Did you mean 4 euro? That is quite a lot for pocket money even in today's terms - like around £3.50.
Food memories Q&A
Did you mean 4 euro? That is quite a lot for pocket money even in today's terms - like around £3.50.
When you were a child, if you got to choose what was for dinner: what would it have been?
Didn't really get a choice except in the sense that I decided to go vegetarian when I was 11. My parents were great about that and did their best to serve me non-meat food. In fact, we ate very little meat anyway so maybe it was easier for them than it might have been for others. My favourite foods were baked potatoes and eggs (we had chickens). I also really like tinned pears (still do).
What did you buy with your pocket money?
From around 11, I saved all my pocket money to go horse riding every two weeks. Before that I was given a small amount to spend on a quarter (4 ounces) of sweets (candies) from the sweet shop to eat during the 'Saturday matinee' at the local Odean cinema. I always bought 'Winter mix' boiled sweets. They taste like cough sweets with aniseed, mint and liquorice flavours and nobody except me liked them, which I suppose was an advantage. I didn't really have a sweet tooth even in those days.
However, there was one chocolate bar I liked as a kid and that was a 'Picnic bar'. I thought they had been discontinued many years ago but discovered (as a result of this thread) that they still exist. So, in the interests of research I bought one. I found it impossibly sweet and couldn't finish it but the texture was good (its peanuts, crispy cereal and dried fruit in milk chocolate).
Later as a young teenager I'd join other teens congregating at the local shopping parade and buy a bag of chips from the local fish and chip shop (salt and malt vinegar sprinkled over). At that time, I was also known to club up with friends to buy a bottle of 'VP sherry' (oh my!) and a packet of fags.
Would there be any special dishes with your birthday and the holidays?
Drawn a blank on that one. I can't recall anything!
What did your parents cook that you absolutely hated?
Nothing to hate really. It was all plain home-cooked food with lots of home grown vegetables and eggs.
What food from your childhood has disappeared from the stores?
Still thinking
What dish or recipe did you take with you from your parental home?
No recipes were passed on. In fact, I don't think there were any recipes although my Mum sometimes made apple pie. Now I think about this it seems amazing. She was totally blind and made the the pastry from scratch etc. I suppose she must have had some sort of recipe but I was never taught it.
Didn't really get a choice except in the sense that I decided to go vegetarian when I was 11. My parents were great about that and did their best to serve me non-meat food. In fact, we ate very little meat anyway so maybe it was easier for them than it might have been for others. My favourite foods were baked potatoes and eggs (we had chickens). I also really like tinned pears (still do).
What did you buy with your pocket money?
From around 11, I saved all my pocket money to go horse riding every two weeks. Before that I was given a small amount to spend on a quarter (4 ounces) of sweets (candies) from the sweet shop to eat during the 'Saturday matinee' at the local Odean cinema. I always bought 'Winter mix' boiled sweets. They taste like cough sweets with aniseed, mint and liquorice flavours and nobody except me liked them, which I suppose was an advantage. I didn't really have a sweet tooth even in those days.
However, there was one chocolate bar I liked as a kid and that was a 'Picnic bar'. I thought they had been discontinued many years ago but discovered (as a result of this thread) that they still exist. So, in the interests of research I bought one. I found it impossibly sweet and couldn't finish it but the texture was good (its peanuts, crispy cereal and dried fruit in milk chocolate).
Later as a young teenager I'd join other teens congregating at the local shopping parade and buy a bag of chips from the local fish and chip shop (salt and malt vinegar sprinkled over). At that time, I was also known to club up with friends to buy a bottle of 'VP sherry' (oh my!) and a packet of fags.
Would there be any special dishes with your birthday and the holidays?
Drawn a blank on that one. I can't recall anything!
What did your parents cook that you absolutely hated?
Nothing to hate really. It was all plain home-cooked food with lots of home grown vegetables and eggs.
What food from your childhood has disappeared from the stores?
Still thinking
What dish or recipe did you take with you from your parental home?
No recipes were passed on. In fact, I don't think there were any recipes although my Mum sometimes made apple pie. Now I think about this it seems amazing. She was totally blind and made the the pastry from scratch etc. I suppose she must have had some sort of recipe but I was never taught it.
Windigo
Kitchen witch
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No I didn't mean 4 euro. I meant 2 guldens.. I was a child before the euro came. I was 14 when the Euro was introduced. But it's comparable to 4 euro and here, that was never a lot of money. The Netherlands is far more expensive to live in than the UK. Though recently that has changed through Brexit. You must realize I was a child in the 90's too, 2 guldens bought you a lot more when you grew up Morning Glory
5 guldens or more used to be the norm for pocket money among all children at my school.
You must realize I was a child in the 90's too, 2 guldens bought you a lot more when you grew up @Morning Glory
Of course - but my youngest kids grew up in the 90's and I don't think I gave them 4 euros pocket money a week (which would have been around £3 then?). Well, my memory is probably poor. I'll have to ask my kids when I see them!
Windigo
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Yes but you realise life and the cost of living in different countries isn't always comparable? So why is what you gave your children relevant for my spending/purchase power?
You can't compare the guldens to euros anyway, it was a whole different system.
karadekoolaid
Legendary Member
Picnic bars were divine - until Kraft/Mondelez took over Cadburys. Seems like the first thing they did was to (a) reduce the chocolate content and (b) increase the sugar content by 300%. A grand example of corporate piracy.
Just adding to this - I do now remember the fantastic Yorkshire pudding my Mum made. Note the singular 'pudding'. It was one really large Yorkshire pudding in an oven dish. Like this:
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That's how my Grannie would make them as well. Shed use the kitchen scissors to cut it up just lifting a corner and cutting. She made her's in a large Pyrex casserole dish that also had a lid. The same one I posted my upside down rice in during the week . that is such a handy casserole dish. I've no idea on its age but it's old. I remember it as far back as I can remember and that's something given I lived with them around the start of primary school.
When you were a child, if you got to choose what was for dinner: what would it have been?
We didn’t get to choose generally if things were being cooked at home - my mum would decide (often at 5pm so there’d be these random fusion combinations of whatever was in the kitchen - baked beans with fried eggs on top, or sausages with white rice spring to mind). In later years from time to time I could nudge my dad and ask him if we could get fish and chips; that involved a ride in the car there and a return trip clutching that hot paper package of freshly fried cod and stuff. I still remember that fondly.
What did you buy with your pocket money?
Sweets and little toys from the shop round the corner. I remember when I was about 8 (late 70s) that I used to get 30 pence (UK money) a week on Saturday mornings. I’d spend that in the newsagents (Mr. Vincent's we called it) on sweets - similar to Morning Glory they were sold by weight so you’d ask for "a quarter of mint imperials" or "a quarter of strawberry bonbons please" and that'd be like 15p or something. They were in these big clear plastic jars - Cola Cubes, Sweet Bananas, Licorice, Humbugs etc.. Polos were a favourite of mine back then too - The Mint With The Hole; they updated the recipe years back and they were never the same since and I don’t like them anymore. Toys were things like Matchbox cars or superhero figures. I also spent a lot on crisps and snacks - Smith's Salt 'n' Shake crisps, Monster Munch, Quavers, Skips, Hula Hoops, etc..
Would there be any special dishes with your birthday and the holidays?
I remember a couple of birthdays my dad bringing back dim sum from London Chinatown on my birthday. We didn't really have birthday parties with cake except once or twice per sibling over the years with a couple of school friends over.
What did your parents cook that you absolutely hated?
Rice porridge (Malay Bubur). My mum wasn’t/isn’t much of a cook to be honest and sometimes she’d produce this tasteless white rice gruel that had the consistency of wallpaper paste with absolutely no seasoning and usually no meat either. My siblings and I dreaded this and made jokes about it and it turned up far too frequently at the table - presumably because it was easy to do. Done correctly it’s great and the Crystal Jade chain of restaurants out here in Singapore does a terrific one which I eat for lunch when I go to the office at least once a week.
What food from your childhood has disappeared from the stores?
There was a chewy candy called Pacers - white/green striped squares the same size as Opal Fruits (now Starburst). They tasted a bit like toothpaste but sweet and I loved those.
What dish or recipe did you take with you from your parental home?
None - although my dad was a marginally better cook than my mum when he could be bothered, his repertoire mostly consisted of deep-fried things from the freezer or the occasional curry made with a jarred Patak's Madras paste. I’m the best cook in our extended family these days and that’s all from teaching myself from books and stuff.
We didn’t get to choose generally if things were being cooked at home - my mum would decide (often at 5pm so there’d be these random fusion combinations of whatever was in the kitchen - baked beans with fried eggs on top, or sausages with white rice spring to mind). In later years from time to time I could nudge my dad and ask him if we could get fish and chips; that involved a ride in the car there and a return trip clutching that hot paper package of freshly fried cod and stuff. I still remember that fondly.
What did you buy with your pocket money?
Sweets and little toys from the shop round the corner. I remember when I was about 8 (late 70s) that I used to get 30 pence (UK money) a week on Saturday mornings. I’d spend that in the newsagents (Mr. Vincent's we called it) on sweets - similar to Morning Glory they were sold by weight so you’d ask for "a quarter of mint imperials" or "a quarter of strawberry bonbons please" and that'd be like 15p or something. They were in these big clear plastic jars - Cola Cubes, Sweet Bananas, Licorice, Humbugs etc.. Polos were a favourite of mine back then too - The Mint With The Hole; they updated the recipe years back and they were never the same since and I don’t like them anymore. Toys were things like Matchbox cars or superhero figures. I also spent a lot on crisps and snacks - Smith's Salt 'n' Shake crisps, Monster Munch, Quavers, Skips, Hula Hoops, etc..
Would there be any special dishes with your birthday and the holidays?
I remember a couple of birthdays my dad bringing back dim sum from London Chinatown on my birthday. We didn't really have birthday parties with cake except once or twice per sibling over the years with a couple of school friends over.
What did your parents cook that you absolutely hated?
Rice porridge (Malay Bubur). My mum wasn’t/isn’t much of a cook to be honest and sometimes she’d produce this tasteless white rice gruel that had the consistency of wallpaper paste with absolutely no seasoning and usually no meat either. My siblings and I dreaded this and made jokes about it and it turned up far too frequently at the table - presumably because it was easy to do. Done correctly it’s great and the Crystal Jade chain of restaurants out here in Singapore does a terrific one which I eat for lunch when I go to the office at least once a week.
What food from your childhood has disappeared from the stores?
There was a chewy candy called Pacers - white/green striped squares the same size as Opal Fruits (now Starburst). They tasted a bit like toothpaste but sweet and I loved those.
What dish or recipe did you take with you from your parental home?
None - although my dad was a marginally better cook than my mum when he could be bothered, his repertoire mostly consisted of deep-fried things from the freezer or the occasional curry made with a jarred Patak's Madras paste. I’m the best cook in our extended family these days and that’s all from teaching myself from books and stuff.
Herbaceous
Senior Member
I’m late to the party on this one, but this is a really fun idea for a thread!
1. When you were a child, if you got to choose what was for dinner: what would it have been?
Roast chicken, almost without fail. I loved (and still love) roast chicken with gravy, mashed potatoes, mashed rutabaga, and steamed carrots. Roast beef as well, although my mother always did potatoes around the roast (instead of mashed) with beef.
Sometimes I’d choose spaghetti with meat sauce. I love it, and it was the first meal I learned how to cook as a child. I used to stand on a chair and help my mother make it, I think I was quite young when I started doing this.
2. What did you buy with your pocket money?
Candy, usually - Nerds, hard candies - sometimes that weird toffee that had the approximate consistency of a brick. I also saved a fair amount of my money - I wanted to buy a horse, you see. I still don’t have a horse.
3. Would there be any special dishes with your birthday and the holidays?
We always did (and still do) allow you to choose whatever you want for dinner on your birthday.
4. What did your parents cook that you absolutely hated?
Mushrooms. I still don’t like mushrooms. Something about the texture.
5. What food from your childhood has dissapeared from the stores?
Welch’s used to make this concentrated juice called “Berry Sunsplash”. It was probably mostly high fructose corn syrup and artificial colour, but it was so good. We used to call it red juice.
6. What dish or recipe did you take with you from your parental home?
Lots! When I moved out, every time I went back to visit my parents, I’d spend a few hours copying down recipes onto index cards for my recipe box. I make a lot of those recipes regularly.
1. When you were a child, if you got to choose what was for dinner: what would it have been?
Roast chicken, almost without fail. I loved (and still love) roast chicken with gravy, mashed potatoes, mashed rutabaga, and steamed carrots. Roast beef as well, although my mother always did potatoes around the roast (instead of mashed) with beef.
Sometimes I’d choose spaghetti with meat sauce. I love it, and it was the first meal I learned how to cook as a child. I used to stand on a chair and help my mother make it, I think I was quite young when I started doing this.
2. What did you buy with your pocket money?
Candy, usually - Nerds, hard candies - sometimes that weird toffee that had the approximate consistency of a brick. I also saved a fair amount of my money - I wanted to buy a horse, you see. I still don’t have a horse.
3. Would there be any special dishes with your birthday and the holidays?
We always did (and still do) allow you to choose whatever you want for dinner on your birthday.
4. What did your parents cook that you absolutely hated?
Mushrooms. I still don’t like mushrooms. Something about the texture.
5. What food from your childhood has dissapeared from the stores?
Welch’s used to make this concentrated juice called “Berry Sunsplash”. It was probably mostly high fructose corn syrup and artificial colour, but it was so good. We used to call it red juice.
6. What dish or recipe did you take with you from your parental home?
Lots! When I moved out, every time I went back to visit my parents, I’d spend a few hours copying down recipes onto index cards for my recipe box. I make a lot of those recipes regularly.
I’ve remembered something that’s no longer available…Barq’s soda/pop/fizzy drink.
Barq’s is still around, but to the best of my knowledge, they just make red pop and root beer. They used to have all these fantastic flavors, like cherry and grape and strawberry and some neon green thing and black cherry and all sorts of other flavors, and they had a distinct diamond pattern on the neck.
Barq’s is still around, but to the best of my knowledge, they just make red pop and root beer. They used to have all these fantastic flavors, like cherry and grape and strawberry and some neon green thing and black cherry and all sorts of other flavors, and they had a distinct diamond pattern on the neck.
karadekoolaid
Legendary Member
You´ve just reminded me of two fizzy drinks we´d get as kids (ie. 1960s). I think the company was called Corona. One was "Dandelion and Burdock" and the other was "Cream Soda". Wonder where they went??
I remember their glass bottles with the little round 'knobbles' on them.
According to Wikipedia they sold to Beechams and then Britvic and the brand ended in the 90s. Corona (soft drink) - Wikipedia