Back from the Dead for Halloween!!! Monsters!!!! (Well, Monster Cereals, anyway...)

 Sometimes they come back.......the Return of Frute Brute and Yummy Mummy!

A little different post today to make everyone aware (thought it seems like everyone has known about and been extremely excited for these for a while now) that General Mills has brought back two of it's Gone but not Forgotten Cereals for Halloween, Yummy Mummy and the legendary Frute Brute! I've talked about them before, but a few months ago when I heard they were coming back from the dead, I was genuinely excited, as I'm sure most of you were. Both these cereals have been gone for 20+ years, so it's quite exciting (and an A+++++ for General Mills) to see a company listening to the cries of us thirtysomethingers (that's a word, right?) to bring back the cereals that we miss from our childhood. Simply bringing them back would have been enough for most people, but like me, I remember a lot of people saying "Wouldn't it be cool if they not only brought them back, but brought back the original packaging that we all loved so much?" As it turned out, General Mills was doing their homework, because the next day it was announced that they would be available for a limited time,  IN THEIR ORIGINAL PACKAGING, from Target! Simply amazing. The nerd in me made plans to check Target each and every day until I found these (which sadly I still haven't spotted them in my area), but I did get a surprise prize package in the mail from General Mills (provided through MyBlogSpark) containg 3 of the 5 boxes, Boo Berry, Frute Brute, and Yummy Mummy.

So I did what any 30+ year old would do who is longing for the simpler times that were his youth would do: I woke up with my kids early one Saturday Morning, popped in a DVD which contained a 3 hour block of cartoons with Original Commercials from my youth (1984 to be exact), and cracked open all 3 boxes of cereal, which my kids and I quickly devoured.

Boo Berry and Frute Brute were the first to go, followed up by Yummy Mummy. It was a glorious morning, and my kids and I loved them all. I have to thank General Mills for doing this. I can't help but think that they will have a spike in sales simply from people like myself, as I know some of my internet buddies are buying 2...3....even 4 boxes at a time. Stock up, and display the boxes proudly! (We all know how much the original Fruit Brute boxes go for, so the Retro box will have to do for now!)
I still need to hunt down the Count Chocula and Frankenberry retro boxes to finish my collection, and I will continue to check Target until I find them.

And if having the retro boxes of love wasn't enough, if you purchase 3 retro boxes at Target between now and October 31st you will get a Monster Bash magazine, which contains tips and tricks for making your Halloween the spookiest and creepiest Halloween ever, and its FREE when you purchase 3 boxes in a single shopping trip. So what are you waiting for! Stock up while you can!!! The clock is ticking, and Halloween is almost here!!!

Once again, I want to thank General Mills for making this retro nerd happy this Halloween season (It's a Halloween miracle!) I'd also like to thank MyBlogSpark for sending me the boxes of love!

Get more information from General Mills here! www.grocerysavvy.com

(Disclosure: The information and prize pack have been provided by General Mills through MyBlogSpark.)

From the Frozen Foods Dept.: I Hate Peas

"I Hate Peas"
Company: American Kitchen
Date: 70's

Photo Courtesy of Jason Liebig


Rule #1 of trying to make foods "kid friendly": You can't combine something that kids don't like with something kids do like and think they won't notice. Kids are way to smart for that and won't put up with it. Riots have been started because of it. Nations have fallen. Products have failed. And this is a prime example.
American Kitchen came up with the idea to take something Kids love (French Fries) and combine them with something kids hate (in this case, peas). They mixed them both up and formed French Fry shaped sticks that I'm assuming tasted as bad as they looked.
Coming along with I Hate Peas for the great Fail Tour of the 70's was "I Hate Corn", "I Hate Broccoli", "I Hate Spinach", and "I Hate Carrots", which fittingly, were all hated by kids. These products only lasted a short time before they disappeared from stores, as kids decided they'd rather eat real peas and not be insulted by this trainwreck of a side dish.

Anyone remember eating these as a kid? Share your stories with us, because we want to know what the hell American Kitchen was thinking too.

From the Candy Aisle: Bonkers!

Bonkers Candy
Company: Nabisco
Year: Mid 80's


Photo Courtesy of Jason Liebig

"Bonkers - the candy that will cause giant mutant fruits to fall from the sky and crush you." Or at least that is what 10 year old me was hoping would happen. I gave them to my teachers, my parents, my older sisters, and nothing. No giant Fruit. No screams of pain as produce crushed their bones and internal organs. Only a pleasant smile as they enjoyed their candy, and a quick nod or sometimes, a "thank you". So Bonkers always left a bitter taste in my mouth. Not the actual taste, as they were quite fruity (they came in flavors like Grape, Orange, Strawberry, Watermelon, and I think there was even Chocolate), but the bad taste left by the fact that it was blatant false advertising. Lies. Boldfaced lies.

Anyway, Bonkers was a squareish candy that came in a wrapped row, much like Starburst, only they had a fruity outside and filling that was even fruitier. Apparently, there is a knockoff "Bonkers" candy available today that has no relation to the great 80's candy, so I can safely say this one is extinct.

From the Cereal Aisle: Nerds

Nerds Cereal
Company: Ralston
Year: 1985


A short lived Cereal (if you consider a big bowl of sugar cereal), Nerds came and went just long enough to give us a super sugar high before disappearing for good, leaving thousands, possibly millions of children itching for a fix with no relief in sight (besides pouring milk on a big bowl of actual Nerds Candy, which as it turns out, is not very good). The Box came with 2 compartments just like the candy with a different flavor on each side. You could choose Orange/Cherry or Strawberry/Grape, and there was even an offer on the box where you could send in and get a bowl that was divided in two so you could even eat both flavors at once without mixing them.
Genius? OK, lets not get carried away. If it was really as good as I remembered it, it would have lasted a whole lot longer, and not been awarded the first item to be placed on the GBNF Grocery shelves.