Apple Cinnamon Banana Popsicles

It's so warm outside! We always try to keep some sort of popsicle in the freezer for times when we are craving a frozen dessert. This recipe was so simple and really delicious! It uses a whole can of coconut milk, so it makes a lot of popsicles. Feel free to half the recipe if you don't have any many molds!

Ingredients
1) 4 ripe bananas (mine were frozen, but fresh is fine)
2) 1 apple, roughly chopped and cored
3) 1 1/2 cups of coconut milk (or a 15oz can) - you could use almond milk!
4) 1 teaspoon cinnamon

**Makes 10-14 popsicles, depending on mold size**

Instructions
1) Puree all ingredients in a blender or food processor.

2) Pour into your popsicle molds.

3) Place in the freezer until solid, at least 4 hours.
4) Enjoy!

"Cheesy" Bacon Cauliflower Muffins

Cauliflower is such a versatile little vegetable. This recipe uses nutritional yeast to give a cheesy flavor to the muffins, but if you don't have any you can omit it. Or you can use real cheese if you tolerate dairy! This makes a lot of muffins and lasted well in the fridge for 3-4 days after making it. Use it as a delicious, portable side dish.

Ingredients
1) 2 pounds of cauliflower florets ( I used the bag from Costco)
2) 4 eggs
3) 1/4 cup coconut flour
4) 1/2 cup nutritional yeast (optional, but gives the "cheesy" flavor)
5) 1/4 - 1/2 cup bacon bits (depends on how much you want in each muffin, start with 1/4 cup and add more if it looks like too little!)
Extra: 1 teaspoon salt

**Makes 18 muffins**

Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
1) Steam your cauliflower. You can do this on the stove, or the lazy way like I did: microwave. I placed the cauliflower in a very large bowl, added 1/4 cup water, and cooked for 8-10 minutes until fork tender.

2) Add half your steamed cauliflower and the 4 eggs to a food processor or blender.

3) Puree until smooth, and then add the remaining cauliflower. Puree until smooth.

4) Pour your cauliflower/egg mixture back into your bowl you used to microwave it. Add your 1/4 of coconut flour and stir to combine.

5) Next add your 1/2 cup nutritional yeast, bacon bits, and salt. Stir to combine.

6) Using a measuring cup or cookie scoop, divide your mixture into cupcake molds. I used silicone to ensure no sticking. It made 18, but yours could make a few more or less depending on ingredient size.

7) Bake at 400 for 30-35 minutes, until firm when touched.

Taco Casserole

 Do you love tacos? Do you like casseroles? Then this meal is for you!

I've been in a cooking rut the last couple of weekends and have just been making the same thing over and over. But I really wanted to taste something different and I was craving some Mexican food. This meal turned our insanely tasty and the shredded potatoes in it just added the right texture and bulk to fill you up. Add any veggies you like, but I really liked the carrot/onion/tomato mixture for my taco. You could certainly top this with some guacamole---it would make it even better!

Ingredients
1) 2 pound of ground beef (or other ground meat of choice)
2) 1 pound of potatoes, grated or diced
3) 1 pound of carrots, grated or diced
4) 2 onions, grated or diced
5) 2 cans of diced tomatoes (15oz each)
Extra: 4 tablespoons chili powder, 4 tablespoons cumin, 1/2 tablespoon salt (optional 1 teaspoon of hot sauce)

Instructions
1) Preheat your oven to 350.
2) Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, and add your ground beef.
3) Break up the ground beef into small chunks and cook until browned. Drain out the majority of the liquid in the bottom of the pan (I do this by tilting the pan to the side, and using a scoop to ladle the oil into a bowl.)

4) While your ground beef was cooking, shred up your vegetables. I used the shredded attachment on my food processor and ran the potatoes, carrots, and onions through in large chunks. It was much easier than chopping, but if you don't have a food processor you can chop into uniform-sized pieces or grate with a cheese grater.

5) Once your ground beef is done, stir in your seasonings and the tomatoes and mix to incorporate.

6) In a large 9x13 casserole dish, combine the ground beef and your grated vegetables. Stir to thoroughly mix.

7) Bake for 45 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and the top starts to brown. Top with guacamole for an even better meal!