As a child, I had a weird fixation with grocery stores. I hated shopping, always hated going to the mall, but I LOVED going to the grocery store. Visions of desserts, snacks, comic books, juice boxes, wrestling magazines and CRACKED magazine danced through my head at the thought of going to the grocery store and in Lynchburg, VA, for my family there was no grocery store bigger than KROGER. That’s not to say it was the only store — we had Food World, Harris Teeter (which replaced Food World), Winn Dixie and Food Lion but it was Kroger that was our store of choice.
Kroger was the closest grocery store to our house but proximity wasn’t the only reason for our fondness because my family always seemed to like Kroger brand apple sauce and Kroger’s knockoff of Hamburger Helper (of which the particular kind we used to eat they no longer make). To my knowledge, Kroger doesn’t exist further down south. I never saw one in Florida where I used to live and my parents still do, but when they came to visit us here in Michigan they were positively thrilled that we had a Kroger! Now THAT’S a powerful marketing.
I have to be honest, despite all the Halloween madness of the previous month, my mind was already drifting towards Christmas in October. Since November 1st, my brain has gone into overdrive thinking about Christmas. Just this week alone I went to see Trans-Siberian Orchestra perform and then I bought their latest album Night Castle plus I picked up Rob Halford’s holiday offering Halford III – Winter Songs (yes, even the Metal God has a soft spot for Christmas).
Also, last month I picked up this:
Frosty the Snowman Cocoa & Mug Set!
Yes, it is amazing to look at and yes, it is available for the 2009 holiday season at the low, low price of $7.99. I was tempted to open this bad boy up last month and discuss it, but I didn’t want to ruin the Halloween groove. You have no idea how hard it was to resist, but November 1st starts the Christmas season as far as I’m concerned so now is as good as time as ever!
Obviously, the mug itself is the centerpiece of this cocoa set (and what a fine mug it is) but the true highpoint for me is the adorable spoon:
HAPPY BIRTHDAY !!!
Truer words have never been spoken, Frosty.
As for the cocoa itself, it’s actually really good. Some novelty cocoas are either too sweet or taste like all you did was heat up some water but this Frosty cocoa has a great dark chocolate taste with just a perfect hint of sweetness. It’s like drinking from a fondue pot of Hershey’s dark chocolate!
At $8, this is definitely worth picking up for fans of the old Frosty special and Rankin/Bass fans in general. It’s a great way to kick of the Christmas season and it’s my first cup of cocoa of the season as well!
The Fruit Brute monster cereal was canceled in the ’80s, but someone there at General Mills must have had a hankerin’ for some fruity monster cereal because 1987 was the year the world was introduced to the Fruity Yummy Mummy (later he was known only as Yummy Mummy).
Kind of sounds like Honey Smacks’ Dig’Em Frog, doesn’t he?
Hot on the heels of Boo Berry, Fruit Brute cereal was introduced the following year in 1974. This cereal has garnered quite a fan base over the years but it was before my time. Those of us who were too young in the early ’80s to know and remember Fruit Brute are probably much more familiar with his successor, the Yummy Mummy.
With the success of Count Chocula and Franken Berry, it was only a matter of time before General Mills brought another monster to the party. 1973 gave us Boo Berry, who seems to have been modeled in look and voice after Peter Lorre. I get the Karloff and Lugosi voice imitations for Franken and Count, but when did Lorre ever play a ghost?
Anyone ever wonder who Boo Berry was before his demise and how he actually died? He probably did some evil things while made of flesh — he’s cursed to wear heavy chains in the afterlife for all of eternity just like Goofy!
If you have anything retroriffic you'd like to send me, feel free to email me at metalmisfit @ comcast.net. We can also just shoot the breeze, if you like.
As a child, I had a weird fixation with grocery stores. I hated shopping, always hated going to the mall, but I LOVED going to the grocery store. Visions of desserts, snacks, comic books, juice boxes, wrestling magazines and CRACKED magazine danced through my head at the thought of going to the grocery store and in Lynchburg, VA, for my family there was no grocery store bigger than KROGER. That’s not to say it was the only store — we had Food World, Harris Teeter (which replaced Food World), Winn Dixie and Food Lion but it was Kroger that was our store of choice.
Posted by Metal Misfit 
Posted by Metal Misfit 
Posted by Metal Misfit 
