JELLYBEAN SHAKE

Introducing the JELLYBEANS SHAKE! It's sweet, and appropriately named, but it's as healthy as salad.

This morning i was flipping through a dessert cookbook i have. In the back there are some smoothie recipes. The "Green Veggie Shake" called for celery, but i didn't have any. I did have fennel stalks, which LOOK like celery... and i had no idea what to do with them. (I already roasted the "bulb".) Maybe i could substitute them for celery in the smoothie?

It worked just fine! Don't be scared by the spinach; this is really the best way to eat it, since all you can really taste is apple and honey. It's very springy, the color of a maccha frappe. And the fennel has a slightly licorice-y taste, just like black jellybeans -- hence the name. And as i took my first sip, Grandma was sitting at the table looking at the big container of jelly beans she bought today. I tried to use those as a garnish but it just looked weird. Oh well. Spring is coming!

JELLYBEAN SHAKE

• 4-5" fennel stalk, trimmed and chopped
  
• a handful of spinach leaves
  
• 1 small apple, peeled, cored, and chopped
  
• 1 Tablespoon honey
  
• 1/4 cup milk, or however much you need to blend it nicely
  

Put everything in a blender and blend it really well. Pour it in a pretty glass and garnish with jellybeans (if you can figure out how to do it cutely), a violet, whipped cream, or a fruit slice.

Now what am i going to do with the fennel leaves?