So I was suppose to post about these Halloween goodies last week, after my sangria recipe. But I didn't feel like baking then. There's a baking mood, you know. I wasn't in it. When was I in the baking mood? Well, 1 AM last night, of course. Typical me. So I baked while I caught up on yesterday's episode of Sons Of Anarchy (Poor Bobby).

These goodies are super easy to make. I'm talking a toddler could whip this up, which seems to be the talent level of most of my DIYs these days. Both snacks are perfect for Halloween parties, baking with your children and devouring as your family watches Casper for the four thousandth time, or just making them for a party of one.

(Warning: this is a very picture-heavy post. Proceed at your own risk... and that of your waistline.)

A twist on the traditional cupcake, inspired by my favorite Halloween candy. All you need is classic white cake batter, yellow and orange (red + yellow) food coloring, vanilla icing, and candy corn pieces. The longest part of this recipe was layering the batter in the muffin pan, it's that simple.

You don't know this, so this might just blow your mind, but... brownies are kinda my specialty. It all began with a box of brownie mix on a drunken college night and the rest was history. Ask my boyfriend. They're damn good. How do you halloween-ify your staple dessert? Throw a ghost on top of them!

If you thought it couldn't get any easier than those cupcakes up there, you were wrong. Grab a box of brownie mix and follow the instructions on the back. Cut the brownies into medium squares and top each with a large marshmallow. Melt a few spoonfuls of icing and dibble it over the top.

Do you have any go-to Halloween snacks? Tell me about them!

My New York City Love Affair ❤: La Maison du Macaron

One not-so-glorious afternoon, I wobbled down 23rd Street after a cold and painful run along the Chelsea Piers. It was freezing and not made any better by the now cold sweat sharing my workout coat with me. I thought I was going to fall right there on 23rd, frozen still, the day before Thanksgiving. Within a sea of walk-ups and random pharmacies and pizza parlors, I thanked my lucky stars when I spotted a cute little shop that looked like it sold some sort of hot beverage and yanked the door open with my frigid little fingers. Not only did I find something to warm me up (a piping hot cup of hot chocolate!), but I discovered something deliciously yummy that made braving the cold, yet again, a bit less miserable.

Located on 23rd street between 6th and 7th avenues, these may be the best macarons I've tasted. Ever. As soon as I walked in, I was greeted with the warmest chorus of "hellos" from the 3 women working that day. They were bustling about with a fresh batch of macarons but made sure to let me know they'd be with me shortly. The first thing I noticed was the wide array of colors/flavors. It probably took me 10 minutes just to choose which ones I wanted to try, but everyone was so patient, describing flavor after flavor and then repeating a few (hey, it was a lot to take in!). I don't recall all the flavors I chose, especially because she threw a few extra macarons in my bag that I should try because of their popularity. I do know that I loved the Rose and Salted Caramel flavors, even though truly each one was amazing.

On top of the plethora of macarons, La Maison du Macaron also has lots of desserts, including eclairs, tarts, brownies, lemon meringue cookies, and muffins. I was so distracted by the macarons that I didn't even bother with any of the other treats. But I can imagine that everything from this shop is just delicious.

I could've just grabbed my little bag of macarons and ran out the door. But the dread of the waiting cold air and the excitement to taste one of these gems lead me to sit for a while. The shabby chic decor reminds me of photos I've seen of Parisian coffee shops. It's quaint and cozy, but my favorite part of the decor is the cute twist on classic paintings. I thought it was so clever :)