The Veggie Burger

 Since going gluten-free, bread has been pretty much ousted from my diet. I actually liked white bread sandwiches, (with peanut butter or those crust-free buffet sandwiches), way back when...but then in came GF, and there is no GF substitute that comes near to a slice of white bread...and then in came the choice to go vegan. Honestly, it was easier to replace the filling from a tuna salad sandwich or an egg-salad sandwich with vegan options -which actually taste better than the original version, than finding decent bread.

So, (yeah, yeah, I'm getting to the point), eating a hamburger in a bun was a memory that was tossed into the category "never gonna happen again" until now! YES, I have a solution. Kamut hamburger buns, Earth's Choice provolone cheese slices, and the burger recipe I'm going to share with you in a moment, cooked on the BBQ, I might add. OK, I bought a plaque I put on the BBQ grill because I wasn't sure if they'd hold together, but wow....it was awesome! Ready to try it?

Step one:

The night before, get these things soaking, all night.

1/3 cup sunflower seeds,

1 cup pecan nuts,

1 ½ cup oats,

Yes, covered with water, in a glass dish if possible, all night. You will want to rinse and drain well before use.

Make a flax egg and set aside until it thickens:

2½ Tbsp ground flaxseed mixed with ½ cup warm water

In one pot,

¾ cup (uncooked) red rice, rinsed, drained and cooked, (I suppose you could use white or brown)

The Grilled Patty

In another pot,

1 cup (uncooked) green or brown lentils, rinsed, drained, and cooked

Add a veggie broth cube to the water, or 1 Tbsp veggie broth powder

1 red onion (about ½ cup),

1 medium-sized Portobello mushroom (about ½ cup),

IF you don't do mushrooms, you can use zucchini instead)

½ a red pepper

a handful of fresh parsley,

½ tsp baking powder

Now you can add about ½ Tbsp of steak spices or add the following to taste

¼ tsp Freshly ground pepper

½-1 tsp Fresh ground pink salt

½-1 tsp Garlic powder

1-2 Tbsp tamari sauce

Put the vegetables, sunflower seeds, and pecans into the food processor and pulse a few times, you want small pieces.

Then add the rice, lentils, oats, and seasoning. Pulse some more. I like to really give it a go because I don’t want to see chunks of vegetables or seeds. Add the flax egg and mix well. We’re trying to get it to look like a burger.

This makes a good-sized batch, so you can shape and freeze some patties for use at a later date. They freeze really well, and you can put them on the BBQ plaque frozen.

We had more than enough to feed 5 people, twice. ( 3 adults, 2 kids)

Oh! If you are not going to BBQ them, you can add a drop of liquid smoke or a 1/2-1 tsp of smoked paprika, then adjust to taste. You don;t want it to overpower the taste.

Happy, Healthy Family

Routine is back in full swing now, work and school as vacation time becomes a memory. Sadly, after the first few days of being back at work or in school, the first signs and symptoms of a cold tend to appear. As you all know, I am a big fan of essential oils, having used them for over 25 years, but ever since I've been introduced to Young Living oils, I'm over the moon.

Now, I am a learning junkie...reading something new every day, learning more and more on so many different topics, from teaching to crafts, sustainable living to health topics, science and nutrition, and then there are my language studies and writing...to name a few.

So with my in-depth hunger for oily knowledge, I have horrifically discovered just how toxic daily living can be. And I thought I already knew! (Making me even more determined to remain on an organic, toxin-free lifestyle). Did you know the average woman has applied or come in contact with over 300 chemicals by the time she leaves her house in the morning? In a nutshell, if you can't pronounce the ingredients in your soap, detergent, shampoo, deodorant, perfume (most ingredients are secret), laundry and cleaning supplies, then you probably don't know what they are, and neither does your body. You wouldn't eat them, so why should you breathe them in or apply them to your skin?

As you may have read, I  had been primarily using essential oils (EO) in my homemade products. I was never much of a candle burner or incense user, so aromatically was more of an occasional thing, and I turned more often to nutrition, herbs, and homeopathy before I'd have used EOs for health-related issues. I have since learned some pretty great things. Oils are amazing! I've heard that in Romania, the government pays doctors to treat their patients with EOs.

By putting a drop of oil on your skin (with a carrier oil like coconut or almond oil for children and those with more sensitive skin), the teeny, tiny molecules are absorbed into the body in a matter of seconds....can be found in the blood after 26 seconds, and will have made it to every cell in the body after twenty minutes. Crazy! Now if you are using a diffuser, the process is slightly different, but the oils still get into the body and work their magic. Yes, magic.

I'm going to share over a few posts just how easy it is to leave the toxins behind, giving you, your family, home and environment a clean start. Every oil you add to your lives is a toxin (or toxins) you've kicked to the curb! Yeah! It's that easy.

The Young Living Premium Starter Kit


There are three ways to get started in the Young Living, natural, healthy, vibrant lifestyle. How cool would it be to get up every morning and feel jazzed about the day ahead? To have more energy than you can remember having in a long time, knowing that your home, environment, and body are on a path to wellness...Young Living offers it all.
So if you're on a path to green living, are looking to improve your overall health and well-being, want to provide a toxin-free environment for your family, then hear me out. You might just like what I have to offer.

The photo on the left shows you the three starter kits. Let's go through them one at a time, and I will even share some cool recipes on the other pages, too. For now, let's start with the oil starter kit.

Let's start with What are Essential Oils?

Essential Oils are the very essence, the lifeblood of the plant that initiates regeneration into the cells. Anything that our blood does for us is pretty much what the essential oils do for the plant. Our blood cells carry nutrients and oxygen to the different organs in our body and can effectively combat the damaging effects of toxins, impurities and harmful substances in and around our body. But you knew that, right?

Oh, and pure Essential Oils will NEVER expire, what expires are the carrier oils mixed into the blends.

Essential Oils have a unique ability to penetrate the cell wall and are made up of very tiny molecules that have the ability in its chemical structure to penetrate the cell membrane and transport oxygen and nutrients inside the cell, thus giving more support to the immune system. Essential Oils are very powerful antioxidants,  which create an unfriendly environment for free radicals that our bodies are in contact with daily. Free radicals come from sources outside your body, such as tobacco smoke, alcohol, toxins, or pollutants, and can damage your body's cells, proteins, and DNA by altering their chemical structure. We come in contact with these elements every day, whether we are aware of them or not. And to give you an idea of just how potent an antioxidant EO's can be. Let's look at Clove oil, its ORAC* level is off the charts, coming in at over 1,000,000 ORAC, compared to blueberries which are at 9,000 ORAC. Now that puts things into perspective!

In a nutshell, Essential Oils are:

• Immune-enhancing
• Support the body’s natural defenses
• Aid in maintaining normal cellular regeneration

• Are mood elevating
• Are high in antioxidants
• Are aromatic
• Are oxygenating
• Boost stamina and energy
• Help you relax
• Help manage stress and frustration
• Improve mental clarity
• Promote overall health, vitality, and longevity

Premium Starter Kit- PSK

Young Living put these 11 oils together so you can do just about everything with this one kit. Using them on their own, or combining them will not only make your space smell better, but you will benefit from their many attributes.

Your PSK comes with these oils:

Lavender, Peppermint, Lemon, Frankincense, Copaiba, Black Spruce, Thieves, R.C.,  Pan Away,

Purification,  and DiGize, 

Then you get The Dew Drop Diffuser, A roller-ball top, 10 mini Sample bottles to share or travel,

2 NingXia Red Singles, A non-toxic hand sanitizer, and all sorts of information.

The PSK is sold for 199.75

Health Canada recognizes that Essential Oils are in fact, beneficial, and many of the Young Living essential oils have been classified as Natural Health Products.

In fact, this is what Health Canada says in regards to Aromatherapy...
Essential Oils are used in aromatherapy;

1. for symptomatic relief of acne/boils.
2. to relieve minor skin irritation/cuts/bruises/burns.
3. for symptomatic relief of eczema/dermatitis.
4. as a nervine/calmative.
5. to help relieve joint/muscle pain associated with sprain/strain/rheumatoid arthritis.
6. to help relieve a headache.
7. as a carminative/antispasmodic for symptomatic relief of digestive discomfort.
8. to help relieve colds/cough.

Now there are many studies on the benefits of essential oils, and with the world wide web at our fingertips, it's worth it to take a few moments to look into them. Of course, once you start to use them yourself, you'll know what all the hype is about. BTW, this is not a new fad or craze. Essential oils have been around for about as long as man has been documenting things...and we can find references dating back thousands of years, first recorded in China between 2687-2597 BC. You can find over 600 references in the Bible as well.

I fever you would like to know more about Young Living and their products, don't hesitate to contact me...I would love to have a chat about oils. I am an independent distributor for YL, sharing my passion, one drop at a time.

Debbie Brown
YL Member # 11073874


*Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) is a method of measuring antioxidant capacities in biological samples in vitro. Wikipedia definition.

Medical Disclosure: None of the comments or opinions expressed here are meant to treat or diagnose any disease or illness. The information found on this site is for educational purposes only, and neither intended nor implied to act as a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider when it comes to any questions you may have or decisions you intend to make regarding your medical condition or treatment.