Like a lot of people, I roll into a new year with a list of resolutions. Turning the first page on a brand-new calendar seems as good a time as any to turn over a new leaf, too. None of my 2024 commitments are groundbreaking, I admit—eat more healthfully, sign up for a gym membership and actually go, etc.—but I think it’s fine that they’re not all that creative. The important thing is that I’m working on making a better me.

One of these goals for the next twelve months: being more grateful. I realize as I sit in my comfortable chair in my cozy warm home in the wonderful city of Chicago that I have a lot of blessings in my life, but I don’t always fully appreciate how lucky I am to have them. If you’re mindful of your good fortune, you can enjoy all the things you’re blessed with that much more. I’m not going to write all of mine down here (it would take too long for me to write, and for you to read), but I would at least like to share some of the work-related ones.

I’m grateful to have been invited to join the staff of Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery as chief editor. It’s always great to be gainfully employed, but it’s icing on the cake (no pun intended) to be drawing a paycheck for a gig that very often is so enjoyable, it doesn’t feel like work. What’s more, the amazing people I work with (like Senior Editor Liz Parker) and for (former CE and current Group Publisher Doug Peckenpaugh) make each work day better. I’ve spent years covering various corners of the food industry, but the position I find myself in at the start of 2024 is definitely the most fascinating, the most rewarding, and the most fun I’ve ever had.

Also, I’m thankful for the bakery and snack professionals I connect with every day. From the association leaders that guide the industry through education and events, to suppliers that offers a broad range of solutions, to the producers that share announcements of their latest developments (and sometimes send samples of their newest, delicious wares), and beyond, my job at SF&WB wouldn’t be possible without the contributions of these experts generous enough to share their time, insights, and tasty products with me.

Fast forward to today, where candy and snack manufacturers are giving a frighteningly long list of options that puts the trick or treat offerings of yesteryear to shame. In addition to longtime favorite sweet treats, producers now offer a range of savory snacks and better-for-you offerings that even health-conscious parents won’t find scary. That’s It, for example, offers its Spooky Fruit Bites, which features 40 fun-size no-sugar-added fruit bars (half banana, half mango) in a festive pack. Hershey’s SkinnyPop savory snack brand sells its vegan, non-GMO popcorn in a 12-bag pack, complete with friendly monsters on the front. Also, chickpea snack maker Hippeas recently launched a limited-edition multipack of its Vegan White Cheddar Puffs, with spooky ghosts adorning the 12-count bag.

Finally, I’m grateful for you, the SF&WB reader. Whether you’re one of the lovely people that’s reached out on social media, via email, or in person to share your views (positive, and constructive), it’s rewarding to know that you and colleagues like you read the web articles, pore through the digital editions, and sit in on the webinars we put out into the world. It’s an honor to be able to cover this innovative, dynamic, and important field, and I’m grateful to continue sharing the developments in this amazing industry through 2024 and beyond. SF&WB