sparkchaser

<i>and still illegal in Germany</i>

And therefore all the more delicious.

Rubicund

I've never heard of fruit leathers, or at least not heard if them referred to by that name. What are they?

NewbE

It's fruit that has been pureed, dried and rolled into a sheet.

http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/dry/fruit_leathers.html

It tastes just as you would imagine.

sparkchaser

Fruit leathers, aka, fruit rollups.

sugarmaple

Fruit leathers are actually quite delicious!

One year I had an over abundance of pears, thanks to a relative's prolific trees, and made a batch, just to try. The results were a very pleasant surprise, although I had to peel, core and chop a boatload of pears.

DebbieDoesDulles

goddess you might be talking about "Bassett's Fruit Allsorts", but maybe not since everyone in London would probably know what they are. Woolworth's and Tesco used to sell them.

Browsing online, it seems that when Cadbury bought Bassett's, they may have discontinued them. I see posts from people who are sad that they are gone.

suze

<A little occasional junk food (along with an otherwise healthy diet) is not likely to ruin a kid's health.>

Agree 100%. The point is when they aren't your kids, it's not your decision to make.

justineparis

Wait a minute, my kids did get an occasional treat from the store, jelly beans and chocolates at christmas and easter, etc, but even they loved fruit leathers( i bought them didnt homemake like my stepsons mom).

Geesh, i still love fruit leather.

Have those of you who think it sounds horribile/sad even ever had it?
Its yummy!

Ps stepsons momdid discover one thing though, while she used organic fruit and didnt add sugar, by 6 ss had many cavities, dentist told her fruit leathers were horrinle for kids teeth because although kids may brush their teeth they rarely do a good enough job to get the sticky sweet all off.

He( dentist) suggested chocolate as a better treat ( for teeth health) and since then he has been allowed some for treats.

PalenQ

How about Twinkies?

Melnq8

<How about Twinkies?>

Do people really eat those?

sassy27

I used to eat Twinkies when I was a teenager. I never heard of fruit leather but sounds like fruit roll ups but they were different when I was younger. They were sold individually and longer than the kind I see now and much better.

I am from the Philly area and Tasty Cake does do gift baskets to send to people or I know they used to. I've given that as a gift. I one time even made rice Krispy treats and gave that. I still think whatever the OP takes will be a hit. It's the thought that counts.

goddesstogo

Twinkies, Hostess chocolate cupcakes and snowballs were lunchbox mainstays when I was a kid. (I was a child in the era before fruit roll-ups were considered treats and phones had dials.)

Debbie (and I love your name), you might be right about the Bassetts Fruit Allsorts. The name sounds right but of course I can't tell from any online pics. Neither our local Tesco nor the big Waitrose or Sainsbury's carried them, though. I couldn't find them anywhere in London so they were probably discontinued before 2010.

"Agree 100%. The point is when they aren't your kids, it's not your decision to make."

No, of course not. I think everyone here knows that. But a kid living in a 'no candy at all' environment (and here I'm barring medical issues) knows that he's not allowed to have candy and will likely look to his mom for permission anyway (and she'll send him to the fridge for a can of coconut water). I still think it's a sad environment for a kid and as someone above mentioned, it cuts that kid out of sweets at Halloween, birthday parties, Christmas, etc. while the other kids are enjoying them.

I'd likely give the candy to the parents for the kids but I still think it's the over-cautious mom who makes such a rule. And I say mom specifically because I've never heard of a dad making such pronouncements. It always seems to be the mom.

justineparis

I think some of you are confusing being polite and checking with a parent , with the assumption the parent would always say no.

Also i grew up with dial phones and we never got twinkies or ding dongs in our lunch kits...homemade cookies ( usually oatmeal) brownies,fruit, date bars , not because my mom cared about the health aspect ,but because those boxed treats were not in our budget, homemade was cheaper.

I let my kids trick or treat , have candy at birthdays /holidays etc, but i never bought them boxed junk food for their lunch boxes either ...sorry junk every day as part of a meal?? Ever heard of fruit and veggies with dip?

NewbE

I am not confusing anything with anything, I am saying that I am not in the habit of checking with anyone in advance if a gift I am planning to give them or their children will be acceptable.

Frankly, no one cares what you eat or feed your kids. We give you a gift, you say thank you and do with it as you see fit. Eat, don't eat it. Simple.

justineparis

Newbe there are gifts you should be in habit of checking with oarents, especially with small children, ie guns and drumsets. With food stuffs there is also the allergy concerns.

goddesstogo

"...sorry junk every day as part of a meal?? Ever heard of fruit and veggies with dip?"

Well, perhaps mainstay was too strong a word but those things were certainly treats and not too rare at that. And no, we did not eat veggies and dip. All vegetables were cooked to within an inch of their lives and probably got every last vitamin boiled out of them. I'd venture to guess the Twinkie was probably the healthier item!

"We give you a gift, you say thank you and do with it as you see fit. Eat, don't eat it. Simple."

Yup.

sazzyjk

"We give you a gift, you say thank you and do with it as you see fit. Eat, don't eat it. Simple."

Couldnt have put it better

I moved to Canada less than a year ago from the UK, and to be honest there isnt much candy here which I have found exclusive to Canada, and I much prefer British chocolate (but I know thats not the point of the gift - it's to give something different that you can't typically get in the UK) As others have mentioned, some of the US candy such as Reese's used to be unavailable in the UK, but now you can get it in lots of places, and I dont know many people who are fans.

Before I moved to Canada, a Canadian friend visiting me in the UK brought me a small bottle of proper maple syrup - the kind in the maple leaf shaped glass bottles. I thought it was the best gift! and although breakfast pancakes aren't a super common thing in the UK, isn't that the point - to bring a little something they wouldn't usually have? When I go back home that is the only thing I will be gifting - along with icewine for the adults

goddesstogo

I'm not sure where you can get them other than the duty free shop at the airport (that's the only place I've bought them but I haven't looked elsewhere) but you can get maple sugar crystals which I understand are delicious sprinkled on pancakes or toast, etc. Not expensive, easy to carry, not liquid so no chance of a spill. I've brought them to several US friends and had good reports.

sassy27

I think the message of this post is being lost. We are talking about a gift of candy and/or sweets not what snack foods should be given to children. I would never take vegetables across the world to give as a gift. Is that even allowed? You are not allowed to take bananas and oranges. To compare candy to guns really?

This poster came here to get ideas that's all. Not a lecture on what should be fed to children. For all you know, these parents do allow their children to eat candy and sweets and not the point of this post. I will say again, whatever the poster takes will be appreciated whether it is used or not. It is the thought that counts.

goddesstogo

Yes, you're right, it originally was about candy gifts for children. And that reminds me to say that the maple sugar flakes I just mentioned above are nice and can be enjoyed by both adults and children so they serve a dual purpose in that way.

I think those of you who have successfully carried bottles of maple syrup in your checked baggage are so lucky. I'm not brave enough to do that. I know full well that if they're going to break in anybody's luggage, it will be mine!