Most people would agree that a large part of college is meeting new people and creating new connections.
What they often don't tell you is that if you don't, you'll probably be utterly miserable.
I remember a day back in freshman year when I was hanging out with some girls I knew from high school. They were talking about how they weren't in college to make friends, they were there to get an education. Then they would say in the same breath how unhappy they were at college, yet they never seemed to make a connection between the two statements.
Meanwhile, I made a lot of friends in the first month and have loved college ever since.
Although I have no doubt that my friends love me for who I am, I've found that feeding people goes a long way toward making friends. For one thing, people really like you when you feed them. For another, offering food is a great way to meet new people or ensure that your friends aren't too busy to get together.
With that in mind, here's my recipe for a snack that never fails to bring people together: Buffalo chicken wing dip.
You'll need two 8 oz packages of cream cheese, a cup of ranch dressing, three cups of cooked, shredded chicken, and hot sauce to taste. For us Buffalonians, that will probably require a whole bottle.
Like most dips, this is pretty much the easiest thing in the world to make: just mix everything together and spread it in a dish. Then bake it at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes and serve warm with tortilla chips. I guarantee this will help you make new friends.
My own friends can attest to the effectiveness of this dish in gathering people together. Thankfully, though, they stayed when the food was gone, which is how I know they're keepers.
They've stuck with me from the minute I met them, given me a reason to take a break from studying, made me laugh with their crazy antics, taught me new and sometimes extremely useful things (like how to ace an interview), and given me much-needed support during the hard times. Without them, I might not have made it through college with my sanity intact – and I can't thank them enough for being my friends.
I know it's cliché to say this and I really don't care. They deserve to be thanked.
I hope you find this recipe delicious and I hope it helps you make excellent friends in the future.
E-mail: jennifer.lombardo@ubspectrum.com
