It’s apple season, and what better way to enjoy a crisp, flavorful apple than with a drizzle of caramel sauce on top? This sauce avoids the cream and refined sugar in traditional caramel by utilizing rich flavors in Medjool dates, almonds, and coconut milk.

Spread it on toast, mix it into a myriad of treats, or eat it by the spoon. Almond butter is a tastebud pleaser. Home-ground almond butter is great, because it’s fresh, you have complete control of what goes into it, and raw almonds are cheaper too.

Transforming a few humble bananas into this frozen confection is as intriguing as it is satiating. Isolating this common smoothie ingredient elevates the end product into a luscious, creamy blend with soft serve like consistency. Sometimes referred to as “nice cream”, it’s great by itself, but I’m including instructions for chocolate topping which brings it to another level.

In the past, I never sought out corn tortillas. Then last spring I spent a week in Mexico and experienced something totally new: soft, pliable tortillas that tasted like fresh corn. But here in the States, dry, store bought corn tortillas fall far short of the authentic version. Fortunately, corn tortillas from scratch are quick and easy, and they’re on par with the bona fide tortillas that can be found at a good taco street stand in Mexico. Now, I’ll happily skip the flour variant for these corn based taco vessels.