I went to a neighborhood "barn sale" this past summer and met a neighbor for the first time. She and her husband were new to the area approximatley 10-15 years ago having retired here from another state. The neighbors also have a place in Arizona where they stay during the severest months of the winter. Somehow, going to that sale got me on the invitation list to a cookie exchange that the wife hosts every year for her local friends (or maybe it's the fact that I've been giving her some of my egg surplus now and again...).
At any rate - I had told her I was "all in"; however, when she confirmed my attendance a couple of weeks ago, I learned that I'd need to bring 10 dozen of one type of cookie along with 10 recipe cards.
Ten dozen! I'm not the baker in our family (Ed is; he enjoys it and is very detail oriented and precise when it comes to his baked goods - unlike me who has a hard time following receipes...). When I learned that I'd need to bring ten dozen - I got overwhelmed - and fast. Ed, being the absolutely wonderful husband that he is, succomed to my plea to have him bake the cookies for me and bring them when he came. When he arrived with the cookies and a small container of extras and scraps on Friday night, I quickly fell in love with his devine creations, They were, bar none, the best cookies ever!! A shortbread cookie base with a thin layer of jam and a drizzle of frosting. Hints of cardamum (for the appricot jam cookies) and vanilla (for the raspberry jam cookies). Mmmmmmmm!!
I'll be leaving shortly to attend the exchange and really do not know anyone - so it will be an adventure. This neighbor is only one street over; however, when streets are 3 stacked 40's apart, that means that she's actually about 2 miles from our place.
I look forward to meeting new area people (it's been a slow and steady process to meet people here) - but, as I was telling Ed this morning - it will be very hard to give up the cookies he made in/to the exchange. I'm sure the other people's cookies will all be wonderful - but I'm still in love with and definately not over the one's that Ed made...
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