Twinkies.

When I was new to New Jersey and living on my own, I dreaded cooking for myself.  I'd arrive past six in the evening to an empty apartment and preferred to buy take out food.

If I worked late in the office, we were assured of a free dinner and a free limo ride back home.

When I lived near Journal Square in Jersey City, I'd walk to a nearby Filipino fast food restaurant and indulged myself on kare kare and sinigang na baboy. But when I moved to Clark at WestSide, I had to learn how to cook. Luckily, the big supermarket was across the highway.

Twinkies and those boxed Entemman cakes became part of my grocery list.  I had no fear of sugar back then.  Coke Zero was not part of the language those days, and I never heard of the words "low glycemic index."

When I hit the grocery aisles, I was also thinking Lay's potato chips, Budweiser, Snickers, Oreo, Chocolate chip cookies, and later on, Reese's Peanut Buter, Pepperidge Farm cookies, and Molson Blue.

Those were the sugar-filled days, ooh la la.