Somehow, the solar system aligning Friday for some cosmic show wasn’t the only thing lining up for the weekend.

Something else beyond planets organized that led four pretty awesome people to meet.

Friends and food have been heavy in this space for weeks now.

It’s the same theme yet again today.

Back in October, I was asked to judge the Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley’s Taste of the Valley, and it was delicious fun.

There were a few reasons I was eager to participate: I wanted to help a nonprofit, I wanted to meet people and I wanted to get some food inspiration to share with you.

One of the fellow judges at that event recently asked that I judge the Austintown Junior Women’s League’s Taste of Austintown, which was Saturday.

Again, helping an organization, a chance to meet people and gain some new dish ideas?

What time do I show up in my (cute) stretchy pants?

There’s always a fun component to any event, but I wasn’t expecting the level of laughing — or the amount of food — that would be had that night. Almost immediately, our table of four clicked.

Out of the three judges, two of us flew solo because our “plus ones” came down with the flu.

Meandering through the hundreds of people enjoying the copious amounts of Austintown cuisine, we ate more food than any of us thought was possible.

Ribs, iced coffees (boozy and traditional), gyros, greens, peppers, breads, eggrolls, Brussels sprouts and so many sweets.

There were also these cheesy potatoes I can’t get out of my mind.

Once the judging duties were completed, our table decided we wanted to keep hanging out. When you’re immediate friends, why not, right?

Normally, I’m a bit of an overthinker and daydreamer.

I made a conscious decision recently to stop thinking so much and live, within reason. Saturday was the first time to put that new approach to life to the test.

Now, not only can I not stop thinking about the food, but I can’t stop thinking about how nice everyone was.

It was refreshing to connect with these new friends, talking a little about where we are in life but not getting deep into our pasts, and while I’ve known I’m not completely goofy (well…), it was nice to realize it among people I wasn’t expecting to meet.

Thank you, AWJL, for asking me to judge, thank you judges for making my face hurt from laughing, and thank you solar system, for aligning and maybe having something to do with a great night.

If anyone needs a food judge, let your pal Ashley know. But instead of a “plus one,” I need a “plus three” option.

Cheesy Potatoes

Ingredients

1 pound frozen hashbrowns or cubed potatoes

2 10.5-ounce cans condensed cream of chicken soup

2.5 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 pint sour cream

1 small onion, chopped

Salt and pepper

Dash or two of garlic powder

Note: I like to take a couple handfuls of different cheeses and either add them to the cheddar cheese or sprinkle on top before baking.

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

Put the potatoes in a 9×13-inch baking dish and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, stir soup, chopped onion, sour cream, cheese, salt, pepper and garlic powder.

Pour mixture over potatoes.

Put in the oven and cook for about 45 minutes. Keep in a little longer if you’re like me and like your cheesy potatoes on the brownish-golden side with a slight crust.

Share your favorite recipes and memories with Features Editor Ashley Fox at afox@tribtoday.com.