# Weird foods you grew up with... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 17, 2004, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-foods-you-grew-up-with/250920 "2004-06-17T21:35:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![medstar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f07891/32.png) [@medstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/medstar)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-foods-you-grew-up-with/250920/81 "2004-06-19T02:50:36Z")
Another snack I liked was a handful of hot buttered popcorn, followed by a few peanut M&M’s. The salty, buttery crunch of the popcorn followed by sweet chocolate . . .Mmm, two great tastes that taste great together. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-foods-you-grew-up-with/250920/82 "2004-06-19T03:22:00Z")
The only thing I can think of is that I used to melt cheese (tillamook cheddar) in the microwave and eat it with a fork. Just melted cheese. Well, that and my dad used to put food coloring in breakfast foods (yes, I have eaten actual green eggs and ham) to prove that it didn’t taste any different. It does - I passed several blind taste tests showing that I could tell grits that had been dyed blue from grits that had not. Since growing up, I’ve never eaten grits again. Other than that, we ate a bunch of stuff that other people in the late 70s, early 80s suburbia considered weird - but really wasn’t (and today no one would even blink at). My parents didn’t really believe in catering to children’s tastes, (not that they never did, but our diets were significantly different from what other kids said they ate or their parents let them eat.) So, I remember growing up with of natural foods, peanut butter that was actually ground, frozen yogurt instead of ice cream, carob, falafel, eggplant, curry, whole wheat and/or whole grain breads (we _always_ had whole wheat flour. About half the time, that’s what waffles and pancakes were made from…whole wheat cake is not good), quesadillas (which, at the time, my friends considered absolutely bizarre), turkey dogs instead of hot dogs, “exotic” fruit. Nothing frozen, nothing instant, very few things that were “processed” (I didn’t have chef boyardee or Kraft Macaroni and Cheez until college - it was not good). ---
**Author:** ![Cherry2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cherry2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cherry2000)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-foods-you-grew-up-with/250920/83 "2004-06-19T03:40:09Z")
Chips on a sandwich? I used to put nacho cheese Doritos on my ham sandwiches all the time. Totally grossed out my junior high school lunch companions, until someone else tried it. Then everyone always wanted to steal all my Doritos 😃 Here’s two really weird ones, courtesy of my grandmother: Saltine crackers, with a marshmallow between them (not bad, actually) A Ritz cracker, with peanut butter, ketchup, and a slice of onion (highly recommended…believe it or not) The second one sounds really disgusting, but it’s actually pretty addictive. I have made converts out of several people. If I start making a plate of these at home, my S.O. eats them faster than I can make 'em. ---
**Author:** ![flamingbananas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f4b2a3/32.png) [@flamingbananas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flamingbananas)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-foods-you-grew-up-with/250920/84 "2004-06-19T03:45:03Z")
> [@Cherry2000](#): > > Chips on a sandwich? . Man, EVERYONE does that around here. In fact, I prefer my sandwiches that way. ---
**Author:** ![Lady\_Kate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/aca169/32.png) [@Lady\_Kate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lady_Kate)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-foods-you-grew-up-with/250920/85 "2004-06-19T03:51:25Z")
Here’s another one: cinnamon rolls and chili. Not as separate items, mind you, but a cinnamon roll _smothered_ with chili. My dad called it “Old Man Hennery’s Roll.” I don’t know where he came up with the name. I’ll have to ask him about that. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-foods-you-grew-up-with/250920/86 "2004-06-19T04:41:52Z")
Cripes, some of this stuff sounds like it’s straight out of _Fear Factor_. Where’s the vomit smiley when you need it? I think I can safely ditch my idea of a Doper Potluck Dinner. ---
**Author:** ![Ruffian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71e660/32.png) [@Ruffian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruffian)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-foods-you-grew-up-with/250920/87 "2004-06-19T05:07:11Z")
Continuing the peanut butter theme (and variation), my favorite growing up was: Peanut butter on toast, cut into bite sized pieces, and deluged in syrup. YUM! So…we’ve got peanut butter with: butter, bacon, cheese, syrup, molasses, hamburger, marmalade, mayo, oranges, pickles, brown sugar, cinnamon…y’all are SICK! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Tamarin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@Tamarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamarin)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-foods-you-grew-up-with/250920/88 "2004-06-19T05:15:55Z")
> [@medstar](#): > > Another snack I liked was a handful of hot buttered popcorn, followed by a few peanut M&M’s. The salty, buttery crunch of the popcorn followed by sweet chocolate . . .Mmm, two great tastes that taste great together. I love movie theatre popcorn with chocolate. I usually get Rollos, Milk Duds, or Junior Mints and just toss them in with the popcorn. My husband thinks I’m crazy but he doesn’t know what he’s missing. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![HanoNymus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ee59a6/32.png) [@HanoNymus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HanoNymus)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-foods-you-grew-up-with/250920/89 "2004-06-19T06:21:20Z")
Do you think cherry soup is weird? My wife says it is… ---
**Author:** ![PastAllReason](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f07891/32.png) [@PastAllReason](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastAllReason)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-foods-you-grew-up-with/250920/90 "2004-06-19T10:25:38Z")
Another vote for the goodness of tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. Sometimes now I’ll add apple chutney to the sandwich prior to the grilling. Then there’s the things that I ate then that make me shudder: a slice of white bread covered with peanut butter and then topped with golden corn syrup fried hotdogs sliced lengthwise and served with canned spaghetti creamed salmon on toast sardine sandwiches ---
**Author:** ![Noone\_Special](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/noone_special/32/2863_2.png) [@Noone\_Special](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noone_Special)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-foods-you-grew-up-with/250920/91 "2004-06-19T12:59:18Z")
Humus in a Pitta bread with pickles… in fact, humus in and on just about anything! And I **hate** peanut butter. Nearly identical textures… go figure 😕 Have I mentioned that I **hate** peanut butter? You people are grossing me out completely (cue Monty Python: “Spam! Spam! Spam! Spam!”) Dani ---
**Author:** ![sidle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee59a6/32.png) [@sidle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sidle)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-foods-you-grew-up-with/250920/92 "2004-06-19T13:44:18Z")
My Mom used to make these weird things where she’d take canned pear halves and fill them with a dollop of mayonnaise and top with shredded cheddar cheese. She doesn’t do it anymore-that was back in the hors-douevres and canned items-obsessed late 70s, I guess. I LOVED 'em, but now, I think… **UCK**. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-foods-you-grew-up-with/250920/93 "2004-06-19T18:42:56Z")
> [@Tamarin](#): > > I love movie theatre popcorn with chocolate. I usually get Rollos, Milk Duds, or Junior Mints and just toss them in with the popcorn. My husband thinks I’m crazy but he doesn’t know what he’s missing. 🙂 Moose munch! Take buttered popcorn and put caramel and chocolate on it. If you like the sweet and salty, this is cheating, but try Cousin Willy’s Cinnamon Toast microwave popcorn. It’s niiiiice. ---
**Author:** ![Abbie\_Carmichael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/49beb7/32.png) [@Abbie\_Carmichael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Abbie_Carmichael)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2004, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-foods-you-grew-up-with/250920/94 "2004-06-19T19:45:58Z")
I’ve put potato chips in my sandwiches. Better than lettuce 🙂 I’ve seen my grandmother pour milk over a bowl of popcorn and eat it like cereal. I’m not sure this was just weirdness on HER account, or if this was once popular where she grew up. At the movies I buy popcorn and a bag of M&Ms and mix them. Heavenly. My husband, bless his heart, has to put pork and beans on his mashed potatoes. Ick. ---
**Author:** ![Bookkeeper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bookkeeper/32/281_2.png) [@Bookkeeper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bookkeeper)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2004, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-foods-you-grew-up-with/250920/95 "2004-06-20T02:18:05Z")
Missed peanut butter on pancakes. Even better if you have the first one with syrup and them soak up the syrup dribbles with the peanut butter one. Not one I grew up with, but introduced several years ago to our weekly games group by one of the other players, was mixed salted nuts (no peanuts) mixed with wine gums. He called it “Corruption” and we all agreed that it was **very** corrupting. A favourite now whenever anyone brings it. Humous is good, too, **Noone Special**! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2004, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-foods-you-grew-up-with/250920/96 "2004-06-21T12:28:24Z")
> [@Bookkeeper](#): > > _Paté chinois_ is French for Shepherd’s Pie, so maybe this is where the name used by your mother came from? That is a VERY interesting theory. I never knew that. I grew up in Maine, where there is a TON of bastardized French. And my grandmother lived in a very French part of Augusta, which is where my Mom was raised. One is often wrong to just grab an interesting derivation of a term, but in this case, what else could it possibly come from? > [@Dangerosa](#): > > No one’s mentioned salami and jam sandwiches I did mention “bologna and jelly” on toast. Your salami and jam is the closest thing I’ve heard to that. ---
**Author:** ![MissGypsy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8491ac/32.png) [@MissGypsy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissGypsy)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2004, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-foods-you-grew-up-with/250920/97 "2004-06-21T16:11:47Z")
> [@Suburban Plankton](#): > > I notice that peanut better has turned up with an almost alarming frequency in this thread. So here’s mine…I used to love peanut butter and butter sandwiches. > > I also enjoyed baloney and ketchup sandwiches, which I never thought was strange until recently, when people kept telling me so. Are we related? Both of these were my lunchtime staples as a kid. When I was a kid, I ate these other odd combinations: Peanut butter and lettuce sandwiches Pretzels dipped in peanut butter Mom tells me when I was tiny, I loved Vienna Sausages, straight from the can. (Blech. Thankfully, I don‘t remember back that far.) Mom and Dad used to make fried egg, bacon and mayonnaise sandwiches. Now I can deal with a fried egg on toast, or a bacon sandwich (back when I ate pork), but mayonnaise? Who puts mayo on their bacon and eggs? That “ants-on-a-log” thing is actually a recipe in my Frugal Gourmet Whole Family cookbook, in the kids’ section. I had never heard of it until I got the cookbook, though. My kid loves beanie-weenies, but I don’t care for the diaper changes the next day, so he doesn’t get them often. (eeewww, I know.) ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Stilettos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/fbc32d/32.png) [@Red\_Stilettos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Stilettos)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2004, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-foods-you-grew-up-with/250920/98 "2004-06-21T16:57:47Z")
**Sidle** , I had totally forgotten about those mayo, cheese pears. My grandmother still serves those. On fancy occassions, no less. And, yes, they are still pretty good. As for the OP, this is not weird as in gross, just rather odd: I always ate my grapes frozen. They are great in the summer. Turns out Mom just did that to keep me from eating them so fast. ---
**Author:** ![Rue\_DeDay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/41988e/32.png) [@Rue\_DeDay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rue_DeDay)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2004, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-foods-you-grew-up-with/250920/99 "2004-06-21T17:32:11Z")
> [@Dr. Rieux](#): > > Here’s one my mom taught me: > > Cut two or three thick slices of Hormel liverwurst, place in a bowl and slice into cubes. > Pour in a little juice from the jar of dill pickle chips. > Add some salt and use a fork to mash and mix it into a spread. > Eat on crackers with pickle chips. That’s roughly a family recipe we have. Only _we_ use braunsweiger instead of liverwurst (which is oh so different in an “exactly the same” way) and add some sour cream to make it spreadier. And we don’t add pickle chips on top. ---
**Author:** ![Who\_me\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/958977/32.png) [@Who\_me\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Who_me_1)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2004, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-foods-you-grew-up-with/250920/100 "2004-06-21T18:40:16Z")
Most of everything here sounds fairly normal… hell, I’ve HAD most of what’s been posted here… one major disgusting exception… Who uses VELVEETA cheese on a damn sandwich??? Deli American, Swiss, provalone, cheddar… whatever… fine by me. But Velveeta or Kraft singles? Never. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-foods-you-grew-up-with/250920.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-foods-you-grew-up-with/250920.md?page=6)