Carrie Saum

Many years ago, I became pretty alarmist about all of the chemicals I was coming into contact with on a daily basis.

Summer is officially upon us, and with it comes epic family vacation plans sure to generate tales of your family’s (mis)adventures for years to come.

I soaked a few dates in some hot water, whizzed them around in my Nutribullet, strained out the chunks, and put it back in the Nutribullet with my coconut milk, plus a teeny-tiny pinch of pink Himalayan sea salt.The result? A genuinely delightful creamer that blew me away.

Can we talk about self-care for a hot minute?

I kind of hate it.

Instead of making lunch once a day, I make it once every three days. It saves on energy, brain power, and I don't have to figure out feeding myself in my janky kitchen more often than absolutely necessary.

I’ve paired cauliflower with my own vegan Harissa cream concoction for added depth of flavor, and enjoyment. Oh, and a fulfillment of the milky void.

The result was a gorgeous, decadent, crispy-edged-and-soft-in-the-middle caramelized cookie skillet straight from heaven. It filled our entire building with sweet almond and fig baked goodness.

You don’t have to do it all in order to have a fun or memorable holiday season. Just do the things that bring you life and make your soul sparkle a little.

If you grew up in a typical Christmas tradition, you probably had the same dinner at Thanksgiving and at Christmas.

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