Fondest Food Memories | 1970’s
I have some of the fondest food memories of the 1970’s. I was born in the 60’s, and I grew up with a mom that prepared most of our meals from scratch. They weren’t from a box, and they weren’t usually frozen either. TV dinners in aluminum sectioned containers were a tasty treat. Dinner was on the table at 5:30 sharp every evening. My family ate at the table instead of in front of the TV. It was a time to discuss the days events and anything else that came up. It was a great time to be a kid.
Remember Wiener Wrap?
Although these are some of my fondest food memories of the 1970’s, the decade really didn’t offer many unique store-bought treats. One that I recall was Pillsbury Wiener Wrap. It was available in the dairy section next to the cottage cheese and yogurt, and it came in plain and cheese flavor. It was a new way to enjoy an otherwise ordinary hot dog. A triangular piece of dough was wrapped around the frank, hence the name Wiener Wrap. It puffed up as it baked. The flavor wasn’t fantastic but it was definitely different at the time. These days people just use crescent roll dough, and it isn’t considered unique.
View at Amazon – Seek Publishing 1975 Remember When KardLet (RW1975)
Swanson TV Dinners Were a Treat –
When my dad was out of town on the job, my mom and I enjoyed Swanson TV dinners. They were much better than any frozen meals made today, even Swanson brand. I recall Swanson’s Mostaccioli TV Dinner in the 70’s. Do you remember it too? It came with a small piece of garlic bread and one big meatball. It was excellent! Another one of my favorites was Swanson’s Chinese Chopped Suey TV Dinners. I don’t recall what it came with besides white rice, but I ate every last bite. The fried chicken dinners were great too. As a child it seemed like the next best thing to Kentucky Fried Chicken. They were the best frozen meals ever!
They didn’t seem as skimpy as they are these days, but that’s the case with most things. Almost everything has shrunk but the price. Guess what, food manufacturers? We noticed, and it’s an insult to our intelligence. The only choice that we have is to avoid over-priced products. The following 1970’s Dinner Party book is a great reminder. It will take you on a journey back in time to good, bad, and ugly retro food.
Remember the Jello Salads and Fondue Parties?
View at Amazon – 70s Dinner Party: The Good, the Bad and the Downright Ugly of Retro Food
Do You Recall Danish Go Rounds?
I loved Pop-Tarts as a child, but another breakfast pastry was also quite popular. Do your remember Kellogg’s Danish Go Rounds? They were similar to Pop-Tarts, but they were much thicker and oval shaped. I thought they looked like my grandmother’s braided rug! I had a good imagination. They didn’t come in many flavors, but they were great. I used to eat around and around the edge until reaching the center. They were one of my favorite breakfast foods of the 70’s.
My Dad’s Homemade Popcorn –
When I was a little kid, microwave ovens didn’t exist, at least not in my home. Food had to be heated in the oven or in a skillet on top of the stove. When we wanted popcorn, we didn’t use a popper either. My dad made our popcorn on top of the stove. He used the same big kettle every time. He melted a little shortening in the pan and turned the flame up high. He added enough kernels to cover the bottom of the pan. As soon as they started popping, he shook the pan back and forth to keep the popcorn from burning. It seemed magical when the kernels went from hard to puffy and crunchy. It was far better than any brand of microwave popcorn today. No other kind compares to my dad’s homemade kettle-popped popcorn.
The Definition of a Real Treat –
Forty plus years ago, stores didn’t offer a huge variety of foods like they offer these days. Most people still prepared meals from scratch. There weren’t nearly as many brands or varieties of frozen foods either. I didn’t have Kool-Aid or pop every week let along every day. I had milk at mealtime and water quenched my thirst in between meals. If I had artificially sweetened drinks often, they wouldn’t have been special. Contrary to today’s vernacular, treats weren’t necessarily sweet. I wouldn’t be writing about my fondest food memories of the 1970’s if I had the aforementioned foods and drinks often. They were special because they were the real definition of treats. I appreciated them, and it’s no wonder why they were great. 🙂
What are your fondest food memories of the 1970’s? It’s nice to reminisce!
I do remember most of those, crap! I just told how old I am 😉