Macarons. The flavors: Fruity Pebbles and Thin Mint. I am the target audience.

In our house we had two large repositories for sustenance: a chest freezer that sat in the cellar, and a walk-in pantry that was an offshoot of the kitchen. My mom managed to keep both stocked with an impressive selection of flavor landscapes, and all we kids needed to do was take a browse through each compartment and we’d find something sure to strike our fancy.

Favorites from the freezer included Mrs. T’s potato and cheddar pierogies, Kid Cuisine frozen dinners, MicroMagic hamburgers, and my most favorite selection, the Pepperidge Farm chocolate layer cake.

As my cop friend Steve once said about Pepperidge Farm, one container equals one serving.

As bizarre luck would have it, my little brother recently purchased (and ostensibly consumed) an entire box of the Pepperidge Farm square cake. Apparently I wasn’t the only one who loved this freezer favorite.

Our magical self-replenishing pantry contained items that were incredibly shelf stable. Highlights included Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, Bisquick, Ragu Pasta Meals (pre-made pasta in a jar with sauce– the subject of my sister’s annoyance when it was discontinued), Hamburger Helper, and Little Debbie Snack Cakes.

My mom’s shelves in the modern day. It’s like a time machine!

The pantry and the freezer: behold the access points to the 1980s American kid diet! For me, this was a pretty perfect arrangement. I didn’t like fruit until I was in my late 20s, and back then it was a brave new microwaving world. With arrivals such as the aforementioned MicroMagic hamburger, it was almost like having a science class in your kitchen where you could determine, “Can/should this item be pre-assembled, placed under the cover of cellophane, frozen solid, and then marketed to the inquisitive masses?” Often the answer would be no. But then you’d eat it anyway.

I remember friends would come over and stare in amazement at our impressive selection of food options. We did, after all, have five growing kids running around the house, and my mom worked at the Stop & Shop. But really, I didn’t ever reflect on my extensive knowledge of Little Debbie varietals, nor did I realize that I could construct a pancake with the optimal number of chocolate chips sprinkled in the bubbling batter. That was just how we ate.

My old breakfast of champions was the Pillsbury Toaster Strudel. The current iteration is a kale, almond milk, raw protein, blueberry and banana smoothie. I know.

Fast-forward a bunch of years, and I’m amazed at how my tastes have evolved. I now go to the store almost every day in order to procure fresh fruit and veg (it’s the foundation of a largely vegan-at-home diet), and judging by my credit card bill, the frequency of said purchases really adds up. Sigh. Gone are the days of 99¢ boxes of Oatmeal Creme Pies!

Now that I’m one of the adults who can buy whatever she pleases, I’m super curious to see how the next generation of teenagers will view their Proustian staples. I’m inclined to believe that the things marketed to parents as “healthy choices” really aren’t much better than my Little Debbie Fudge Rounds or lunchbox supply of Fruit Juicy Red. You’ve seen those modern day natural products: veggie chips, trail mix and even chocolate-covered edamame are all things that currently fill the supermarket aisles.

For me, the most egregious of health claims came in a vending machine here at our local ice arena.  The machine advertises  “smart snacking choices” that are clearly marked by a yellow label– and what was one of these choices? A bag of Fritos. Smarter choice my ass. But then again, who am I to judge?

It’s healthy because it says “probiotic”- and much like the marshmallows in a box of Count Chocula, I’m gonna pick out and eat all the chocolate pieces.

But I’m not completely reformed in my adult eating habits. There are some days where I could totally go for a dinner of chocolate chip pancakes with a scoop of ice cream and maple syrup drizzled on the top. For old time’s sake. Or maybe just a few bites.  Deep down, I still have a wicked sweet tooth that must be kept in check. Those days of snacking sans conséquence are gone, and instead I now devote hours of prep in the name of making truly smart food choices. I may still have the appetite for some of those pantry or freezer classics, but I no longer have the metabolism that will forgive the indulgence.

I guess I’ll have to manage as most adults seem to function these days: steal an E.L. Fudge cookie or tater tot from the latest generation of kids when their heads are turned the other way. And then blame it on someone else if they notice. If that’s not an option, I can always head to the Cape and have a browse in Mom’s pantry. I still love to go and see what she’s got in there, and I always try and show up with a box of macarons, chocolates, or something for her from my kitchen that she might be interested in trying out.

Here’s to you, Mom, for always supplying us with the best Angelo’s/Purity/Stop & Stop/Star Market that Mashpee had to offer.

Life tastes best when it’s a blend of old and new flavors. Let the tradition continue!