Pret-A-Manger For A Sand-A-Wich

I LOVE PRET-A-MANGER!!! 

I studied abroad in London and almost lived off of this stuff.  Have you ever heard of it?  The only locations in the U.S. as of now are in New York.  They are also in the U.K. and Hong Kong.  It’s basically a quick-serve sandwich/soup/salad shop but oooooh it is so much more!  They use natural ingredients and offer many dishes that are wheat-free, organic, contain free-range meat, etc.  Beautiful, healthy and fast!  Enough of my advertisement.

Here’s what made me think of Pret…seeing one of its many storefronts obviously!  This Pret is located on 7th Avenue at 39th Street:

I had a few favorites while over-seas: chicken and avocado sandwich, brie tomato and whole-leaf basil baguette, and their falafel (it’s actually very good!).  Often, when we didn’t know what to eat for lunch, we’d go to Pret.  All the time.  It was cheap, quick and delicious.  Only a few months after I returned home to New York from London, I started to notice Pret-A-Mangers popping up all over the city.  It made me the reverse of homesick, it made me London-sick!  It always makes me think of the amazing semester I spent in London.  Whenever I see a Pret in the city, I feel like I’m looking through a secret portal to London and I remember all the good times I spent with my friends…eating sandwiches .

Check out their site!  Click here!

More Powdered Drinks – The “Koolest” Aid In Town

The “powdered drinks from my childhood” theme continues here.  Look who I ran into this morning:

Source: My personal photo

How many of you said “OHH YEAHHHH!!!” when you saw that?  I know I did (I hope he wasn’t terribly offended).  The elusive Kool-Aid man lives on in the hearts of “grown-up” children (unlike me) everywhere!!  What flavor do you think he is?  Mountainberry Punch?  Rock-a-dile Red?  Sharkleberry Fin?  Mmmmmm I can just taste that cold, artificial goodness running down my throat on a warm, spring half-day in fifth grade.  Of course, my parents would never buy the stuff so I was definitely on a play-date whilst enjoying this fantastic beverage.  Therefore, Mr. Kool-Aid Pitcher Dude reminds me of fun, elementary school play-dates (and super red tongues!!).  Man, he makes me look so short.

Did I mention this was taken on a Polaroid camera?  Classic.  That makes me think of, oh I don’t know, taking countless ridiculous pictures with my friends?  It also makes me think of Cher (Alicia Silverstone) taking Polaroid pictures of her outfits in Clueless.  :-)

However, I’m definitely not the only one who becomes reminiscent when running into the Red Man.  Check this out:

I remember the first time I saw this on Family Guy, which is one of my favorite shows of all time.  It just goes to show us all that Seth MacFarlane and all the guys over at Family Guy are also constantly having “flashbacks” and interjecting these bits of memory and nostalgia throughout the show.  It is the perfect placement of the iconic wall-crashing “OH YEAHH!” and reminds me of every Kool-Aid commercial as well.

Dane Cook takes this one step further:

He’s picking on our poor pitcher pal, but his commentary is hilaaarrrrrious so I HAD to post this here.  Dane remembers him, I remember him, Seth MacFarlane remembers him…do you?

Nesquik – Powder Is Preferable

I always walk through Times Square to get to work and recently, I noticed this:

Source: My personal photo

Nesquik.  It seems that Nestle is trying to make a comeback with one of my favorite childhood beverages!  But when I see people drinking Nesquik nowadays (on the train, in the street, my own friends) it’s from a plastic bottle!!!  Pre-mixed Nesquik chocolate milk!  This is the Nesquik that I am used to:

Source: (click here)

Nesquik chocolate powder!!!  Nesquik powder was a staple in my house growing up and boy do I miss it!  I remember mixing this velvety, delicious powder in with skim milk on weekend mornings while devouring a hot, fresh bagel with cream cheese.  I think I need to go to the supermarket and pick some up because there is something so independent and satisfying about mixing your own chocolate milk.  The best part about this powder is when it collects at the bottom of the glass or mug in little clumps and lumps.  Then, when the milk is finished, you scoop these clusters up with a spoon and eat them (no matter how salty the clumps tasted).  A very distinct taste with an even more distinct “clink clank” of my metal spoon hitting the sides of my glass during the mixing process.  Nesquik: makes me think of weekend breakfasts. 

How It Started – Cartoons and Commercials

 

 

The above two YouTube videos sparked my initial interest in this “project.”  My brother actually posted these videos on my facebook wall.  When I first clicked “play” I was so, so excited!!!  

Not only did I remember the words to the entire Garfield and Friends theme song and the entire Crossfire commercial, but I absolutely remember every visual of each segment.  These really take me back to Saturday mornings and weekday afternoons in elementary school.  I actually owned a Crossfire game at one point, and am not sure where it is.  I have to go digging for it in my basement.  If I recover it, I’ll be sure to post some nice action photos.  I can’t promise I’ll be surfing on one of the game pieces though.

In terms of Garfield and Friends, wow did I love that show!  What’s there not to love about a cat who eats everything in sight.  I did collect lots of Garfield (and Odie!) merchandise over the years.  Stuffed animals, T-shirts, pencils (I probably received these in a goody bag from a birthday party) and of course, the Garfield stuffed animal with the suction cups on his paws, that everyone used to stick on the inside of their car windows.  What a fun site to see on the Long Island Expressway.  The one thing I never fully understood about the show was the cut to Orson and his farmland-friends, but I enjoyed it just the same.  It was a nice break from the constant sarcasm and digestion taking place in Jon’s kitchen.  But poor Wade with his inner tube.  A duck who can’t swim - no wonder he almost got the crap kicked out of him every episode. 

I miss this lasagna-loving lump!  “Disguises, surprises and pies of all sizes” for all!

In the beginning…

…I created this blog.  The beginning of my blogging adventure.  An opportunity to connect with all of you on an endless array of topics and ideas!  Sometimes my mind works so quickly and so crazily I can’t keep up with it.  I try to write everything down: the observations I observe, the thoughts I think, the ideas I ideate.  So I created this blog in an effort to do so.  Your comments, praise, criticism and feedback is much appreciated.  So don’t be shy.  Really.

I am truly intrigued by the concept of nostalgia.  It’s amazing to me how certain stimuli tickle each of our five senses and cause us to remember our pasts.  Nostalgia though, isn’t just about our past and memories.  It’s a feeling we each get while engaging in remembrance.  Joy, sadness, anger, silliness, regret, appreciation, gratification, etc.  This isn’t just about nostalgia though.  It’s about flashbacks and memories.

I will be posting photos, videos, images, stories, interviews and other ramblings about all things that make me and others feel nostalgic.  Some will be extremely silly, while others will be heartfelt.  It is my hope that this blog triggers a conversation about all the things we used to love, and use to love to hate.

Enjoy!

I leave you with two quotes tonight:

“Memory… is the diary that we all carry about with us.”  ~Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest

“Memory is a way of holding onto the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose.”  ~From the television show The Wonder Years