Get the Party Started! 2 Hostess Snacks to Make This Holiday Season

Planning on hosting up a storm this holiday season? Us, too! We love bringing friends and family together for cocktail hours and dinner parties galore. The only bummer? Sometimes hostessing can get *really* stressful. We’re here to help! We’ve teamed up with our friends at Almond Board of California to bring you two stress-free holiday recipes.

Our Spicy Rosemary Almonds are the perfect (energy-packed!) snack to keep on hand while you’re prepping for guests. Plus, you can serve them as an appetizer once your guests arrive. Our Brie, Pear + Almond Crostini are an easy and delicious hors d’oeuvre you can whip up in no time. What are you waiting for? Read on for the recipes!

Spicy Rosemary Almonds

Ingredients:

– 3 cups whole natural almonds

– 1/4 cup vegetable oil

– 2 teaspoons sea salt

– 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

– 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

– 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard

– 1 1/2 teaspoons rosemary, chopped

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine almonds, vegetable oil, salt, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, mustard and rosemary. Stir to combine.

2. Pour almond mix onto an ungreased sheet pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes. Enjoy!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine almonds, vegetable oil, salt, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, mustard and rosemary. Stir to combine.

Pour almond mix onto a sheet pan.

Bake for 20-25 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes.

These are perfect for snacking on while you’re prepping for guests to arrive!

Ingredients:

Brie, Pear + Almond Crostini

– 1 baguette

– extra-virgin olive oil

– 2 red d’Anjou pears

– 1/2 cup whole natural or roasted almonds

– 1 wheel of brie

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Cut your baguette into half-inch thick slices. Top each slice with a little bit of olive oil. Bake 10 minutes.

2. Arrange the toasted bread on a cutting board or platter. Slice pear, chop almonds and slice brie. Top each piece of bread with one slice of brie, one pear slice and a few almond pieces. Drizzle with olive oil. Enjoy!

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Cut your baguette into half-inch thick slices. Top each slice with a little bit of olive oil. Bake 10 minutes.

Arrange the toasted bread on a cutting board or platter. Slice pear, chop almonds and slice brie. Top each piece of bread with one slice of brie, one pear slice and a few almond pieces. Drizzle with olive oil.

YUM!

These are guaranteed to be a hit at all of your holiday parties.

The perfect addition to your holiday table.

Cayenne pepper + rosemary = a super winning flavor combo.

So pretty!

What are your favorite holiday appetizers and snacks? Let us know in the comments below!

In our Take 5 series, sponsored by Verizon, we ask women in business about unexpected challenges, their inspirations, recent wins, and how the free Verizon Small Business Digital Ready Program has helped propel their business forward. Here, we meet Therise Edwards, founder/CEO of Teshley Solutions, an education consultancy firm that helps students and families navigate the complexities of the education system K through 12.

What is an unexpected business challenge that you faced and how did you overcome it?

I wouldn't call myself a FAFSA (Free Application for Student Aid) expert, but I ended up having to know a lot more about it than I ever anticipated. FAFSA is what administers Pell Grants, which is what a lot of colleges base their financial aid on. I knew about the application changes, and some were excellent, but they made a series of critical errors and a lot of parents were scrambling. It was not my intent to have this as my area of focus; it just became a necessity.

What's a recent small win for your business?

Recent small wins are my collaborations. I formed partnerships with one organization that focuses on students with special needs. I hosted a webinar with the executive director of that organization. I formed a partnership with members from an insurance company on planning and paying for college. That was my first corporate sponsorship. And I've got a series of events coming out because others actually reached out to me. One of them I met through another networking platform, but I got to that platform from one of the sessions that I did with Verizon Small Business Digital Ready Program.

How did you start to collaborate with external partners?

Just changing my strategies and my approach, and just being more secure and more emphatic in making connections. It ends up being this continual cycle.

Is there a woman in business that you admire or that you look up to?

I have two. Leontyne Anglin, who runs a nonprofit called Beyond Expectations. She works with a small pool of students, but she just gives them enormous exposure and opportunity. She's brilliant with collaborating with individuals and businesses and really bringing the students what they need. And then the other on a bigger scale is Cate Luzio, founder and CEO of Luminary, who taught her Business Plan Bootcamp through the Verizon Small Business Digital Ready Program. She is just a dynamo. She is just so supportive of women entrepreneurs. She's awesome.

How did the Verizon Small Business Digital Ready Program help propel your business forward?

All of the collaborations and partnerships with the exception of one all came from joining the Verizon Small Business Digital Ready Program. I’ve taken all of the free classes and the one on projections and pricing, something every entrepreneur struggles with, was very helpful. There have been so many of them. Sometimes you're completely ignorant in a category so you take the class and it's like, okay, that's good to have. But then sometimes you sign up for it and it's like, oh, yeah, I did know 90 percent of that, but this other 10 percent is going to be very, very helpful.

Learn more about the free Verizon Small Business Digital Ready Program and Teshley Solutions.

Illustration by Daniela Jordan-Villaveces


After revealing her breast cancer diagnosis on Pod Meets World in August, Danielle Fishel continues to prove she won't let the disease hold her back. The actress and director took the red carpet for the Wizards Beyond Waverly Place premiere, and she opened up to PEOPLE magazine about how this disease continues to impact her. Here's what she had to say!

At the premiere, Danielle Fishel shared with PEOPLE that she was actually "back and forth" about showing up to the premiere. She said, "I obviously wanted to come tonight because I absolutely love this show. I'm so honored to have been able to direct a couple of episodes of it."

Still, there was something holding her back. She shared, "At the same time, everything I wanted to put on, I was like, 'I can see my scars in that. Oh, I can see my scars in that.'"

Instead of letting that hold her back, though, Danielle decided to push herself. "I was like, 'Why am I going to let that be a factor in deciding to live my life?'" she said. "I got dressed and I had my makeup artist do her magic and I feel fine." Ultimately, she said she was "happy" to be there — which is all you can ask for when you're facing down your fears!

Fishel told PEOPLE that her "whole life has changed" since her diagnosis. She explained that her life consists of "many doctor's appointments," check-ups, and side effects. She said, "It's not fun, but it is what it is. And with all that said, I'm very fortunate and I'm going to live, which is the most important thing."

Back in August, the star explained to Rider Strong and Will Friedle that was diagnosed with DCIS — ductal carcinoma in situ — which she described as "a rare form of breast cancer." Even though she discovered the disease at "technically stage zero," she underwent surgery to remove the cancer, as well as follow-up treatments.

When she announced her diagnosis, Danielle explained that she thought she would "would suffer in silence" and "not tell anyone." However, it's clear she's made the conscious effort to not only lean on her community, share her story, and brave the aftermath — surgery scars included.

Fishel's brave red carpet move comes after another fellow breast cancer survivor, Olivia Munn spoke out earlier in October about how her own scars. Munn bared her scars for a SKIMS campaign, after deciding she didn't wanna cover them up anymore. We're so proud of all these strong women for telling their stories and fully embracing themselves, scars and all!

Looking for more inspiring news? Be sure to sign up for our weekly newsletter so you never miss a thing!

In our Take 5 series, sponsored by Verizon, we ask women in business about unexpected challenges, their inspirations, recent wins, and how the free Verizon Small Business Digital Ready Program has helped propel their business forward. Here, we meet Rita Suzanne, a marketing strategist for health and wellness businesses who learned to network, connect with other entrepreneurs, and build her business online and IRL.

What's an unexpected business challenge that you've had to face and how did you overcome it?

The hardest thing for me was my sister passed away and I ended up taking custody of my nieces. I ended up being a single mom of four kids. This is the thing that transitioned my whole entire life. I stopped doing web design and started my podcast Mom Owned and Operated. I wanted to reconnect with other moms and figure out how they were able to run their businesses and raise a family and take care of themselves because I wasn't able to do all three at the same time. Through that journey, I realized that I really needed to connect with other people and how important it was for my business. It helped me to create that community that I was yearning for that I didn't realize that I needed.

What's a recent small win for your business?

For me, the win was just pivoting back to something that I actually wanted to do. Also, I’ve started to say no to things that I no longer want to do.

Who is a woman in business that you look up to and why?

I have always admired and looked up to Amy Porterfield [author of Two Weeks Notice]. I listened to her all the time when I was starting out. I think that she's amazing and I love her stuff. She just seems like a very genuine person.

Is there a resource that has made an impact on you as an entrepreneur?

I listen to a lot of audio books. One of my favorites that has been huge for me is You Are A Badass by Jen Sincero. I was told when I first started my business, by a friend who was a business coach, that I have a mindset problem. Ten years ago, I had no idea even what “mindset” was. Sincero’s book helped me to see what she meant by “mindset” and helped me adjust that mindset and fix some of the things that I didn't realize were broken.

How has the Verizon Small Business Digital Ready Program helped propel your business forward?

There are a lot of things that I have loved about it. There are local networking and training opportunities, and that has been great, and the online training is very valuable. It's a great resource. I find that marketing needs a three-tiered approach, meaning you need to network it locally, socially, and then also have a very comprehensive online approach to your marketing. One of the Verizon Small Business trainings that I took was all about taking advantage of your local resources. I found that to be extremely valuable because often people think they need to just focus on social media. I don't think that people focus enough on their local community.

Learn more about the free Verizon Small Business Digital Ready Program and Rita Suzanne.

Illustration by Daniela Jordan-Villaveces

No matter what kind of day you're having, Marissa Cooper's having a worse one. Mischa Barton's The O.C. character went through the ringer during the first three seasons of the teen drama (remember how she overdosed in Tijuana...and also saw her parents post-hookup after their divorce?).

And during her time on The O.C., Mischa Barton struggled with drug and alcohol abuse. She was arrested for a DUI in 2007 and eventually received involuntary psychiatric hospitalization in 2009 after allegedly threatening to end her own life. And in a new interview, Peter Gallagher (who played Sandy Cohen on the show) says he's "just so grateful" for "the fact that she’s still alive."

  • Mischa Barton starred alongside Peter Gallagher in The O.C. from 2003-2006.
  • The actress has revealed the "trauma" of being a star at that point in her life.
  • Peter recently opened up about how he's thankful "she’s still alive."


Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for FLC/John Lamparski/Getty Images

The O.C. follows Ryan Atwood, who moves in with the Cohens after getting kicked out of his mom's house, and starts a relationship with Marissa shortly after. While Peter Gallagher played Adam Brody's TV dad instead of Mischa's, Sandy was a definitely father figure for Marissa, and it seems like Peter felt that same responsibility off camera.

"I’ve always felt very protective of her," Peter told The Independent. "First fame is toxic. First fame can kill you. She was 16 years old when she started working with us, so just the fact that she’s still alive, I’m just so grateful."

“You can go to therapy every day for the rest of your life,” Mischa said in a 2023 interview with The Sunday Times. “There’s just a certain amount of trauma [from] all that I went through, particularly in my early twenties, that just doesn’t go away overnight.”

Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage revealed that season 1 overdose not only served as a cliffhanger, but gave “network executives an escape hatch on a performer they had been wary about” (via People). But Mischa Barton got her big break, becoming "how people knew the show," and (thankfully) Marissa recovered — only to die after a car crash in season 3.

As hard as that season 3 ending is to watch, Mischa did have the opportunity to watch it with Rachel Bilson and Melinda Clarke for the first time on their rewatch podcast. "It needed to be a thing, after everything she's been through, but if it's here I'll watch it with you," Mischa says.

"I couldn't do it, Mischa, I couldn't do it," Rachel adds. "But I'm going to do it if you're going to do it."

Mischa says even though being written off the show "was a little bit of a bummer," it wasn't necessarily a surprise. "The character was just doing too much," she told Vanity Fairin 2023. "And I think they ran out of places for her to go. It was not the best thing in the world, [but] there wasn’t much you could do at that point. It was whether she could sail off into the sunset, or die. At that point, I guess it’s better to have the more dramatic ending.”
What did you think of The O.C. season 3 finale? Let us know on Facebook!

Former Disney Channel star Dylan Sprouse and model Barbara Palvin are certainly living the sweet life after tying the knot in Palvin's native Hungary. The couple, who have been together for nearly five years, have always been pretty low-key — except for the occasional and undeniably adorable Instagram post (and a stunning wedding!). We are simply ~obsessed~ with this celebrity couple, especially after they pulled out all the stops for their couple's Halloween costume. Keep scrolling to see some of their best moments :').

See Dylan Sprouse & Barbara Palvin's Halloween Couple's Costume!

For Halloween Dylan Sprouse and Barbara Palvin stunned as the Phantom and Christine from Phantom of the Opera. Dylan wore a mask and a black cape, while Barbara wore a beautiful white dress. While the costume is obviously a nod to the musical, it also totally reminds us of their day as bride and groom.

"In Sleep He Sang to Me," Barbara said in a post, quoting the musical's titular number. "@dylansprouse my forever Phantom."

Who did Dylan Sprouse marry?

www.instagram.com

On the couple's wedding day (July 15, 2023), Barbara wore a Vivienne Westwood wedding gown to celebrate her Hungarian nuptials, bringing together their nearest and dearest for an intimate(-ish) celebration. Barbara and Dylan tied the knot on her parent's property, which conveniently doubles as an event venue, with plans to host an larger wedding in California in the fall.

"This past weekend was supposed to be an intimate event, but we ended up having 115 guests in the end because there are a lot of people we care about, and we wanted them all to be there," Barbara told Vogue.

When did Dylan Sprouse and Barbara Palvin get engaged?

www.instagram.com

Barbara Palvin on Instagram: "♥️"

After months of speculation surrounding the couple's engagement, Dylan and Barbara confirmed their engagement in conversation with Sprouse's twin brother, actor Cole Sprouse, for V Magazine in June, sharing that they got engaged last September.

"We didn't necessarily feel the need to be fully transparent with the public about that aspect of our engagement," Dylan said. "What we wanted to do with Stephen [Gan, V editor-in-chief] and the V team is make something that was kind of tongue-in-cheek about the nature of private versus public. We're playing with the idea of perception."

Barbara noted that the lovebirds wanted to announce the news "on our time," adding, "When some people leaked the information that we got engaged, our PR team was like, 'Hey, so you guys should do maybe a post about it or talk to this magazine or talk to that magazine…' That really annoyed me because I knew we were building this story up. So, I'm very happy that we ended up doing it our way."

When did Barbara Palvin and Dylan Sprouse start dating?

Sean Zanni / Stringer / Getty Images Entertainment

See Dylan Sprouse & Barbara Palvin's Dreamy Halloween Costume: "My Forever"

According to People, the couple met back in 2017 after a party when the Suite Life On Deck star slid into the model’s DMs (and as they say, the rest is history). The duo made their relationship Instagram official back in 2018 with Barbara’s sweet birthday tribute for Dylan’s 26th birthday.

Let’s be real here for a second though, we all knew they were endgame the minute Dylan went above and beyond to support Barbara at the Victoria Secret Fashion Show that same year (remember this viral video?). Three days after the fashion show, the Hungarian model told Vogue Australia that she hadn’t had a boyfriend in six years, but had now found “the perfect guy” in Dylan (we aren’t crying, you are).

How old are Barbara Palvin and Dylan Sprouse?

Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images

Barbara Palvin was born on October 8, 1993, making her 31 years old. Dylan Sprouse was born on August 4, 1992, meaning he's 32 years old. So there's only a one-year age gap between them!

Stay up to date with all of Brit + Co's favorite celebrity relationships. Let us know your thoughts on Twitter!

This post has been updated.