First things first – I am running an awesome giveaway on Instagram for two pairs of CSX Champion compression sleeves. These sleeves are BRAND NEW – so new that you can’t even purchase them on the site yet!  I love-love-love the CSX Champion compression socks (seriously, they blow other socks out of the water).  But if you feel like full socks are too “enclosing” or hot, these sleeves would be the perfect thing for you!

csx giveaway

Head over to my Instagram page to enter <— Just click that link. 

 

Next up – I am working on a fun post for you tomorrow!  A Day in the Life post.  I haven’t done one for a while but I’d like to share how I do things with two kiddos.  So stay tuned for that.  <3

 

But as a spoiler, one thing that gets me through the day is lots and lots of coffee.  Glorious coffee!  And I recently figured out an awesome trick for coffee.  It involves a big old Thermos carafe.

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One of the big questions I’ve received about #VegetarianWhole30 is “can you still have coffee?” The answer is yes – I would seriously neeeeeeeeeeeeeeever do anything that involved giving up coffee for 30 days.  Hah.  BUT during the 30 days, you can’t add a sweetener to the coffee, nor can you add a dairy creamer.  And premade non-dairy creamers are generally out because of added sugar or other ingredients.  You can, however, use coconut milk.

 

So take a can full-fat coconut milk and pour off the liquidy stuff to leave behind the thick, creamy fat.  Then I combine it with a big pot of coffee in the Thermos.  The whole thing stays WARM for over 24 hours EVEN IN MY FRIDGE (seriously, Thermos is amazing), which means I don’t have to make a new pot of coffee whenever I want a fresh cup (the Husband and I share it and drink it all in about 2 days).  Super easy. 

 

I got rid of my Keurig because 1) of the environment impact of the disposable cups; 2) it was expensive; and 3) I was concerned about the potential health ramifications of drinking coffee every morning that was pushed hot through a plastic container.  But I really loved how fast and easy Keurig was, and this method kind of replicates that.  Winning!

 

And last, but not least, here’s a delicious recipe for you…

chickpea burgers

This veggie burger recipe is so good that we ate the entire batch in a day – it was a huge hit.  Enjoy!

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Chickpea Burgers

 

Ingredients (makes 6 – 7 burgers):

 

  • 2 cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 carrot, chopped thinly
  • 1/3 cup sweet white onion, chopped thinly
  • 1 handful baby spinach, chopped thoroughly
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 1/3 cup sunflower seed butter
  • 2 egg whites
  • 2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning or other seasonings

 

Directions:

 

  • Preheat oven to 350 and grease a cookie sheet.
  • After chopping carrot, onion, and spinach, put on stovetop in a pan with the oil and cook until tender.
  • In a blender or food processor, combine the drained/rinsed chickpeas, veggies with oil, coconut, sunflower seed butter, egg whites, and seasonings.  Combine until mixed but still a little chunky.
  • Form into patties and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  Turn heat to 400 degrees and cook for another 10.
  • Remove, let cool for five minutes (important or it will crumble) and serve.

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For more recipes, check out my recipe page!

{ 21 comments }

 

  • Erin @ Her Heartland Soul July 2, 2015, 8:08 am

    Mmm I love coffee! Straight up black is my preference! And that chickpea burger looks amazing!

  • julia@yogawinehappiness.com July 2, 2015, 8:24 am

    I use a Keurig, and am also concerned about the plastic. (Not to mention the zillion containers that are being thrown out each day.) That is a great idea to get a good thermos. I have never bought an actual Thermos brand, so that might do the trick! My current carafe doesn’t keep things hot for very long. Thanks for the idea!

    • Caitlin July 2, 2015, 9:10 am

      Thermos really is an amazing product. I “discovered” them back in 2010 when I did a sponsored post with them – I remember the team telling me to leave one of their stainless steel bottles in my hot car with ice in it for 8 hours to see how it held up… And the ice was still there!! Seriously amazing. I haven’t stopped buying them since. It’s $$$ but it’s definitely worth it.

      • Dottie (@crazyfitmommy) July 2, 2015, 11:47 am

        Wow seriously?? I’m in Arizona so I’ve just resigned myself to warm water all summer long (even if I left the house with a block of ice 5 minutes ago), so this sounds unbelievably amazing!! I’ll have to try it, hopefully it can handle temps over a hundred degrees 🙂

        • Caitlin July 2, 2015, 11:48 am

          SERIOUSLY. It’s amazing.

        • Sara July 2, 2015, 12:46 pm

          My metal water bottle from Contigo would also do the same! I could go out and it was 100+degrees, come back to the car and my water was still ice cold!

  • Stephanie @ Whole Health Dork July 2, 2015, 9:21 am

    Thanks for the chickpea burger recipe! Even though I eat meat, I prefer to eat lighter in the summer, reducing my chicken and turkey consumption a bit (we rarely have red meat). This will fill in for burger night nicely!

  • Allison July 2, 2015, 9:22 am

    What coffee maker do you use now? My husband and I start using a Chemex about two years ago, and it is seriously the best coffee. It is a bit more time consuming, but definitely worth the extra 5 minutes.

    • Caitlin July 2, 2015, 9:40 am

      Just a really basic $15 coffee maker that my mom left here once 🙂

  • Katie D. July 2, 2015, 9:29 am

    I use a reusable filter in my Keurig, but emptying the grounds (especially to make 2 cups in a row) is a pain!

    • Caitlin July 2, 2015, 9:40 am

      Yeah, I considered going that route, and the Husband bought me one, but it was a bitch and a half to empty and clean. Kind of felt like it eliminated the nice things about a keurig, which is no mess!

    • Courtney @ Sweet Tooth, Sweet Life July 2, 2015, 10:02 am

      I also go the reusable filter route, which I feel much better about using but MAN, it seriously is a pain to empty out each time! I don’t even want to count the number of times the grounds missed the garbage and wound up all over the floor…

    • Nicole July 2, 2015, 11:09 am

      I have a reusable filter and love it. I haven’t purchased K-cups for years. I just take it out, turn it upside down under running water and it is cleaned out in 2 seconds.

  • Chelsea @ TableForOne July 2, 2015, 10:07 am

    I could never give up coffee for 30 days either! I love the idea of adding coconut milk. I have really tried getting away from sweetened creamers and am okay with drinking my coffee with a splash of soy milk. I

  • Sagan July 2, 2015, 10:18 am

    Pretty presentation of the burger!

    I only drink coffee black. The darker the roast, the better 😉 (but I also limit my coffee intake to just once or twice a week, if that. Me hopped up on too much coffee is very funny for other people but not great for my insomnia / nightmare disorder, ha)

  • Sharon T July 2, 2015, 12:02 pm

    I stopped using my Keurig for the same reasons. It’s too bad – they’re so expensive!

  • Amanda July 2, 2015, 12:47 pm

    Oooh those chickpea burgers look good!

  • Katie sB July 2, 2015, 3:04 pm

    So you think the CSX compression stockings would be good during pregnancy? My Dr recommended I wear some but I want to get some that are comfortable.

    • Caitlin July 2, 2015, 4:12 pm

      Yes! I really think they are the best around. CSX is actually originally a medical-grade stocking company so that’s probably a good fit for you.

  • Cassie July 2, 2015, 4:09 pm

    Looks yummy!

  • Kate @KateMovingForward July 2, 2015, 6:46 pm

    I’m going to have to check out that thermos! I make French press coffee, but it cools off faster than I can drink it in a morning. #mamaloveshercoffee

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