Nonpareils memories...
Back in the seventies, our local Sears & Roebuck had a candy counter in the center of the store. My parents and I had a ritual whenever we went to the store: My father would disappear into the aisles of Craftsman tools, my mother would disappear into the women's dressing room and I could reliably be found standing at the candy counter, nose pressed up against the glass. I loved looking at all the fancy candies. After many trips, hours of begging the parents, trial and error; I found my favorite: The Nonpareils. I got fooled by the pretty colors into trying the marzapan once. And the dark chocolate truffles were too bitter for my young taste buds. I went astray with the fancily decorated bon-bons too. But when I hit upon the Nonpareils, so began a lifelong love affair with the little snowcapped- chocolates. I would frequently create a scene in the middle of Sears when Mom said I couldn't have any. She would warn about cavities and I would throw myself on the floor in a full-on temper tantrum. On bad days, I got dragged out of the store kicking and screaming and the ride home I'm sure was unsettling to my parents with my sobs coming from the back seat. On good days, I left the store with a quarter pound of the treat and the ride home was quiet as I gobbled it up leaving little white candy dots all over the back seat. ~ Christine from Virginia When I was a child, we would visit my grandmother almost weekly. She would always have the best candy in the world. My favorite was always the nonpareils. She would put out the chocolate kind, which were good, but I always went for the secret stash. This secret stash was for the mint flavored ones. I think the different colors were drawing me in. To eat them, the first couple always had to be chewed up quickly, then the rest I would let melt in my mouth. Then I would chew up the little balls. Grandma always knew it was me because my breath was minty fresh, and I had a mess from the balls around me. I would always deny it. When we would leave, she would hand me a secret bag to take home. This makes me really miss my grandma. ~ George from Ohio |
