2015 Was the Year of Nostalgic '90s Foods
Us '80s and '90s kids have been drooling over just about everything nostalgic from our childhood, most notably all the toys, tech, Nickelodeon cartoons, and snack foods from the good ol' days. In earlier years, we had to resort to low-res images and videos from the interweb to relive those decades past, but now companies have caught on to the brilliant marketing strategy of rebooting old-school foods and cookware. McDonald's all-day breakfast, Surge's return to store shelves, and the crockpot comeback are just a few of the many, many examples that prove the food scene of 2015 is just a reboot of the '90s.
Slow Cooker
All right, slow cookers have been around for the latter part of the century, but whose family didn't whip up barbecue pork or beef chili in their crockpot on the regular? For a while, microwaves and fast-and-easy recipes superseded the low-and-slow cooking technique. But these days, moms and millennials alike want in on the unctuous slow-cooking action.
Disney EVERYTHING
Perhaps it was due to Disneyland's 60th diamond anniversary, but practically any princess-loving Disney fan wanted every edible update this year, including the practical (Disney-themed wedding cakes) and completely ridiculous (Disney princess hot dogs).
All-Day McDonald's Breakfast
I don't know a single kid from the '90s who didn't frequently beg their parents for McDonald's breakfast. With Taco Bell and other fast food chains winning the hearts of millennials over the last few years, McDonald's knew what it had to do in 2015: launch all-day breakfast, the perfect nostalgic driver to pull people back inside its golden arches.
Girl Scout Cookies
New to 2015, Girl Scouts released online cookie ordering, making it even easier to score those coveted Thin Mints, Samoas, and Tagalongs, which '90s kids wished they could consume all year long.
Easy-Bake Oven
This Fall, Chrissy Teigen Instagrammed her new Easy-Bake Oven, the adored baking contraption of the '90s, giving us adult bakers the green light to buy an upgraded model. Frankly, it looks rad.
Lucky Charms Marshmallows Only
Who doesn't dream of a marshmallows-only box of Lucky Charms, even as an adult? We all cried sweet marbit tears because General Mills invented such a thing and because it only gave away 10 boxes in a very limited sweepstakes.
Surge
Surge, Coca-Cola's highly caffeinated soda, gave us all fun jitters when it came out in '96. Fans begged Coke for a rerelease after it was discontinued 11 years ago. It took a few years, but as of September 2015, Surge has rolled out to store shelves.
Tiffani Thiessen's New Cooking Show
All grown up, Tiffani Thiessen (from Saved by the Bell) now has her own show on the Cooking Channel called Dinner at Tiffani's. It would only be appropriate that her guests include all your favorite stars from the '90s, including former castmate Elizabeth Berkley and *NSYNC singer Lance Bass.
Crystal Pepsi
Pepsi jumped in on the nostalgia bandwagon and released this insanely funny '90s-themed commercial to promote its Crystal Pepsi sweepstakes, in which winners can score a six-pack of the discontinued soda. While some find the clear soda to taste cough-syrup-y, other kids from the decade are fighting for a taste.