I like molasses. Granted it’s been a few years since I’ve played CANDY LAND, but I missed the old Molasses Swamp. You get mired in a Chocolate Swamp these days. I read it was changed because today’s children don’t know what molasses is!
Molasses makes me think of cookies. Here’s a recipe (use butter instead of shortening) for Cookies-Molasses Crinkles. My mother baked them for years.
And yes the Candy Land artwork is different on the board. There’s a lot more “stuff” and it looks a bit clown-like now. I miss the ice cream floats. You still advance on the board by drawing a card with a colored square (or two) and moving your gingerbread piece to the matching color. The plastic gingerbread game pieces look like they are dancing nowadays. The classic candy Valentine conversation hearts bit the dust, too.
The board game is 67 years old, says it was created by Eleanor Abbott, a polio victim herself. Children in the hospital wards, afflicted with the disease, played her original game. Milton Bradley manufactured the first game in 1949 but now the brand is Hasbro.
My granddaughter Maura brought it to my house while she’s visiting. We played it a lot.
When I played with Anna (almost 13)she had the original version as an anniversary edition in a tin.
Another opportunity for me to feel antique and reflect how everything changes. Rapidly.
I went and got out the jar of molasses out of the pantry. An old grandma on the label. Guess it is old fashioned.
Where did Grandma Nutt come from?
If you go to the wiki link above you can see the image of the original board.
I love molasses! I don’t have kids around, so I haven’t seen the game changes.
Good to hear from a molasses lover!
At least the kids are still playing board games sometimes. The times, they are a changing! Doubt if my grandkids are familiar with molasses.
Thanks to my American friend I know what molasses are and I have a set of cup measures!
Will there be molasses cookies baked in the near future?
About the game – everything is cartoonish and big and bright these days – no wonder kids don’t have attention spans
About the molasses – I use it while making ginger snap cookies – my mom’s recipe – a big favorite of mine
Oh man, the original is SO much better! Getting stuck in chocolate doesn’t even make sense…
Also, I love a good molasses cookie. My dad introduced me to them when I was just a kid – so tasty. 🙂
They really mucked it up, didn’t they? Thanks Stef
That they did. 🙁
Though I am a chocolate fan, your post made me think of the cookies my mom used to make – Molasses Softies. It has pretty much the same ingredients as the Molasses Crinkles (less sugar), but you add 1/2 cup boiling water. This makes the cookies quite soft!
How I remember laying that game but, with no little children about, I didn’t realize it had been updated. I wonder what’s been done to Mouse Trap. Then again, some things are better left unsaid.
I think Mousetrap isn’t made anymore. I saw one recently (in a flea market) and thought about purchasing
I just emailed you two photos of the updated and NOT discontinued Mousetrap game, don’t rely on me but they did sell a Retro version of Candy Land with the molasses swamp