Candy Nostalgia

I'm really not much of a candy eater anymore, but back in middle and high school I was a bit of a junkie. For some reason, today I was thinking about a few of the candies I used to enjoy. I searched around the web for them, and they're completely extinct. Couldn't even Google a picture. So, I want to share them with you and see if anyone remembers them with me (if I could just have one more taste...) :)

Fizzy Bottle Caps: These were made by Wonka candy, and were definitely a vital part of my late elementary and middle school years. I think I got them EVERY time the little league softball bus stopped at a gas station on the way home from a hot, mid-afternoon game. Sure, they still have the regular old Bottle Caps, but once you've had the fizzy kind (I mean, it's like taking a bite of a glass of Coke or Strawberry Soda!) they're just a cheap imitation. These would throw me back to 12 years old instantly, I'm sure of it!

Ocean Spray Waves: These may not have been well-liked or well-known by many of you...but they were an absolute staple during my eighth grade year (1995-ish). They were similar to the idea of Jolly Ranchers, but made with fruit juice, and came in three flavors: Cran-Raspberry, Cran-Grape, and Cran-Strawberry. Cran-Grape was my favorite. They were individually wrapped in little white sleeves and the thought of them still makes my mouth water!

I've always been a cranberry juice fanatic, and these were just the ticket for someone like me - a balance between tart and sweet. Just lasted long enough in your mouth. Yum. I'd buy these if they were ever to be made again! (Hey Ocean Spray...maybe I'd buy enough to make it worth your while...)

Starburst Fruit Twists: Moving on to high school...I had many-a-supper at the local Casey's gas station during my h.s. career as I navigated from xc/basketball/track practice to play/speech/whatever practice later in the evening. These meals usually consisted of a greasy piece of pizza and a bag of Starburst Fruit Twists (licorice). I've always been a fan of good ol' Twizzlers, but these were even more wonderful. The bag had all four original flavors (orange, lemon, strawberry, and cherry), only in licorice form. Same setup as standard licorice, same colors as your standard Starburst. Strawberry and lemon were my favorites.

I don't really know how to describe this delicacy...except that it was somehow "lighter" than regular licorice and more satisfying than it's square, chewy sister. Hmmmm. You could count me in for a few packages of this if it came out again, too. I've never gotten into Starburst's other spin-offs...lollipops, jellybeans...fruit twists were the ultimate.

Nowadays, I'm much more of a chocolate girl...but revisiting my candy-loving days has given me a hankering for some of these zero-nutrition, sugar-loaded goodies. Are you searching for or missing any sweets from your childhood? What gives you candy nostalgia?