So that didn't last long..

Less than 24 hours since my blog went live, I've decided to change the concept. I'm not usually indecisive, but I did kind of start this thing on an impulse, so naturally there's going to be some bumpy ground before we get going. If you liked the first post, don't worry, posts like that will continue to come, but get ready... because things are about to get a lot better!

Introducing, my best friend, Shauna Gonsalves. Shauna and I have been friends since we were babies, with our story actually starting long before we were born in the beautiful friendship of our mothers. While I'm sure this long, beautiful, sappy story will one day be told on here, this is not the time. I'll keep it short. Shauna and I have been long distance friends for 16 years. That's right- 16! From writing Lisa Frank sticker-covered letters- to weekly hour long phone conversations, our friendship has somehow managed to not only survive, but also to grow stronger every year. She's the sister I never had and the friend I can go to about anything and everything. And so, it only makes sense to do this with her as well. I don't have access to a lot of my baby pics, so this will have to do for now. Here's a picture of me, my brother Stan, my cousin Sam, and Shauna from childhood to adulthood (okay maybe semi-adulthood).

Shauna, like me, grew up in the kitchen. Her mom is also an absolutely amazing cook and you can find  some of her delicious recipes at http://homeonmyrange.blogspot.com/. Shauna and I have been cooking together for family meals for as long as I can remember and now we'll try to share some of those recipes and memories with you. Like I said, we don't live in the same place, so we'll both be blogging from our respective homes and we'll try to blog together whenever we have the opportunity to be in the same place (which we try to make happen every couple of months at least).

Okay, that's enough explanation for now. While I don't have a recipe to share today, in celebration of this new blog concept, I'll show you some pictures of one of the last things Shauna and I baked together.

Shauna came to visit me in DC last year and I took her to a 4th of July BBQ one of my friends was having. For all of you on pinterest, I'm sure you've seen the American Flag Cake and wondered if it's really possible. Shauna and I wondered the same and decided to accept that challenge. We followed the directions on this site: http://www.glorioustreats.com/2011/06/4th-of-july-flag-cake.html using simple boxed funfetti cake mix (the best) and food coloring. Here's what we came up with:

Shauna came up with this easy way to ice fireworks on the top of the cake- you simply draw circles in alternating colors and then use a knife tip to pull the icing to and away from the center. So quick and so easy!

Side view!

And there you go- it is possible! It takes patience and a whole lot of icing but I say it's a great 4th of July tradition. 

Oh- and as for a song for this recipe- I'm going to go with a funny/embarassing Shauna/Nikita memory. One summer day back in middle school Shauna and I spent hours in my room playing and replaying Usher's "Confessions" because we for some reason believed we needed to know every word. Here's a throwback for you: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Sy19X0xxrM

That's it for now. Hopefully Shauna will blog soon so you can see what she can do! :)