On the power of orange...

I have strong feelings about orange. As a color, I hate it. I think we're hard pressed, as a nation, to find anyone who actually looks good in this color. I challenge you. Give me Jessica Alba, Heidi Klum, Brad Pitt, Clooney, whomever.. no one looks good in orange. Ok, well, with Clooney, he just looks better in OTHER colors. I'll give you that.

But, as a food group, orange is like no other. I am the biggest fan of orange food there is.

As a child, I had to go into the hospital for stomach pain. Turns out I was drinking too much orange juice. I drank it all day and all night. I even kept a glass on my nightstand for my midnight cravings. The key to happiness in those days was my Brewster, my fearless teddy bear, my Highlights magazine and a glass of OJ.

Then came Cheez-Its, orange soda, orange Jello, Cheetos (including Baked Cheetos!), heck, even carrots! Orange food ruled!

Still, there remains one orange food that holds the secrets of my heart to this day. One orange food that rises above all others in its category. I speak, of course, of the Bachman Jax Cheese Curl.

I have not been able to find this nectar of the gods since my return to the DC area. I don't understand why. It's a Pennsylvania based company and you can practically get Yuengling in McDonald's here, so why am I deprived of Jax?

Or, should I say, why WAS I deprived?

A trip to Safeway this weekend led to the unexpected discovery of a display of barely unpacked, bright orange Bachman Jax. I thought the display a mirage until I moved closer and touched the shiny, familiar packaging and heard the slight crunch of the bag as I picked it up. Can it be true? Is it here? I threw a bag into my cart before it disappeared. "One, only one," I told my newly exercise conscience self.

Just this Christmas my father was good enough to share with my boyfriend there was nothing quite like watching me attack a bag of Jax. Sensitive to this newly released information, I've managed to not open the bag for 28 1/2 hours. Until now. It sits at my side, comforting me as I write this and tend to work projects. Yes, it will likely be gone before the morrow.

What a treat to relive this aspect of childhood, even for just one day! I can only hope that the lower fat version somehow makes its way down here. And that my boyfriend will eventually learn to appreciate the lure of fingers covered in neon orange crumbs.