Blackberry Honey Green Tea Smoothie

I have never been a big fan of breakfast foods. I'll eat sausage, pancakes, or cereal, but I've always preferred to sit down with a big bowl of pasta. (If possible, I would live solely off of pasta. Yum.) Since that's not exactly the healthiest thing, smoothies are my go-to healthy breakfast. 

This recipe is perfect for a busy weekday morning. Just throw some ingredients in a blender, and bam! Two healthy, delicious smoothies! 

Blackberry Honey Green Tea Smoothies

Ingredients

-1 cup ice

-1 cup milk

- 1/2 to 3/4 cup blackberries

-1/4 teaspoon green tea leaves OR matcha powdered green tea

-1/2 to 1 teaspoon honey

Directions

Put ingredients in blender. Blend for 2 minutes or until smooth. If desired, sprinkle a few tea leaves on top for garnish. Serve.

Pretty easy, am I right?!

The reason why I did a range of measurements for the blackberries and honey is that in the winter, blackberries will probably be a bit more sour, so less blackberries will be used and more honey; whereas in the summer, you can use more berries and less honey. It's really up to how you like it!!

Bon appetit! 

2015 and Rustic Apple Pockets

Happy New Year's, everybody!! It's hard to believe that 2015 is here already... my sister will be going to college and becoming an adult, and I will be turning thirteen. Lord preserve us.

Because of the crazy-cold temperatures that have descended upon Indiana, I have been spending the beginning of 2015 inside, practicing violin. I will be playing Luigi Boccherini's Minuet for my very first orchestra audition ever this Monday. No, I'm not freaking out? Why would you ask that?

(You guys know me well enough to know I'm being sarcastic, right?)

Deep breaths, Hannah...

Yesterday I got a nasty paper cut on one of my violin fingers and was unable to practice, so I came up with this great recipe for y'all!!

I know apples are more of a fall thing, but I couldn't wait until September to share this scrumptious recipe with you!

Rustic Apple Pockets

Ingredients

(For the filling)

-2 large apples

-1 1/2 teaspoon butter

-dash cinnamon

-dash nutmeg

-dash cloves

-dash ginger

-1/4 cup apricot jelly

-3/4 cup apple cider

-1 teaspoon sugar

(For the crust)

-1 1/4 cup AP flour

-1/3 cup brown sugar

-dash cinnamon

-2/3 cup buttermilk

Directions

Cut apples into cubes. Saute HALF of the apples in butter and spices, stirring, for about 10 minutes. Add fried apples, uncooked apples, jelly, apple cider, and sugar into a small saucepan. Cook for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Use a potato masher to mush apples into an applesauce. 

Meanwhile, put crust ingredients into a mixer and stir. Dust a smooth surface with flour. (If dough is too dry/flaky, add small droplets of water to the cracks.) Roll into a 12-inch circle and cut into fourths.

Put about two tablespoons of the applesauce onto the fourths. (Do not fill them extremely full, or they will not close.) Fold crust over the mixture closed. Put a pecan on top for garnish if desired. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-22 minutes, or until golden brown.  Serve warm with vanilla ice cream, if desired. Makes four pockets.

How cute are these little guys? They make me think of a delectable pastry that would be on the table of a country cottage in France! 

Bon appetit!