Summertime Comfort Foods Take Me Back to My Childhood

It’s interesting how something as simple as classic potato chips can bring a smile to my face. After a long week at work, a coworker of mine approached me with a bag of classic potato chips and said, “Here. Help me eat these.”

I don’t know why it’s so easy to associate emotions with food, but I find myself doing it all the time. Those classic potato chips took me back to a summer when I was a little girl. My mom and I had been working in the garden all day (I was helping the way small children do, which is to make everything ten times more difficult.) and she decided we needed to take a break. We sat down at the kitchen table for an afternoon snack. She had bought French onion dip and a bag of classic chips. She taught me how to dip my chips that day. I was hooked with my very first taste.

Another summer treat that takes me way back to my childhood is a root beer float. I must have been four or five years old when my grandma told me that she wished she had one. I asked her what a root beer float was. She was aghast that I’d never had one. She actually accused my mom of depriving me of one of life’s greatest treats when she came to pick me up that day. The next day, Mom arrived at her house with a box of ice cream and a two-liter bottle of root beer. A lifetime fan was born.

So many foods make me think of peaceful summer days. Cool Whip cake, watermelon, hot dogs, garden-fresh tomatoes, and ice cold grape Kool Aid all bring me comfort and remind me of simpler times. No matter how busy or crazy my life becomes, those things can trigger a happy memory and make me feel better.

Today, I enjoyed classic potato chips. Tomorrow, I think I may treat myself to a root beer float. What’s your favorite summertime comfort food?

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