Podcasts about Halloween Baking Championship

On this week's episode we talk to Award Winning Cake Artist & Pastry Chef, Megan Aucone. We talk to Megan about everything from how she got into baking to her time on Food Network's “Halloween Baking Championship” and Hulu's “Cookie, Cupcake, Cake”. Her hyper realistic cakes (especially the gory ones!) have caught our eyes for years and we could not have been happier to see her on these shows letting everyone else see her talent. Megan also lets us know that she will be at the ihearthorror convention on Saturday February 1st! We can not wait to go see what she does next and to go visit her at Uncle Guiseppe's Marketplace and try every one of her creations!! Instagram: @cinnabunbunn Message Megan for any questions or orders!

This week, Tanya Cook joins Erin to discuss the latest pop culture and fandom news. Topics include The Penguin, Halloween Baking Championship, the newest show canceled by Netflix, the comfort of Bruce Campbell, the passing of Tony Todd, and the election results. For excellent bonus content and ad-free versions, please support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/itsafandomthingpod. You can follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/itsafandomthingpod Twitter: @fandomthingpod Instagram: @itsafandomthingpod Discord: https://discord.com/channels/1042986989349257216/1042987584151879762 You can follow Fergie on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@schroederandfergs Cover art by Carla Temis. Podcast logo by Erin Amos. Consider becoming a Patreon supporter of Portia Burch: https://patreon.com/portia_noir?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_fan&utm_content=join_link and White Woman Whisperer: https://patreon.com/whitewomanwhisperer?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_fan&utm_content=join_link. Are you looking to buy some shirts that make a difference? Check out Wear the Peace: https://wearthepeace.com/pages/collections?utm_source=Klaviyo&utm_medium=flow&utm_klaviyo_id=01J35XBQFAPE052R8E3A4140TS&_kx=vpL_Er9K3aUVqJ0N-d6KKWR608od7avLWJ2fXcHbEPI.U45QAK. Join the Here4TheKids Substack: https://here4thekids.substack.com/. To order the book, "White Women," click here: https://www.race2dinner.com/white-women Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The one and only John Henson—legendary host of Talk Soup, former co-host of Wipeout, and the current spook-tacular host of Halloween Baking Championship on Food Network—is joining The Inside Wisconsin Show!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN WHISKTAKERS! It's become a thing on the podcast to have a fun episode for Halloween. After filming Halloween Baking Championship Season 8 in 2022, Halloween has become a super meaningful holiday to me! Last year I welcomed two past HBC winners for a fun roundtable. This year, I knew I had to go even bigger… so I invited HBC JUDGE, Pastry Chef Extraordinaire, and the entrepreneur behind the infamous Piecaken, Zac Young, to join us in the studio!   This episode has ALL THE THINGS: Hear about Zac's unique journey from a musical theater career to somehow finding himself enrolling in culinary school Zac's adventures working as part of the opening team at Bouchon Bakery, as the pastry chef for Alex Guarnaschelli, and consulting for (and ultimately becoming a partner at) The David Burke Group. The story behind the creation of the Piecaken, Zac's foray into large-scale production desserts for wholesale, and the opening of his newest venture, Zac Young's Sprinkletown How Zac landed his “night job” doing Food TV, and how he balances his crazy schedule ALLLL of the behind-the-scenes tea about Halloween Baking Championship, what it's like to be a judge on Food TV, and a fun round of HBC-themed rapid-fire-questions! Support Zac! Follow him on Instagram  Check out Piecaken Bakeshop on Goldbelly or visit Zac Young's Sprinkletown Watch Food Network's Halloween Baking Championship, now streaming on MAX Support the Pod! Follow us on Instagram Be sure to leave us a 5-star review wherever you listen to your podcasts!

Americans voting abroad with the U.S. Consol in Winnipeg, Rebecca Molinoff (0:40); Ken Wiebe from Jets practice in Calgary (8:30); Hollie Rivera, a Winnipegger who's competing in "Halloween Baking Championship" on the Food Network (18:05).

What are the costs and logistics of at-home charging for EV vehicles? (00:14) Guest: Mark Marmer, owner, Signature Electric A look at retail with Christmas and Boxing Day on the horizon (13:55) Guest: Bruce Winder, retail analyst and author of RETAIL Before, During & After COVID-19 I Won't be Home for Christmas: Australia (28:24) Guest: Kirsty Feely, a Canadian living in Australia Journo Corner: Concerns about the future of local news (44:45) Guest: April Lindgren, the principal investigator for the Local News Research Project at Toronto Metropolitan University's School of Journalism, associate professor in journalism Why Donald Trump can't appear on Colorado's 2024 presidential ballot - could other states follow? What will the Supreme Court do? (58:12) Guest: Douglas Spencer, Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and Research, Professor of Law at University of Colorado Boulder Sweet treats and baking tips to get your tastebuds into the holiday season (1:17:26) Guest: Hollie Fraser, Owner, Punk Rock Pastries, winner of Food Network's Halloween Baking Championship and The Big Bake Halloween

Joining the show today is Christa Aylward! Christa is a pediatric occupational therapist turned award-winning home baker. She is the owner of Sweets by Christa which began as a hobby but soon transformed into a thriving baking business, allowing Christa to share her love for creating delicious treats with others.   During our empowering conversation, we discuss Christa's inspiring journey and how she kept believing in herself, the lessons she learned from the interview process, and how she ultimately landed an opportunity on the Halloween Baking Championship.      Tune into hear: Betting on oneself and facing rejection The importance of pursuing your dreams  How Christa persevered and got onto the Food Network Taking your hobby and turning it into a thriving business    Connect with Christa: IG: @sweetsbychrista www.sweetsbychrista.com   Connect with Whitney & Stephanie: captureyourconfidencepodcast@gmail.com Stephanie IG: @stephanie_hanna_  The Other 85: https://theother85.net/  Whitney IG: @whitneyabraham 

In this engaging video, Matthew Rix sits down with the vibrant and talented Chef Hollie Fraser, owner of Punk Rock Pastries in Vancouver, British Columbia. Fresh off her victory in Season 9 of the Halloween Baking Championship on the Food Network, Chef Fraser shares her journey, her passion for baking, and her love for tattoos. This interview is a delightful mix of culinary insights, personal anecdotes, and a peek into the life of a champion baker who is as unique as her creations. Tune in to learn more about Chef Fraser's unconventional approach to baking and how she's making waves in the culinary world.https://PunkRockPastries.com#foodnetwork #HalloweenBaking #Interview

Bakers, you have 90 minutes to grab your edible blood, your isomalt glass shards, and dip into your Halloween candy stash for a treat, because today's special guests might just inspire you to bake for your lives!  Today I am joined by two former winners of Food Network's Halloween Baking Championship, Karl Fong (season 5 winner), and Renee Loranger (season 6 contestant and season 7 winner), plus ya girl (season 8 winner), and we're spilling ALL the tea on food TV! Support Our Guests: Karl Fong- Visit Karl's Bakery, Cakes by Karl, or give him a follow On Instagram Renee Loranger- Visit Renee's bakery, Sugar Pop Baking Co., or give her a follow On Instagram Support the pod: Follow us on Instagram! Give us a 5-star review on Spotify, Google Podcasts, or Apple Podcasts Follow Blayre's business, Flouretta Sweet on Instagram or on her Website

Remembering Friends star Matthew Perry, who died over the weekend at 54 in Los Angeles. The Battle Round continues on the new episode of The Voice. On the season finale of 90 Day: The Last Resort, the five couples decide whether to recommit to each other or go their separate ways. Winners are decided on the season finales of Halloween Baking Championship and Halloween Cookie Challenge. Plus, Hollywood trivia, This Week in Entertainment History, and entertainment headlines, including Disney releasing a first look at Rachel Zegler and the sevean dwarves in the live-action Snow White, which the studio has revealed has also been pushed to 2025; and the death of Night Court alum Richard Moll. More at ew.com, ew.com/wtw, and @EW on X (formerly Twitter) and @EntertainmentWeekly everywhere else. Host/Writer/Producer Gerrad Hall (@gerradhall); Editor: Samee Junio (@it_your_sam); Writer: Dustin Nelson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Three down and one to go for The Devil Made Me Do It Month! We exorcized Lost Souls with Winona Ryder and Ben Chaplin onto the world last week. The 4th and final will hit Patreon on Wednesday via Early Access, and this Friday for general public. Halloween Baking Championship! CUJO! KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON! Martin Scorsese at the DGA Screening on October 15, 2023! (Click Me!) VIDIOTS! CINEFILE! ENJOY! WHILE IT'S TRUE THE WGA STRIKE IS OVER, AND EVEN IF SAG GETS THEIR'S TOGETHER, WORKERS AND THEIR FAMILIES ARE GOING TO BE STRUGGLING FOR A WHILE. THE OVERWHELMING BURDEN OF PUTTING FOOD ON THE TABLE AND A ROOF OVER ONE'S HEAD DOESN'T END THE INSTANT THE DEALS ARE RATIFIED. IT COULD BE MONTHS BEFORE PRODUCTIONS GET UP TO SPEED AGAIN. THAT LEADS RIGHT INTO THE INDUSTRY'S USUAL WINTER/HOLIDAY HIATUS. WILL THAT BE DIFFERENT THIS YEAR? WHO KNOWS. BUT EVEN IF THEY WORK THROUGH THAT USUAL BREAK, MANY FAMILIES ARE GOING TO NEED ASSISTANCE. THIS IS WHERE YOU CAN HELP. IF YOU HAVE A FEW DOLLARS TO SPARE, PLEASE CONSIDER DONATING TO THE ENTERTAINMENT COMMUNITY FUND. THE FUND HELPS ALL WORKERS AFFECTED BY THE STRIKE, NOT JUST ACTORS AND WRITERS. Entertainment Community Fund https://entertainmentcommunity.org/support-our-work ------------------ As always, and maybe even more than ever, here are some mental health resources for North America: United States  https://www.mentalhealth.gov/get-help/immediate-help https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ The Suicide Hotline phone number has been changed. Now, just text or call 988. Canada https://www.ccmhs-ccsms.ca/mental-health-resources-1 1 (833) 456-4566 Even though we don't say it in this episode, more NOW than ever before: PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE take care of yourselves and those around you. Be mindful of your surroundings. Karate in the Garage Linkages

When Adesuwa Elaiho was a little girl, she pretended to be a contestant on cooking shows; now, she actually is one!  Adesuwa is one of the 12 bakers competing  on the Food Network's "Halloween Baking Championship." On this episode, she shares the inside scoop about life on the set of a baking reality show--from the time pressure to what happens when your cake falls apart; how she felt about being judged for her bakes, and her nervousness about how she'd be portrayed after the show was edited.  Adesuwa is a classically-trained chef (she has four degrees from Le Cordon Bleu in Paris), so creating gory, Halloween-themed treats stretched her beyond her comfort zone!  But she came away from the experience feeling validated and grateful.In this episode:03:33--Adesuwa's childhood dreams about being on the Food Network04:56--Her strategy to prepare to be on the Halloween Baking Championship06:30--The challenges of baking under time pressure10:40--How the contestants worked together and agreed not to "sabotage" each other13:34--How a classically-trained chef created gory, Halloween-themed desserts15:42--Adesuwa's thoughts about being judged on the show20:14--Baking with cameras constantly in your face27:39--Getting into the right frame of mind each day before taping the show34:13--Adesuwa's tips for home bakersWant to know more about Adesuwa?Find out about the "Halloween Baking Championship": https://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/halloween-baking-championshipConnect with her pastry shop, Asukar: www.myasukar.comWant to know more about "What It's Like To..."?Sign up to be on our Insiders' List to receive our newsletters and insiders' information! Go to whatitsliketo.net (sign-ups are at the bottom of the page)Follow us on social media:InstagramFacebookTwitterLinkedInSupport the show

Someone will win $1 million on the American Ninja Warrior season finale. Some charter guest are getting wild and crazy on the new episode of Below Deck Down Under. A new season of Halloween Baking Championship kicks off. Plus, Hollywood trivia, This Week in Entertainment History, and entertainment headlines, including The Nun II's big weekend at the box office, celebrities defend op-ed calling Martin Short unfunny, Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis explain letters the wrote in support of Danny Masterson, and the Chrisleys prison sentences get reduced. More at ew.com, ew.com/wtw, and @EW on Twitter and @EntertainmentWeekly everywhere else. Host/Writer/Producer: Gerrad Hall (@gerradhall); Editor: Samee Junio (@it_your_sam). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hi! I'm Olivia Bria, but my friends call me Liv— and you can too! In this episode, I interviewed a pastry chef and television personality, Chef Zac Young! You may recognize Zac from Food Network's Halloween Baking Championship as a judge or the Cooking Channel's Unique Sweets as a host. He gave me some fun behind-the-scenes stories, baking tips, and anecdotes about his career beginnings. Let's get ready for Halloween, shall we?Make sure to follow the podcast on Instagram or check me out on TikTok. You can keep up with Zac Young's latest recipes on Instagram.Recording by Riverside.fm Music by Music_Unlimited from Pixabay

I am not the chef of the family, so it's always so fun to talk to pros in the food industry! Katie Lee Biegel joined me to share her best tips for aspiring cooks, ideas to get your picky kids to eat, info on her new, incredible wine company and more! Katie is the co-host of Food Network's Emmy nominated "The Kitchen." She can be also seen regularly on Food Network shows "Best. Ever." and "Beat Bobby Flay" and as a judge for Food Network's popular "Halloween Baking Championship" series. She hosted three seasons of Cooking Channel's "Beach Bites with Katie Lee" and has the popular web series on FoodNetwork.com "Katie Lee Eats Meat, In Sweats" and "What Would Katie Eat?" She has written four cookbooks, including, It's Not Complicated, which was released in March 2021. Outside of her culinary and literary adventures, Katie is an ambassador for 96 Elephants and is on the Food Bank of New York board. Finally, she just launched Kind of Wild, a certified organic and certified vegan wine brand aiming to support organic growers and improve soil health as a climate solution. This episode is brought to you by Milk Makeup. Milk Makeup's Hydro Grip Primer grips makeup for up to 12 hours to prevent makeup meltdown...AND leaves your skin with a dewy, glowy finish. Head over to your local Sephora or get yours at MilkMakeup.com.Produced by Dear MediaThis episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct, or indirect financial interest in products, or services referred to in this episode.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

If you're looking for the blueprint to making the leap from working for someone else to working for yourself, all while simultaneously infusing your authentic self into your brand, this episode is IT!  Today I'm joined by my fellow Halloween Baking Championship castmate, baking biz owner, and entrepreneur AJ DeDiego! AJ took his career and business into his own hands by learning how to bake, and laying a strong foundation to support his transition into working for himself full time. His story is truly inspiring, so listen with care- you may want to quit your job within the hour! BONUS: Stay tuned at the end of the episode to hear our bonus segment, This or That! I present AJ with two tempting options and see which one he chooses and why.    Support AJ! Give AJ a follow on Instagram Check out his website, blog, and online store here Check out his monthly live streams for The Fresh Market Watch us both compete on Food Network's Halloween Baking Championship Season 8, now streaming on Discovery+! Support the Pod! Give us a follow on Instagram Leave us a review on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Google Podcasts Give Blayre a follow on Instagram or check out the Flouretta Sweet website

Flashback Episode of The Father Time Podcast with Jamie KalerBorn Jonathan Morris Henson on July 11, 1967 in Stamford, Connecticut, John Henson is best known for his multi-awarded stint as host, writer and executive producer of E!'s Talk Soup. He studied acting at Boston University, then later in Playwrights Horizons and Three of Us Studios in New York. As such, he has several theater credits to his name, such as a production of Rosencrants and Guildenstern Are Dead, “The Greenhouse Effect” and Remote Evolution.John Henson began his professional career in the entertainment industry as a stand-up comic. With his distinctive style, he soon caught up with most comedy clubs all over the country. He did stand-up for over eight years. Yet he is also trained formally as a dramatic actor. In 1998, he appeared in the feature film Stag opposite Kevin Dillon and Andre McCarthy, then in Bar Hopping with Tom Arnold and Kelly Preston. He has also starred opposite Sarah Jessica Parker on Life Without Dick.John Henson's television credits include ABC's The View and Politically Incorrect, Comedy Central's Two Drink Minimum and Stand Up, Stand Up, and A&E's Caroline's Comedy Hour. When he was selected of 3,000 applicants to replace Greg Kinnear as host of Talk Soup, his four-year tenure would earn him three Emmy nominations and the record for the highest rated and longest tenured host in the 11-year history of the show. On the side, Henson also writes, contributing articles to US Weekly, TV Guide Magazine and George. He is also a regular pop culture analyst for CNN and MSNBC.John Henson was also a host in the ABC reality series Wipeout. The show features fun, strong-willed, and outgoing people who battle it out in a series of grueling games for a once-in-a-lifetime chance to win $50,000.He is currently hosting the Halloween Baking Championship and touring comedy clubs nationally. Find out when he's in your town. But more importantly, he is a wonderful husband and Dad, who shares hilarious stories of growing up, and now raising children. Seriously, one of the funniest and more articulate guests I've had. You can hear why he has been so successful as a host and comedian.You can catch more of John Henson:on Twitter at:https://twitter.com/John_HensonOn Instagram at:https://www.instagram.com/yeoldskunkboy/You can catch The Parent's Lounge live every Tuesday Night 10pm EST/7pm PST at:https://www.facebook.com/theparentslounge#theparentslounge #johnhenson #wipeout #comedycentral #parentingpodcast #jamiekaler #jasongowin #katemulligan #comedians #parentingadvice #funnyparents #hilarious #cohosts #talksoup #twodrinkminimum #politicallyincorrect #dadlife #standupcomedy #parentinghumorJamie Kaler's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jamiekaler/Jason Gowin's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jasongowin/Kate Mulligan's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/katestmomever/The Parent's Lounge TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@theparentsloungeshow

The first official WM guest episode is HERE!  On this episode I get to chat with fellow Halloween Baking Championship contestant and business owner Maricsa Trejo. Maricsa and her partner Alex started their bakery, La Casita Bakeshop, in the back of a brewpub and have since grown into a 6,000 square foot production space and two coffee shops (and that's just the start!).  Join us as we discuss business growing pains, making it as a female in a male-dominated industry, boundaries, and much more. BONUS: stick around until the end to hear a fun guest segment called BakeLibs, where Maricsa and I work together to write a silly biography about her baking life.  Give Maricsa and La Casita some support: La Casita Bakeshop La Casita Coffee La Casita on Instagram  Support the Pod Here Contact Blayre Here Blayre's business contact info: Flouretta Sweet on Instagram -Flouretta Sweet website

Andrew Fuller first earned viral fame with a pie that appeared to have a human face in it. He has appeared on a few shows: Halloween Baking Championship (2018), Candy Land (2020) but the Netflix hit baking competition show, Is it Cake? really catapulted him to the next level. On this episode, I talked with Nathan Ragland, host of Post Modern Art Podcast about Fuller and his mindblowing, hyperrealistic cake. You can find Post Modern Art Podcast on all the major platforms. Here are links to find Nathan and his work: Website Discord Merch Of course, as we are talking about Andrew Fuller who is doing such amazing things all the time, you may want to check out his site https://www.sugarfreakshow.com/ which has links to his social media so you can follow him to see more. Who ARTed is an Airwave Media Podcast. Connect with me: Website | Twitter | Instagram | Tiktok Support the show: Merch from TeePublic | Make a Donation As always you can find images of the work being discussed at www.WhoARTedPodcast.com and of course, please leave a rating or review on your favorite podcast app. You might hear it read out on the show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 19 - Whimsically Modern and Uniquely Handcrafted with Blayre of Flouretta Sweet In this episode, we chat with wedding cake connoisseur and pastry chef extraordinaire Blayre of Flouretta Sweet! This episode is the stuff of Amanda's cake-loving dreams, and Blayre is a delight who walks us through the ins and outs of owning a pastry business in the wedding industry. Beyond owning a successful business in Lancaster, PA, Blayre is also the recent winner of Halloween Baking Championship on Food Network! Links: Flouretta Sweet Flouretta Sweet on Instagram Halloween Baking Championship Something Borrowed on Instagram

It's the finale, y'all! And we are all cordially invited to doff our fanciest duds and visit Hotel Henson for some killer nuptials! In a finale designed to truly celebrate our bakers' craft - no tricks or twists or sudden deaths - we are treated to the cheesiest, dreamiest snacking boards and the most dramatic, delectable black wedding cakes we've ever seen. The BEST way to cap a killer season, and the best way to make OUR journey to the thirteenth floor, where these four dum dums are taking up residence!

Television veteran and host of Halloween Baking Championship, John Henson, talks about how being the youngest of a family of boys shaped his path to comedy and the origin story of his nickname, “Skunk Boy.” He shares some moments that have defined his career over the past three decades and his perspective on his responsibilities as a host. John talks about the immersive environment of the Halloween Baking Championship set and what it feels like for this year's theme to be “Hotel Henson.” He gives his two cents on classically trained versus self-taught contestants and the number one mishap he observes on the show. John reveals just how long the judges - Carla Hall, Stephanie Boswell and Zac Young - are in hair and makeup and how he manages to keep a straight face when they attempt to give serious critique in costume. Start Your Free Trial of discovery+: https://www.discoveryplus.com/foodobsessedFollow Food Network on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/foodnetworkFollow Jaymee Sire on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaymeesireFollow John Henson on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yeoldskunkboy/Learn More About Halloween Baking Championship: https://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/halloween-baking-championship Find episode transcripts here: https://food-network-obsessed.simplecast.com/episodes/john-henson-on-hosting-duties-how-he-keeps-a-straight-face

Halloween Baking Championship opens this week's episode with the most terrifying taunt yet: John Henson as into a 1920's thirst trap bartender.... MEOW, fellow bakers. Me. OW. After creating boozy throwback death eclairs in the pre-heat, our bakers must face their worst fears whilst producing not one, not two, but THREE ENTREMETS IN TWO HOURS. What did we learn from this episode? A) Even terror sloths are adorable B) Zac is a killer baker, a drag queen AND a shark attack survivor C) Black Licorice can go to Hell? If you answered D) all of the above, you were watching the same episode as us! Break out that side of ranch and join us on the couch as we dish on the penultimate episode of season 8!

I am SUPER excited to introduce this weeks guest - the fierce and fabulous Virgie Tovar! Virgie is an author of some really amazing books (which you'll find linked in the transcript below), activist, and expert on weight-based discrimination and body image. Virgie also has her own pod called ‘Rebel Eaters Club' and has her own column at Forbes, where she writes about plus size fashion and also how to end weight discrimination at work.This conversation went in a totally different direction than I had expected it to, but in a really interesting way! I'm super excited for you all to hear this one, but we do talk a little about childhood abuse and eating disorders so if you don't think you're up for it right now, maybe shelf this episode for another day. Find out more about Virgie here.Follow her work on Instagram here.Follow Laura on Instagram here. Can I Have Another Snack? is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Here's the transcript in full.INTRO:Laura: Hey, and welcome to the Can I Have Another Snack podcast where I'm asking my guests who or what they're nourishing right now and who or what is nourishing them. I'm Laura Thomas, an anti-diet registered nutritionist, and author of the Can I Have Another Snack newsletter. Today I'm talking to Virgie Tovar, and for the 1% of my audience who don't know who Virgie is, she's an author, activist, and expert on weight-based discrimination and body image.She holds a master's degree in sexuality studies with a focus on the intersection of body size, race, and gender, and she's a contributor for Forbes where she covers the plus-size market and how to end weight discrimination at work. Virgie edited the anthology, Hot and Heavy: Fierce Fat Girls on Life, Love and Fashion, and she's the author of You Have The Right to Remain Fat and The Self-Love Revolution, Radical Body Positivity for Girls of Color, which I will 100% be featuring when I cover body-affirming books for teens on my newsletter.In this episode, we talk about the work Virgie is doing to heal her inner child. I really love how Virgie contextualizes this work as mothering work as part of her wider project of maternity, as she calls it. And that's where she's exploring whether she wants to be a biological parent and the layers of grief, social conditioning, and reconciling her own childhood that she has to go through in order to process.This is not at all what I thought we were gonna be talking about today. Virgie kind of took this in an unexpected but really interesting direction. I really hope you enjoy it, so much juicy stuff in here, and I think you're gonna love this episode. But just a heads up that there is some mention of childhood abuse and eating disorders. We don't go into lots of detail, but if you're not in a good place today, then maybe sit this one out and come back when you're feeling a bit more up for it. And while you're here, just a reminder that if you're not a fully paid-up member of the Can I Have Another Snack community then you're missing out on so many great benefits like our Thursday discussion threads, Snacky Bits, where we're having smart conversations away from the noise and the fat phobic trolls of social media.You'll also get access to my Dear Laura column where this month I'm answering a question from a stepparent about parenting a fat child. Plus you'll get access to my Anti Parenting Downloads Bonus podcast episodes and lots more. It's five pounds a month or 50 pounds for the year, and your support allows me to pay a podcast editor, a copy editor for my long-form essays, and it pays for the hours and hours of research and other labor that is required to produce thoughtful writing. I figured this out earlier and five pounds a month works out as paying me 55p per article. So if you think that these articles are worth at least 55p, then please consider becoming a fully paid-up member of the Can I Have Another Snack community. And if you already are, thank you so much.And if you fancy gifting a subscription to a friend, I would super appreciate that. Thank you. And if you need a comp subscription for any reason, then just email hello@laurathomasphd.co.uk with ‘snacks' in the email header, and we will hook you up - no questions asked.And one last favour to ask. If you're listening to this in Apple Podcasts, please go and leave a rating and review. We haven't had any reviews yet, which is a total bummer because it really helps more people find the podcast and hopefully feel held and supported by these conversations.And I know you all are listening, so please just drop a quick comment or leave five stars. I would really appreciate it. All right, team. Here's Virgie Tovar.MAIN EPISODELaura: Alright Virgie, can you tell us who or what you are nourishing right now?Virgie: When I think the, I mean, I think I'm nourishing a lot of things, but the first thing that comes to mind is, really nourishing my child self who is, has a, just has a lot of trauma and has a lot of, um, you know, like I, I started therapy about a year ago and it's been this really interesting kind of process of like almost trying to, you know, untangle something or figure out a puzzle or just like learn a whole new way of, of thinking, but it, it's just become really clear that my little Virgie self is super terrified. There's like all of these things that she doesn't like and she's really scared of and so just kind of not only understanding that she deserves and needs a lot of attention and care, but at right now, as, as a 40 year old person who is considering biological maternity, but probably not, not going to be a mother. Um, biologically, certainly. And I think kind of going through the grief process of letting go of that narrative, which is a cultural narrative. And it's also kind of an internal narrative and just recognizing that, you know, I think I learned this from a friend recently, or someone actually someone I follow on the internet who I'm hoping to work with on this topic. But, you know, really understanding that the project of that inner child who didn't really have a childhood, it is a legitimate form of maternity, is a legitimate motherhood project. And so I think it's like, what's what I'm nourishing is that kid, that inner kid. And also the sense that that in fact it is true, that raising her and caring for her is its own maternity project. And it's a legitimate maternity project, even if it's not recognized by the culture.Laura: Oh my God. I feel like I'm gonna cry. I was not expecting you to say any of that, but that is just, it's so beautiful and there's something in there I probably need to take to my own therapy, but it really resonates with me and I just love this idea so much of, of mothering. You know, I, I love any conversation that talks about mothering outside of the parameters that society has dictated for us, which are usually, as we were just talking about, off mic, you know, heteronormative relationships, between a, a cis man and a, a cis woman and, you know, da da da. We all know that story. And so, yeah, just to think about different ways of mothering and tending to, and caring for parts of ourselves as, as being encompassed within that. Like, that's just, I mean, I think that's just a stunning thing to think about regardless of, you know, whether or not you have biological children or, you know, are, are a parent in some other kind of like, however you became. . all of that was just to say, I love his idea. Like, tell me more. What is this work looking like for you? How are you nurturing, you know, little inner child Virgie?Virgie: Yeah, I mean, I, a lot of it is just slowing down, like giving her the time to have a feeling, and to recognize the feeling and to sort of ask like, what do you need right now? So I, I think I, the, the, the temporal piece is the piece that really stands out. I mean obviously we, we sort of, I think that we live in a world, at least I feel like I live in a world in the United States and California, where, time is, you know, time is considered sort of this extremely limited resource. And I think that there's a real, obviously a premium on productivity and things like that, but it's become really clear to me that emotional processes are happening on a totally different timeline. Like even just, I mean, noticing. So for example, the other day, I, this is kind of a, a, an inter, like, it's a bit of an involved story, but I think it's useful in sharing what the nurturing looks like.Laura: Yeah. Let's do it.Virgie: Because it's not exactly like what you'd expect maybe. Okay. So the other day I was out shopping and I ran into a neighbor and I said, Now how are you doing? And she said, You know, I'm honestly not doing really well. She was having a really hard time. Her apartment had gotten flooded and then the landlord was sort of, her landlord was trying to evict her and she takes care of her 81 year old grandmother with a chronic illness and there was a lot going. And so, and so what's happening as this is, um, so for me, like there's two sort of people in the room as I'm listening to my neighbor, there's grownup Virgie who's like having compassion, thinking about, what I can do to help thinking about what resources I can deploy and how I can help her feel comfortable and safe for even just a few minutes as we're together.And then there's little Virgie who is extremely parentified, who grew up with parents who were sort of, you know, essentially like emotionally immature. So I constantly had to take care of them. I constantly had to parent them. I constantly had to sort of worry about their emotional state, and that because it was an inappropriate role reversal, it was very traumatizing.So grownup Virgie is having a totally great, very, you know, I would say like adult appropriate response to hearing this from her neighbor. Little Virgie is like, terrified. Little Virgie is really, really, really scared that an adult is having a really difficult time and that she doesn't have all the resources she needs to save her from her situation, you know?And so I'm just sort of deeply aware of that, that sort of sense of terror is rising within me and so taking care of little Virgie in that moment looked like actually a number of different things. One was sort of being like, you know, recognizing, I know you're afraid. And there's sort of a term called flooding for people who have developmental trauma. It just, like flooding is really when all the emotion, they're just flooding in, you know? And it's really difficult to tell what your boundaries are, to tell what your needs are. And I sort of, you know, can have a difficult time separating myself from the person who's having little Virgie does.Um, so I'm like, Okay, little Virgie, you're totally afraid. And that's okay. And so I'm kind of, you know, as I'm listening to my neighbor and being present for my neighbor, there's also a part of me that's sort of like, Okay, don't worry. We're gonna take care of your boundaries. Let's think about it, cause little Virgie is like, Okay, so I'm terrified, but let's have her move into our apartment can bring her mom and her two dogs and, um, everything's gonna be fine. And you can just cook for her and clean for her and like, comfort her and make sure that she's not afraid. And, you know, and so like little Virgie's just trying to save her. And so, and I'm like, Okay, I know you wanna do that. Um, but actually, right, like let's only offer the resources that we know aren't going to threaten our ability to be okay because, And so I'm just talking to her and being like, What's another, instead of, instead of that little Virgie, like what are some other options?Like maybe we can drive her home, maybe we can check up on her over the phone in the next couple of days. Maybe we can ask our friends what they might do and they have some ideas and some of them work in fields where that might be useful. Um and what if, you know, like you actually have the resources to offer to pay for a hotel or to offer her some gift cards or whatever if she wanted to book an Airbnb, if it gets too rough, like, and little Virgie was like, Ah, yeah, that sounds way better than what I was thinking. Um, and so, and I think the next couple of days, cuz emotionally flooding is so overwhelming, I was like, little Virgie is gonna be exhausted, little Virgie is gonna take longer to do tasks.Like, it's just, she's just really tired because even though it was just like a seemingly small moment, you know, she is, she felt like it was a really big moment. Um, and so it's like, it's like all of those things are kind of, that's how that looks like, you know?Laura: Wow. I'm, yeah, I'm trying to even figure out where to go from here. There was so much in there that I kinda wanna go back to. I thought we were talking, I thought we were gonna talk about ballet, dude, like. But this is good. This is like, this is really good and. So I hear what I'm hearing you say is that little Virgie, because she was so used to having to care for people in a way that was so out of her depth, that was so, you know, beyond anything that should be asked of a child that that ended up becoming a traumatizing experience. And so whenever you encounter someone who's in crisis, or even if it's not crisis crisis, even if it's like things are a bit shit, then like little VIrgie sort of armors up and is like, All right, ready to go into battle, like, what do I need to do? And it takes like, you have to talk her down and remind her that she's safe. It's okay. We have other ways of dealing, like dealing with this that won't compromise yourself, that won't compromise your wellbeing, and your safety.Virgie: Yeah, a hundred percent. I mean, yeah, that, that's, that's exactly what, what's happening. And I think there's a lot of, you know, I mean, I just, again, going back to the, to the project of maternity, it really is like all of those little moments. I mean, you know, as a mom, like, you know, and that, obviously there's all of these little moments and I think children really do experience the world through, through emotion, you know?And so it's like, you know, just kind of being like, okay, like whenever there's, and again, the stakes sometimes are high, sometimes they're relatively low. And she's perceiving, right? And I think this is all connected to a conversation about food and body and all of this understanding, right, that like, at the end of the day, the stakes to her are acceptance, which is basically, you know, to a child, the difference between life and death.Right? And so I think that the stakes can feel extremely high, especially when you start getting messages about all kinds of things as a kid. Like, I mean, I was recently, this is, this is a little bit of a, of a, of a more, I think more specific to the, to the topic of the podcast. But like, you know, I've, I've had many moments where I'm realizing that the fat phobia that I also learned as a child at the age of like four or five years old, that, uh, you know, I'm, I was always a bigger kid and I'm a bigger adult.And so, you know, like being, being a fat kid and experiencing fat phobia, I still have to nurture that, that part of little Virgie too. Like, you know, I think about like the way that I learned fat phobia was that, you know, if you stop being fat, then you will be saved from other people's abuse.And the way that you become not fat is through restricting food. So to me, restricting food really did become connected to a sense that if I do this correctly or I do this hard enough, then I won't be abused by other people. And really at the end of the day, like this is kind of the dilemma that anybody who's experiencing or afraid of experiencing fat phobia, that's really the, the crux of what the equation and what the decision is really about, you know? And so learning those kinds of messages as a kid that I could, you know, hurt myself in order to be safe for, from people who were abusing me. I mean, it's the, like the, those are lessons that are still, like, even as somebody who's well practiced and anti diet and is more than 10 years into that work, there are still ways in which it kind of rears its head around self-harm essentially.Laura: Oh, again, like, just so many things I wanna, I wanna pick up on there. But I think what was coming up for me there, Virgie, is this idea that I know has been a, a critique of the anti diet space is just how we sometimes overlook, how deeply ingrained, or maybe not even deeply ingrained, but how much dieting is often used to seek out safety, to, because that has been a coping mechanism, from childhood to protect yourself from being vulnerable, from being hurt, from pain, physical, emotional pain. And yeah. So I, I really just wanted to thank you for kind of like pulling that thread out. And also I'm curious to hear, because I, I'm guessing that listeners are gonna be curious to know for you when, you know, when little Virgie is feeling the threat of anti-fat bias of fat phobia, how are you taking care of yourself? Like what again, would you, do you have like an example of what that looks like for you?Virgie: Yeah, I mean, I think, It kind of goes back to the temporality piece, kind of just like slowing way down. I mean, the example that comes to mind is actually, um, the start of the pandemic. And it brought up former anorexic behavior that, and anorexic thoughts in particular, that I thought were gone. I thought that those thoughts were sort of buried in the ground, in the past, whatever. But I mean, right. Like, you know, we don't, like humans don't kind of work like that, right? But obviously we, I think we get better at, practicing things that matter to us. I think that we get better at practicing things that we practice.Um, and I also think that we have realizations and are literally our mind and our spirit changes as we have these, as we do these behaviors, and we have these moments of, Oh wow, I did that thing differently and it really blew my mind. And so, but at the end of the day, right, I'm, I'm having this, I'm in, right, we're in the unknown. So, Right. Like, I'm literally the, the start of the pandemic for, for me and I think for a lot of us was, I'm terrified. I don't know what's going to happen and it doesn't seem that anybody else around me who's an authority person, seems to know what's happening. So I went right back to that child place of seeing food as fear objects. I learned as a child that food and abuse were connected, you know, Visa v fat phobia. And in this moment where there's a lot of the same conditions, right? Like I was being brutally emotionally abused as a kid for being fat. And it was obviously destabilizing, terrifying. And this sense that no point of authority was gonna step in and end it. So it's the same conditions, but it's a pandemic. And so I'm, my child brain was like, we just have to stop eating food. It's gonna contaminate us and it's bad and it's wrong and it's scary.And so I was just like, I allowed myself the time to be like, Okay, wow. I'm really surprised that, I mean, again, like this is all about slowing, slowing, slowing down. So like, I'm really surprised about how I'm reacting to this, but it's okay that I'm reacting like this. And then I was like, Okay, Virgie, what we're gonna do is like, I'm like, I hear you and I know that you're having this feeling and I know that you're scared.And I also know, as grown up Virgie, that if you don't eat food, you're gonna get even more anxious. And I know as adult Virgie and little Virgie, you can trust me when I say that food isn't bad and food isn't scary and food isn't going to contaminate us. It's actually really good and it tastes good and it's good for us.And so I just kind of was like, Okay, cool. So we had that pep talk. Amazing. So let's go into the fridge and Virgie, like pick the things that you love the most. Like only pick the things that are like the most delicious right now. It's like, whatever you're really excited about, that's what we're gonna put on the plate. So I let little, again, time to like do that discerning process, time to go through everything in the fridge and all that. Um, and she's like, Well, I want, you know, I think at that, on that, the day that I'm thinking of it was, I think it was mostly cheese and maybe a couple of other things. And then, and then I sat down. I was like, Great job. And here we go. Like, I'm so excited about this meal. It looks really delicious. So we sit down and little Virgie's having a really hard time eating at a normal pace. Eating at the pace that I'm used to eating at, little Virgie is like really? And so I'm just like, It's okay. We can take as long as we need. Like, if we need to take a few hours, that's okay. If we need to take a break, that's okay. The important thing is that we have food in our body and we're taking care of ourselves. So it took a very long time to eat this plate of food. I would normally eat that food in probably like five minutes, something like that. And it took like two hours or something to eat everything on the plate, just because she was really freaked out, you know? And so I was like, All right, like it again, it's just kind of like that sense of like, I know that you're having all, like, you're having all these feelings and this, but we're just gonna like, take our time and we're gonna do this scary thing together because it's the right thing to do. It's the meaningful thing to do. So I think, like, you know, that, I mean obviously that's a very specific example, but I think it's just kind of that it's like that non-judgmental parenting, you know, instinct or, I mean, and it's not even an instinct, right? I mean, We have to learn respectful parenting or like parenting that's about respecting desire and boundaries and stuff like that. Again, I don't have biological kids or any kids. Um, but I'm aware of the school of thought called Respectful Parenting. And I respectfully parent my inner child who has all this stuff going on. Um, and the respectful parenting thing to do would be like, what do you want? What are your limits? But you know, as the grown-up here, who's like looking out for your safety, you can trust me 'cause I've done the work. and I'm gonna tell you that like we need food to have thoughts and to feel okay to have like, you know, have better thoughts and to feel OKLaura: Yeah.Virgie: And so, you know, anyway, so it's like that, that's kinda like an example of what that looked like in that.Laura: Yeah. And I, I really connected with this idea that you of, of like respectful parenting your inner child, and I think there is something to pull out of that in terms of, How we parent our kids around food and bodies. And I want, I wanna kind of come back and talk about that in a second but before we get to that, I, I wondered if it would be okay to go back to something you said right at the beginning and it's around, you know, what you've called, like, the project of, of motherhood and kind of exploring what that's gonna look like and be like for you. And the word that came up right at the beginning was grief and that you're processing that. And I wondered if you'd be comfortable sharing a little bit more around, you know, where you're at with that.Virgie: Yeah, I mean, I think, you know, so I spent most of my life largely sort of like pretty comfortable with like, I'm not having kids. And I think there was, there was always a little part of me that was like, hmm, that was aware that this decision was informed to some degree, and I wasn't sure to what degree, by my own childhood and by how poorly I was mothered. And so, you know, I was like, Okay. I was like, okay, at the end of the day, maybe it doesn't really matter to what degree my experience, my childhood experience impacted this decision. Because at the end of the day, like I either have the desire or not, right? Um, and so, and I'm, I'm a believer in that overall philosophy. But I think that as when I turned 40, you know, as I, I think it probably started to happen, you know, really in my mid-thirties where I was starting to sort of, I, I, I noticed there was sort of a part of me that was looking for around me, like conversations about people who had gotten pregnant later in life. Like I started, I sort of started was I was looking for examples of, you know, let's say that I don't, that I don't wanna do this now, but at some point in the next decade, like, are there, do I have people around me who are getting pregnant when they're in their late thirties or their forties? So I started to notice that opening up in me and then when I turned 40 it was like this really interesting, the grief really came in, in a lot of different sort of ways. Like I think the first grief was, the potential that, uh, you know, that this might not, that bio maternity might not happen. And there's a part of me that's kind of sad because it's just sort of a cultural narrative and it's, it's sort of a gender narrative. And I also think the grief came around like still being a bit of a question mark.And I think, like, again, what was fascinating was my whole life I was like, I'm pretty much, I'm between 80 and 95% sure that this is a no for me. And I think that that varying degree of like 5% of doubt, 15, 20% of doubt, I was really comfortable with that because I thought really 80% is quite, is a quite compelling number, and that's your best day. But as I was turning 40, all of a sudden that margin sort of blew up in my mind. I was like, Wow, you know, that 5%, Like that sort of, it went from, I'm 80 to 95% sure that I'm a no to, like, wow. I'm still fine to 20% question mark. Yes. And think that the, the focus shifted from the yes side of the pie to the no side of the pie at 40, because it just sort of felt like the stakes had changed. Um, and I think, frankly, here's another funny part that I just realized. I'm also, so, yeah, again, it's the, the grief is complex. I'm kind of getting into sort of the texture, the motivation for the grief. So I would say another new part of the, a part of the grief that I just learned how to articulate was the grief of not having the option anymore.Laura: This is something like, I have a couple years until I'm 40, but it is definitely something that I think about, you know, that runs through my mind that like the, the, prospect of having anymore kids to just like shutting down and what, what name do we call that or give to that and yeah, how do we work through, um, yeah, the, the grief associated with that. So all of that was to say, like, I resonate with where you're coming from. Virgie: Yeah. I mean, and I think that going deeper into that specific brand of grief, it was like, I was like, Oh, I'm not, I'm grieving that I don't have, I'm grieving this sort of like the ability to postpone the decision that I had in my twenties and I had in my, in most of my thirties. Um, so it's like a very specific loss of not caring. It's like the grief of, the grief of losing, meh. I have, you know, I have a lot more time to think about it. And I think it was specifically also the grief of losing the sense that it was, it was, that I had the choice, you know, like that grief of like the loss of kind of a very specific kind of freedom that's associated with like bio maternity in particular. And so, there's that, and then I got deeper into like, I was like, What else is in here? Like, what other grief are you feeling? And it was really interesting that another part of the grief was actually specifically around being a fat woman in a fat phobic culture where, um, where like I, you know, for most of my life, I felt like a gender imposter, meaning I felt wasn't a quote unquote real woman.And I think that maternity, like, you know, pregnancy and having biological children is a way in our culture that you can affirm your gender if you are a woman. And so I think there was grief around like, You know, basically, basically like letting go of that really important social marker of femininity, which is a pain point for me as a fat woman. So like there's that component where it's like, okay, like what does it look to kind of stand in this decision and know that it's like yet another moment where you're feeling that sense of gender imposter hood or something like that. And then I think that there's other sort of like other, the other parts of the grief are, you know, a lot of them are really, truly, um, I'm, I'm aware that they're socialized. Like, I'm okay, you're grieving because you've been told this is how the story ends. You find a person. Right. And I think specifically as someone who has a lot of trauma, there is a really interesting, um, narrative journey that I think a lot of straight women around me go through where it's like, okay, you had a horrible childhood. You had this like addictive, you know, you had an eating disorder and you had unresolved addiction issues, unresolved mother wounds in your twenties. You go to therapy in your thirties and then of course you find like an amazing, wonderful, well partner. And then you realise after all this that you actually do want to be a mother. It's a very specific and very alluring narrative. And I think the other, another part of the grief for me, and I'm just, this is just me being really, honestly very vulnerable. But another part of it is like, I, I'm aware that I have a narrative in particular as like a fat woman of color. I've been able to kind of create my own career and a meaningful life and a happy life. And like, you know, I, I've, I've been able to do a lot of things frankly, that the culture really values and also breaking all of the rules, you know, And I think that that's a big part of my identity.And then this whole idea that this, like, this sort of, almost like the crown jewel, right? Of kind of, you know, like you're, you're getting what the culture wants, but not on the culture's terms in many ways. Again, I think if you're a straight, cisgender woman and I, and I am, um, that kind of baby piece is like the ultimate and being like, and then I had a baby and I also broke all the rules. And guess what, being a parent isn't hard. And guess what? I don't have to suffer and it isn't isolating. And all the stuff the culture said, that's not true. And this is obviously very, like, I can hear like, this is like my child, my little bratty child voice, right? And so I can hear it. And so like, it's like the, it's like the wounded part of me that's like you rejected me. Well guess what? I got all the stuff you guys are killing yourselves for and I got it my terms. It's like a very, you know, I mean it's like a very specific narrative around, uh, being marginalized and reacting to being pushed out of society. Right? So anyway, like the whole, the child piece is like kind of, you know, I think there is that, that allure to kind of like, You gotta finish the story. The story finishes with you being some kind of radical woods dwelling fairy mom who's like completely defying stereotype and expectation of motherhood and your kid is thriving and they're so happy and you all are so happy. Look at the pictures of you and this well dude that you met in your journey. You guys are like completing the picture of what the culture says success is, but you did it on your terms. And I think like, we're sort of resisting, resisting the allure of that is, um, really difficult. So like the grief of being like, you know, that whole rebel, hurt, hurt, marginalized person, fantasy, just, just like being like, Yeah, but that part doesn't work for me. Like, there's a lot of, there are culturally normative things that I do that I like, you know, like a meaningful relationship, like having a home that I like. These are also culturally normative things that I also happen to want, but this is one of those things where I'm like, this is not something that I want. And so letting go and, and grieving kind of the fact that that, again, that wounded fantasy isn't going to be complete in that very specific way that I'm not going to, you know, have that moment, um, culturally and I mean, frankly, right? Like, I don't even know, again, as a plus size person, as like a plus size woman of color. I'm not sure how many of those, like cultural touchstone moments around like, you know, being pregnant, being visibly pregnant, you know, having a child where I don't even know how much of that would be, in fact mediated by things like cultural and medical fatphobia. Um, because we don't really get to see much of that narrative in the public.So it's like, you know, all that to say like, I don't even know if, like the cultural piece were really motivating me to the point that I was acting on it. I don't know how much of those fantasy, quote unquote moments would even be happening because of the level of fat phobia and racism in our culture, you know?Laura: Yeah. Oh my God, again. Wow. Just knocking my socks off. I do wanna say for the record, Virgie, if for the fact that it weren't a trauma response, I would very much be here for your particular brand of radical parenting . Cause that is something I think the world would be a better place for because there are, as you know, like we were talking about, toxic mom, mommy culture tropes, before we started recording, there's, there are so few options available to people who want to become parents that aren't just, you know, a rehash of the same old story, the same old, you know, thing that has, has been prescribed to us, which is a very narrow portrayal of what parenting and motherhood is or can be. So yeah, like not that that's a good enough reason for you to go and have a kid, but yeah, that would, so that, that's just kind of a side note. But yeah, I'm hearing that the grief is, it's not one specific kind of grief. It's so layered and so textured as to, you know, all of the things that you're sifting through and unpacking.And what I'm, I'm really hearing as well is just you trying to parse out, okay, what is really for me and what I want and in line with my needs and my values and my wants, versus what is a narrative that I have internalized that actually doesn't belong to me and doesn't fit with the life that I am creating for myself.Virgie: Yes, a hundred percent. I mean, and I, I love that kind of, and I think for me also like. There's like, um, like I, I was telling a friend, I was talking to you with a friend about this the other day and um, you know, I was like, Okay, so, you know, if you have a question about whether or not motherhood is something that, I mean, I'm like, I'm someone who's like, does is bio maternity in line with my values, desires, and also my actual physical capabilities, right? Like my actual body can do. And I kind of, and I was like, you know, it was, it was interesting. I was like, Okay, so let's start the negotiation as we're deciphering whether or not, like, as we're sort of parsing through this question, let's start with the matter, the issue of sleep, right? I'm like, okay, I'm someone who's really, I do think that my ability to be the person I am in the way that I am, and like, I think there's certain, even like, I'm also very aware of, for me, sleeping, I mean for all of us. Like I'm very, I'm hyper aware for me that sleeping is very connected to some of the work my body is doing in healing various traumas, and other things that are going on. So I'm like, okay. I actually, I'm, I'm like a 10 to 11 hour sleeper, like I really do feel like my mental health and my quality of life begins to go down very rapidly after just two daysLaura: You are talking to the parent of a two year old right now.Virgie: Yes. I'm like just on that negotiation point alone, like, I'm like, am I willing to do the work to change that? No. Am I willing to make concessions? No. And I'm like, ok, we don't even need to go to any of the other negotiation points. Like we've already ended the negotiation internally. So it was just kinda, I'm just like, I'm thinking about, you know, specifically for me, I'm like, what do I need to be the person that matters to me? Like one of my values is being my best self and being able to enjoy the world fully in that space. And I'm like, that's probably my highest value. It's a higher value than parenting. And so it's just, it's just one of those things where it's like, it doesn't like, you know, I think there's a lot of, romanticism that gets kind of thrown into, and a lot of this is coming from cultural pressure, the romanticism that's sort of culturally produced about like basically the integral role of like the reproductive heterosexual family, to the reproduction of our society as we know it. Right. This is, this is not to say that like I think there are absolutely people for whom parenting is like a genuine, real desire. And or it's a very highly placed value, and I don't wanna de-legitimize that.I think for a lot of people who are on the fence, that what's thrown into the mix is this cultural pressure that is really like, it's really the romanticization of reproductive heterosexuality. And it's like, I think it's important to kind of like when, when you are on the fence to kind of break it down to its barest place. Where does the motivation to romanticize this very specific kind of existence, like, you know, parenting and bio parenting in particular. It really at its cultural core comes from a very fraught legacy and a very fraught idea of like creating a very specific kind of nation and a very specific kind of world. And so, and I, and I mean really con, I mean for me, contextualizing like, like I, you know, the United States, like I live in a culture in which there's a wage gap, in which there's no subsidized medical care in which, um, there's patriarchal norms that pervade how mothers are treated both by their children and by society and by their partner. I still live in a world in which women are the disproportionate, like food providers and caretakers of children. Like I'm literally, I would be entering this fully knowing that like I would be, this is under the context of capitalist hetero patriarchy, which is like a very, it's a compromise I think, and like obviously, All of us are already in this soup. Like I make decisions already, always in this soup. I think what matters is, like, what I'm thinking about is this for me, and I'm not sure, it's important for me to kind of recognize like, where am I getting gaslit about this issue? Where is the stickiness? Where is my pain point? And really going deep in that, like, why, what am I afraid of? And then just kind of going because, because, because, because I'm afraid of this, because this, I'm afraid of this because this, I'm afraid of this because this, and what really it comes down to, I think for, for me in particular, and my therapist is like, Would you do it if you were on a deserted island? Because if you, if you wouldn't do it on a deserted island, then that means it's cultural influence. It's probably like really in the mix here,Laura: That's such, is such a good like that. It's so simple. But that's such a great way of thinking about it and helping parse this out. And also I want your therapist number.Virgie: Yes. I mean, I love, I love the deserted island test of like all desires. But, yeah, I mean, I think like, and I think that there's a, there's a big question about desire and consent in all of it, right? And I think like, I, I mean, I don't, like, for instance, I don't know that if we lived in a less patriarchal culture or if we lived, if I lived in a country with subsidized medical care, if I wouldn't have a different decision or if I lived in a country that had like, or a world where there was less fat phobia, like all of these things are sort of floating around. And I think it's very specific to say in this very specific context, in this moment in time, considering what I know about the world and myself, this is where I land. And I think that that's a very grounded way to kind of approach a decision that you're not a hundred percent into. You know what I mean?Laura: Yeah, no, I, like, I, I'm, I kind of wish that we'd had this conversation like three years ago, . Not that it, not that it has changed my mind about having a child, but, what feels so kind of vital to me are conversations that kind of reinforce this idea that you can be a whole complete person, you know, with or without a child. Right. In both directions. Because I think there is also, you know, that narrative that when you have a kid. And, and some of it is true because of, of cultural programming that you have to give so much of yourself to the child that you don't get to have your own identity anymore or your identity gets reduced down to mother, which, you know, that's a whole thing in and of, in and of itself. There was something else. I was gonna say Virgie, but I've, I've.Virgie: No, we've covered so much ground. I think the last thing I wanna share that's like, I think just, just like a life tip, um, it's like, it's like, you know, I made the decision a long time ago because I think another big question mark in the conversation of motherhood for people who are, you know, having that questioning moment, um, really is like, will I regret the decision? And I basically, one of my, one of my life rules which I adopted many years ago, is never make decisions based on the anticipation of an emotion in the future that you may or may not have. So never make decisions based on anticipatory regret. That's like one of my, and honestly, right? Like, it has liberated me in so many areas of my life because that's such a cultural trope of like, you're gonna regret if you, if you do that thing, you're gonna regret it. Right? Like, and I, I really feel like there's this kind of almost, I mean, it really is almost like a religious shame induced, like kind of, um, Kind of like, I'm like, you should not be moti, you should not be making major life decisions based on a future self that you don't know, based on an emotion that you may or may not have. And so like that, that's a, that's a big one for me. Like that that one is like, um, I just wanted to put that out there as like, I just don't, don't make decisions based on the anticipation of regret. TheLaura: What you are basically telling is everyone is get the tattoo, dye your hair, do theVirgie: I meanLaura: Do the thing that you are wanting to do. Virgie, this has been incredible. There's, there's one other thing, there's one other like, sneak question, but hopefully it's a fun one to answer. Which is, what are you snacking on right now? And that can be a literal snack. It can be just something that you're really into at the moment. A book, a TV show, a podcast, like a thing, like anything. What are you kind of into right now that, like a recommendation that you wanna share? Virgie: Well, I mean, I'm basically like, I'm in, I'm so into fall and it's October right now, so I'm like snacking on anything fall like, so, like if it has a spice blend that includes like cinnamon or pumpkin or apples. I went apple picking the other day. And what's funny that apple picking is that you end up getting a lot of apples and you have to, and it's like, wow. I'm just like making, it's like, it's like another, another batch of apples, apple cinnamon muffins, you know, like, and so it's been so fun to basically have like this basket full of apples to make like endless amounts of spicy apple muffins. Um, so I feel like that's the thing. I've been snacking on so many muffins and so many like fall inspired muffins.And then I'm excited about something. I'm gonna like give one more thing, which like thing that I'm excited about snacking on is, This week I'm going to a spooky bakes little party. We're gonna watch Halloween Baking Championship and bring our spooky bakes, and I'm making like aLaura: Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. You're going to watch what?Virgie: It's called Halloween Baking Championship. It's so good. It's so fun.Laura: Oh my God. Is it like, is it, Is it on Netflix? Netflix. Do, can I watch it here?Virgie: Well here, it's on Prime.Laura: Oh, Prime. Okay.Virgie: Amazon Prime. Yeah.Laura: I generally don't condone anything to do with Jeff, Jeff Bezos, but I do have Prime.Virgie: Yes. Oh, I know. I mean, maybe you can get it from some other outlet, but it's really fun if you like Halloween and they have like all these creepy cakes and it's so good. So I'm making like a witch hand with like, with like cake pop eyeballs. And I'm going to be snacking on thatLaura: Oh my God. I wanna see pictures of that. First of all, I'm gonna link to that in the show notes if you've made it in time for this episode to come out. That sounds amazing. Okay, so my snack is gonna sound really, gonna sound pretty sad in person. It was also a little snack, but it was, so I don't think you're gonna get these in the US but, I found these, like they're basically honeycomb dipped in chocolate and, um, they're by Doisy and Dam and they're, for anyone who's like, has any allergies or is vegan, then they're a good option cuz they don't have any milk in them. I think they maybe have soy, but apart from that, they don't have any other allergens. And like I, they're just new and I tried them the other day and they were delicious, so that was gonna be my thing. But they, um, cake pop eyeballs sound way better. So let's go with that.Virgie: Ooh. But I love, I love a chocolate dipped honeycomb, this kind of, Yeah, yummy. I mean, I feel like my introduction of this was like in New Zealand where there's just a lot of honey products. Yeah.Laura: Um, yes. Yeah. And what I like about it as well is like, and this is like, just like a thing that I, that I have where, um, I like, like snack bag kind of like, sizes of chocolate. So there's like another one that's like all these like mini peanut butter cups that has just come out, that's a Pip & Nut one.Like this was a very good week for new chocolate in the UK. Um, so that you can like, you know, you can just like grab a couple of pieces, rather than opening a bar and then like dealing with the folding up of the bar and all of that stuff, like, I like the grab bag option and you can just dip in and out of it. That's my vibe.Virgie: Ooh. Yes. I love a snack bag. Yes. Grab bag,Laura: Yes. Okay. Virgie for the, like 1% of listeners who don't know, because really you are an icon in the body liberation space. So, but yes, tell us where we can find you and get more of you.Virgie: Yes, um, I am, I have a website, virgietovar.com. I'm also really active on Instagram @virgietovar. I have a podcast called Rebel Eaters Club, which you can find anywhere you get podcasts. We have three seasons, so you can just sort of do some, like, fun listening for a couple days or spread it out however you want. And we basically talk about, well, it's like a food-positive, fat-positive show about ending patriarchy one corn dog at a time, and I also have a column at forbes.com where I write about plus size fashion and also how to end weight discrimination at work. And I have, there's a few self-guided online classes that I've co-written with some amazing people. If you're interested in any of that, it's all virgietovar.com. You can find all my books and stuff like that. My most recent book came out earlier this year and it's called The Body Positive Journal. It has stickers, it has cute, like larger body people doing cute, fun things. And it's some of my, it's like about developing some of my favourite tools in changing our relationship to food and body.Laura: Yes, and I'm so excited to include that in an upcoming, like I've been doing roundups of books, like Body affirming books for different age groups and I'm, that one is gonna be top of the list for teens, so I can't wait for that. Um, Virgie, I'm gonna link to everything that you talked about in the show notes, like all the places to find you and your social media and all of that stuff. But thank you so much. Like totally unexpected conversation, but loved every second of it. And yeah, just really love you. So thank you for being here.Virgie: Oh, thank you for having me.OUTRO:Laura Thomas: Thank you so much for listening to this week's episode of Can I Have Another Snack? If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to rate and review in your podcast player and head over to laurathomas.substack.com for the full transcript of this conversation, plus links we discussed in the episode and how you can find out more about this week's guest. While you're over there, consider signing up for either a free or paid subscription Can I Have Another Snack? newsletter, where I'm exploring topics around bodies, identity and appetite, especially as it relates to parenting. Also, it's totally cool if you're not a parent, you're welcome too. We're building a really awesome community of cool, creative and smart people who are committed to ending the tyranny of body shame and intergenerational transmission of disordered eating. Can I Have Another Snack? is hosted by me, Laura Thomas, edited by Joeli Kelly, our funky artwork is by Caitlin Preyser. And the music is by Jason Barkhouse. And lastly Fiona Bray keeps me on track and makes sure this episode gets out every week. This episode wouldn't be possible without your support. So thank you for being here and valuing my work and I'll catch you next week. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit laurathomas.substack.com/subscribe

Is that a shard of glass in your eye, or are you just watching the grossest Halloween Baking Championship season ever? Maybe both (and we're into it)! HBC serves up a preheat full of jigglin' eyeballs and heebie jeebies and then the bakers must twin out on identical cakes inspired by the creepy girls living in room 222. The scariest part? They all KILLED this challenge, which meant one beloved baker was sent to the 13th floor for the tiniest flaw. Join us this week for your fill of eye veins, haunted bed ruffles, and horrifically good flavor combinations!

On this week's On the Rocks, we chat with one of our Food Network faves, Chef Zac Young as we chat about his career from theater to the kitchen, life in New York, coming out, learning to move on, body positivity, our crush on John Henson, behind the scenes of Halloween Baking Championship, and more…with host Alexander Rodriguez.  Recognized as one of the country's top pastry chefs, Chef Zac Young is known for his playful takes on American desserts, including the all-in-one Thanksgiving sensation, The PieCaken. Zac is best known for his Final Four finish on the inaugural season of Bravo's "Top Chef: Just Desserts," The Cooking Channel's long-running show, "Unique Sweets." and his costumes and commentary on Food Network's "Halloween Baking Championship". He frequently appears on "Chopped," "Beat Bobby Flay," "Worst Cooks in America," "Bakers Vs Fakers" and "Best Bakers in America," as well as new series "Supermarket Stakeout" and "Santa's Baking Blizzard". Zac's live cooking classes on the Food Network Kitchen App, allow every culinary enthusiast to cook along with him as he prepares his favorite dishes, both sweet and savory. Raise a glass and join in the chat!

MEAT CAKES??? How do you spell “full body vocal gross-out shudder”? Cause we did a LOT of that this episode, and we likey. Our bakers follow up some light arson in the preheat with quite possibly the grossest challenge (and CAKE: we're lookin' at you, Kristi) in Halloween baking history. We never would have expected a baking competition show to viscerally remind us that we are all quite literally made out of meat, but here we are. Top their incredible performances with the fact that Chris now has to bake a prosciutTOE cake, and these hosts give this episode five knives!

Maggots, maggots, maggots! Halloween Baking Championship brings the noise and the funk this week in two heats designed to horrify our senses. In maybe the most disgusting thriller yet, the bakers were challenged to deliver us the most putrid, rotting dishes they could, using fermented ingredients and their grossest horror instincts. *insert hurl sound* We'll be honest. The smashed dessert killer challenge was a little bit of a letdown after a thrilling pre-heat, but if it got John Henson to axe through a door Jackie Nic style, sign us up. JOHN SMASH!!

In this episode we have a great conversation with Spooky's Swirls founders Chris and Lola. We discuss how they formed the business, their different culinary backgrounds and their love for all things Horror. We also discuss (at least as much as we could) Lola's being a contestant on this years Halloween Baking Championship on Food Network. This was our first, but not last onsite conversation. We hope you enjoy! Podcast Art by Paul Voorhees @ Voorhees Arts. Find him on Facebook at Facebook.com/Voorheesarts and on Instagram @ Voorheesarts Show email: drummingupconversation@gmail.com Find us on Instagram @ Drummingupconversation and on Twitter @ Drumconversing. Intro and outro music by Temporal Displacement. Cd's available for $10.00 with free shipping available in the continental US. Contact us at Temporaldisplacement2014@gmail.com --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Actress Amirah Vann tells Sherri about her new film, ‘A Jazzman's Blues' currently streaming on Netflix. ​Celebrity Chef Carla Hall mixes up some fall desserts and tells Sherri about the Halloween Baking Championship airing on Food Network.

No Thriller. All Killer. And, TWO bakers take a trip to the 13th floor ALL in a one hour episode?? Food Network, what are you doing to us?! In this week's trip to Hotel Henson, our fearless bakers team up to create haunted maze cakes delicious enough to make anyone risk getting lost inside them. Join us as we trim the delectable hedges on this episode, break down the fact that none of us know what an entremet is, bid a fond farewell to two of our beloved bakers and acknowledge the record-setting exit of one of our FBC hosts from the competition!

In a daring publicity stunt for his notorious hotel, John Henson announces a new pet-friendly policy with a celebrity appearance from Dreamworks' Puss n' Boots. In a challenge that makes as much sense as the cross-promotion, our beleaguered bakers must turn their Choux into shoes and try not to die doing it. Next, they must make that most famous cake none of us have ever heard of, the "soccer tour"*! These chocolate cakes surprisingly featured zero yellow cards or athletic legs but DID include some beautiful mirror glazes. The episode culminated in a sudden-death bake off featuring two bakers we're not ready say good-bye to and the baked good every baker inexplicably hates: the cupcake. OH THE HORROR!!! * Sacher-Torte, if you're Austrian.

On this week's episode Jenny shares one of her favorite movies with Will & Ian. They'll battle though flesh dissolving cotton Candy, Hostile local Police, Balloon Dogs, Bad teeth, Popcorn, Tom Hanks performances, Inflatable boobies, Old video stores, ATM Love Machines, NICKNAMES, puppet shows and particularly dreadful- KILLER KLOWNS FROM OUTER SPACE (1988) Directed by: Stephen Chiodo. Starring: Grant Cramer, Suzanne Snyder, John Allen Nelson, Christopher Titus, John Vernon, Michael S. Siegel, Peter Licassi, Royal Dano and many other talented people! 00:00:18- Intros 00:00:50- KILLER KLOWNS... First Thoughts 00:03:30- How ya Been? 00:10:20- Whatcha Been Watchin'? (Will- The Vampire Diaries, GOT: House of the Dragon, She-Hulk, LOTR: The RIngs of Power. Jenny- Halloween Wars, The Halloween Baking Championship. Ian- Elvis (2022), Disney's Pinocchio (2022)) 00:21:30- The Great Nickname Game 00:24:30- Ian's Nickname 00:27:03- Jenny's Nickname 00:28:55- Will's Nickname 00:29:30- Does Jenny want a shot at the 30 Seconds? 00:30:20- KILLER KLOWNS FROM OUTER SPACE (1988) 00:55:15- Ray Review 00:56:05- Is there renewed interest in this Movie? A reboot? A sequel? 00:57:15- Next Week 00:57:25- No Jen Next Week 00:59:00- That Video Store Life 00:59:30- All the Good Titles 01:00:40- That's the End of the Show. Bye. What Are Their Nicknames!?!?!? only one way to find out... Enjoy! Instagram: @TheLastActionCritics Twitter: @THE_Lastcritics email: Thelastactioncritics@gmail.com Next Week: The Woman King

Welcome back to Spoooky Season, Y'all!!!  This year, we're all making an extended visit to Hotel Henson, where we can check out anytime we like, but we can NEVER LEAVE. And who would want to, with this many gory, gushing, guh-licious desserts on tap? Blueberry danish severed face pie?? Yes, please.  This place has everything: a creepy host, bleeding cakes, a rotting grandma, strawberry intestines... Need we go on?  No, we need not.  Hotel Henson sells itself.  So unpack your bags, throw on your monogrammed robe, and be sure to check that complementary lobby cookie for razors, cause this is gonna be a season to DISMEMBER.  BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA!!!!!!  

There's a crispness in the air and a spooky, pumpkin spice infused fog rolling in over the hill so, you know what that means...it's time for Food Network's Halloween Baking Championship, y'all!! And for us four dumdums, that means it's DRAFT DAY!! Join us as we prepare to check in to John Henson's 'Hotel of Horrors' by placing our team selection fates in the hands of the Wheel of Death™! LET'S DO THIS!!

Ashley Wong of Ashley Wong Sweets joins us this week on the Fremont Podcast. She is a home baker that has lived in Fremont all of her life. You can see the work that she is doing regularly on her instagram profile here. And you can find her website here. She is a home baker but is in the process of finding and opening her own brick-and-mortar bakery. To watch her compete on the Food Network's Halloween Baking Championship, check out season 7 and start from the beginning of the season. No Spoilers here. As mentioned in the episode, you can find out more details about the 4th of July Parade in Fremont at the website here.  It starts at 10:00am sharp. Dale Hardware in Fremont is our newest sponsor. You can find out more about them on their website here, or you can just head down to the store and see how they can help you make home a little better. You can find them at 3700 Thornton Ave, Fremont. Also, Petrocelli Homes has been a key sponsor for the Fremont Podcast almost from the beginning. If you are looking for help or advice about buying or selling a home, or if you are looking for a realtor, get in touch with Petrocelli Homes on Niles Blvd in Niles. A new report that has come out at the beginning of March stating that Fremont is still the "Happiest City in America." Wallet Hub gave Fremont that title in 2021 and it has now been repeated for 2022. Intro and Outro voiceovers made by Gary Williams. Check out garywilliams.org.Music was found and licensed through Soundstripe.com. Music Content ID GSWH7LBEVM5XRNUDThis is a Muggins Media Podcast.

I have my good friend Pete as my 1st guest. We had such a fun time and I cannot wait until you hear it.Pete Tidwell is a Professional Cake Artist, a Two Time Champion on Food Network's Cake Wars, and a finalist on Food Network's Halloween Baking Championship. Pete is also a Certified Life Coach through The Life Coach School and has a coaching practice called Pete Tidwell Coaching where he focuses on cultivating a more positive mindset in life. If you like this episode, you'll love this freebie I've made just for you! Ready to understand how your brain works? Grab your free download here!https://erinwoodruffcoaching.ontralink.com/lphosting/free-download Music: http://pixabay.com/users/alexgrohl-25289918/

I have my good friend Pete as my 1st guest. We had such a fun time and I cannot wait until you hear it.Pete Tidwell is a Professional Cake Artist, a Two Time Champion on Food Network's Cake Wars, and a finalist on Food Network's Halloween Baking Championship. Pete is also a Certified Life Coach through The Life Coach School and has a coaching practice called Pete Tidwell Coaching where he focuses on cultivating a more positive mindset in life. If you like this episode, you'll love this freebie I've made just for you! Ready to understand how your brain works? Grab your free download here!https://erinwoodruffcoaching.ontralink.com/lphosting/free-download Music: http://pixabay.com/users/alexgrohl-25289918/

I have my good friend Pete as my 1st guest. We had such a fun time and I cannot wait until you hear it.Pete Tidwell is a Professional Cake Artist, a Two Time Champion on Food Network's Cake Wars, and a finalist on Food Network's Halloween Baking Championship. Pete is also a Certified Life Coach through The Life Coach School and has a coaching practice called Pete Tidwell Coaching where he focuses on cultivating a more positive mindset in life. If you like this episode, you'll love this freebie I've made just for you! Ready to understand how your brain works? Grab your free download here!https://erinwoodruffcoaching.ontralink.com/lphosting/free-download Music: http://pixabay.com/users/alexgrohl-25289918/

Like all good killers, three 2021 Halloween Baking Finalists Adina Schaefer-Morgan, Guillermo Salinas and Megan Baker have popped up when you least expect them! Join us as we dissect the bloody guts of the Halloween Baking Championship process, see what haunted memories remain from Camp Devils Food Lake and get a gentle reminder of just how delightfully hilarious these three finalists (and friends!) truly are! Follow Adina on Instagram @sweetsbyadinamarie Follow Guillermo on Instagram @guillermosalinasart and @just.vanilla.bakes Follow Megan on Instagram @thirstywhalebakery

AND THE KILLER IS...... Sugar! (J/K, J/K) In this, the Mother of all finales (hint hint), you can't be too careful because there's *sudden* death lurking around every corner, and only the best s'mores in the world can save you. In this episode, we learn that pumpkin can be "re-imagined", brains can be tasty, and a good baker can make you want to lick the lid of a trash can. It's got thrills, it's got chills, it's got cakes taller than Guillermo's baby.... and it's got a champion that brought us all to (happy) tears! Join us as we get in our last licks of spooky and cram in as much MURDER as possible before it's all sugar fairies and gingerplums!

Stephanie Boswell chats about her career, chef-inspired tattoos, and filming Halloween Baking Championship. Stephanie shares the story behind her two Michelin star tattoos with host Jaymee Sire before diving into the various places her career has taken her. From Chicago to Beverly Hills, Stephanie talks about the lessons learned and innovative dessert creations along the way. She reveals the childhood memory behind her concept, the Faberge Egg, and where she looks for creative inspiration. Stephanie talks about her childhood full of bland foods and void of candy before describing her experience as a judge on Halloween Baking Championship. She talks about how she sourced her own genuine '80s wardrobe for the current season and the average amount of time she spends in the hair and makeup chair for the show. Stephanie reveals what it's like to work with fellow hosts Zac Young and Carla Hall and then tells Jaymee where she draws the line when it comes to getting grossed out by contestants' creations.    Connect with the podcast: https://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/food-network-obsessed-the-official-podcast-of-food-network    Follow Food Network on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/foodnetwork    Follow Jaymee on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaymeesire   Follow Stephanie Boswell on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephanie.boswell/   Learn More About Halloween Baking Championship: https://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/halloween-baking-championship   Start Your Free Trial of discovery+: https://www.discoveryplus.com/foodobsessed  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

BOO-ZYCAKES! This week, Halloween Baking Championship goes PG-13 and asks our bakers to break Slasher Movie Rule #87: DON'T DRINK IF YOU WANT TO LIVE. Ten roll- and fault-line cakes later, and one of our beloved bakers WILL NOT. Join us as we take the penultimate visit to Camp Devil's Food Lake and prepare for the heartbreak and triumph to come...

Donuts, ahoy! Gather round the snack table, matey, 'cause it's the Dismemberment Under the Sea dance and it's time to get awkward, hormonal, and DEAD!! The Camp Devil's Food Lake killer is closing in and seemingly no amount of slime, candy maggots or skin flakes can stop him. So, eat all the maple bacon and chicken-fried fat back donuts you can, cause there's a yellow raincoat a-coming for all but one of us!

Warm up those blood-curdling screams because Halloween Baking Championship brings the GORE this week with severed finger TERROR-misu, and a blood drip cake that will B-Positive-ly horrifying to behold! And fear not Bakers of the World, because the severed-ear motif continues, as does J.T.'s quest for a Rudy-like victory. Join us as we venture deeper into the woods surrounding Camp Devil's Food Lake and sample the delights and horrors that lie within and ponder just who IS the camp killer, and who will survive...

Maggots and roaches and fruit bats, oh my! The judges literally ask the bakers to put a foot in their mouths in this week's ultra-gross, ultra batty Halloween Baking Championship visit to Camp Devil's Food Lake. Our beloved bakers survive the horror of having to serve cupcakes to the judges only to be faced with nightmarish ingredients like black beans, black licorice and black GARLIC? We would not want to be in their position for all the marzipan in the world, dear listeners...which is why they're on TV, and we're four dum dums fangirling and talking smack in our jammies! Let's get spooky!!

On this episode of Spoon Mob's Chefs & Guests podcast series, Ray talks with A&R Creative Group's executive pastry chef Aaron Clouse about how he first got started with baking and pastry, originally going to college for music, switching to culinary arts and enrolling at The French Pastry School in Chicago, landing at The Refectory right after graduating, teaching at The Food Lab, what a pastry chef at L Brands actually does, heading up the pastry department at the Gallerie Bar & Bistro at The Hilton, how he first got on the Food Network, what being on Guy's Grocery Games was really like, creating the pastry program at Mmelo Boutique Confections, competing on the sixth season of Halloween Baking Championship, jumping to The Proper Garden after filming the show, how he used his downtime effectively during covid, joining A&R as the restaurant group's pastry chef, what's next for him professionally, future goals, answers the question left behind from Exquisito Chocolates Carolina Quijano, and more before taking on the "burning grill" questions. For more on chef Aaron Clouse and A&R Creative Group, visit spoonmob.com/aaronclouse and follow him on Instagram @aaronmclouse, @arcreativegroup, @themarket.iv, @hoofheartedbreweryandkitchen, @thecrestgastropub, & @alchemy.brands. Visit themarketiv.com, hoofheartedkitchen.com, thecrestgrastropub.com & alchemy-brands.com for menu details, reservations, and online ordering. For all things Spoon Mob, visit spoonmob.com and make sure to follow us on Instagram (@spoonmob), Twitter (@spoonmob1), and Facebook (@spoonmob1). Audio Editing by @TrackEditPrint. Intro music by @kabbalisticvillage. This episode is brought to you by Stello Mints. Visit www.stellomints.com and use the promo code "spoonmob" for free sample (shipping included) of CBD powered mints!

It's time for October, which means the leaves change color and apples and pumpkins come out of the woodwork. And Food Network's Halloween Baking Championship! Wes Dills joins to discuss his time on this year's show, his inspiration for baking, and his unique menu items at The Beaded Baking Company. Plus, hosts Alex Lauzon and Michael Russell draft their Top 5 favorite fall foods, look back on the best thing they ate in September, and look forward to an October full of autumn favorites. Make sure to follow us on Instagram! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/always-end-with-food/message

You thought you were doing great in therapy, but you were WRONG as Halloween Baking Championship brings your Mommy Issues and TWO BAKERS FROM PREVIOUS SEASONS back from the DEAD!!! WHOA! In another 2-hour episode, Food Network tries to kill us all with zombie bakers, eye goop cookies, and a severed hand sudden death round that left us ALL bloody and maimed... We are exhausted and emotionally spent, and that's not just because we recorded this episode LIVE at 11pm. Join us in all of our punchy glory as we rap with some of this season's bakers live and deconstruct this mother of an episode!

Pastry chef Zac Young talks about how he became Sprinklemaster, his whimsical dessert creations and Halloween Baking Championship. Zac chats with host Jaymee Sire about his epic Piecaken creation, how it created a pumpkin puree shortage in New York City, and what would be in an ideal “Zacaken.” He shares his sources of creative inspiration, how he conceptualizes new and playful ideas, and what he does when he is in a creative rut. Zac shares his relationship with sweets as a child growing up in a vegan household and the treat he would always sneak on his way home from school. Jaymee and Zac indulge in their mutual love of Zac's home state, Maine, and how it has evolved as a food destination. He shares his memories of cutting his teeth in New York City and the dessert that won over Alex Guarnaschelli. Zac gets into his favorite moments and costumes from Halloween Baking Championship, why he loves working with co-host Carla Hall, and possibly reveals his Halloween look for this year.    Connect with the podcast: https://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/food-network-obsessed-the-official-podcast-of-food-network    Follow Food Network on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/foodnetwork    Follow Jaymee on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaymeesire   Follow Zac Young on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zac_young/   Learn More About Halloween Baking Championship: https://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/halloween-baking-championship   Start Your Free Trial of discovery+: https://www.discoveryplus.com/foodobsessed  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Don't go in the water, or make out in your tent, or turn your back to camera because Food Network's Halloween Baking Championship has brought us all to Camp Devil's Food Lake and no one is getting out alive! In a thriller/killer two-hour premiere, we meet our intrepid bakers and promptly lose TWO OF THEM, as they succumb to the serial killer (pie) and what lies beneath the lake (cake). Join us in our first ever LIVE episode, as we welcome back the season of spooky, fall madly in love with a new crop of killer bakers, and resurrect the John Henson fan club. Prepare yourselves for a season of deadly deliciousness!

We spoke with local pastry chef, Steve Sechoka, who will be competing on the new season of Halloween Baking Championship on Food Network. The competition starts tonight at 9pm! Go Steve! You can check out his new business venture here too,  https://www.instagram.com/p/CTkCrp6LXPI/ All this and more on the ROR Morning Show with Bob Bronson, LBF, and Brian Podcast. Find more great podcasts at bPodStudios…The Place To Be For Podcast Discovery 

Bakers of the world, we are back! There's a slight crispness in the air, an occasional blustery wind blowing through the trees and spices of the pumpkin variety have emerged from hibernation, so you know what that means: it's time for Food Network's Halloween Baking Championship! And for us four dumdums, that means it's DRAFT DAY!! We're shaking things up a bit this year with live episodes and a new and improved draft format, but we guarantee the same disastrous bakes and a host with enough confidence for all of us (we're lookin' at you, Chris). In any case, one thing is certain: it's about. to get. SPOOKY! Let's do this!

On today's 'ROR Morning Show, it's Morning Court: the case of the pompous professor. She won't date a mechanic and her friend is horrified! Plus, a scary way to make $1300, when does your fun factor peak and book your flights now! We also talk chimichangas (we know, random!) and Halloween Baking Championship on the Food Network! In Dirty Laundry, we discuss Bennifer's first official red-carpet appearance and Madonna's butt! And don't miss Supah Smaht in 60 Seconds!  All this and more on the ROR Morning Show with Bob Bronson, LBF, and Brian Podcast. Find more great podcasts at bPodStudios…The Place To Be For Podcast Discovery 

A new season of the Food Network's hit show Halloween Baking Championship premieres this Monday, September 13th and one of the chef contestants is from South Jersey. Pastry Chef Anirudh Mamtora talks about his history as a pastry chef and about the upcoming  season of Halloween Baking Championship which pays tribute to 1980s classic slasher movies! Tune in to the Food Network this Monday at 9pm, and keep up with Anirudh and his next projects on Instagram. 

Guillermo Salinas(Competitor on the upcoming season of Halloween Baking Championship on Food Network) gets you excited for the premiere on Monday, and Tanya T(Our In-House Movie Critic) stops by to break down what you can expect if you catch a movie this weekend.

Before the pandemic, we were the show that invited scholars, makers, and professionals out to brunch for informal conversations about their work, and we look forward to being that show again one day. But for now, we’re recording remotely to maintain physical distancing.It’s still a pretty fantastic job.Sinaí Vespie is executive pastry chef for Campus Dining at Notre Dame—although dessert fans around the country know her as the winner of season 6 of the Halloween Baking Championship, which aired this past fall on Food Network.And if you’re thinking it’s pretty cool for a university to have the winner of a reality cooking competition on its culinary team, then you have a lot in common with the makers of this podcast.Sinaí began her career as a junior sous chef at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort. She then moved to the Sweet Treats Cakery in Tampa before serving as pastry chef at the Tampa Marriott Waterside. She joined us from just outside her kitchen at Notre Dame, which is the closest we’ve gotten to brunch in a long, long time.We used this opportunity to ask her about both the particulars of the Halloween Baking Championship—from the cursed croquembouche to the spooky challenge themes, including when she had to figure out how to depict a prank on a floating cake—as well as the demands of competing on a TV cooking show more generally. As you’d suspect, that took on some entirely new dimensions during the pandemic.Finally, if you check the episode notes, you’ll see why Sinaí warned us of the perils of letting your son manage your Instagram.LINKSFrom Sinaí’s Instagram: The Faces of Chef SiEpisode Transcript

Ahoy Screen Beans! It's new episode time and this week we've got podcaster, actor and improviser, Matt Young! With Matt we chat about our unanimous love of all things Star Trek, acting in the new short film "Joining Call" and have a plethora of delightful tangents! We also dive deep on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Reunion, The Dead Don't Die, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and Halloween Baking Championship!

A rat infested sinkhole, another lost tortoise, and deep diving into the REAL reasons the 1918 Influenza Epidemic sucked. In other words, we had to look back at how horrible the 1918 Influenza Pandemic was in order to make ourselves feel better! Then writer Hunter Harris joins us on the pod to talk about face oils, denim shorts, and celebrity culture. For DBWP, we're highlighting the amazing work of The Loveland Foundation. Rachel Cargle started this nonprofit to help Black women and girls get access to therapy. You can donate to the Fund, or sign up to be a recipient on their website. This week Bari's watching The Eric Andre Show and Matt's finishing up the Halloween Baking Championship. Follow everyone on social media: @MattBellassai, @FinkelBariPie, and @UnhappyHourPod. Also GO VOTE TODAY. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

All Hail the Queen of Halloween! If you've mopped yourself off the floor yet, we're here to serve up a recap the bloodiest, teary-est, hacked-off limb-iest episode of Halloween Baking Championship ever. Plus... Goblins? Food Network put us through the ringer with not one, not Two, but THREE hair-raising challenges. Join us as we emerge from this glorious house of horrors, bid a fond farewell to this season of Halloween Baking Championship and congratulate one baker who's walking out $25K and the title of HALLOWEEN BAKING CHAMPION!!!

Shall We Dance? Halloween Baking Championship tests our bakers' moves, as they invite our five remaining contestants to a costume contest in the ballroom. Demon Farmer, Plague Doctor Schoolgirl, and a werewolf named Trent? Yes, please. Join us as these bakers waltz further into our hearts, and we answer the burning question: will Chris make it to the finale or have to jazz-hands into the sunset with his last remaining baker...

Things are heating up this week as our bakers step behind the red velvet rope and into the most exclusive club in H - E - Double Hockey Sticks...The Devil's Den! Turns out the devil is a fan of sauerkraut AND disco! Join us as we find out which of our intrepid bakers make it out alive and which devilish ingredient will send one of them down in flames!

Bakers of the world... if you've been waiting for a sign that the season of scares has arrived, this was the episode for you! Creepy phantom laughter? CHECK. Pink-eyed demon dolls whose heads spin around? CHECK. Bow ties made of flesh (er...fondant)?? DOUBLE CHECK. The spooky police need not be called this week's doll inspired bakes were the stuff of nightmares!

It's a little-known fact that vampires do indeed enjoy dessert, and these Halloween Baking Championship bakers set out to prove it with a vampire BOO-fet designed to delight even the most discerning of undead palates. With a twist as black as the producers' souls, the bakers must ask themselves whether adding garlic to their desserts will kill their vampire guests, or any hope they have of making it on to the next round... Join us as we Van Helsing up the joint and drive a stake through the very heart of Chris's chance at victory!

A croquemboo™ in week two? A candy illusion to add confusion? An edible fence to make things tense? Bakers of the world, we're here for all of it! Join us as we step onto the front porch of this season's Halloween Baking Championship haunted house to take a deep dive into this week's episode, discuss the merits of using the word caddywampus, and share some of our own favorite haunted house experiences (one of them involves a severed limb)!

The days are getting chillier and the veil is thinning as autumn officially begins! Ricky Schroeder brings you all things spooky and creepy to celebrate the beginning of Fall. He discusses more attractions and DIY projects for the upcoming Halloween season including a haunted toilet, the return of the Food Network's Halloween programming, the recent horrible Horse slayings in France, the movie Antebellum, the Haunted Whaley House in San Diego, of course has more creepy stories and ghost stories, and more! Stories1) Tammy (Rochester, NY) - The Haunted House Part 12) Suzanne (Rochester, NY) - Final Visit3) Richard (New York, NY) - The Man in the Tan SuitReferences:www.bloodmanor.comhttps://www.foxnews.com/world/france-horse-killings-mystery-ritual-mutilations-ponies-pastures-jura-region-atlantic-coast-attackhttps://www.foxnews.com/travel/japanese-theme-park-haunted-toilet-halloween-2020https://www.hauntoweenla.comhttps://lite987.com/cuomo-sets-rules-for-haunted-houses-hayrides-other-fall-events/https://nerdist.com/article/diy-candy-slide-socially-distanced-halloween/http://howecaverns.com/howe-scary/http://whaleyhouse.org/index.htmMusicIntro, Outro, and Scary Movie music by Brian Barr"Comfortable Mystery" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"Ossuary 6 - Air" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ "Echoes of Time" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ "Scheming Weasel (faster version)" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ "Trio for Piano Violin and Viola" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Additional music and sounds by fesliyanstudios.com

There's a slight crispness in the air that can mean only one thing... Food Network's Halloween Baking Championship is BACK and with a brand new look to boo(t)!! A giant haunted house in the middle of a field to explore all season long? Love it. New judge Stephanie Boswell making a punny debut as a Cereal Killer? NAILED it! Carla Hall pulling double duty as judge AND Master of Ceremonies? WE. ARE. HERE. FOR. IT! Join us as we step inside the new season, take a deep dive on getting to know this spooktacular new group of bakers and ask the question, "Have you ever felt like you've been inside a real life horror film?" (2020 need not apply) WELCOME BACK TO FANTASY BAKING CHAMPIONSHIP, Y'ALL!!

Bakers of the world, WE ARE BACK and, oh, how we've missed you all! With everything going on this year, we were afraid that 2020 would claim our beloved Baking Championships... But, NO! Food Network found a way to give us a little bit of joy amidst the chaos. We may not be able to go out trick or treating this year, but Halloween Baking Championship RETURNS to fill our candy buckets with the sweets we all need right now. Join us as we kick off SEASON TWO of Fantasy Baking Championship exactly how we started this thing, with four dumdums and A DRAFT!

It is our pleasure to have Jonathan Elias (The Pastry Guru) on the show. Jonathan is a master baker who specializes in wedding cakes and he is here to share his story! You may have seen him delivering and presenting a wedding cake at Shenandoah or on Food Networks' Guys Grocery Games or Halloween Baking Championship! He's as humble as his sweets are delicious, and the guys have a great conversation with him. Want to hire the guru? Click the link below! http://thepastryguru.com/index.php Follow Jon on his socials! https://www.instagram.com/pastryguru/?hl=en https://www.facebook.com/pastry.guru ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Get your official KUWTC merch here!: http://kuwtc.inkpressions.onprintshop.com/ To contact KUWTC: FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/kuwtchaldeans/ EMAIL kutwc@nine9.com If you would like to be featured on the show, visit https://www.chaldeanpower.com/kuwtc/ and fill out the form. Thanks to Omar Binno for the music

Food Networks Halloween Holiday Baking Championship Winner Karl Fong Joins us for a quick interview and discusses the behind the scenes of the show. MonsterMash Ken, Muse and Killer Kacy review The Gingerdead Man. Sinster 6 with Muse: Memorable Food Scenes. Creepy Chronicles with Killer Kacy. Creature Feature of the Week with Chris The Creature: Werewolf In A Girls Dormitory. 666 Promote Horror Rundown with HorrO returns to give us the latest News in the Horror World. Support the show (https://linktr.ee/WTSTA666)

KARL FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG!!! LAUGHTER!! OUTRAGE!! ALTERNATE UNIVERSES!! We get into all of it as we break down the Halloween Baking Championship Finale, celebrate all of the bakers we have come to love and begrudgingly crown Chris our first ever FBC Champion. Join us as we bid adieu to the pumpkins and prepare for the invasion of snowmen!

Hallmark Channel might be trying to force the Christmas season on us, but we're not done being spooky yet! Is Pete a secret baking ninja? Are kids made entirely of sugar? Want abs like Zac's "Romance Novel Hunk"? We get into all that and more as we break down the penultimate episode of this season of Halloween Baking Championship and gear up for the finale! #LetsGetSpooky

We're more than halfway through Season 5 of Food Network's Halloween Baking Championship, and things are getting suuuuper crepey.... all we can say is: PIES, PIES, PIES!! Chris continues his love affair with K Fong's baking, we talk favorite scary movie/pastry pairings, and J.T. prepares to make his very own "sweet nachos." Plus Kim dishes on the art of fondanting fondant...without a rolling pin. Good times.

Comedian JOHN HENSON - former host of TALK SOUP and WIPEOUT! and current host of THE HALLOWEEN BAKING CHAMPIONSHIP on the Food Network - is also a politically savvy tweeter who regularly engages with those who disagree with him. He sat down with us to diagnose the political infection our country is currently suffering from. "Everybody becomes a firefighter when your house is burning down." - John Follow Him: @John_Henson Follow Us: @TheTNHoller @Kanew Subscribe & Support (monthly donations keep us going!): www.TNHoller.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/tennessee-holler/message

Duh-Duh-Duh-Dun *snap snap* Can you think of a more perfect crossover opportunity than an animated Addams Family movie and HBC? We can't (and neither can Food Network)! Like the Addams Family itself, this episode is scary on the outside and sweet on the inside (coincidentally, so was Chris' rice pudding with raspberry gelee)! We break it all down and find out who will be baking an Addams Family cake/monstrosity next week!

On a spookiness scale of 0 - 10, this episode comes in at an 11 (unlike the desserts in this week's competition)! In this week's episode, Chris doubles down on K. Fong, Kim & Jen expand our definition of "baked goods" and, at 43 years of age, J.T. takes his first swing at being a baker! Who will be next to don the apron of horror?

4 friends. 4 unhealthy addictions to Baking Championships. One competition. Welcome to the SERIES PREMIERE of Fantasy Baking Championship! In this episode, Chris, Jen, J.T., and Kim discuss the origins of the podcast, their "teams" for the season and dive right into an episode recap of the Season 5 Premiere of Halloween Baking Championship! Who will be first on the block to bake this week?

Jessica Scott is the Executive Pastry Chef at Miami’s renowned restaurant, Barton G. In her role she oversees the restaurants over the top dessert concepts and designs for not only the Miami location but also in cities like Chicago and LA. Her extensive experience and skills in the kitchen landed her on Television in the Food Networks’ “Dessert Games” where she took the winning title and also on “Halloween Baking Championship”. On this episode Jessica opens up about her big move from California to Miami to take on this amazing challenge at Barton G, what reality TV taught her, insights on her early beginnings in a very male dominated industry, and more about her upcoming projects. You can stay connected to Jessica @jessicascott1 on Instagram. Also feel free to drop in and DM us on ig @girlsgoneboss, rate & review the podcast on Apple podcasts, or write to us at girlsgoneboss@gmail.com. We hope you enjoy this very fun, sweet and savory episode! ;) Love always, Alex & Gaby

EPISODE 107 BEST HAUNTS OF 2018 Tonight’s episode features the best ghost stories and interviews done by horror authors T. Fox Dunham & Phil Thomas in 2018. This is a great episode for current fans to enjoy or new fans to get an idea of what this dark audio magazine is about. On this show of highlights, the Philadelphia horror hosts feature ghost stories like I Met a Ghost in Gettysburg from journalist and author, Don Allison; The Suicide House, told by paranormal investigator Tina Marie Ronan; and T. Fox Dunham’s personal tale of an encounter with a ghost bus that hunts for the lost in Philadelphia. Chris Roy pens a remarkable noir story set in the south, Marsh Madness, narrated by British folksinger, David Walton. Fox interviews horror-baker Andrew Fuller, who was on Food Network’s Halloween Baking Championship, and psychic Michael Bodine, who discusses his supernatural abilities and his encounter with real vampires. Then Fox & Phil close the show with paranormal investigator Bill Reap who shares an unusual EVP that he gathered from the grave of a famous personality in children’s television. It’s been a wonderfully spooky year at What Are You Afraid Of? And the hosts are planning some compelling and scary content for the coming season.

Monty and Rhias recap the meta-war between Halloween Wars and Halloween Baking Championship (the winner was not the audience), the state of Forged in Fire, do some casual previews of RuPaul’s Drag Race All-Stars Season 4, and check in on the Curse of Oak Island. It’s still cursed. Monty Ashley and Rhias Hall.

X & Producer talk about being masters of their domain. The Producer has a million dollar idea. Wash & Fold. Ayhab did a 10k and a half-marathon and his nipples were fine. The gang shares their favorite VHS tapes. Spoiler alert for Halloween Baking Championship. Katy and Ayhab share some wrestling truths. Katy & Ayhab have a new cat. Please vote.Special Guest: Katy.

Warning! This podcast isn't scary at all! But it is fun as junk! Listen as Nick and Ash share their tale of half-assing a Halloween party. Then they talk about the KIDS HALLOWEEN BAKING CHAMPIONSHIP and the inherent problems with kids competition shows. They round out this (non) spooky episode by describing the guilty pleasure that was SCARE TACTICS. (also, pretty sure we got a BLOWNUS EP coming your way on Halloween) PLZ rate & review us on APPLE PODCASTS email us at RealityBlowsPodcast@gmail.com @RealityBlowsPod @AshleyBRoberts IG:NickMaritato

      EPISODE 97: KING OF HALLOWEEN COUNTING DOWN TO HALLOWEEN 2018 Horror baker Andrew Fuller is the king of Halloween! Andrew is a contestant on Food Network’s Halloween Baking Championship, season 4 and our esteemed spooky guest on Episode 97: KING OF HALLOWEEN. Horror author T. Fox Dunham and Andrew hang out during the episode, talking about his wonderful macabre baking and what it’s like to be on Halloween Baking Championship. Andrew shares his past, his motivation for baking and his great love for Halloween while sipping blood tea. The master baker shares several unique ideas for Halloween-themed baked goods our listeners can make at home. We also tell another ghost story to set the Halloween tone just right. A rebellious teen arrives late at a babysitting gig only to find her charge missing. Searching for her at a derelict home, she finds the wrong child—a dead child wearing old clothing. David Walton narrates this true ghost story, Babysitter Blues. Oh! And Andrew also hunts ghosts in his free time, when he’s not baking or on Food Network, and he and his husband have had many encounters with the other side. Andrew shares some of his ghost stories including a spooky tale about a decapitated head that appeared to him in his husband’s grandmother’s attic. And he talks about their paranormal investigation at the infamous Villisca Ax Murder House, location of the brutal murder of a family. Fox joins in with some recent ghost encounters while visiting Gettysburg with his wife this weekend and Pennhurst Asylum.  Andrew is a delightful and spooky guest, and Fox adores speaking to him. Cheer Andrew on Food Network’s Halloween Baking Championship! They finish the show with a techno song about Halloween from Baltimore’s Red This Ever: I Like Halloween. So do we! We’re counting down to Halloween 2018.  WHATAREYOUAFRAIDOFPODCAST.COM    

EPISODE 62: DOCTOR FEAR at PENNHURST ASYLUM T. Fox Dunham & Phil Thomas return to haunted Pennhurst Asylum for a second Friday to celebrate Halloween! Dr. Grimstalker tells them about the strange experiments and frightening treatment at the hospital. Then, T. Fox Dunham interviews professional baker and one of the stars of Food Network’s Halloween Baking Championship 2017, Jonathon Elias, to learn more about the show where they compete through Halloween baking challenges. Jonathon, who is a Halloween fanatic, tells us several great and easy baking ideas for tasty and creepy snacks. Rachel Mason and Little Band of Sailors sing us a dark song called Scarecrow, and Phil & Fox interview Ghost Hunts USA at Pennhurst, learning about their nightly paranormal encounters onsite. Who is the dark creature who dwells in the basement? And does Doctor Fear really still haunt the Mayflower building? After a quick interview with the animal charity society, To Love a Canine, Daniel Braum finishes this episode with part 2 of his great Halloween story, A Man’s Guide to Costumes and the most Common ways to get Arrested from his collection, The Wish Mechanics. We’re counting down to Halloween 2017! On the next show, Paranormal Lockdown’s Katrina Weidman then on Saturday October 28th, we’re at the King of Prussia Mall for Malloween, handing out candy at Uncanny Comics and doing our Halloween Special with author J. Lee Dodson, the clown guy.    

Born Jonathan Morris Henson on July 11, 1967 in Stamford, Connecticut, John Henson is best known for his multi-awarded stint as host, writer and executive producer of E!’s Talk Soup. He studied acting at Boston University, then later in Playwrights Horizons and Three of Us Studios in New York. As such, he has several theater credits to his name, such as a production of Rosencrants and Guildenstern Are Dead, “The Greenhouse Effect” and Remote Evolution. John Henson began his professional career in the entertainment industry as a stand-up comic. With his distinctive style, he soon caught up with most comedy clubs all over the country. He did stand-up for over eight years. Yet he is also trained formally as a dramatic actor. In 1998, he appeared in the feature film Stag opposite Kevin Dillon and Andre McCarthy, then in Bar Hopping with Tom Arnold and Kelly Preston. He has also starred opposite Sarah Jessica Parker on Life Without Dick. John Henson’s television credits include ABC’s The View and Politically Incorrect, Comedy Central’s Two Drink Minimum and Stand Up, Stand Up, and A&E’s Caroline’s Comedy Hour. When he was selected of 3,000 applicants to replace Greg Kinnear as host of Talk Soup, his four-year tenure would earn him three Emmy nominations and the record for the highest rated and longest tenured host in the 11-year history of the show. On the side, Henson also writes, contributing articles to US Weekly, TV Guide Magazine and George. He is also a regular pop culture analyst for CNN and MSNBC. John Henson was also a host in the ABC reality series Wipeout. The show features fun, strong-willed, and outgoing people who battle it out in a series of grueling games for a once-in-a-lifetime chance to win $50,000. He is currently hosting the Halloween Baking Championship and touring comedy clubs nationally. Find out when he's in your town. Twitter @John_Henson  But more importantly, he is a wonderful husband and Dad, who shares hilarious stories of growing up, and now raising children. Seriously, one of the funniest and more articulate guests I've had. You can hear why he has been so successful as a host and comedian. 

Food Blog Radio Episode #20 We are excited to introduce Ashlee Marie Prisbrey of AshleeMarie.com, famous for her mad cake skills and brilliant hair colors, as this weeks guest! Ashlee has worked with an impressive line-up of brands, including Bosch, Mod Podge, Plaid Martha Stewart Collection, Lion Brand Yarn, Tillamook, Elmer's, X-acto, Duct Tape, Ubisoft, Staples, Epiphanie Bags,, Provo Craft, Leap Frog, Children's miracle network, Orson Gygi's, Campbells, Huggies, etc... She is a up and coming food star ... just trust us on this one! Today we will be chatting with about: Her family, marriage, and kids. Who she was named after. The challenges she faces as a food blogger, YouTuber and Celebrity. Her journey from cake maker to now. Plans for online cake making classes. During our conversation she reveals her exciting news - an appearance on the Food Network! New cookbook plans - in her spare time :-) What the future may hold ... She is not about just cakes either - we discover her other talents. And much, much more! Watch Ashlee compete on the Halloween Baking Championship for a chance to win $25,000! The 4 episode show is hosted by Richard Blais (Winner of Top Chef All-Stars) with Judges Sherry Yard (renowned pastry chef), Ron Ben-Israel (hello, couture cake decorating rock star) and Carla Hall (also from Top Chef). It airs October 5, 2015 on the Food Network. Want to know more?  Here is where you can find Ashlee Marie: Website: http://ashleemarie.com/ Facebook: https://facebook.com/ashleemariecakes Twitter: http://twitter.com/ashleemariecake Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/ashleemariecake Google+: http://plus.google.com/+ashleemariecakes YouTube: http://youtube.com/ashleemariecakes Instagram: http://instagram.com/ashleemariecakes Periscope: http://periscope.tv/ashleemariecake   Thanks for listening!  Remember to tune in every Friday for another great new guest!    Where to find FOOD BLOG RADIO! Facebook Twitter iTunes Libsyn Sticher Please feel free to share, like, love and leave a comment!