The running joke the editorial team and I have is that millennials are tired of living during unprecedented times. From the pandemic to all the other massive moments the last few decades, I've felt like I've been living in a weird vortex for the...majority of my life.
Despite — and maybe sometimes because of — it all, it wasn't until my recent birthday that I realized I've grown a lot. I thought the things I learned in my 20s were clues I'd 'arrived' as a 30-something-year-old, but it turns out I still hadn't fully accepted that learning hard truths isn't always bad in the long run.
I do this weird thing where I tend to focus on things I feel have to be done instead of focusing on how far I've come, but that changed when I turned 33. For the first time, I didn't have a huge celebration that ended in anxiety on my birthday. I relaxed at home with a ton of comfort food, scary movies, and a list of 33 things I have to be grateful for. So, how did I get here?
Let's go back to the beginning of the year, shall we?
Viridiana Rivera
I, like so many others, woke up on January 1st and decided it would be my year. I set intentional resolutions, goals, and even made sure to be specific about them. Similar to how I write in-depth articles, I broke them into the following sections:
It's the first year I decided to listen to my heart's desires in order to capture a screenshot of the life I want to live. I even prayed over my resolutions and goals, asking to be guided as I accomplished things or were led to them. As February rolled around, I didn't really think twice about the impact of what I'd done because life started to fall into a familiar hum that becomes mundane after a while.
I guess I needed to be reminded of the intentional goals I'd written down because things got painfully interesting after this.
Gustavo Fring
Car accidents are never fun as I've been on the receiving end of one before, but this wasn't like before. This time I was emotionally hurt to learn the first car I'd assumed total responsibility for was no longer going to be mine. Though I knew I was lucky no one was seriously harmed, all I could think about is the morning I paid it off. I had every reason to spend the nice bonus I received from my last job, but I decided paying off my car mattered more in that moment.
This is the car that took me from my parents' home to living on my own, trips out of town, and days spent buckling a newborn into his carseat. For 8 years, this car and I were locked in like besties. It truly felt like we'd grown up together so to have it ripped away so suddenly was heartbreaking.
Even though the SUV I got was aligned with everything my fiancé and I were talking about, I couldn't appreciate it for a while because I all could see what was what I had.
George Milton
Once I started making peace with having a new vehicle, I started feeling the urge to leave my first adult job behind. I'd spent 10 years there, but it was becoming obvious that it was time to leave the nest. Similar to my first car, my co-workers watched me go from a wide-eyed college student to a confident adult. Though I learned so much there, I knew it wasn't where I wanted to be forever.
Deciding to leave what felt familiar was one of the scariest things I'd ever done and I spent days wondering if I'd made the right choice. It's not that writing wasn't lucrative, but I had to learn how to navigate a remote job that's been unlike any role I've had before. My imposter syndrome was in overdrive because I was waiting for the shoe to drop off my other foot.
Thoughts like "What if I'm not good enough" or "What if my co-workers hate me," plagued my mind because I couldn't believe I'd taken a chance on myself that seemed like it was working in my favor. That only happens in movies, right? In this case, wrong.
The same month I truly decided to focus on my writing career is when I interviewed Whoopi Goldberg. Since then, I've gone on to talk to different authors and even moderated my first book event in Atlanta. But, it still took a while for me to truly be grateful for the amazing things that's happened this year.
KoolShooters
PMS plagued me for the better part of last week, so I decided to listen to my body and not do anything for my birthday. I kept waiting for myself to feel disappointed for not getting dressed up, but the feeling never came. The sad part is I almost wanted it to because who doesn't want to celebrate their birthday?
It turns out that I did celebrate, even if it wasn't in the typical 'party and dinner' way.
Deciding to focus on feeling peaceful in my new space, I opened my journal and started writing 33 things I'm grateful for. I didn't think I could find that many things, but it got easier to start being appreciative of life instead of focusing on everything I'd even thought went wrong.
In between bites of pizza and cheesy bread, I dropped all expectations and started writing. The more I wrote, the happier I felt which makes me wonder why I didn't do this before. So, without further ado, here is everything I realized during my gratitude practice this year!
Brit + Co
"I'm grateful for quiet moments where I can hit the reset button when I need to."
Brit + Co
"I’m grateful for moments I’ve accepted accountability for my actions."
Brit + Co
"I’m grateful for having a supportive family and fiancé."
Brit + Co
"I'm grateful for forgiveness and chances to start over."
Brit + Co
"I’m grateful for the beauty and joy of reading."
Ironically, some of the things I'm grateful for can serve as inspirational fall quotes — which is perfect since my birthday is days after the Autumn Equinox! Aside from that realization, I can genuinely say writing down what I'm grateful for made my birthday better than it's been in years.
I've been focusing on everything that can go right instead of comparing my life to other people and it's a welcomed change. Maybe this is just one of the perks of getting older. If so, sign me up for more birthdays like this!
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You're starting to think about your haunting party invites, completing your DIY Halloween costume, and planning those spooky table settings, but what about cooking spooky-scary Halloween recipes? Bloody meringue bones and witch fingers and dip will get your guests hungrier than a zombie in a morgue. There are a lot of sweets on the menu, but you won't be stuck with just leftover trick-or-treating candy.
Get ready for some seriously startling recipes and ideas that'll have you and your guests doing a double-take. Keep your defibrillator handy, because these terrifying treats are not for the faint of heart.
Brit + Co
Trick your kids into eating their veggies by turning zucchini ribbons into tasty mummy bandages atop French bread pizzas. Take advantage of the Halloween holiday to get extra playful and silly with your food. To start this dish, grab ciabatta rolls or similar rectangular rolls, sun-dried tomato pesto or pizza sauce, grated mozzarella cheese, small zucchinis, and black olives. Halve the bread rolls, add your sauce of choice, sprinkle with cheese and use a vegetable peeler to cut the zucchini into thin ribbons that can be haphazardly placed on the roll at different angles. Use the sliced olives for eyes, and bake for about 20 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Then you can mummy out! (via Brit + Co)
Brit + Co
Bloody bones, crumbled red velvet, lots of sugar — this dessert is everything a Halloween treat should be. You'll need a few hours to make the cake, frosting and bones from scratch in the DIY masterpiece. Check your pantry and refrigerator for butter, sugar, eggs, flour, cocoa powder, buttermilk, vanilla extract, white vinegar, baking soda and cake release spray for the cake; egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar for the bones; and mascarpone, icing sugar, heavy cream and blackberry syrup for the for the frosting. As far as supplies goes, it'll also be helpful to have a mixer, piping bags, cake stand, a few mixing bowls and a measuring jug. (via Brit + Co)
Brilliant Bites by Maegan Brown
These meatballs take on the flavors of your favorite pasta dish. The eyeballs, crafted from ricotta cheese and black olive bits, add in the spooky factor! (via Brit + Co)
Brit + Co
Autumn weather is notoriously unpredictable. Make a batch of spooky frozen pops in case you find yourself sweating through your monster mask. Your ingredient list for these includes a bar of dark chocolate, heavy whipping cream, a can of coconut milk, condensed milk, a pack of candy googly eyes, and popsicle molds. Also, be sure to set aside about four hours to complete this Halloween party food idea. (via Brit + Co)
Brit + Co
This bug-covered cake is gorgeous, but it will absolutely creep out your friends and loved ones. We imagine this is what they served when Beetlejuice tried to marry Lydia. For this Halloween menu item, grab a chocolate cake mix, white chocolate, butter, powdered sugar, cream, and vanilla. This recipe will yield a four layer cake with thick frosting and thick chocolate ganache poured over the top. Mm, yum! (via Brit + Co)
Brit + Co
These creepy crawlies actually carry everything that's great about dessert – peanut butter and chocolate! They're easy to make after you bake the cookie base. Simply press a PB cup into the dough and decorate accordingly. (via Brit + Co)
Brit + Co
Unlike zombies, vegans don't eat brains, or any other food that comes from an animal for that matter. Instead, serve them up some raw, vegan avocado zombie bars for a healthy treat. You'll get about 16 servings with this recipe, which requires Medjool dates, raw almonds, cocoa powder, coconut oil, avocados, agave nectar, coconut oil, a blender or food processor and an 8x8 inch brownie pan. (via Brit + Co)
Brit + Co
Usually we avoid putting germs in our body, but these Jell-O shot petri dishes look so good, we just can't resist having one for dessert. Oh, and they're make-ahead, leaving you more time to work on your costume. (via Brit + Co)
Brit + Co
These bones are anything but dry in this spooky cocktail! Spike your punch bowl with bones made from Jell-O shot ingredients, including whipped cream vodka. (via Brit + Co)
Brit + Co
What's more terrifying than millennials spending all their hard-earned cash on avocados and destroying the real estate industry? Turning those avos into totally freaky breakfast toasts, of course. (via Brit + Co)
Brit + Co
October 31 is the only time of year when seeing mice in the kitchen is actually a good thing. After all, they're made from strawberries and white chocolate! This make-ahead treat is easy to put together and ideal for a mad scientist themed spooky party.
For this Halloween recipe, all you need are strawberries, white chocolate melting wafers, and red food coloring. Set a few of the wafers aside to be used as mouse ears, and melt the rest in the microwave-safe dish for about 30 seconds. Then dip your strawberries into the melty chocolate and place on a flat plate or surface to help them keep their shape. As the chocolate starts to set, place two wafer on top of each strawberry for the ears. To achieve the spooky red eyes, mix red food dye into the remaining melted chocolate and use a fork or toothpick to pick up the color and complete the look. For more mad scientist Halloween food ideas, check out this lime green petri dish jello shot recipe. (via Brit + Co)
Brit + Co
Despite its witchy vibes, this cocktail is sweeter than it seems. It gets its dark color from blackberries, Chambord, and a drop of food coloring. We imagine this something that someone from the Netherworld in Beetlejuice 2 would drink while creating their own brand of chaos. (via Brit + Co)
Brit + Co
Howl at the full moon while snacking on glorious galaxy swirl donut holes. Just make sure you bring enough to share with the werewolves. (via Brit + Co)
Brit + Co
Get the kids to help decorate these monstrous sushi bites, and they might actually forget about candy for a while. They feature friendlier versions of Frankenstein, Jack Skellington, and a seemingly disgruntled pumpkin. (via Brit + Co)
Brit + Co
Nothing like popping an eyeball in your mouth for a sweet snack, right? It's just the dessert you need if you plan to scare the little people in your life. They'll probably sleep with both eyes shut super tight in case they think you've run out of eyeballs to snack on. (via Brit + Co)
Brit + Co
Pound cake squares and sugar glass sounds totally scrumptious to us. Those who faint at the sight of blood might want to skip this one, though. (via Brit + Co)
Brit + Co
You don't need any special ingredients to make realistic edible blood. Frozen blackberries, sugar, and lemon juice do the trick nicely. (via Brit + Co)
Brit + Co
This rum punch is on the tamer side of the spooky drinks you can serve at your Halloween party. It's a black and orange cocktail that'll only make your guests look at it sideways while drinking it. (via Brit + Co)
Brit + Co
For a Halloween cocktail trick and treat, add gummy worms to your guests' ice. They'll enjoy watching the worms float in their black and orange rum punch drinks. (via Brit + Co)
Brit + Co
If you like cute more than creepy, these adorable ice cream cookies have your name written all over them. Grab your favorite sugar cookie recipe, royal icing in a variety of colors, and fondant for homemade candy eyes if you can't find the store-bought kind.
You can DIY candy eyes by rolling out fondant and using straws to cut out uniform small circles. Once the fondant dries, you can add on black dots with an edible market to finish the eyes and set aside. Then, before you bake your cookie dough of choice, use cookie cutters to create fun and cute shapes in the dough like hearts, triangles, stars, and more.
Think about the colors you want to use for your designs (we opted for a pastel palette with pink, yellow, peach, and blue), and dye the royal icing as needed to match your desired hues. Then get to work on decorating your cute scary monster cookies! (via Brit + Co)
Texanerin Baking
Talk about scary Halloween snacks! Healthy and Halloween don't have to be mutually exclusive. Serve this on days when you're not feeling the sweet stuff. (via Texanerin Baking)
A Spicy Perspective
Kids can make their own frightful Halloween Monster Donuts over pre-made glazed donuts in this yummy no-bake dessert or breakfast. (via A Spicy Perspective)
Half Baked Harvest
Harry Potter fans will delight in this spooky Halloween cocktail made with a mix of pomegranate juice, tequila, Chambord (raspberry liquor), lemon, and warming sage. Whip up some other Harry Potter Cocktails That Will Stupefy Your Muggle Friends too! (via Half Baked Harvest)
Boulder Locavore
Have chills running up and down your spine? Ghouls of all ages can sip on this non-alcoholic crimson punch. For a more potent potion, add rum. To master this recipe and round out your Halloween menu, you'll need a slow cooker, five minutes to mix all the ingredients, and three hours of patience to let it brew. Hawaiian Punch, ginger ale, and Red Hot Candies are the hero ingredients here. To take this to the next level on the spook-scale, use dry ice for a smoky vibe. (via Boulder Locavore)
Salty Canary
Halloween heatwaves don't stand a chance against cones of grinning, grimacing pumpkin ice cream. Besides, everyone loves seeing pumpkins take on a life of their own during the spookiest month of the year! (via Salty Canary)
Half Baked Harvest
After tip-toeing through a haunted orchard, who wouldn't crave a cocktail to calm the nerves? (via Half Baked Harvest)
Domestic Gothess
Carve pie crust jack-o-lanterns to top these personal pies. (via Domestic Gothess)
Jelly Toast
Jazz up your usual cereal treats with a thick layer of chocolate ganache and a web of icing on top. Simple, spooky, and superb. (via Jelly Toast)
Salty Canary
When stocking your Halloween pantry, you'd better buy edible googly eyes in bulk. Add them to everything from popcorn to oatmeal to instantly make your meal mortifying. (via Salty Canary)
Domestic Gothess
Name a more iconic duo than witch finger cookies and red velvet hot chocolate — we'll wait. This Halloween recipe uses a buttery shortbread dough for knobby fingers, blanched almonds for fingernails, cinnamon for dirt and red food coloring to get the gory bleeding look. The coolest and creepiest part of this dish is the red velvet hot chocolate dipping sauce that looks like a goblet of blood.
Some quick tips: Once your cookie dough is ready to go, you'll want to measure out 1/2 tablespoon quantities of the dough, roll them into a ball, and then into a log shape. Be sure to make them quite thin as they were spread in the oven while baking. For the knuckle indentations, use a knife to make the ridges. (via Domestic Gothess)
Half Baked Harvest
This is one of the easiest Halloween recipes you'll make this year and it's not scary to eat! Okay, the angry owl eye might rub someone the wrong way so we'll give you that. But, guests will forget all about it once they taste the sweet combo of instant coffee powder, vanilla extract, and milk chocolate! (via Half Baked Harvest)
Curbly
Dark chocolate and bloody red candy melts combine to make this popcorn bark a spooky treat. (via Curbly)
Give it Some Thyme
When faced with a vat of chocolate glazed cannoli dip, the only thing we have to fear is our appetite. (via Give it Some Thyme)
Cilantro Parsley
This ghostly dessert will haunt your guests taste buds with how yummy it tastes. (via Cilantro Parsley)
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This post has been updated.
When it comes to the fall and winter holidays, Halloween is the official kickoff, and for good reason. Between the spooky cocktails and the awesome group costumes, there are countless ways to enjoy partying spookily with your friends and family. But any truly amazing Halloween shindig needs food first: appetizers, meals, treats, and desserts! Whether you're making sweets or are into the savory kind of scary snack, here are 29 Halloween treats that will delight the real kids and the inner children in all of us.
Lifestyle of a Foodie
Your regular old snickerdoodle cookies become a whole lot scarier when you top 'em with an upside-down peanut butter cup and decorate them to look like lil' Halloween spiders. (via Lifestyle of a Foodie for Brit + Co)
Brit + Co
Start your day with a pumpkin smoothie that has just the right amount of sweetness to give you a boost in the morning. (via Brit + Co)
Brit + Co
Make these in mini muffin pans to enjoy a super sweet Halloween dessert. (via Brit + Co)
Brit + Co
No matter what other fancy treats you serve at your party, people go wild for the deviled eggs every time. They're somehow even *more* irresistible when creepily dressed up as brains. (via Brit + Co)
Brit + Co
You won't even think twice about Halloween candy when you have this decadent pumpkin spice milkshake to sip on instead! (via Brit + Co)
Brit + Co
There's nothing spookier than not having something yummy to serve your vegan guests. Avoid that horror show by making a batch of mini pumpkin pies! (via Brit + Co)
Brit + Co
You'll only need one grocery store trip for this no-bake pumpkin treat. We promise not to tell if you simply can't share this amazing dessert. (via Brit + Co)
Brit + Co
If your kids are freaked out at the thought of eating raw fish... all the better. It's Halloween, after all! (via Brit + Co)
Brit + Co
The only thing scary about these pumpkin, caramel, and coconut cookies is how fast you'll be able to inhale the whole batch. (via Brit + Co)
Brit + Co
Savory avocado toast, jazzed up with nori and other garnishes, is a tasty counterpoint to all that sugar you're getting from Halloween treats. (via Brit + Co)
Brit + Co
Keep away that October chill by serving up a hearty dish of creamy pumpkin pasta before heading out to beg for candy! (via Brit + Co)
Brit + Co
A party isn't a party without puppy chow. Make yours perfectly seasonal with some pumpkin pie spice. (via Brit + Co)
Brit + Co
Fresh ciabatta bread is the base for these easily customizable pizzas. The zucchini bandages are healthy *and* terrifying. (via Brit + Co)
Love & Zest
Both sweet and savory, crispy quesadillas stuffed with cheese, apples, and pumpkin work well as a snack, appetizer, light lunch, or post-trick-or-treating revival meal. (via Love & Zest)
Half Baked Harvest
These chocolatey and peanut butter-y Halloween treats get the perfectly ghoulish treatment for the holiday, thanks to the easy white chocolate ghost garnishes. (via Half Baked Harvest)
Cutefetti
Fish sticks and cheddar cheese are a convincingly spooky mummified Halloween snack. (via Cutefetti)
Fork and Beans
If you find yourself with extra candy, melt it all down for this no-rules candy bark. Chill in the refrigerator until hard and break into bite-sized pieces to enjoy! (via Fork and Beans)
Boulder Locavore
No one will mind if you're that person who brings a salad to the party. The little heads of cauliflower kind of look like brains, and the syringe dressing is a clever themed accessory. (via Boulder Locavore)
Kathryn's Kitchen
This easy Halloween snack only requires a bag of microwaved popcorn, some sweetener, and your fave candies – we'd throw in sugar pumpkins, candy corn, and spooky eyeball sprinkles for the fright! (via Kathryn's Kitchen)
Kitchen Sanctuary
Radishes and olive slices make eerily convincing edible eyeballs. Serve this sammie on jumbo hoagie rolls for dinner, or swap those for slider buns and serve them up at your next Halloween party! (via Kitchen Sanctuary)
Foxes Love Lemons
Make the items on this platter ahead of time, then set it out for everyone to nosh on. You'll be able to spend time with the fam instead of in the kitchen getting food ready. (via Foxes Love Lemons)
Noshing with the Nolands
Who knew something that looks like bulging monster eyeballs could also taste so good? (via Noshing with the Nolands)
Cooking Classy
Cheesecake filling and canned pumpkin are the main ingredients for this seasonal snack. Serve it up with graham crackers or some cinnamon sugar pita chips. (via Cooking Classy)
Feel Good Foodie
These classic Halloween treats load up on chocolate pudding, crushed Oreos, and creepy-crawly gummy worms for a dessert both you and your kids will love indulging in! (via Feel Good Foodie)
Fork and Beans
Turning your salad into a bona fide spook-fest is the only way you'll get your kids (or yourself) to eat veggies at Halloween when there's a bunch of candy lying around. (via Fork and Beans)
Frugal Mom Eh!
If you're a Leslie Knope, you might be satisfied with a mummy pizza on Halloween. But if you're more of a Ben Wyatt type, you know that nothing but a calzone will do. (via Frugal Mom Eh!)
The Healthy Maven
The best thing about blondies, aside from them being blondies? You can cut them into any size. Make adorable bite-sized versions to feed a crowd at your Halloween party. (via The Healthy Maven)
Wow your guests with more tasty Halloween hacks on our Pinterest page!
This post has been updated with additional reporting by Irina Gonzalez and Meredith Holser.
