Discontinued Foods You Miss

[mansonlamps]

Am I remembering incorrectly or doesn't Quisp taste exactly the same as Cap'n Crunch? It's just a different shape, right. Or was my 7 year old palate too ununsophisticated to tell the difference?

Edited January 12, 2015 by mansonlamps

[WendyCR72]

An I remembering incorrectly or doesn't Quisp taste exactly the same as Cap'n Crunch? It's just a different shape, right. Or was my 7 year old palate too ununsophisticated to tell the difference?

 

That's what some of the Amazon reviews said. I can't say as I have never eaten Quisp (or, if I ever did, am too young to remember it!).

[methodwriter85]

     Back in the early '00s, Hot Pockets ran Toaster Pizza- basically the same idea as toaster strudel, but with pizza toppings inside instead. They were so good.

 

     McDonald's used to serve sausage gravy biscuit in the NorthEast through the early/mid-2000's, but I feel like I haven't seen them in a decade. They tasted really good, and it was cheaper. Way better than Bob Evan's or Waffle House.

 

    I also really miss the old-style McDonald's square cinnamon rolls. I like how they had really thin layers and not so much frosting.

[JTMacc99]

Heh. Not a lot love for discontinued healthy products I see.  To be fair, if somehow kale were to be discontinued, I don't think I'd miss it.

[mansonlamps]

Back in the early '00s, Hot Pockets ran Toaster Pizza- basically the same idea as toaster strudel, but with pizza toppings inside instead. They were so good.

McDonald's used to serve sausage gravy biscuit in the NorthEast through the early/mid-2000's, but I feel like I haven't seen them in a decade. They tasted really good, and it was cheaper. Way better than Bob Evan's or Waffle House.

I also really miss the old-style McDonald's square cinnamon rolls. I like how they had really thin layers and not so much frosting.

Just the other day I was lamenting the loss of the old style McDonald's cinnamon rolls! I think they called them pastries back then.

[smittykins]

S'more's Grahams cereal(aka crack in a bowl)

Peanut butter and pretzel Combos

Swanson's Entrees(just meat and potatoes; I used to get the fried chicken when Mom went out)

Chef Boy-ar-dee boxed spaghetti dinners

Chocolite candy bars

[Petunia13]

Upthread someone mentioned Clearly Canadian which I loved, and it made me remember another drink i loved in the 80s early 90s New York Seltzer, it might have been called Original New York Seltzer, i remember drinking the orange one a lot and that the bottles were actually glass and not plastic.

New York Seltzer is coming back.

[DeLurker]

Just realized while I was in the grocery store that each and every time I am in frozen foods, I look for Morningstar Spinach Artichoke Veggie Bites. They stopped making them at least 3 or more years ago, but I always look just in case. So sad.

[methodwriter85]

Popcorn chicken at KFC made a comeback. I am so excited.

[lampshades]

Glad to see crispy M&Ms are back. Still miss the habanero flavored Doritos.

[DeLurker]

Not discontinued, but my brother cannot get Toasted Corn Doritos in Florida - his favorite kind of tortilla chip. I buy some to bring him before I go visit because they are sold in most grocery stores here (Tx).

[Mittengirl]

Grape Tang. At least I miss the way I remember it tasting when I was a kid. It is quite possible that the grown-up (well, older, at least) me would find it disgusting.

[Sandman87]

They still make Grape Tang. In fact, you can buy it from Amazon.com. Incidentally, the Wikipedia entry for Tang indicates that the man who invented it is also the inventor of Cool Whip and Pop Rocks.

I miss the original version of Tab. They reformulated it back when I was in college (and slapped "With Calcium!" on the label), but it ended up with a sickly-sweet taste that I don't like.

[InDueTime]

I miss the original version of Tab. They reformulated it back when I was in college (and slapped "With Calcium!" on the label), but it ended up with a sickly-sweet taste that I don't like.

Back when I was in college a few years ago, I saw Tab in a grocery store where it was reformed into an energy drink.  I didn't get any though, since I try to avoid energy drinks in general, so I don't know how it tasted.

[DXD526]

Incidentally, the Wikipedia entry for Tang indicates that the man who invented it is also the inventor of Cool Whip and Pop Rocks.

 

Pop Rocks were great when they first came out! They could be downright dangerous, which is probably why they were retooled. They used to literally explode, and the bigger the pop rock, the bigger the explosion. It was always an adventure to pop a really huge one in your mouth and just wait for it to explode and go banging off your teeth and roof of your mouth. Good times! Then they disappeared for a while, and when they returned, all they did was sizzle a little. Bo-ring. 

[jette]

Blueberry Cobbler Coffeemate

Nabisco Oatmeal cookies

Ben & Jerry's Coconut Cream Pie Ice cream

 

*sniff*

 

...and one more: Pasta Roni Tomato Parmesan!

Edited February 24, 2015 by jette

[mansonlamps]

*sniff*

 

...and one more: Pasta Roni Tomato Parmesan!

...you just made me think of my childhood love affair with Pasta Roni Noodles Romanoff. *sniff* Yum.

[Betweenyouandme]

Do they make that yogurt anymore that was marketed to kids with sprinkles separated by tin? You could stir them in yourself. I always had the strawberry kind.

[DeLurker]

Not sure if they have the sprinkles one, but I know I've just seen granola, fruit loops and oreo or some kind of candy ones.

[Betweenyouandme]

Fruit loops, you say? Yum. I wonder if they have retinol A. If not much, I'll try to find it.

[redlaces]

There used to be an herb sauce in Lunchables that you pinched and squirted onto the crackers. SOOO good!! I haven't seen it since the 90's. I see some people asking about it online, but not many people seem to remember. It wasn't mustard or cheese. I also have to echo something mentioned in this thread, JELL-O Pudding Pops.. Hands down, the best chocolate frozen treat.

[festivus]

Excuse this long overdue reply but I just found this thread.

 

Anybody remember the fries that KFC used to sell back in the 70's? They were crinkle fries and were crisp on the outside and melt-in-your-mouth on the inside. The seasoning was the same as used on the chicken. My friend and I used to go several afternoons a week after high school and get snack boxes of chicken thighs and fries, No wonder I gained weight in high school! KFC also had those "Little Bucket" parfait desserts. I liked the strawberry shortcake one the best.

 

 

I remember those fries, so good. I worked at KFC in the early 80's. We didn't have the fries anymore but we did have the Little Bucket Parfaits. The lemon was my fave. We used to put them in the freezer, so much better that way.

[annzeepark914]

If I've already mentioned this...please forgive me. But I sorely miss Good Humor's vanilla coconut bars...and even their regular toasted almond bars.  I'm talkin' the vanilla ice cream bar on a stick, covered with white coconut (my favorite!) which we'd buy from the GH truck...and also the toasted almond covered vanilla ice cream on a stick (which one can find today in supermarket freezers--but they're not the same).

 

One more item that I believe no longer exists in restaurants:  Biscuit Tortoni.  I'm referring to the vanilla ice cream, packed into a white paper souffle pleated "cup", topped with toasted almond coconut, with a cherry in the middle.  You used to see that in all the Italian restaurants back in the 50's and 60's. I bet that vanilla ice cream was really gelato.  It was unlike any American vanilla ice cream I'd ever tasted.

[Mittengirl]

I have no idea what made me think of this, but does anyone remember a fancy, store-bought, ice cream dessert from maybe the 90's? It was rectangular, maybe 4 x 5 x 9 inches, thin layers of ice cream and chocolate with piping and cocoa dust on top. It was kind of ruffle-y looking, like a ribbon, but not as scrunched as ribbon candy. I don't think there was any cake or wafer layers in it, but perhaps some brittle, thin chocolate. It may have had an Italian-sounding name. I am not sure if it was available year-around or just at the holidays. Sound familiar to anyone?

Edited March 1, 2015 by Mittengirl

[GaT]

One more item that I believe no longer exists in restaurants:  Biscuit Tortoni.  I'm referring to the vanilla ice cream, packed into a white paper souffle pleated "cup", topped with toasted almond coconut, with a cherry in the middle.  You used to see that in all the Italian restaurants back in the 50's and 60's. I bet that vanilla ice cream was really gelato.  It was unlike any American vanilla ice cream I'd ever tasted.

I used to LOVE these, when I lived in the Bronx you could always get them at the local Italian restaurant.

[harrie]

I have no idea what made me think of this, but does anyone remember a fancy, store-bought, ice cream dessert from maybe the 90's? It was rectangular, maybe 4 x 5 x 9 inches, thin layers of ice cream and chocolate with piping and cocoa dust on top. It was kind of ruffle-y looking, like a ribbon, but not as scrunched as ribbon candy. I don't think there was any cake or wafer layers in it, but perhaps some brittle, thin chocolate. It may have had an Italian-sounding name. I am not sure if it was available year-around or just at the holidays. Sound familiar to anyone?

 

This?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUEfkQZc4uE

[harrie]

I used to LOVE these, when I lived in the Bronx you could always get them at the local Italian restaurant.

 

Cutrufellos, a local cheese maker, kept an Italian grocery for many years, and they had the Tortoni cups.  When I found them I was absolutely giddy and bought a couple packages for the office freezer. And needless to say, made many return trips for more tortoni and other wonderful things, until they closed the store. 

[BW Manilowe]

In the 80s there used to be these microwave cake mixes by Betty Crocker (? maybe). They came with a plastic pan and you mixed the cake mix with water and bunged it in the microwave. Six minutes later when it was done you took it out, let it cool, then squeezed the packet of frosting over the top.

I would SO SO SO buy those now if they still had them! The cakes were moist and tasty, and you could save the plastic pan to use later. Win/win.

Snackin Cakes (with an apostrophe after the "n"--my iPhone is balking at spelling the word with the apostrophe after the "n" instead of a "g"). I used to love those too.

OK... There were the above, but they didn't have the frosting. It was the 1st thing that popped into my head & I thought it was right. What was right was said by someone else upthread. And that was Stir 'n' Frost.

Edited March 2, 2015 by BW Manilowe

[WendyCR72]

Snackin Cakes (with an apostrophe after the "n"--my iPhone is balking at spelling the word with the apostrophe after the "n" instead of a "g"). I used to love those too.

 

That was one type, but the Snackin' Cakes usually had no frosting. I think people are remembering Stir N' Frost, also from Betty Crocker, with the plastic pan, cake mix in which you'd just add water, and of course, a packet of frosting. Ah, the '80s.

[BW Manilowe]

That was one type, but the Snackin' Cakes usually had no frosting. I think people are remembering Stir N' Frost, also from Betty Crocker, with the plastic pan, cake mix in which you'd just add water, and of course, a packet of frosting. Ah, the '80s.

Right. I loved those things. And I just corrected my post. I would've done it sooner, when I saw the right cake mentioned upthread, but I couldn't keep my eyes open & had to sleep awhile. Sorry!

Does anyone else remember: Royal Shake-a-Pudding, Pillsbury Moo Juice Drink Mix, Borden Frosted Shakes, or Funny Face Drink Mix? Those were big things for me when I was really little.

[WendyCR72]

Oh! MicroMagic. Forgot that! They even had burgers and fries. Decent enough. For the record, I was born in 1972, so yeah, I remember most of this stuff.

[DXD526]

Stir 'N Frost was around in the late 70s, I remember a bake sale when I was still in high school where a couple of people brought Stir 'N Frost cakes.

 

Funny Face! Rootin' Tootin' Raspberry!

[BW Manilowe]

forumfish: I think, at 1 point, the Funny Face mixes were part of Pillsbury. I could be wrong about that though. I'm pretty sure they were intended as "competition" for Kool-Aid. As I remember, they were at least as good. As I was writing that, I also remembered Wyler drink mixes. They were similar to both Kool-Aid & Funny Face, I'm pretty sure. I think they came in a can, kind of like a coffee can--which Kool-Aid was also starting to be packaged in around then, as I remember--but I think they were also in the paper "envelopes" like Kool-Aid was originally in & like Funny Face came in.

If you missed the Borden Frosted Shakes, you missed something pretty good, as I remember. They came in a can, I think with a pop-top like a soda can; I think they were only in the usual chocolate, vanilla & strawberry, & they were honestly more like flavored milk than a "thick" milkshake, as I remember. I also remember they were usually really hard to find in our stores for some reason, & you could almost never get more than 1 flavor at a time, if any. I remember being really happy whenever my Mom would come home from the store with at least 1 can of 1 flavor.

I think a bunch of us are pretty close to the same age. You're the same age as my brother. I was born in 1963.

forumfish & Wendy CR72: I remember MicroMagic burgers, shakes, & fries too. I think I ate a ton of them back in the '80s. I thought the burgers were kinda just OK, but at least they were edible. I thought the fries were actually some of the best microwaveable fries around. As for the shakes, they were good, but they never turned out quite right. They either wouldn't melt as much as they were supposed to or they were thinner than I expected, if they melted. And I don't think we were microwaving 'em at too high a temp or for too long.

DXD526: Yep. Rootin-Tootin-Raspberry (I didn't drink that--I don't like raspberry)--the character on the front was a gunslinger, I think. There was also Lefty Lemonade (a baseball player); Choo-Choo Cherry (a train engineer); Ollie Orange (character I can't remember); Goofy Grape (another character I can't remember); & a Lime flavor, which I can't remember the name of or the character for. Maybe another flavor/character too. I'd swear there were, like, at least 7 & I only named 6, if that many.

Edited March 3, 2015 by BW Manilowe

[harrie]

If you missed the Borden Frosted Shakes, you missed something pretty good, as I remember. They came in a can, I think with a pop-top like a soda can; I think they were only in the usual chocolate, vanilla & strawberry, & they were honestly more like flavored milk than a "thick" milkshake, as I remember. I also remember they were usually really hard to find in our stores for some reason, & you could almost never get more than 1 flavor at a time, if any. I remember being really happy whenever my Mom would come home from the store with at least 1 can of 1 flavor.

DXD526: Yep. Rootin-Tootin-Raspberry (I didn't drink that--I don't like raspberry)--the character on the front was a gunslinger, I think. There was also Lefty Lemonade (a baseball player); Choo-Choo Cherry (a train engineer); Ollie Orange (character I can't remember); Goofy Grape (another character I can't remember); & a Lime flavor, which I can't remember the name of or the character for. Maybe another flavor/character too. I'd swear there were, like, at least 7 & I only named 6, if that many.

 

I remember the Borden shakes.  Almost never had them, but they were excellent.

 

Later on, there was also a milk shake type product where you stirred up some kind of frozen thing with milk.  It was pretty good; but mostly I remember it because my brother was in a hurry and grabbed a fork out of the sink to stir one up.  The shake was kind of chunky, and it turns out he used the fork with which we had mixed up the dog's food.  Good times. 

 

I remember the Funny Face mixes, too. (Missing flavor: Freckle Face Strawberry?)   They never quite unseated Kool-Aid, though.   To go really old school (I was born in '61), I remember Fizzies.  Hated them, but I remember them. 

Edited March 3, 2015 by harrie

[GreekGeek]

a Lime flavor, which I can't remember the name of or the character for.

 

It was Loud-Mouth Lime.

 

Fun trivia fact: Choo Choo Cherry and Jolly Ollie Orange were originally Chinese Cherry and Injun Orange, but the names were changed out of what would today be called political correctness.

[BW Manilowe]

harrie: Yeah. Like I said/implied, I almost never had the Borden shakes either. But that was more because our stores either couldn't get them, in general, or they couldn't keep 'em in stock when they got 'em. However, on the rare occasions when my Mom could find them, I enjoyed the heck outta them. I think I ended up getting more Strawberry & Vanilla than Chocolate though. At least that's what I remember. I think the Strawberry was in a pink can, Vanilla in blue, for whatever reason, & Chocolate in brown.

Sadly, I can't remember the 2nd shake you mean, but it might've been the MicroMagic 1 if if needed to spend a few seconds/minute(s)/whatever in the microwave to start. I feel badly for your brother. Ick!

Thank you for the missing Freckle-Faced Strawberry! That's 1 of the ones I drank instead of Rootin-Tootin Raspberry. And it was Freckle-Faced because of the strawberry seeds. I think I actually drank all of the Funny Faces at some point, except Rootin-Tootin Raspberry & maybe Lefty Lemonade--I'm not sure I was "into" lenonade when they were popular, & I hate raspberry.

Truth be told, I don't think anything can unseat Kool-Aid. And I don't think there are anymore drink mixes targeted mostly to kids out there now except for Kool-Aid. All the others (Crystal Light, etc.) I think of as really for adults.

I'm pretty sure I remember Fizzies too. They were tablets you dissolved in water to make a drink, as I remember. And they were mostly the standard flavors but--as I remember--they also had a Cola or Root Beer option.

GreekGeek: Thank you, too, for Loud Mouth Lime. That was the name all right. And thanks for the Jolly in the orange flavor name. I forgot that part. And I don't think I ever heard about the cherry or orange original names. Interesting trivia. And probably a good idea they were changed, even though things weren't as touchy about being PC then as now.

Edited March 3, 2015 by BW Manilowe

[harrie]

harrie: Yeah. Like I said/implied, I almost never had the Borden shakes either. But that was more because our stores either couldn't get them, in general, or they couldn't keep 'em in stock when they got 'em. However, on the rare occasions when my Mom could find them, I enjoyed the heck outta them. I think I ended up getting more Strawberry & Vanilla than Chocolate though. At least that's what I remember. I think the Strawberry was in a pink can, Vanilla in blue, for whatever reason, & Chocolate in brown.

Sadly, I can't remember the 2nd shake you mean, but it might've been the MicroMagic 1 if if needed to spend a few seconds/minute(s)/whatever in the microwave to start. I feel badly for your brother. Ick!

 

 

BW Manilowe, the A&P had plenty of the Borden shakes, but my mom would almost never buy them. In retrospect, probably not a bad decision on her part. But darn it!

The other shakes were called Thick 'N Frosty - stuff like that comes to me in the middle of the night.  They were only out for a couple years, apparently.  No need to feel badly for my bro, he had it coming. And then some. 

[Mittengirl]

harrie, thanks for the Viennetta commercial! That is exactly what I was thinking of. As I recall, I was rather disappointed that the flavor did not match up to the fancy look.

I have fond college memories of Stir & Frost cakes. I had an illegal microwave hidden in my dorm room closet and my friends and I used to make those little cakes all the time. God they were good at 2 a.m., with little cartons of milk we had snuck out of the cafeteria.

Little round pizzas that came in a box with a cardboard reflector tray you nuked the pizza on were another "illegal" late night fave. I haven't had a frozen microwave pizza in years; do they still have the little silver tray?

Edited March 3, 2015 by Mittengirl

[BW Manilowe]

BW Manilowe, the A&P had plenty of the Borden shakes, but my mom would almost never buy them. In retrospect, probably not a bad decision on her part. But darn it!

The other shakes were called Thick 'N Frosty - stuff like that comes to me in the middle of the night. They were only out for a couple years, apparently. No need to feel badly for my bro, he had it coming. And then some.

OK that was my problem then... My Mom didn't shop at A&P here (it wasn't close to our house); she shopped at local grocery chains (which were close to our house). No wonder I could hardly get the Borden shakes.

And now that you mention it, I remember Thick & Frosty shakes; I even had a bunch in my time. I think Birdseye made them. I remember them being Frosty; I'm not so sure about Thick. At least not as thick as a restaurant shake. I think the problem with many of them was, you usually had to "start" them by microwaving them for at least a few seconds & they mostly turned out like melted ice cream, in the end, instead of thick. They were still drinkable though. I guess that's what counts most.

Don't most brothers have it coming? Especially if they're younger brothers of big sisters.

Edited March 3, 2015 by BW Manilowe

[ikmccall]

harrie, thanks for the Viennetta commercial! That is exactly what I was thinking of. As I recall, I was rather disappointed that the flavor did not match up to the fancy look.

I have fond college memories of Stir & Frost cakes. I had an illegal microwave hidden in my dorm room closet and my friends and I used to make those little cakes all the time. God they were good at 2 a.m., with little cartons of milk we had snuck out of the cafeteria.

Little round pizzas that came in a box with a cardboard reflector tray you nuked the pizza on were another "illegal" late night fave. I haven't had a frozen microwave pizza in years; do they still have the little silver tray?

 

I'm pretty sure Mama Celeste individual pizzas have the reflector.

[DXD526]

I loved Fizzies! It was one type of junk food my mom relented to buying, for whatever reason. There was always Fizzies in the house.

 

Those microwave milkshakes! I forgot about them. I tried them a couple of times, but gave up because I could never get them to come out right. Either too warm or still frozen in the middle. And it was hard to get past the weirdness of putting a milkshake in a microwave oven. 

 

Also nice to be reminded of Injun Orange and Chinese Cherry. I can remember what the picture on the Chinese Cherry packages looked like. Definitely not PC, and no way would that fly these days.

[BW Manilowe]

I loved Fizzies! It was one type of junk food my mom relented to buying, for whatever reason. There was always Fizzies in the house.

Those microwave milkshakes! I forgot about them. I tried them a couple of times, but gave up because I could never get them to come out right. Either too warm or still frozen in the middle. And it was hard to get past the weirdness of putting a milkshake in a microwave oven.

Also nice to be reminded of Injun Orange and Chinese Cherry. I can remember what the picture on the Chinese Cherry packages looked like. Definitely not PC, and no way would that fly these days.

I had the same problems as you with the microwaveable shakes. They either got too warm (&, thereby, too melty) or stayed frozen in the middle, with a pool of melted (& sometimes warmer than necessary, & not as thick as usually advertised) milkshake around a lump of still frozen ice cream/milkshake in the middle of the cup. I think you were supposed to microwave 'em to start the thawing/shake-making process, otherwise it took way to long to thaw 'em "manually".

Edited March 4, 2015 by BW Manilowe

[Sun-Bun]

This?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUEfkQZc4uE

Oh my word, thank you! I'd forgotten all about this awesome dessert awesomeness courtesy of Breyer's---Vienetta was pure heaven!! Wonder why it was discontinued?

[mishy]

Oh my word, thank you! I'd forgotten all about this awesome dessert awesomeness courtesy of Breyer's---Vienetta was pure heaven!! Wonder why it was discontinued?

According to Wiki it is still available :"Viennetta is sparsely available in the United States. However, Unilever no longer produces the brand in Canada. It is sold in Australia under the Streets brand." I recall my dad buying this once or twice while out grocery shopping, I remember liking it but who knows what I'd think now if i were to find one.

[editorgrrl]

You can make your own Viennetta with "some good quality vanilla ice cream, Magic Shell (one or two flavors, up to you), waxed paper, and a brand new—reserved for kitchen use only—hair pick."

 

For this recipe, "all you do is whip egg white with sugar and fresh cream + vanilla and you make layers with chocolate."

 

This UK recipe requires liquid glucose, whilst this one is from The Shed: The Cookbook by Gregory, Oliver, and Richard Gladwin. (Scroll down.)

 

Here's a video of the real thing being made:

Edited March 6, 2015 by editorgrrl

[mishy]

You can make your own Viennetta with "some good quality vanilla ice cream, Magic Shell (one or two flavors, up to you), waxed paper, and a brand new—reserved for kitchen use only—hair pick."

I'd probably get as far as putting some ice cream in a bowl and pouring on the magic shell.

[smittykins]

To go really old school (I was born in '61), I remember Fizzies. Hated them, but I remember them.

I occasionally see them now in my supermarket's small retro candy section.

[ikmccall]

I occasionally see them now in my supermarket's small retro candy section.

I saw them at an arts and craft show this weekend. All the candy on that one table were retro.  Of course, I immediately thought of this thread.

[WendyCR72]

While it isn't as good as eating it at the actual restaurant, I do miss the frozen Pizzeria Uno's pizza that one used to be able to get in the supermarket. I haven't seen it around in ages!

[auntlada]

Am I the only person in the world who misses the Kraft chicken and noodle box dinner? My mother used to make it with extra egg noodles and cooked chicken. We always had leftovers, and I would eat them for lunch the next day -- if I got home before my brothers. That was before we had a microwave, and I had to reheat them in the oven. When we got a microwave, I used it, but the leftovers didn't taste as good in the microwave.

 

Sure, it's not homemade noodles or sauce, but there was some flavoring in the sauce that nothing else has. (It probably causes cancer or something, but it was really good.)