Nespresso: How to Recycle those capsules!

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A Nespresso espresso machine was always intriguing, especially after tasting it at Macy's...but what stopped me for so long was those darned capsules!  I already had a Keurig…and loved it...but those K-cups were always a little bit of a thorn in my side!  It made me feel guilty, all those little plastic cups going in the trash!

Once I went Paleo, I quit coffee for a bit because coffee without cream and sugar wasn't worth it for me.  So, that's when I started drinking Ginger Lemon Tea in the mornings…which I still do, and it's amazing.  But it made me do some research because I'd heard you could recycle the Nespresso capsules.  It couldn't be easy though, could it?

Once I learned more, Nespresso is actually a really cool company.  Not only do they encourage you to recycle the capsules, they make it easy for you.  They also use those  recycled aluminum capsules to make parts on their espresso machines.  That's partly why I chose the Nespresso Pixie Espresso Maker.  The side panels on my machine…the colored panels that come in different colors…are made from recycled capsules.

I also thought it might be a pain to GET the capsules because they aren't sold in stores, you have to get them from Nespresso (or another online source).  I was wrong, it's really easy!  They have an app and great customer service, so if you want to talk to someone you can.  If you order a certain amount, the shipping is free.  It arrives at your door super fast.  It's actually cheaper to order directly from Nespresso than Amazon!  When you place an order, you just have to tell them you want the "Recycle Bag" sent with your order.  I did, and they sent me two!  They have UPS pre-paid labels on them and when you've collected 200 capsules, you just seal it and send it!  Simple!  200 capsules take a while to rack up too…so you don't have to deal with it often.  I made it easy on myself because I also didn't want to count out 200 dirty capsules when the time came...

Here's what the bags look like...

Here's what I do…I hang the bag on a doorknob in my laundry room, which is near my kitchen.  I put a post-it near it like this…every time I have 10 capsules (that's how many the reservoir in the machine holds), I dump them in the bag and make a 'tic' mark like this…when I have 20 marks = 200 - I seal it and send it off!  No extra counting!

I love it…no guilt, I'm doing my part for the environment.  :)  AND I haven't' even mentioned how spoiled I am now with the quality of the espresso it cranks out each and every time!!  My husband and I LOVE this machine.  It puts the perfect "crema" on top every time!  Do I sound like an espresso snob yet?  :)  I add raw honey instead of sugar now which tastes amazing.  It's great alone, but sometimes I use a little of this coconut creamer, much healthier than the half and half I used to use...

So now I enjoy my Ginger Lemon Tea as soon as I wake, and sometime during the day I have an espresso "treat" and it is SO satisfying.  Thanks Nespresso!  If you're on the fence about getting yet ANOTHER machine that takes "pods"…hopefully this will shed some light on it for you!  Go for it…you won't regret it. :)

This is one of my favorite little cups that I got in New York at the amazing "Strand" Book Store…miles and miles of books;)

Look at that PERFECT CREMA!!  Add a little nutmeg and I'd rather have this than Starbucks any day!

Tequila, Lime & Green Onion Coleslaw

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This is SUPER delicious, SUPER easy and SUPER healthy...

I had never been a big fan of coleslaw until I had it at a restaurant in downtown Petaluma when I first moved here….where they made it fresh.  I didn't know it could be SO good!  This recipe reminded me of that, only better!  It's light and tangy…creamy and crunchy…a great "summer" side salad!

Ingredients:

• 1/2  cup mayonnaise
• 4  green onions, thinly sliced
• 3  tablespoons lime juice
• 1-2  tablespoons tequila (depending on how much you like the flavor)
• 1   2-pound green cabbage
• Sea salt to taste
• Fresh cracked pepper to taste
• Smoked paprika to taste (optional)
• Cayenne pepper to taste (optional)

1. In a large bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, green onions, lime juice, tequila and seasonings.  Taste and adjust seasonings, remembering this salad should be seasoned relatively assertively because when the cabbage is added the flavor will dilute.
2. Remove any ugly or damaged outer leaves from the cabbage.  Cut the cabbage in half lengthwise.  Cut out the fibrous core.  Place the cabbage cut side down and slice it into very thin strips.
3. Add the cabbage to the mayonnaise mixture.  Toss to combine.
4. Refrigerate and let marinade at least 30 minutes before serving.

This might be dating myself, but I feel like a game of PacMan all of a sudden! :)

Even if you're not a fan of coleslaw…I encourage you to give this one a try, you just might change your mind! :)

This recipe was based on a recipe from "Primal Palate" but I "tweaked" a couple of things and improved upon it;)

Banana "Ice Cream" with Sweet-and-Salty Roasted Almonds

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BANANA (OR BERRY) "ICE CREAM" WITH SWEET & SALTY ALMONDS - DELICIOUS!!

Are you HOT?  But trying to be healthy and not take the family out to ice cream?  This recipe has all the rich texture of ice cream with none of the dairy or sugar!!  That, along with the crunchy topping it just might help you tolerate the heat this summer!  If you're not a fan of bananas…see the "Berry Version" below at the end of this post!

• 4 ripe bananas, peeled and sliced into thin rounds
• 1/4 cup finely chopped roasted almonds (I use raw almonds)
• 2 teaspoons plus 2 tablespoons good quality maple syrup, divided
• A pinch of sea salt
• 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Freeze the banana slices in a single layer on a tray or plate lined with parchment or wax paper.  Once they freeze, use them immediately and put them in a zip-top plastic bag or airtight container for up to a month.  This is from the recipe but here's my tip, it's easier…just peel the bananas and freeze them in halves.  When you use them, just slice them with a sharp knife;)

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the almonds with 2 teaspoons of the maple syrup and the salt.  Set aside.

Combine the frozen banana slices, the almond milk, the remaining 2 tablespoons of the maple syrup and the vanilla in a food processor and pulse until the mixture is the texture of soft-serve ice cream, scraping down the sides as necessary.  Don't worry if the mixture isn't totally smooth at first - once the bananas start to break down and defrost in the food processor, the "ice cream" will start to take shape quickly.

Spoon the banana "ice cream" into bowls into bowls immediately and sprinkle each serving with a bit of the almond mixture.

Makes about 1 pint.  Hope this helps cool you off!!  It was 95 degrees here today and is going to be hotter tomorrow!  Enjoy!

This recipe is from the "It's All Good" cookbook by Gwyneth Paltrow and Julia Turshen.

BERRY VERSION...

I was looking forward to making this tonight after writing this post because it's delicious...I always keep frozen bananas in my freezer!  I was disappointed to see that I only had 2 frozen bananas!  So I wasn't going to give up…I eyeballed the "equivalent of the other two bananas" I was missing and used frozen berries in place of them.  I used about 1/4 blueberries and 3/4 raspberries and still used the frozen bananas I had.  It was AMAZING!!!

Tuscan Kale Salad

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A little over a year ago I went to Portland for a reunion with my high school girlfriends.  I hadn't seen a couple of them in many years and it was such a great time that since then, we have continued the tradition.  Our friend who was generous enough to host all of us at her house cooked an delicious meal!  She made gourmet homemade pizzas and kale salad.  (She is the "foodie" in our group and has since opened a neighborhood pub called Tabor Tavern in Portland with her husband...I have yet to get back up there to visit, but I've heard it's amazing and can't wait to eat there!)  I had never really known what to do with kale, even though it was becoming all the rage… It was so delicious that I had to ask her for the recipe.  The recipe is a True Food Kitchen restaurant exclusive which is Dr. Weil's restaurant in Phoenix, Arizona.  It's a traditional Tuscan salad made from strips of Italian black kale, fresh lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, crushed garlic, red pepper flakes, grated sheep's cheese, and bread crumbs.  It's bright and refreshing and the combined flavors are wonderful.

Dr. Weil uses food as medicine.  He says… "Kale is among the most nutrient-dense commonly eaten vegetables.  One cup provides 1,327 percent of the Daily Value (DV) for vitamin K, 192 percent of DV for vitamin A, and 88 percent for vitamin C."

It's SO delicious as is obviously, but since I'm now living a Paleo lifestyle…. I make a few "tweaks" that I'll mention below.

Ingredients:

• 4-6 cups kale, loosely packed, sliced leaves of Italian black (A.K.A. Lacinato, "dinosaur", cavolo nero) midribs removed.

This kind of kale looks like this….

Remove the midribs, by sliding it off with your hands or cutting out with a knife…wash and dry the leaves.

Take several leaves at a time, roll them up tightly and slice with a sharp knife widthwise to create thin strips…imagine how you would "chiffonade" basil, same idea...

• juice of 1 lemon
• 3-4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, mashed
• salt and pepper, to taste
• red pepper flakes, to taste
• 2/3 cup grated Pecorino Toscano cheese made from sheep's milk (Rosselino variety if you can find it)  I have only found this at Whole Foods.  -or other flavorful grating cheese such as Asiago or Parmesan. These work great too but I've noticed these are saltier so adjust salt when you use these. (optional...sheep dairy is still dairy...so not Whole30 approved;)
• 1/2 cup freshly made bread crumbs from lightly toasted bread.  (For Paleo, I've been substituting almond meal, still gives it great texture)

Instructions:

1. Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, and a generous pinch (or more to taste) of hot red pepper flakes.
2. Pour over kale in serving bowl and toss well.  I toss it with my hands (yes, I wash them first), I know that might be weird for some of you, but I just love the feel of the kale strips between my fingers as I toss it.  If you try it you just might love it too :)
3. Add 2/3 of the cheese and toss again.
4. Let kale sit for at least 5 minutes.  Add bread crumbs (or almond meal;), toss again, and top with remaining cheese.

This recipe serves 4-6.  It has over 41 grams of fiber!

This kale salad is delicious alongside anything you make but last night I added chicken right to it and made a meal out of it!  Kale doesn't wilt once the dressing is on either…so it keeps in the fridge for later…if there's any left!

My "sidekick" while I'm cooking…. :)  Ever get that feeling someone's watching you?  I look over and this is what I see, made me laugh...

Egg Cups

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Yesterday we were invited over to one of our favorite couple's house for kind of a "non-Mothers Day"… her and I don't have children of our own, so we decided it was a good excuse to all spend the day together for some great food and great company!  She served a beautiful brunch with egg cups that I just have to share with all of you because it was a real hit!  The presentation took "eggs" to a whole new level because it was just so darn pretty!

Here's what she said she did...

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease a "large size" muffin tin.  Line the bottoms with a nice quality slice of ham to form a "cup".  Next, layer a slice of sweet potato/yam (she had pre-cooked these to make it super easy), then a slice of goat cheese brie, next sprinkle some dried shallots and green onions, next crack 2 eggs into it, add another slice of goat cheese and top it all off with some bacon crumbles (she had pre-made these also).  Depending on how you like the eggs, runny or hard, will depend on your cook time…so you might need to experiment a little depending on your oven.  She recommended as a guideline, about 15 mins for runny yolks, and 25 mins for hard yolks.  I like mine runny :)

She served the egg cups with Paleo-friendly Banana Bread and fresh berries!  This was very tasty, fancy, and would be great for guests or a Sunday brunch.  I will definitely be making these in the near future!  Our husbands had seconds :)  Have fun with it…you can't really mess this up, add or subtract any ingredients you want!  Enjoy!

Paleo Banana Bread

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This Banana Bread is absolutely delicious.  It has NO white sugar, NO white flour, and is husband and kid approved!

Makes 1 loaf

Paleo Banana Bread

Recipe Type : Bread
Author: Happy WifeStyle
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 45 mins
Total time: 1 hour
Serves: 1 loaf

This Paleo-friendly Banana Bread is so delicious!

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp coconut oil, melted, plus more for greasing the pan
• 4 large eggs
• 3 Tbsp raw honey
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup coconut flour, sifted
• 1/4 cup blanched almond flour, sifted
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 3 large ripe bananas (make sure they have brown spots for the most sweetness)
• optional add-ins: 1/4 cup dairy free chocolate chips, walnuts, dried cranberries, or raisins

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Grease sides and bottom of an 8 1/2-by-4 1/2 inch loaf pan, then place a piece of parchment paper on the bottom.
3. Place the 2 Tbsp coconut oil, eggs, honey, vanilla, and vinegar in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on high for 30 seconds.
4. Combine the coconut flour, almond flour, baking soda, and sea salt in a bowl, then add them to the wet ingredients, beating on high until combined.
5. Place the coconut milk and bananas in a separate bowl and mash until the mixture resembles baby food.
6. Add the banana mixture to the batter and beat on medium until thoroughly combined.
7. Mix in the optional add-ins, if desired.
8. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 40-45 mins, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
9. Remove from the oven and allow the loaf to cool in the pan for 15 mins. Remove loaf and cool completely on a wire rack.

Note:  I always keep whole ripe frozen bananas that have gone black in my freezer!  That way, anytime I want to make this bread, I just pull out 3 frozen bananas and thaw them on the counter (they thaw quick).  I snip off one end of the peel and the banana slips right out!

-This Banana Bread is from the cookbook "Against All Grain" by Danielle Walker.