Page 56 - 2019aprilmay

A China Cup & Saucer

and a Fortune Cookie

by Susan J. Decuir
rowing up in a modest home in north Dallas in the
1950s, just north of Dallas Love Field Airport, left me
Gwith a plethora of fun-filled An older
happy memories. Back when people neighbor girl down the block came
walked the streets of life in simpler to my party that year. I remember
times. her name because it was the same as
Mom, as most moms were back then, mine—Susan. I didn’t know Susan as
was a stay-at-home mom raising well as the other neighborhood girls
my two brothers and me while Dad who were closer to my age. Yet I will
worked 8 to 5 Monday through never forget her, or how special and
Friday for Kodak. We didn’t have grown up she made me feel when she
much materially, but we knew that we entrusted me with the most delicate
were loved. and we never lacked the gift that I had ever received—a
necessities in life. beautiful white Ucagco China cup
One thing we didn’t have was a big, and saucer made in Japan, rimmed in
fancy birthday party every year with gold with purple ripples that resemble
a bouncy house in the backyard or clowns or mountains or mounds circling the inside of the
magicians or anything like they do in the 21st cup and around the saucer. Golden flowers are
Century. spaced in-between each mound of purple.
But when we did celebrate a birthday, Mom When my best friend and I were eleven or
provided cake and ice cream and a game or twelve, her mom treated us to lunch at a
two. Most likely pin the tail on the donkey. We Chinese restaurant where I drank my first cup
just had an old-fashioned good time, spending of hot tea from a delicate China cup and ate
a Saturday afternoon at our house filled with my first Chinese fortune cookie. When my dad
neighborhood friends and a friend or two from came home from work that day I went on and
on about how delicious those Chinese fortune
school. cookies were. The following day, Dad came home from work with
I remember one party in particular. I was twelve. The last a bag full of Chinese fortune cookies. Just for me.
birthday party I ever had. Dad died from kidney disease the
following year. He was forty. I was thirteen. This is what I remember the most whenever I notice my beautiful
I’m sure that my friends gave me gifts, but I don’t recall what China cup and saucer perched on a shelf inside a wood cabinet
(built by my late father-in-law) that hangs on my dining room
they were, except for one extra special gift. wall to this day.

4 Ingredient HEALTHY Cookies

These healthy banana oatmeal breakfast cookies are made with
peanut butter and no flour, but you’d never tell! Rolled oats, Lightly wet your hands and form 8 balls with the cookies. Place
banana, chocolate chips and peanut butter are combined to make each ball on the lined mat, and press each ball into a cookie
thick and chewy cookies. REFRIGERATE for 5 days. shape. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until slightly golden on the
Ingredients: edges. Remove from the oven.
2 Cups Rolled or Old fashioned oats Allow cooling on the mat for 10 minutes, before transferring to a
1/2 Cup Peanut Butter wire rack to cool completely.
2 OVER RIPE Bananas
1/4 Cup Chocolate Chips (optional)
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a large cookie sheet with
parchment paper and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, add all ingredients and mix very well,
until fully combined. If using chocolate chips, stir them in with
a spatula.
page 54 | www.celebrationmagazine.com