31 Day Writing Daily Challenge Blog Post #3: That After-School Snack

Food Writing Prompt : The After-School Snack

 What was your go-to after-school snack back in the day? Was it delicious or did you want something else that was forbidden before dinner? 

The moments, minutes, seconds, really, after coming home from school with the knowledge that a treat awaited,  oozed with anticipation.  I knew there was almost always going to be some Breyer’s strawberry ice cream in the freezer and I could grab the cold cardboard carton, and sit watching Brady Brunch Re-runs while I gingerly spooned the cold gob of glee into my mouth, felt it melt, tasted the silkiness of the cream, and the subtle sour sharpness of the strawberry slices.  Total and utter joy. 

Mint Chocolate Chip also by Breyer’s, was another favorite,- not St. Patty’s Day green like The Baskin Robbins’ version, but pure white giving it a somewhat healthier veneer, with specks of chocolate peeking out of the velvelty mound. The crunch of those chips between the teeth followed by the quick melt on the tongue led to eyebrows and lip corners raised in sugary pleasure.   It was always sad, gathering those last few spoonfuls in the bowl - liquid leftovers, afternoon treat officially over as the Brady Bunch credits rolled.  I knew I could have more, unwrap the carton from its plastic and dive in again, but only at the risk of a tummy ache, and a heavy nausea from sweet creamy overload, not to mention a potential finger wagging from Mom, supper being "spoiled!".

Other snacks that I discovered later in my high school years were Combos – but these were usually purchased at the food truck outside school and were munched on during the bus ride home. “Total junk” my mom might have said.  Did I even like them?  It was more the novelty of  having access to a pile of food bits in a transportable bag.  They were brittle to the bite, with an unidentifiable taste of briny cheese-like goop inside.  The throw pillow shape of the snack itself, appealing visually, was predictable, contained, easy to maneuver and pop right into your mouth.  It really “cheeses your hunger away” was the claim, a sentence that made absolutely no sense.  What does it mean to “cheese hunger away”? 

”Bite sized pieces”  all those snack food pronounced.  But bites seem bigger now.  Bites can now fill an entire oral cavity.  Bites are larger than  a thumb ½ worth of hardened cracker mass with inert cheese substance stuffed inside.