Carrie Saum

So, what do you do when you make something that looks a mess but tastes like the Virgin Mary give birth in your mouth? You add more sugar and salt to hide its minor imperfections and nobody gives a damn how it looks after the first bite.

In the spirit of melted chocolate and simple, decadent expressions of love, I made a little treat for my friends.

This is a recipe for pastry. It's ugly. It will make your kitchen hot in a summer's day. Hotter than the surface of West Texas. Hotter than Jesse Williams scorching the BET Awards with universal truth that we all need to heed and hear. It won't win an award or any baking competitions. But it will win your mouth's undying gratitude.

This Harvest Vegetable Baked Ziti is a lovely late summer/early autumn harvest flair! Sprinkle it with whatever cheese sounds good and enjoy.

Twice a year, I embark on a one to two week cleanse. I feel invigorated, I sleep better, my libido rises, and I'm able to use it as a reset to return to eating foods that make my body feel good.

When I talked to my doctor about the forgetfulness and resulting anxiety I was experiencing, she suggested that I make lists, try bullet point journaling, and work on taking more time for self-care.

One of my favorite winter gourds is the humble acorn squash.

We are in the midst of buying a house.

Okay, so the world feels like it’s ending. I know it does because I have facebook and I read the news and I’m on this planet.

Motherhood didn’t pan out the way I anticipated, not even a little bit. It was so much more electrifying and terrifying and amazing than I ever imagined.