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Tell Us: What Food Takes You Back to Your Childhood?

2008_08_19-campbellstomato.jpgAs we talk about getaways and the foods that remind us of vacation, we thought we'd contemplate an escape of a different kind — a little mental time traveling, if you will. What foods transport you back to being a kid? Read ours, below, and tell us yours...

 
 

For us, biscuits are high on the list. We helped a grandmother roll out and cut biscuits even before we were tall enough to reach the counter. Cream of Wheat is another one. And our dad used to make an ice cream topping with Oreos that he called Mississippi Mud. It involved the uber-complicated technique of pouring a few drops of very hot water on top of some Oreos, then microwaving them until they were soft and mashing them into a gooey, chocolate paste. We thought it was magic.

Sometimes foods remind us of childhood because they are kid-oriented dishes (mac and cheese, Jell-O squares). Other times, they take us back to a certain place, like a grandmother's garden or a specific kitchen.

Your turn: What foods or dishes take you back to being a kid?

Related: Readers' Favorite Sounds of the Kitchen

(Image: Andy Warhol's Campbell's Soup I: Tomato print, $99.99 at art.com)

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Inspiration, Surveys, escapes, childhood

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Comments (35)

Creamsicles, apple juice, sugus candies, white rabbit candies. Those are the only that come to mind just now.....

posted by Michelle of Montreal on 2008-08-19 11:55:16
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The way my grandmother makes macaroni and meatballs. Icing sugar and licking it off the savoury Greek shortcake biscuits she made for Easter. Barbecues with Dad, and stealing a sip of beer when he called us over to try some of the smaller pieces of lamb, steak and sausages he had cooked.
One favourite food as a kid was hot dogs. My brother and I would carefully cut the frankfurter sausage down the middle and squeeze Dijon mustard and ketcup into the split, then encase the sausage in a soft white hot dog bun and sometimes sprinkle with cheese.
My grandmother's 'doughnuts'. She would make them up in her downstairs kitchen with the huge Aga type oven. She would make these plop-in-the-pan doughballs in their hundreds, serve them in little green and brown plastic bowls and douse them with caster sugar

posted by AnaStasiaIRE on 2008-08-19 11:55:32
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Grits- which is weird because I grew up in RI.

posted by gillsnthrills on 2008-08-19 11:57:02
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spaghetti-os! my best friend's mom always gave that to us when I went to her house, along with peanut butter and green apples. Also I just found a recipe for banana pudding in an inherited cookbook from Southern Living...and I instantly remembered helping my mom line up the nilla wafers up the side of the bowl.

posted by aleec on 2008-08-19 12:35:20
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Tomato soup and grilled cheese was always one of my favorites when I was little... still is today!

Popsicles that used to come with the double sticks in banana, rootbeer, etc.

Also remember one of my grandmother's applesauce -- I should get that recipe from her... I'm not even sure if she still makes it or not. She still cooks and all, but she usually visits us in Chicago now rather than us visiting her in Iowa, and when she's here we usually go out to eat.

posted by Benjy on 2008-08-19 12:46:01
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Spaghettios, Campbell's Chicken Noodle, Stella Doro Breakfast Treats, Nabisco Animal Crackers and Nabisco Nilla Wafers to name a few...

posted by ronzorelli on 2008-08-19 12:53:49
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Chef Boy-ar-Dee Ravioli and Campbell's Tomaato soup with oyster crackers.

posted by starsmom on 2008-08-19 12:56:36
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a sweet variety of cornbread that my dad would make for weekend breakfasts. hot from the oven with butter, jam, honey ...

fudgesicles from the store that was on the way to my elementary school.

frozen peas. they're like candy, trust me.

posted by sciencegeek on 2008-08-19 13:00:27
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mac & cheese with chopped up hotdogs
alphabet vegetable soup
puffed wheat squares!

posted by gleam on 2008-08-19 13:13:03
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peanut butter and fluff sandwiches eaten at the beach

posted by acushla on 2008-08-19 13:17:41
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Campbells Chicken and Stars
My dad's Cream of Wheat
Ring Pops at the Pool in the summer
Instant Grits
McDonalds Chicken Nuggets

I dont really eat this stuff anymore.... but I could always go for the Cream of Wheat every once in a while.

posted by Shannon Bradly on 2008-08-19 13:19:56
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cookies my great-grandmother made: jelly fingerprint cookies, crack top cookies, choco chip.
foods my mom made: mac n' cheese w/hot dogs, fluffernutters, hamburger helper.

now i don't eat meat or sweets really. go figure.

posted by 2T on 2008-08-19 13:28:39
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Campbell's Chicken and Stars soup, which I thought was such a great treat. My mom made it for me whenever I was home sick, and to this day a cold brings about cravings for that soup.

Grilled cheese, Malt-O-Meal, baked manicotti (which my mom learned to make because I liked the restaurant version so much) and the chocolate cake with vanilla icing that she made for every birthday.

posted by chowbella on 2008-08-19 14:04:04
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My grandparents always had Coke in the glass bottles in the fridge, and frequently had homemade vanilla ice cream as well, which are the makings for a killer ice cream float. And Coke really does taste better from a glass bottle!

Also, Chef Boyardee, pushups popsicles, and frozen Zero candy bars. (My mom would do that for a special treat and I thought it was the most fantastic thing in the world.)

Remarkably, I'm a pretty healthy eater now!

posted by mel.d on 2008-08-19 14:15:30
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A lot of the above, plus peanutbutter and honey sandwiches, made with honeycomb.

And a toasted almond from the Good Humor truck.

posted by Joan A. on 2008-08-19 14:18:26
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Anytime we visited my grandparents, my grandma served us kids homemade applesauce. But not just any homemade applesauce - she always added a sprinkle of cinnamon red hot candy on top. My siblings and I thought it was heaven.

My great aunt knew my mom refused to feed us Wonderbread - we were a wheat bread with tons of fiber family. So one summer visiting her, she gave each of us four kids our very own loaf of the fluffy stuff encased in the red, yellow and blue packaging. You would have thought she gave us the crown jewels - on the car ride home I managed to eat half of the loaf, sick to my stomach, while my thoughtful rationing older brother decided to freeze half so it would last all year.

And amazingly I inherited the Wheat Bread Only gene.

posted by birdie_dc on 2008-08-19 14:37:19
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Bean and cheese burritos, didn't matter if homemade or the dreaded drive-thru, but I was obsessed. No peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, thanks, give me beans and cheese.

And the big shredded wheat that my grandmother would make into a hot cereal by running them under the hottest tap water. Hmm, maybe I should try that this winter...

posted by pdx-R on 2008-08-19 14:54:22
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Chicken salad always reminds me of one of my grandmothers.

Oatmeal made on the stovetop with brown sugar added in; made while in her robe drinking coffee, reminds me of my OTHER grandmother.

Taking Pillsbury biscuits, spaghetti sauce, whatever toppings we had, and making our own mini "pizzas" reminds me of my mother!

posted by UptownGirl on 2008-08-19 15:18:46
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Spaghetti and meatballs, definitely. Spaghetti O's? TOTALLY.

My grandmother's rice and beans, roast pork, tostones... ok basically everything she makes. I bet stuffed cabbage would take me back too.

But most of all...

POP ROCKS

posted by Plaid Ninja on 2008-08-19 16:02:18
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My dad did this thing for us with "Fruit Loops" cereal (the one with the toucan) where he'd first crush up the loops in the plastic bag before pouring some into a bowl and adding milk, mashing it around some more into a nice soggy texture. It had the consistency of oatmeal without any of the health benefits. He would only make this when we were camping or at a cottage, so it was really special.

Another treat he'd make that i often make now as a comfort food is "mashed peaches on toast". Just take a piece of hot toast, butter it, then layer some peeled slices of peaches on top. Then mash them into the toast with a fork. Instant peach jam!

The ultimate childhood comfort food, though, is Kraft Dinner. I still eat this a few times a month. It makes me miss home.

posted by kittystockings on 2008-08-19 16:52:34
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I love how so many people remember processed foods, junky stuff. It's Kraft Dinner for me (in Canada Kraft Mac and Cheese is Kraft Dinner - so fancy!) - The best comfort foods are often terrible for us, obviously.

But delicious.

posted by theserovingeyes on 2008-08-19 16:56:04
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Rice Krispies remind me of grandma, so does cranberry juice for some reason.
Cream of wheat cooked until it is one hard lump reminds me of mom...I love it that way.
Dad always served his famous deeeep dish pizza with lots of veggies I always picked off.
Chipped ice and 7-up was a special treat I only got when sick.

posted by riian on 2008-08-19 17:41:48
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Steak Diane and rumballs. My mom was a Julia Child fanatic. And apparently not afraid to let her kids consume alchohol - ha ha!

posted by Nikita on 2008-08-19 17:49:53
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peanut butter, bananas, and marshmallow fluff sandwiches on toasted wonder bread. nuf said

posted by matt manfredini on 2008-08-19 17:58:27
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"Kids" cereal (Fruit Loops, Lucky Charms, Count Chocula, etc.)-eaten on Saturday mornings while waiting for the rest of the house to awaken and as an afterschool snack on the weekdays; english muffin pizzas; chocolate milk; steak with A-1 sauce and my moms homemade french fries as it was a real special treat for her to make those. Also, for many years, every Saturday night was fried chicken and mashed potatoes; I would help my mom in the kitchen and she would reward me with some of the "crunchies" as the chicken was being prepared. I have great memories of helping my mom in the kitchen and my dad outside on the grill. Oh, and lest I forget, hot sandwiches consisting of a variety of italian cold cuts placed open faced on a slice of sourdough, topped with provolone or swiss and then baked and broiled in the oven. Heaven.

posted by rosebud on 2008-08-19 18:12:22
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My mom didn't buy a whole lot of processed foods for us, but I do remember a very indulgent dessert she'd make for picnics and social gatherings. It was Jello vanilla pudding layered with graham crackers and cherry pie filling. Mmm sweet, soggy goodness. I also have fond memories of making dumplings and other Chinese goodies with my grandma.

posted by spaceagemouse on 2008-08-19 19:23:02
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My dad would make his "Special Secret Shakes" on birthdays or sleep-overs with breakfast. They were made of ice cream, milk, maple syrup and ice. YUM! He always said there was a secret ingredient and I still don't know what it is!!

posted by labchick on 2008-08-19 20:41:43
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cream of wheat. I have started eating it again recently and it tastes exactly the same.

my mom used make me this breakfast thing I loved--she would take the big pieces of shredded wheat and spread it with butter, sprinkle a little sugar over it, pour a little mild into the bowl and then microwave it. it was so good--crunchy, sweet, and buttery.

before I started liking sauce on my pasta my mom would give me pasta with butter and grated cheese, I still make it for myself whenever I don't have the time or energy to really cook. you throw some peas in and you have a pretty good meal.

posted by lcg on 2008-08-19 20:45:04
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Grilled cheese sandwiches..

When my older sister and I were in grade school, our mom was a noon duty aide that helped watch the kids during lunch. She'd normally have lunch ready to take with us in the morning, but every once in a while, she'd shoo us off to school and say "I'll bring your lunch with me" We'd open that brown bag and in there would be the most amazing warm grilled cheese on white bread (Velveeta!) wrapped in foil. We'd be the most popular kids at lunch. I'm pretty sure there were other things in those bags, but I couldn't tell you what they were if I tried. Makes me want to have one right now!

posted by Eric in Fresno on 2008-08-19 21:53:31
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mashed potatoes
canned beets
jello
coco wheats

posted by Sassy in SF on 2008-08-19 21:57:09
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When I was young my family was poor and had to get by in creative ways. My favorite memories of my childhood summers were going to Griffith Park in L. A. after the weekend and raiding all the garbage cans for cans and bottles. We would recycle and take the money to a local Armenian deli for fresh bread, salami, and cheese then feast. My parents are still very sad that we had to do such things, but I enjoyed family recylcing days at the park and whenever I eat salami and provolone with good bread I am instantly transported to that time in my life.

posted by kmarie on 2008-08-19 23:00:37
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My mom would get rice pudding from the deli because when I was little, it was our special treat. I have a very clear memory of sitting on the kitchen floor of my childhood home, sharing it with my mom.

posted by maggiepcs on 2008-08-20 11:36:35
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I remember 5¢ Cokes that were just enough to whet your thirst and similarly priced Hershey bars that weren't so anemic looking but good for a snack. Since we got a quarter allowance once a week, that was about all the treat we got in one week on our own.

My mother would make french fries in the deep fryer every Friday night to go with the hamburgers that Daddy cooked on the grill outside. We ate them with all the fixings. We also got to have Coke floats - the real highlight of the meal and the week.

One of my fondest memories was when I'd visit my grandmother. She was on Social Security but she had a garden and ate quite well. Whenever I came out there, she made sure to make plenty of fried okra (if it was in season) and black-eyed peas - my two favorites. She was a good old-fashioned Southern cook so everything she made was a dream, especially her chocolate meringue pies.

And of course we drank sweet ice tea with everything.

posted by itsyaya on 2008-08-20 12:32:15
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My grandma made the best zongzi to celebrate the Dragon Boat festival every year. She's 96 now and this is the first year that she won't be making them so everytime I see them in Chinatown, I get all nostalgic.

Oatmeal with sugar and egg: my mom would always make this for me on Saturday mornings before I went to ballet class. I think the egg with oatmeal is a Chinese thing....

posted by tingting on 2008-08-20 12:44:36
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Actually, tingting's egg oatmeal reminds me of the canned corn soup with egg my mom would make for my sister and me before school. Sort of like egg drop soup, with corn.

posted by spaceagemouse on 2008-08-20 12:47:27
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