Appetizers

My husband had claimed to hate Halloween for years. Every October, he’d grumble about the expense, the sugar highs, the cheap costumes that fell apart … Read more

I met Mariela at the community garden swap table last October. She watched me eyeing her basket of eggs—some of them had been dyed a … Read more

I’m not supposed to play favorites with recipes, but this spiderweb cheese ball has earned a permanent spot in our Halloween rotation. It happened on … Read more

I was standing in the grocery store aisle last October, staring at a jar of olives, when a memory hit me so hard I almost … Read more

The neighborhood Halloween block party was in three hours and I’d completely forgotten. Everyone else would be bringing elaborate, Pinterest-perfect treats—witch-hat cupcakes with hand-piped frosting, … Read more

Maggie wasn’t trying to impress anyone. I’d stopped by to borrow a ladder on a random Saturday afternoon, and the smell hit me before I … Read more

The Oktoberfest potluck was in six hours and I’d completely forgotten. Everyone else would be bringing those elaborate, multi-day German dishes—sauerbraten that had been marinating … Read more

My neighbor, Carol, watched me fumbling with a bag of individually wrapped candy one October afternoon, trying to arrange them in a way that didn’t … Read more

It was 10:47 PM on a random Thursday, and I had a very specific craving for something sweet, salty, and creamy all at once. I … Read more

I was standing in the snack aisle of our local grocery store last October, staring at a bag of tortilla chips, when the weirdest thing … Read more