Kale-Apple Smoothie

This was one of those... I have three things  that I need to use up before they go bad. Let's see if I can find a recipe that uses all of them. It's nothing special but, it being St. Patrick's Day and all, it felt like the right day to post this.
 
Ingredients

• 3/4 cup chopped kale, ribs and thick stems removed
• 1 small stalk celery, chopped
• 1/2 banana
• 1/2 cup apple juice
• 1/2 cup ice
• 1 tablespoon
• fresh lemon juice

Directions

1. Place the kale, celery, banana, apple juice, ice, and lemon juice in a blender.
2. Blend until smooth and frothy. 

Photo and recipe from realsimple.com

Mulled Apple Cider

In order to preserve a burner for other uses, I made this cider in my slow cooker. Just turned it on high for an hour or so and then left it on low to keep the cider warm. I'm not a fan of the floaties, so in the future I think I'll try to put the little stuff in a thing for steeping tea or some cheesecloth or something.

Ingredients

• 2 quarts apple cider (8 cups)
• 4 strips lemon zest
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 2 whole star anise (optional)
• 1 teaspoon whole allspice berries
• 1 teaspoon whole cloves

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, bring cider, lemon zest, and spices to a boil; cover, and remove from heat. Let steep at least 20 minutes (or up to 4 hours). Ladle carefully into mugs, leaving most of the solids behind. 

Recipe and photo from Martha Stewart