"Honesty and humor are far more inspiring and helpful than any kind of solemn religious striving for or against anything." -Pema Chödrön

Pema Chödrön, a Buddhist nun, is my muse when it comes to what I want to look like as a woman who has been through a lifetime of suffering, only to become more authentic and funny.

Though I don't necessarily align my beliefs with Buddhism, Pema's written works on the human experience offer insights, especially when it comes to the Emo state of being and suffering.

"Suffering", being the challenges in life and the consequences of our choices and how we deal with those obstacles.

As a product of the original Emo generation, I think it's important to look at how demographically, self-proclaimed Emo Kids deal with adversity and suffering.

I believe Emo Kids are highly sensitive individuals that respond to suffering in an honest way. Coupled with a dark sense of humor, Emo is the movement where authencity and comedy work hand in hand.

Look at The Divine Comedy. It is brooding and complex, even garish at times. Dante's observes the suffering of all of the beings in hell, and realizes what a nightmarish world he's submerged in. Then why is it called a comedy? The absurdity of the scene coupled with the cruel reality, submerges Dante into what I can only describe as an Emo state of being.

On this website, I will observe anecdotes for the Emo state of being. "Dude, this is so Emo."

Also hope for this space to be satirical gathering place for any and all things Emo.

Stay tuned.

-Liz

When I was little, I stumbled across a Pillsbury recipe booklet at the checkout of the grocery store. Its contents: every oddball cookie recipe one could think of. Mom was kind enough to buy it for me.

One of the recipes out of the booklet was this one: Nutter Butters coated in white almond bark with mini chocolate chip "eyes"... cute little ghosts.

Mom and I made them for several Halloweens in the years to come. And now I make them on the years when my love for making treats isn't in hibernation.

This particular year, I took a photo of my tiny creations and wrote on my IG...

"I'm building an army of sweet lost souls who are all a bit nutter butter. Anyone care to enlist?"

Looking back, this call to gather is very representational of the kind of folks who identify as "Emo".

Emo Kids are usually pretty sweet, kind of lost, and a little bit nutter butter.

Call this my first recipe post for the Church of Emo's future community cookbook...

Getya a package of white almond bark, a package of Nutter Butters, and a little bag of mini chocolate chips. Melt all of the almond bark in a sauce pan on low heat, stirring (almost) constantly, whilst contemplating your existential crisis. Once all the almond bark is melted, it's time for those Nutter Butters to take a swim. Dunk 'em, lay them out on some parchment, and get those mini chocolate chip eyeballs on them before the almond bark sets. Boom. Cute little Emo ghosts.

Happy snacking.

-Liz