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I grew up in a household that was nearly devoid of junk food. My sister and I each got a single box of sugar cereal each year (on our birthdays), Halloween candy was strictly rationed and bread was dark and made from whole wheat. Potato chips were very definitely a special, once-in-a-very-great-while kind of treat. Because of the chip control that went on during my childhood, the moments when they did appear on the scene remain present in my memory, even 20+ years later. They became especially associated with roadtrips for me, as my dad would insist that we have some "car snacks" and my mom, who actually loves potato chips, would cave to the special occasion energy.
We'd make a stop at Trader Joe's or some other local natural foods store for thick-cut, kettle cooked potato chips (Kettle Chips play a prominent role in my memories, but the TJ's Hawaiian-style chips also showed up fairly regularly). Handfuls would be carefully doled out to my sister and me in the back seat of the station wagon and we'd slowly crunch our way through our portions. Raina would suck all the salt off the chips before eating, where I'd nibble along the edges, trying to make the treat last as long as possible. We'd ask for seconds and would get them, until my mom determined that we'd all had enough (typically determined by her own salt/grease satiation level), and folded up the bag, tucking it down by her feet for safekeeping.
These days, I occasionally buy a bag of Kettle Chips (I had a salt and vinegar phase during college) but I am untrustworthy around open bags of potato chips. They call to me until I surrender and crunch my way through the entire bag. However, while I do enjoy them, potato chips now are never quite as delightful as those measured handfuls of chips that we'd eat while criss-crossing the highways of the west coast.
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4-25-2008 @9:24AM Kim Carlson said... Thanks for this sweet memory, Marisa. I have not-so-sweet memories of sharing entire bags of Nacho Cheese Doritoes with my friend Sande during high school. We thought nothing of it. (Well, actually, we thought it was great . . .)
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4-25-2008 @11:04AM Marisa McClellan said... Thanks Kim!
Branwine, I think that the fact that junk food was fairly controlled during my childhood made me go a little crazy for it later in life. However, I really appreciate my parents efforts to keep me eating healthfully as a kid. These days I have a pretty balanced approach to food, so I think it all worked out.
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4-26-2008 @4:13AM STH said... I think there may be something to what you say, Branwine. I grew up in a household with no white sugar, no white flour, no junk food of any kind; my mother made her own yogurt and granola. A huge treat was when my father would go to the store and come home with Wonder bread and bologna!
As an adult of 43, I still eat as healthy as I can, but I find I have zero self-control when it comes to anything sweet, salty, or fried. I can't have a little and put the rest away for later; if it's there, I eat it all until it's gone. I guess the upside of that is that it keeps me from buying junk in the first place, but I wish I could keep a little around for the occasional treat. By the way, my sister doesn't have this problem, so I suppose the way we grew up affected us in different ways; her problem is that she still has guilt about buying chips, though she makes them last forever once she does bring them home.
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4-26-2008 @8:03AM Fran said... Ohh, I LOVE potato chips. If I get them, I will eat through the bag until I feel sick...which means I go a pretty long time (months) between bags of chips. Once I forget that sick feeling I remember that salty, crispy yumminess and I cave in again.
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4-27-2008 @1:50PM Arbert said... there've been so may potato chip ads this week. am i missing something?
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4-28-2008 @9:32PM EMILY ROGOW said... MY FAVORITE IS KETTLE-LIGHTLY SALTED CHIPS SINCE I GAVE UP ON USING LOTS OF SALT AND TRY TO KEEP MY FAMILY FROM USING TOO MUCH SALT. TOO MUCH SPICEY STUFF GIVES ME HEARTBURN
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5-23-2008 @10:06AM Roger said... KETTLE BUFFALO BLEU chips are fantastic. My wife and I ate the bag unintentionally for lunch one day and have steered away from the chip isle since then. We know where our silver-bullet treat lies when we need one. We loved the unique length, heavy crunch, salty wing sauce flavoring followed by a soothing bleu cheese aftertaste. Home Run! (Note: No, we didn't have families with a dysfunctional relationship with food as others have posted. We just know a good thing when we taste it and don't have guilt saying so!)
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5-23-2008 @10:58AM sharon said... my first experience with the kettle buffalo bleu chips was at costco. they were demoing them. i have been stuck on them ever since. i love those chips! the best in the world. i buy them at costco too since they come in the huge bags. i'm home sick right now and i think a big bag would sure make me feel better. if you have never tried these chips you are losing out. you must try them but be warned. you'll be hooked for life.
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5-23-2008 @12:37PM alan said... Reading about chips doesn't add calories does it? I have been in a sea salt & vinegar place lately.
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5-23-2008 @2:12PM John said... What on earth happened to the Buffalo Bleu and Costco? I have asked and the manager told me that it was definitely one of their most popular items. Now we have to settle for half the size at a higher price from the specialty stores. Definitely the best chip I have ever had.
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5-29-2008 @3:25AM Graco said... Love this! Has anybody tried the Kettle Chips - Cheddar Cheese??! They are absolutely wonderful - I cannot buy them, because I have to eat until they are all gone.
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8-01-2008 @2:00PM Dan said... Hello, just wanting to say hi to a friend that works for Kettle Chips "Walter" an old friend. please e-mail me back.
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