Remembering the 70s

A Simpler Time

Category Archives: Food and Beverage

Tang – The Astronauts Drink

A visitor had posted a comment that asked if I remembered Tang. I do indeed remember Tang. :) Tang, of course, is the drink that the astronauts used.

This is the commercial I watched in the 70s:

How it became the astronaut drink is kind of interesting. During the Mercury space program, one of the byproducts of the life support system was H2O. The astronauts didn’t like the taste of the water, due to the byproducts, so they started mixing it with Tang to make it taste better. This, in turn, made Tang very popular.

Wiki Tidbit: The creator of Tang, William A. Mitchell, also invented Pop Rocks, Cool Whip, a form of instant-set Jell-O, and other convenience foods.

Silly Rabbit, Trix are for kids!

Do you remember, I think it was 1976, during the US presidential elections when they wanted the kids to vote whether the rabbit could have Trix cereal or not?

I couldn’t find the 70s version but this from 1984.

I didn’t eat Trix, so I did not vote, but that was one of the cereal commercials that I remember. Here are a couple more commercials from the 70s.

Hey! Kool-Aid!

Remember when Kool-Aid came to the rescue in the 70s?

I don’t think my mom was a big fan of Kool-Aid. I really don’t remember ever drinking it except at kids parties. Our family always drank water and unsweetened ice tea. Towards the end of the 70s and early 80s my folks were a lot better off and we usually had Coke in the house too.

Ask Mr. Owl

This Tootsie Roll commercial started in the 70s and it can still be seen on the air today!

This is the version I have seen numerous times during the 70s:

This is the full original version of the Tootsie Roll commercial:

The only one I remember seeing is the one that starts with Mr. Turtle.

Fruit Stripe Gum

Hope everyone had a great holiday! I am a little short on time today so I will have to delve into the other various Candy Barrel store finds later on. Now Fruit Stripe gum was around way after the 70s, but it was in the 70s when I discovered and fell in love with this gum. Even though the flavor only lasts for about two minutes (lol), it was delicious! I still vividly remember that first wave of flavor that hits.

Mrs. Butterworth

I don’t know if the animated Mrs. Butterworth commercials started in the 60s or 70s. I did a quick peek at the information in Wiki’s website but it only mentions the 70s. Regardless, I remember her very well from childhood memories.

Mrs. Butterworth

Mrs. Butterworth

Does anybody know who did the voice of Mrs. Butterworth during the 70s?

Ice Bird, Ice Bird your such a nice bird

This kind of goes along with the Sno-Man Sno-Cone machine that I posted a couple weeks go. Ice Bird was made by Kenner. As you “planed” a block of ice, the bird would hold the ice shavings which you would then transfer to a cup and add a tasty flavor.

Warning: The commercial has a catchy little jingle that has brain stickage potential.

 

Hostess Treats

Even though Hostess products are available still today, I have a fond memory of them from childhood.

My mother would go to the day old bakery, buy a couple boxes of Ding Dongs, and then put them in the freezer when she got home. (Remember when Ding Dongs were wrapped in tinfoil?)  When my friends came over to the house everyone one knew there would be frozen Ding Dongs in the freezer. And that is how we ate them… right out of the freezer. I get funny looks when I tell people this story, but that is okay. It is one of those memories that made my childhood even more special.

I hadn’t thought about frozen Ding Dongs for years when one day it just came to me and it sounded delicious.  So I went to the store, bought a box, and threw them in the freezer. After waiting several hours I tore into the box and thought “What’s this? They are wrapped in plastic.” I shrugged off that obscurity and bit into one. Sadly the magic was gone. It didn’t even taste like I remember. Maybe my taste buds have changed since childhood, or maybe Hostess changed the ingredients,  or maybe the box was just to fresh. (lol)

Here are a few commercials featuring the Hostess product line from the 70s.

Commercial featuring cartoon mascot “Twinky the Kid”:

This one has the “Happy Ho Ho” mascot:

“King Ding Dong”: