Ahhh the childhood memories! Wonder Bread and Twinkies were a staple in every baby boomers home. There was a time when eating all things white was what we did. Putting something sweet in your child’s Flinstones lunchbox was not call for alarm but an acceptable practice.  Of course this was before the days of seat belts, car seats and bicycle helmets.  Wonder Bread  was a staple growing up. After all the commercials told us eating Wonder Bread “does a body good.” Everyday from kindergarten through high school I brought a peanut butter and grape jelly sandwich to school. EVERY day, I kid you not. It always was followed up with something sweet (as if a PB & J on white bread wasn’t sweet enough). Somehow I survived. I wasn’t an overweight kid, partially because my parents sent me out of the house “to play in traffic” soon after sunrise, only to return for dinner.  It was a time of innocence, when small things  had a big impact, like the joy of treat in your lunch box.
http://youtu.be/QmbelzVP0x4

 Hostess Twinkies have spanned generations. In recent years they have made a resurgence in popularity, Deep Fried on talk shows, at State Fairs and on restaurant menus. So popular throughout the years, there was even a Twinkies Cookbook featuring recipes like Twinkie Sushi,  Twinkie Burrito, Pigs in a Twinkie and the holiday classic Pumpkin Twinkie Bread Pudding. 

It was announced today that  Hostess Brands is closing. This means the closure of 33 bakeries, 565 distribution centers, approximately 5,500 delivery routes and 570 bakery outlet stores throughout the United States. While I have never personally been a fan of the “Twinkie” I feel like another piece is being chipped away from my childhood. The goofy commercials and the silly grocery store displays were all part of growing up in the boomer generation.