When I first started college, I went in with the idea that I couldn’t possibly make another best friend. I had grown up across the street from my best friend Lauren, and met my other best friend Lo (short for Lauren…sensing a trend here) on the first day of high school. So I figured I was all set. I made a few new friends freshman year, but no one who reached the same level of goofiness. And then I met Leona. She moved in a few doors down from me in our dorm our sophomore year, and recognizing her from some of my classes, I introduced myself. We had a nice little small talk sesh, using those high pitched super polite voices. Ya know, the ones you usually reserve for people you want to make a good impression on so you don’t fly your weirdo flag juuuust yet. And then we went to the cafeteria. And dang, the girl could eat. Mashed potatoes, fruity pebbles, french bread pizza, you name it, this tiny 18 year old could Put. It. Away. And that is when we became friends. We talked about cooking, we talked about food, and we talked about Jim Halpert. The following year we moved into an apartment together and we became the roommate soulmates that we call ourselves today. She introduced me to Whole Foods and I’ll never be the same. I introduced her to the wonder of Ore Ida french fries and how baking them in the oven at 4am is a truly awesome idea. Together we discovered that making sangria out of port wine is a terrible idea but may or may not result in a very funny night. And then there was the time we attended a seminar for business students purely for the free sandwiches that were offered. Ask me what the sandwich was? Turkey pesto with red peppers. What was the seminar about? No idea. I wouldn’t say our friendship revolves around food now (although it does remain a major discussion topic at all times. duh.) but it was definitely a building block. So just so you know, if you stumble upon a friendship that stems from love of food, it’s pretty much a surefire sign that you will be friends for life.

P.S. I know this post should probably contain a recipe…and maybe you were hoping to find out what was in our port sangria. But trust me, it was awful. So this recipe-less post is a favor to you. You are welcome, internet.