Joy The Baker

I feel like anyone who knows me knows how much I love Joy the Baker. Need a brownie recipe? Joy has one you can use. Want to impress a fella? Joy knows how to do that with baked goods. Care package to send? These cookies ship well. She's such in inspiration to me, both in the kitchen and in life.

When I heard last year she was coming out with a cookbook, I was over the moon excited. Steph said she'd get it for me for my birthday, as my birthday was going to be a few weeks after the cookbook came out. I waited and waited. Steph said the cookbook hadn't come yet. I was getting nervous (but I get nervous about lots of things) and worried that I wasn't going to have a cookbook by the time I met Joy on her book tour. BUT. Steph pulled through. She's a great liar. She had the book hidden under her bed and surprised me with it on my birthday. I was ecstatic, to say the least.

When I met Joy on her book tour, I was nervous and excited. Nervous that I wasn't going to get to say everything I wanted to, and excited at the thought of meeting one of the women I admire the most.

I was so excited!!

I went to the book signing with my long distance friend, Kat. She's the best. I miss her loads, and I'm so happy she came with me to this. I owe her cookies. Joy and Tracy from Shutterbean are long distance friends too! They do crazy things and chat all the time. Their friendship reminds me a lot of my own with Kat, but I don't think they play Scrabble together. If they do, that's totally radd.

One of the recipes in Joy's cookbook is for chili cheese fries. Be still my heart! Kat and I made them after the book signing. Accompanied by her crazy cat, Benatar, and some Netflix, it was one of the best nights I've had. 

I'm not sure what's going on here. 

Joy is living life right. She is kind and thoughtful and totally wrote all over my cookbook. Reading her blog and listening to the podcast she makes with Tracy bring so much joy to my life and make my heart smile. It was such a pleasure meeting her. I can only hope that I'll get to meet her again, but maybe next time cookies will be involved. =]

Thank you, Joy! For everything. =]