Thursday, September 9, 2010

Vintage Candy | Rock Candy, Pixy Stix, Fun Dip

Thoughts of the first week back to school bring back memories of my three favorite, non-chocolate candy. After school, I loved to hit up the local candy store or deli for some yummy sweet treats and empty calories. These are my top three old-school, retro candy choices ...
 
Rock Candy also called Rock Sugar is typically available at small specialty candy shops or gourmet stores.  As a child, I'd always grab one when we took vacations. I'd usually find Rock Candy in souvenir shops. Rock Candy is made by boiling sugar in water and allowing it to stand for a week. In researching, I'm surprised to learn that this candy is big in foreign countries and even used in teas in Germany and as a breath freshener after meals in  India.



Pixie Stix or Pixy Stix are paper straws filled with flavored (grape, cherry, orange) sugar and are sure to put you in the dentist's chair! Sunline began making Pixy Stix in 1952 in St. Louis, Missouri. In the late 1930s, the sugar was actually marketed as a drink mix. When the makers discovered children eating the sugar right from the drinking straw, they switched their focus from drink mix to candy. This led to my next favorite candy, Fun Dip.


Fun Dip was originally called Lik-M-Aid, Wonka produces Fun Dip. Fun Dip was three small pouches of flavored sugar (similar to that of the sugar in Pixy Stix or Pixie Stix). Fun Dip came with one or two edible  marshmallow flavored sticks. You would lick the stick, dip it into the Fun Dip and the sugar would stick to the stick. Once you were all done licking up the flavored sugar, you were able to eat the sticks. Yum!


What's your favorite old-school candy?


 
at

19 comments:

  1. Melanie's RandomnessSeptember 9, 2010 at 11:49 AM

    I love rock candy!! I still sometimes before a movie go get some rock candy at the candy stand! Pixie sticks were the shiznit back then. I used to love the Zebra gum!! =)

    Hey lady I'm also running a small giveaway! Don't miss out!
    Mini Random Giveaway!

    ReplyDelete
  2. TS HendrikSeptember 9, 2010 at 11:57 AM

    I always hated rock candy. It would inevitably end up in the carpet. I loved Fun Dip though. Pixie Sticks... I burned my sinuses many a time as stupid kids that we were, we couldn't resist a snorting coke joke and would have to snort the sugar from time to time.

    ReplyDelete
  3. 1950s Atomic Ranch HouseSeptember 9, 2010 at 1:55 PM

    Old School rock candy (came in boxes, for about 5 cents), Boston Baked Beans, Lemon Drops (all in boxes again for about a nickle). Yes, Used to go to the 5 and 10 on Friday, because that would be candy day! =D

    ooo then there was a jar of Andies Ice Cubes at the cash register. Little chocolate squares that were sooooo good! And Sixlets! Mmmm! Now I have to go get some candy!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. DrakeSeptember 9, 2010 at 3:31 PM

    I love pixie sticks, that burn you got, almost as good as eating Tang dry.
    Candy had to have the buzz for me, i was a weird kid. :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. AliSeptember 9, 2010 at 3:33 PM

    The check-out line was always the most exciting part of the hour-long grocery trip with my mom when I was growing up. Cocoamint Velamints, Jolly Rancher bars (green apple), Brach's French Burnt Peanuts and Brach's Royals flavored caramels were my favorites.

    Oh man. I could totally go for a butter rum Royal right now.

    ReplyDelete
  6. baygirl32September 9, 2010 at 4:14 PM

    I loved pizie sticks but hated the fact they were in paper straws, but fun dip was my fav

    ReplyDelete
  7. MarleneSeptember 9, 2010 at 4:17 PM

    Totally remember Lik-M-Aid and loved it!!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. OldSchool80sSeptember 9, 2010 at 4:18 PM

    Hey Ally,

    Here is my Kickin' it Old School issue on my favorite candy when I was a kid:
    http://oldschool.tblog.com/post/1970016244

    Take care.

    ReplyDelete
  9. MaceySeptember 9, 2010 at 6:22 PM

    This one time (okay maybe twice) I drove to LA from here, 21 hours straight. I ate Pixy Stix to stay awake.
    Notsogood.

    ReplyDelete
  10. mamahasspokenSeptember 9, 2010 at 6:57 PM

    I hate a Cracker Barrel this past week-end and they have boxes of retro candy for the 50's, 60's, 70's, and 80's. I would have bought a box except I couldn't make up my mind which one I would want and the price was, well pricey at 8 bucks a box that wasn't even a pound. Ouch!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Babes MamiSeptember 9, 2010 at 7:27 PM

    You just named my three favs! Mmm..fun dip!

    ReplyDelete
  12. AnonymousSeptember 9, 2010 at 9:05 PM

    Oh, for the days we could literally just eat sugar off a stick made of sugar. Those were the days, weren't they?

    ReplyDelete
  13. I'm So PrettySeptember 10, 2010 at 10:06 AM

    Loved rock candy as a kid. I remember a bunch of big clear/no-color crystals on a string stuck in a box. I couldn't believe it when my mom told me it was just sugar superdissolved in water. It was too amazing to believe. LOL!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Bossy BettySeptember 10, 2010 at 1:00 PM

    I tried very hard to make rock candy. Bad idea.

    My oldest son just got hooked on Pixie Stix. His girlfriend had to hide them from him.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Mom Mayhem says:September 10, 2010 at 3:22 PM

    Oh my goodness -love it retro candy! I have a recipe somewhere around here on how to make rock candy. Love Fun Dips and also Pop Rocks :)
    I'm also stopping by to let you know that I've tagged you in my latest post -8 questions:
    http://themommayhem.blogspot.com/2010/09/8-questions.html

    ReplyDelete
  16. Momma FargoSeptember 10, 2010 at 9:27 PM

    I still love all of the above, Pop Rocks, and Goodie Nut Bars. Oy. Now I need some candy!

    ReplyDelete
  17. CheeseboySeptember 11, 2010 at 12:54 AM

    I LOVED all of those, but my favorite was definitely Big League Chew. It helped young boys feel like we could chew tobacco at an early age.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Pat TillettSeptember 14, 2010 at 12:45 AM

    Rock candy and pixie sticks! I still buy them from time to time when I run into a "vintage" candy store...

    ReplyDelete
  19. ~ NoelleJune 1, 2011 at 2:57 PM

    i was not a fan of the rock candy... but the other two AWESOME
    now, my mom would not let me even think about trying pop rocks though

    ReplyDelete