Eternal Wannabe

Sunshine.  I’m not talking about a clear, blue sky day.  Sunshine  invokes memories of a grocery store chain that went out of business about 15 years ago.  This store was just fun.  I loved going there as a kid because they had a horse I could ride for only a penny. When my kids came along it was one of their favorite things to do. It was a machine but the horse, named Sandy, had a real saddle!  There was also a quaint coffee shop at the front of the store where you could get toast and eggs for less than a buck.  But the most amazing thing about the coffee shop was the donuts.  The cake donuts.  Now normally I am not a cake donut person but these things were special.  There was just something about them and their magical chocolate icing on top.  Sunday mornings in church you could just feel the anticipation as the mass was winding down.  Everyone was going to genuflect quickly and race to Sunshine for the cake donuts. So when the stores closed it was a sad day for all.  And the donuts faded to memory.  Until now!  We have a local coffee shop called “Jitters” and the owner spent a lot of time but she tracked down one of the original Sunshine donut machines and she has it up and running.  She even got one of the old donut makers from Sunshine to come instruct her workers on how to work the magic.  So the donuts are back.  Luckily “Jitters” is a long way from my house or my bum would be bursting out of my britches by Christmas!  But I had my “first” Sunshine donut in today when a co-worker brought them in for my anniversary.  I savored every bite.  But somehow being 44 and worrying about the aforementioned bum took the shine out of my Sunshine. Oh, but who am I kidding, I felt like I was 8 again eating that donut!  What are some of your fond childhood food memories?