Cupid, draw back your bow!

I am filled with so much joy today. My best friend Amanda got engaged last night. Her new fiance Tim surprised her with a beautiful engagement ring and I couldn't be happier. Amanda is so important to me and I am beaming with excitement in regards to her new relationship status.

Amanda and I have been friends since college. We met at the restaurant where we worked as hostesses and servers. After a few short conversations I knew we would be fast friends. She has a flare for the dramatic, a willingness to have fun in any situation and a gift for storytelling. All of these qualities are wildly important to me and I was so elated to find a new someone who shared them with me. Despite our similarities regarding those qualities, Amanda and I couldn't be more different fundamentally. We have different family makeups, grew up in very different towns, have different religious beliefs and I am about a foot taller than her. All of these differences are what make us such great friends. It has never mattered that we were so different because whenever we are together, emailing each other or on the phone (now that we live 1000 miles apart this is or most frequent means of communication) it feels like I am talking to my clone. It is so comforting to have a buddy that is nothing like you but always understands how you feel. And as we always say, it is extremely essential to have someone who even in your craziest moment can trump your stories with something more erratic that they have done - that is my Amanda!

I am so thankful to have Amanda in my life. She is one of my most important friends and I feel blessed to have her on the other end of my phone calls at least 3 times a day. I am so thrilled that she is engaged and has found true happiness. Not to mention that I am gushing at the opportunity to pour over every wedding detail I know is in her future (I LOVE WEDDINGS) !

Congratulations Amanda and Tim!

Classic Spritz Cookies
Recipe courtesy of Wilton

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
2 Tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Thoroughly cream butter and sugar using an electric mixer. Add egg,

milk, vanilla and almond extract; beat well. Stir together flour and baking powder;

gradually add to the creamed mixture, mixing to make a smooth dough.

Do not chill. Place dough into the tube of the Cookie Press

and press cookies onto a cooled ungreased cookie sheet.

Use an icing spatula or a butter knife and gently press down the raised dough on the cookie left from the cookie press.

Bake on the top rack of your oven for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned around edges. Remove cookies from sheet; cool on rack.

Makes 7-8 dozen cookies.

Ms. Tropicana Rose and Tim at my wedding!