Smoothies

Blueberry, apple and banana smoothie

I am a summer person and can get a little down in winter but, this year, I have been unusually accepting of winter. I attribute my acceptance to the fact that I spent a lot of time out hiking in it. However, last week we had a warm up and it melted all the snow, except for those large piles on the edge of parking lots. We even had a few coat-free days. Then, yesterday, a cold wind blew in and dumped 9 inches of snow, and it broke me.

I want warm weather.  Need warm weather.

So, in honor of some of my favorite summer treats, here is a very simple but wonderful recipe for a smoothie.

Local apple cider and blueberries

Here in Dexter, Michigan, where I live, there are lots of places to get fresh summer produce and fruit within a few miles of our house. Two of my favorite places are Lesser Farms and Orchard and Dexter Blueberry Farm.

In August, we pick a ton of blueberries and freeze them. Hint: when you bring your blueberries home from the farm, put them in a Ziploc and freeze, do not rinse them. When you pull them out to use rinse them at that time. By doing this, the berries will not stick together and you can just grab a handful of berries for whatever. Then in September, get yourself a jug of freshly pressed apple cider and freeze it in ice cube trays. This is the magic to this recipe. The cider cubes blend up so much better than ice cubes and they taste great!

Frozen and fresh fruit for a smoothie

3-4 apple cider cubes
1 large handful of frozen blueberries
1 banana

With a blender or immersion blender… blend. It will have the consistency of sorbet.

Enjoy a little summer in February.