A former Lawrence woman and a friend will appear Friday night on the popular Food Network program “Paula’s Party.”

In February, Sarah Anne Miller, a 1998 Lawrence High School graduate now living in Black River, N.Y., sent an application to see the program in person and was selected. In June she went to Savannah, Ga., for the show’s taping. The show features Paula Deen, who also has a separate cooking show on Food Network.

Miller, who was accompanied by her friend Christin James, ended up doing more than just watching the show. Miller and James’ husband, Jason, made arrangements with the show’s producer ahead of time to have Christin come up on stage for the re-creation of Christin and Jason’s wedding reception meal (filet mignon and lobster succotash). Jason is in the U.S. Army serving in Iraq.

“It was a surprise for Christin,” Miller said. “We actually had to plan it after he deployed, which was kind of difficult but we pulled it off.”

Miller didn’t go up on stage, but she can be seen on camera because she is sitting at the front, and a few times Deen would throw things to her, such as a greasy potato, which Miller dropped.

“Paula and I and Christin talked awhile afterward and hung out,” Miller said. “(Deen) is really nice.”

Miller’s husband, Brian, also is in Iraq. A 1997 LHS graduate, Brian Miller and Jason James are both Kiowa helicopter pilots. Both sent video messages to be played on the show, but only Jason’s was played, Miller said.

Miller, the daughter of Dean and Martha Nieder, of Lawrence, said she and a few friends will get together for their own party when they watch “Paula’s Party” Friday night. The show is scheduled to air at 8 p.m. CDT on Sunflower Broadband Channel 69.

The Nieders also will be watching. They and their daughter celebrated Mother’s Day in May at Deen’s restaurant in Savannah. Martha Nieder credits Deen with getting her daughter interested in cooking.

“When she was a teenager she wasn’t so interested but I think Paula has been a great transition for her,” Martha Nieder said.