A Sweet Blatherskite

When I was a kid, I used to like Necco candy wafers. I didn't get them very often, but when I did I enjoyed them. I usually got them in the small penny-size rolls at the Ben Franklin store in the Cumberland Square shopping center in Bettendorf. That was waaaaaay back when you could still buy a piece of candy for a penny. A bunch of us girls from church would go over there right before we'd leave for church camp. We'd load up on penny candy and take it to camp with us even though having food in the cabins was forbidden. I can't remember what all we'd buy, but I remember getting Now -n- Later's, Necco wafers, jaw breakers, Bit O' Honey's, and (I think) mini Tootsie rolls. (UPDATE: also Smarties!) The candy was supposed to last all week but I don't think it made it much past Tuesday. Man, those were the days. Someday I'll have to blog about going to church camp; about how fun it was and what a beautiful place it was.

Anyway. This year for Valentine's Day (at school) the girls wanted me to get candy to go along with their cards, so I bought a bunch of those boxes of Sweet Hearts candy hearts. I'd never really paid much attention to them. I hadn't eaten them in ages, probably because everyone I talked to said they were nasty tasting. But that's what the girls wanted, so I got some. After finishing their cards, we had a few boxes left over (because I can't count) and Boo opened one. I mooched a heart while she was crunching away, and immediately remembered the taste. These were Necco wafers, only thicker and heart shaped! Sure enough, I looked at the box and Necco is the company that makes them. So I opened a box of my own and started snarfing. Now I'm addicted to the stupid things, and since we're only a few days out from Valentine's, stores still have the hearts for sale, and at drastic markdowns. Needless to say I bought a bunch today while I was out running errands. I mean, they were marked down 50 percent! And they're fat free! So what if they're basically pure sugar. They're crunchy! I think that's my most favorite part about them - they're crunchy. I don't know why that appeals to me, but it does.

I'm pretty sure that Necco still makes the wafer candy. I'll have to look for it at the quaint little stores in Vinton that carry unique items. Hopefully I'll find some. I'll give the licorice ones to Carl, but you'd better believe I'll keep the chocolate ones all to myself. Those were the rare ones, and the best ones.

In the meantime, though, I think I'd better go brush my teeth.