tato Skins, Poore Brothers, Inc.

And you can still get all the original flavors as Tato Skins as well:

http://www.inventuregroup.net/Tato-Skins.asp

So they really are the same thing.

pspmikek at 11:15AM on 04/17/08

One more thing, for those who miss Smurfberry Crunch, the new Barbie cereal is smurfberry crunch with Marshmallows.

The two I miss the most is the BLT Taco from Taco Bell and the Taco Pizza from Pizza Hut.

With the Taco Pizza, the lettuce, tomato and cheese came separate (cold) and you put it together at home. MMMMmmm.

pspmikek at 11:26AM on 04/17/08

Emsev333 those fries in the box were so good... what happened to those? they were so crispy and delicious!

I also loved Gatorade gum and most importantly crystal pepsi, I remember riding my bike to the convenience store and getting it with my brother, only to have him beat me up and drink it all himself.. but whatever.. the memory is still there

blondebrdr15 at 11:30AM on 04/17/08

What I miss is Jello 123...

cjmacyogi at 12:32PM on 04/17/08

Yes, there are hotdogs with cheese. They are in the fancier hotdog section near the bratwurst and polish sausages. I had them on a camping trip last year, roasted over the fire. They were oh so good!
I miss Hershey's cookies 'n mint. That was my favorite candy bar when my mom let me pick one out at the grocery store. Pretty much everything I used to like they still make, but perhaps they just don't taste the same as when I was a kid. I could buy Zingers and Snoballs if I want, but the price is so overinflated nowadays that I won't!

misseditor at 2:12PM on 04/17/08

"Smurfberry crunch is fun to eat, a fruity smurfy breakfast treat!"

Kerosena at 2:40PM on 04/17/08

Remember the Strawberry Twinkies from the late 80's? Just a regular Twinkie with this supersweet, bright red strawberry goo added. They didn't seem to last very long, sadly.

Honey Comb at 3:04PM on 04/17/08

When I saw the title of this thread, the first thing I thought of was Crystal Clear Pepsi! So glad its on here. I remember going to a vending machine and pressing the button for a CCP, but instead getting a Dr Pepper... That's how I found out that it had been discontinued.

pbisNOTmyname at 10:08AM on 04/18/08

Strawberry pound cake from Sara Lee!

cochon at 10:31AM on 04/18/08

tropical sprite remix.
kidding.
i make my own version now with regular sprite.....and mango rum O:-)

machellebelle at 10:57AM on 04/18/08

omg yes cjmacyogi!!! Jello 123!
I know you can make it at home to be similar, but it is just not the same!
My sis has 1 box left in her cupboard that she swears she will never use, only look at, forever!

sadiepix at 3:09PM on 04/18/08

Fresca with cyclamate! Yummy! (but cancerous)

dannyp at 4:46PM on 04/18/08

What about Planter's Cheese Balls. Am I the only one?

guyfromfl at 7:08PM on 04/18/08

Jello Pudding Pops! I definitely miss those, and Ecto-Cooler.
I also miss the Monterey jack Doritos, and the 3-D ones.

Also, for some reason, I really liked the weird tacos that Burger King sold for a while. They were incredibly greasy, but pretty damn delicious.

heathercore at 10:30AM on 04/19/08

I miss Planters cheese balls too, I remember when they were discontinued and someone called to let us know they had them at Big Lots, and I think we bought every can they had...

I think they still sell the Frankenstuffs with the cheese filling, but I miss the chili ones. My parents thought they were absolutely disgusting, but my sister and I loved them. You had to cook them very carefully so that the sides didn't split resulting in a chili leak, because our favorite way to eat them was to bite the very tip and suck the chili out.

I miss the McDLT, it was such a thrill to have crispy lettuce and cool tomato as opposed to the normal slimy warm mess that happens with fast food burgers.

I also loved Croonchy Stars Swedish chef cereal, but I knew it was too good to last!

stonechiper at 11:12AM on 04/19/08

Ecto Cooler came back a year or two ago as "Crazy Citrus Cooler".

grahams at 11:39AM on 04/19/08

I totally forgot about Jello Pudding Pops! Those were great!

Tres2006 at 1:08PM on 04/19/08

The pudding pies are one of my earliest freak out food memory...diabetic now so i wont be grabbing them anytime soon :(

Thanks for the trip down memory lane!

strongpot at 11:01PM on 04/19/08

ahhh crystal pepsi. summer of 1992, my family took a cross-country road trip and i found crystal pepsi in colorado. i made my poor parents buy 2 cases of it to haul home to my friends in crystal pepsi-less wisconsin. man was i cool that summer.

samedog at 2:08PM on 04/20/08

@Honeyoil
Ski is still around where my parents live (metro St Louis) when I go home my dad always has a case of Ski in re-fillable bottles. He and I will go through 24 in about 2 days.

coolname at 9:42PM on 04/20/08

Chachos- that commercial made me laugh so hard
Cheesy quesadilla
Cinnamon Crispana
then in deep base that always made my sides split
Restaurant Style Original

coolname at 9:52PM on 04/20/08

bring back jell-o pudding pops! and those regular fruity jell-o popsicles too!

becomingchloe at 9:56AM on 04/21/08

the only one I'm with you on is tato skins. Anyone remember Boppers though? They were cigar-like with a sweet PB filling and a chocolate and nut coating. Now those were awesome!

Gizmosma at 10:04AM on 04/21/08

Strawberry twinkies were awesome. I would LOVE to have those back.

worldcupfever at 10:41AM on 04/21/08

Doritos Taco Bell Taco Supreme corn chips (I swear you could taste the lettuce)

Texas Best BBQ Sauce (originally only available at my local Hickory Farms, once it finally reached supermarket shelves they stopped making it).

KFC Chicken Littles (way better than the Snackers)

elswinger at 1:31PM on 04/21/08

Magic Middles!!!

My dad is diabetic and they are some of the only cookies my mom would let in the house because they were small...I used to bite them in half to look at the chocolate filling =)

akk328 at 1:32PM on 04/21/08

I'll bet the fried apple pies were discontinued for legal reasons. If you took a bite of one of those things right out of the fry-o-lator second degree burns were a real possibility. The outside would be cool enough to touch but the filling was molten high fructose corn syrup.

RI Swampyankee at 2:25PM on 04/21/08

Im from England and we didnt get most of those things here. We do have microwave chips in the little grids like you were saying and theyre everywhere but one thing i miss, which i know u guys still ave but have been banned over here, are Luck Charms cereal. They were AMAZING! I can buy them in Selfridges (a really really posh department store) but theyre imports and its £7 a box!!! thats about $15!!! needless to say I cant afford that!

bananapolo at 5:54PM on 04/21/08

The elimination of MacDonald's fried apple pies can be added to the list of insane "politically correct" changes in the fast food industry over the last 20 years. Gone, is the great taste of their french fries, hamburgers, KFC's chicken, etc.
As far as soda, such as Coke and Pepsi, corporate greed has eliminated their once-great tastes because the corn syrup they now use in the product is cheaper than the pure sugar cane that was formally used.
As far as nostalgic foods, back in the 70's I used to love the little mini-pizzas that were fully encased in pizza crust that you pop into the toaster.....Delicious!! Forgot who put them out.

pizcajj at 5:56PM on 04/21/08

Hiya,
You can get Pudding Pops at Meijers here in the midwest.! Now if only they could bring back Magic Middles....my hubby has been hearing about my cravings for them for years now!

schindoe at 10:41PM on 04/21/08

I must admit that i remeber almost all of these foods, but honestly don't miss any of them! Charlie Chips in the can delivered to your front door was THE BEST. Thye may be available some places, but they are definitely not the same chip. they are not any good anymore. That is my reminiscence.

alpurv at 10:03AM on 04/22/08

Sunshine Hydroxy Cookies! They were much better than Oreos for me. Well, OK ... maybe my palate has changed, and but now I will never know. I would still love to get my hands on some of those cookies. I haven't been able to find them in eons. Probably too many dreaded trans-fats. Such a bummer ...

lindy123 at 9:11PM on 04/22/08

Does anyone remember the Golden Grahams cereal that had the little marshmallows and chocolate pieces in it -- smore-ie goodness!!
Smore's Crunch!!

Also:
tan m&ms
Fruitstripes gum - but only for a minute
Dunkaroos
Heinz(?) purple and green ketchup -- eww
Jolt
Kraft Macaroni & Cheese popcorn cheese topping (powder)
Garbage Pail Kids bubble gum / cards
McD's salad shakers
Little Ceaser's Pizza - Crazy Bread!!
Purplesaurus Rex Kool Aid
Domino's Bubble Gum Pizza
Otto Pops
Koala Yummies
Undercover Bears

God I miss these!!!
Pop Quiz Popcorn!!

sable42 at 1:52AM on 04/24/08

Had to join up just to add this comment: I totally miss Fizzies, the fruity tablets that you dropped in cold water to make instant carbonated beverages. The chemists couldn't get it to work or taste quite the same after cyclamates were banned in 1969. Although is supposedly reformulated good as new in 2006. http://www.oldtimecandy.com/fizzies.htm

http://baribob.net

baribob at 11:06AM on 04/24/08

Does anyone remember the little potato chips that came in a box? They looked like little uninflated balloons. They were really crispy, and it seems like there was a hot air balloon on the box. They were always near the Bugles. They kind of tasted like Munchos. I have been thinking about these for years.

bahki21 at 12:17AM on 04/29/08

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