Veggie Burgers, Homemade Baby Food & Starbucks!

Welcome to Wellness Wednesday! For those that have been reading each week and somewhat following my journey to better health, I am not at the 20lb mark of weight loss! Woo hoo! And even better than that, I am still feeling really great; no sickness! If you would like more recipes and information on getting healthy with a whole/raw food menu, look for the Wellness Wednesday links on the sidebar under "Blog Archive."

So, what do veggies burgers, homemade baby food and Starbucks have in common? Well, isn't it obvious!
Yeah, not so much.
Really, they have nothing in common except that good healthy recipes bring wellness to my body, Starbucks brings wellness to my mood, and creating things brings wellness to my life overall. Although the aroma and flavor of a cup of good strong coffee makes me oh so happy, today I am going to share Starbucks with you in a whole new light! We're going to learn some fun ways to use those lovely Starbucks coffee sleeves.

But first, I MUST share the best Veggie Burger recipe EVER!
I found this recipe on Pinterest and could not wait to try it and after I tried it, I could not wait to share it with you!

Perfect Veggie Burger 
makes 8-10 burgers

1/2 cup diced onion
1 garlic clove-chopped fine/minced
1 cup grated carrots
1 cup cooked black beans (or canned organic beans)
Flax eggs (2.5 T ground Flaxseed + 1/2 cup water)
1 cup oats- processed/ground
1.5 cups bread crumbs (3 pieces Ezekiel Bread)
1/3 cup almonds-chopped
1/2 cup sunflower seed kernels
1 T Tamari/soy sauce
1.5 t chili powder
1 t cumin
1t oregano
1 T parsley
sea salt and pepper
*I threw in a handful of fresh cilantro

-First- mix together your flax eggs and let them sit while you mix everything else together.
-Process or Grind your oats in your food processor or blender. I use our Ninja.
I used the Ninja for the bread crumbs and almonds as well. You don't want to process your almonds too much. You want chopped almonds, not almond flour.
-Now, mix all of your dry ingredients together (oats, bread crumbs, almonds, sunflower seeds, spices)
-Next, mix in your veggies, beans, and flax eggs.
-Lastly, form your patties and throw them in your skillet or on your griddle, about 5 minutes on each side.

Now, enjoy!

I apologize for the poor photo quality- all I had on me was my phone and poor lighting! 
I ate mine atop a bed of fresh spinach and red onion slices, topped with tomato, avocado, and sea salt and pepper.  The rest of my family ate them on a whole grain thin bun with ketchup, mustard, tomato, and avocado. They were a hit with everyone!
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Now, onto some homemade baby food. When I was pregnant with our first, I really wanted to make my own baby food, but it seemed like a daunting task to take on while I was adjusting to so many new things. I mashed bananas and avocados for my son to eat but everything else came from a jar from the grocery store. It wasn't until my third baby that I actually got around to making my own baby food and guess what?! It is so easy, not to mention, much more affordable!

Here is what you will need:
Veggies/fruit of your choice
Freezer storage bags
empty baby food jars
ice trays
permanent marker
blender/food processor

At this particular time, I made sweet potatoes, sweet peas, corn and green beans. If you are making something like carrots, sweet potatoes, or apples you will need to cook them first.
For other veggies and fruit, you simply place them in your blender/processor of choice.  I prefer to use fresh or frozen veggies if possible. If using frozen, just place them in a warm bowl of water to thaw out first.

Next, you will spoon your veggies or fruit into your ice trays and cover with plastic wrap. Throw those in the freezer.
Grab your marker and label your freezer bags.

Once they are good and frozen, pop them out and place them in your labeled freezer bags.
You have now made your own baby food; a healthy meal for your little one while saving your family money!

These are so handy to have. Take out what you need and place them in a bowl for a few minutes. You can add some warm water and some baby cereal too if you'd like.

I also filled some jars to keep in my refrigerator for meals that week. See, super easy! :)
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Moving onto another part of wellness for me.....creating!
We all recognize this, right?

Mmmmmm......Starbucks.......
Sorry, got a little sidetracked for a moment.
These coffee sleeves are great to keep our hands from getting burned while holding that delicious cup of coffee. However, they are also really great craft supplies to keep on hand too! Have you ever turned them over to see the great texture on the other side?
Check it out...

I love using these lovely sleeves to spruce up a jar of flowers for a friend or for a party I am throwing.
Glue dots or tape work great to attach the sleeve to the glass jar. Then, you can either add more paper and personalize it or you can grab various ribbons/twine and start wrapping and tying!

And.....

I LOVE to wrap my handmade jewelry pieces with these too! I simply wrap the gift with tissue paper and then wrap the sleeve around it. Finish it off with ribbons/fibers of your choice!

If you purchase a jewelry piece from my shop, your package will look a lot like this!


And last, but certainly not least, let me leave with you the key ingredient for the wellness of my heart, the very thing that gives me life.

"Your testimonies are wonderful;therefore my soul keeps them. The unfolding of your word gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple. I open my mouth and pant, because I long for your commandments." Psalm 119:129-131
"Our soul waits for the Lord;He is our help and our shield. For our heart is glad in Him, because we trust in His holy name." Psalm 33:20-21



I hope this brings you much inspiration and encouragement today.
-Jenny


Links of Inspiration for this post:
Veggie Burger
Coffee Sleeves ( I couldn't find the exact post, but this is my favorite blog and she used these sleeves to embellish and make a handmade banner for a baby shower)