Hostess, Grandma and Me
By Desdemona Bandini
When I first heard that Hostess, (the makers of Twinkies, Ho Hos, Cupcakes and many other lunch desert delights for me that I was not allowed to have in middle school) was filing for bankruptsy my thoughts drifted away immediately to memories of Grandma.
I had a “weird” Mom who was incredibly health food conscience at a time when it seemed like no one else’s mom was. I couldn’t have sugar or chocolate, but sometimes I could have carob. Trust me, carob sooooo doesn’t even count. It might be worth mentioning I was incredibly hyper already, so fueled with sugar, I was off the chain. She used to go to the health food store and spend a fortune on fresh healthy food that I would trade for a wonderbread sandwhich that tasted good, and I could sit on and flatten and roll into shapes.
So, hanging out with Grandma was when I was free. Free to indulge in sugar fantasies. Grama, like me, was not supposed to have sugar. But who wants to do what you are supposed to do anyway? Life is short, carpe diem! Hostess was something we could agree on. It was one of our secrets together, and a fun special treat.
“Shhh…don’t tell your Mom, okay?” Grama would make me promise.
“OKAY!!” I would beam, she knew I wouldn’t never give away our sugar pact.
Grama almost always went for a Hostess Fruit Pie. Imagine how times have changed. I cannot remember the last time I saw a Hostess Fruit Pie being sold anywhere. But back then, you needed Pie to be portable. Pie was a staple and a must-have to have handy.
I almost always went for the twin-pack (because I am greedy with my sugar) of Chocolate Hostess Cupcakes. Oh the joy of knowing I would have not one chocolate cupcake, with the rich chocolate frosting with a white swirl on top, and the sticky whipped cream in the middle — but TWO! Two cupcakes all for me. Just opening the wrapper was fun knowing I had one and then two cupcakes to eat. (Hostess was way ahead of Sprinkles, and then way behind weren’t they?)
