One Dish THRIVE Rice Meal

This is a very quick, easy and healthy recipe.  It only takes about 5 minutes to throw all the ingredients in a pot.  Then just turn on the heat and dinner is ready 30 minutes later without any additional work on your part!

• 1 cup THRIVE freeze dried sausage or ground beef or roast beef (I actually used fresh beef in the picture on the right) 
• 1/4 c. THRIVE mixed bell peppers
• 1/3 c. THRIVE freeze dried celery
• 1/4 c. THRIVE freeze dried onion
• 1 tsp. dried parsley
• 2 T. garlic powder
• Ground black pepper to taste
• 1 c. rice 
• 2 T. THRIVE beef bouillon
• 3 1/2 c. water

Mix all ingredients in a large pot.  Stir well. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 25 to 30 minutes or until rice is tender. You may need to stir it occasionally to prevent the rice from sticking to the pan or add a bit of water if it gets too dry before the rice tender.  Enjoy! 

If you are interested in purchasing the Shelf Reliance products listed above at a discounted price (5%-40% off retail), you may do so directly on my Shelf Reliance Website.
NO Shelf Reliance COUPON CODE NEEDED!  

Healthy Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins

My parents are coming into town and I wanted to have something relatively healthy to feed them for breakfasts. We will have these pancakes on Saturday, but I thought blueberry muffins would be a nice quick breakfast for Sunday morning.

I don't know that these are strictly healthy: they do have 1 full cup of sugar in them, but they are whole wheat, and man are they tasty!

Sorry about the picture. I was working on getting a better one when my newborn woke up from a nap needing to be fed. By the time I got back to the kitchen, my sweet 20 mo old had found her way onto the kitchen counter and crumbled them all to pieces. So, this one will have to do. I

My favorite thing about these muffins?

The freeze dried blueberries don't bleed!

• 1/2 cup THRIVE Butter powder
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 T. THRIVE Whole egg powder
• 2 T. THRIVE Instant milk powder
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 cups THRIVE Whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 cup THRIVE freeze dried blueberries
• Water (see instructions below for amounts)

Cream butter, sugar, salt and 2 Tablespoons water

Add eggs, vanilla, milk and 1 c. water Add flour and baking powder. Fold in blueberries. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 min.

If you are interested in purchasing the THRIVE foods used in this recipe at a discounted price, you may do so directly on my Shelf Reliance Website. If you would like to lower the prices you see there by 1%-4%, you can attend or host a party or create a Q.

Tomato Soup

So, I told you I would be posting some great recipes that you can make with one of my very favorite THRIVE products: Tomato Powder. I've already shown you how to make tomato paste, sauce, and juice for less than you can buy them at the grocery store. Now, you can try this yummy, homemade (think HEALTHY) Tomato Soup:

• 5 Cups water
• 3/4 - 1 1/4 cup (depending on your preference) THRIVE Tomato Powder
• 1/2 c. THRIVE instant milk
• 1 T. THRIVE Carrot Dices
• 3 T. THRIVE Celery
• 1 T. THRIVE Onion
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp basil
  

Mix all ingredients and heat to a simmer over medium high heat. Allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes. If you like a somewhat chunky soup, you can eat it as is. Or, you can blend it in a blender or food processor. I blended mine and it was wonderful!

If you are interested in purchasing these products at a discounted price,** you may do so directly on my Shelf Reliance Website. If you would like to lower the prices you see there by 1%-4%, you can attend or host a party or create a Q.

**Prices based on the Spring 2011 price list which will be accurate until at least April 1st 2011. You can contact me or visit my Shelf Reliance website for the current discounted pricing**

Pancake Mix

I want to share with you some of the mixes I create using THRIVE ingredients. I will start today with my pancake mix.

I found this recipe a few years ago while looking for a whole wheat pancake recipe. I wanted a way to incorporate whole wheat into my family's diet so that if we every had to live on it, our bodies would be used to it. Did you know that if you don't regularly eat whole wheat and then suddenly start consuming a lot, you will likely get very sick? I wanted to avoid that for my family.

I found this recipe on the King Arthur website. They have many incredible recipes. I highly recommend their website if you are looking for ways to incorporate whole wheat flour into your diet.

I've adapted it to use THRIVE powders:

4 c. whole wheat flour (I use whole white wheat)
1 c. all-purpose flour
3 1/2 cups rolled oats
3 T. sugar
3 T. baking powder
1 T. salt
1 T. baking soda
1 c. shortening powder
1 1/4 c. whole egg powder
1 1/4 c. powdered milk

Grind the oats in a food processor or blender until they are very fine (almost a powder), then mix will all other ingredients.

You can stop there for just a basic, healthy & tasty pancake mix. My kids love them!

Or, you can add your favorite THRIVE freeze dried fruit for fun. When I do add fruit, I usually add about 1 1/2 cup. You can add it whole if you want the chunks of fruit in your pancakes (I do this with blueberries or raspberries), or you can crush it to a powder if you just want the flavor (I do this with bananas)

When ready to make pancakes, add 1 cup water to 1 cup mix and blend. If you did add the fruit, add an extra 2 T. water. Batter will seem very thin at first, but the oats (and fruit) will soak it up and it will thicken as it stands. Let it stand for about 20 minutes before cooking.

Cook as you would any other pancake. 1 cup mix should make 7-9 4-inch pancakes.

These are also great topped with raspberry sauce!

The mix will have a shelf life of 6 months (the shelf life of the eggs) if left sealed in your cupboard or on your counter. If you store it sealed in your freezer, it should last for a few years!

Total Cost for #10 cans required for this recipe: $113.82**

• You will get: About 300 4-inch pancakes and have $77.92** in sugar, baking powder, salt, baking soda, shortening, milk and eggs left over.
  
• Cost per pancake: $0.12 using all THRIVE ingredients**

You can lower that cost by 5% by purchasing each ingredient in a case of six.

If you are interested in purchasing ingredients at the above discounted prices,** you may do so on my Shelf Reliance Website.

**Prices based on the Spring 2011 price list. You can contact me or visit my Shelf Reliance website for the current discounted pricing**

Baby Food Storage: Make baby food in minutes from freeze dried produce

I have often considered making my own baby food. There are many advantages to making your own vs. buying it at the store:

• No additives

There are thickeners, fluoride, and other additives in store bought baby food

• More Nutritious

Store bought baby food loses nutrients in the canning process

• Lower Price

At $0.40-$0.80 a jar, it is far less expensive to make your own

• Environmentally Friendly

What happens to all the jars of baby food you buy? They go in the garbage!

However, there is one huge disadvantage that has kept me from ever actually trying this project:

Time!

I have four kids 3 years old and under. I don't have a lot of spare time to make my own food. I've also enjoyed the peace of mind storing jars of baby food gave me: it was food storage for my baby. I couldn't provide that as easily when making my own food because it had to be stored in the fridge / freezer and I needed that space for other things. For those reasons, I've loved the convenience of store bought baby food too much to give it up. That is until I found freeze dried fruits and vegetables.


Freeze dried fruits and vegetables are amazing: completely different from dehydrated foods. They contain no added sugar, salt or other preservatives, they retain 90% (or more) of their original nutrients, they are often less expensive (per serving) than the fresh product and they have an extremely long shelf life. They will last for 25 years! In addition, they are very easy to use and take very little time to rehydrate.

I decided to try making baby food from these products. I'm so glad I did b/c it is going to save us so much money with our newest little addition (Hanna is just 5 weeks old). It will also be healthier and I will be able to add baby food storage to my home store!

It is so simple! All you do is:

• Add 1/2 c. water to 1 1/2 c. freeze dried produce.
• Let it sit for just a few minutes (6-7 in cold water or 2-3 in warm water)
  
• Mix in a blender or food processor
  
• Add water a few tablespoons at a time and continue blending until you reach your desired consistency.
• Makes 5-7 4 oz. servings (depending on how much water you add)
  

No need to boil large amounts of produce each week, blend it, and put it in Tupperware or jars. You can easily and quickly make just what your baby needs to eat each day! Healthy food with no additives that is affordable and doesn't hurt the environment! It doesn't get better than that!

These same products can also be given to older children in place of fruit snacks or used in easy casserole recipes, easy soup recipes, or breads and muffins. They can provide security and peace of mind because with a 25 year shelf life, they also work as long term storage or "food insurance" for your family!

Shelf Reliance has 11 varieties of freeze dried fruit and 10 varieties of freeze dried vegetables. Many cost less per serving than the same products fresh and you can get them all year long. One #10 can costs anywhere from $11.19 for cauliflower - $33.19 for pineapple and while it depends on the product, you should get 50-70 4oz serving out of each can so that comes to $0.16-$0.66 per 4 oz serving (1 jar).

You can buy each product in single #10 cans or in a 6 pack of cans (to save an additional 5% per serving). In addition, they are currently offering the following packages at an amazing price per serving:

Freeze Dried Tropical Fruit Package: $120**
Six #10 Cans: about $0.29 - $0.41 per 4 oz serving

• 1 Can Banana Slices
• 1 Can Mangoes
• 1 Can Pineapple
• 1 Can Apricots
• 1 Can Pears
• 1 Can Peaches

Ultimate Veggie Pack: $383.99**
Thirty #10 Cans: about $0.18-$0.26 per 4 oz serving for the freeze dried veggies

• 2 Cans Freeze Dried Green Peas
• 3 Cans Freeze Dried Sweet Corn
• 2 Cans Freeze Dried Green Beans
• 1 Can Freeze Dried Mushrooms
• 2 Cans Freeze Dried Broccoli
• 2 Cans Freeze Dried Spinach
• 2 Cans Freeze Dried Potato Dices
  
• 2 Cans Potato Chunks
• 1 Can Split Green Peas
• 2 Cans Bell Peppers
• 4 Cans Potato Pearls
• 3 Cans Sweet Potatoes
• 4 Cans Carrot Dices

Ultimate Fruit Pack: $483.99**
Thirty #10 Cans: about $0.30-$0.43 per 4 oz serving for the freeze dried fruits

• 1 Can Freeze Dried Apricots
• 2 Cans Freeze Dried Banana Slices
• 2 Cans Freeze Dried Blackberries
• 2 Cans Freeze Dried Blueberries
• 2 Cans Freeze Dried Mangoes
• 2 Cans Freeze Dried Peaches
• 2 Cans Freeze Dried Pears
• 1 Can Freeze Dried Pineapple
• 2 Cans Freeze Dried Raspberries
• 2 Cans Freeze Dried Strawberries
• 3 Apple Chips
• 3 Banana Chips
• 3 Pineapple
• 3 Apples Slices

If you are interested in buying these products in #10 cans or 6 pk cases at the above discounted prices, you may do so through my Shelf Reliance website. If you are interested in the packages, please contact me as they are not yet available on the main shelf reliance site.

If you have any questions about how I make baby food, leave me a comment!

**Prices based on the Winter 2011 price list which is valid until March 1st. Price after March 1st 2011 may be different.**

Beef Stew

This recipe originally came from my sister-in-law, Jonelle. She is an amazing cook. I've adapted it to use THRIVE ingredients. Using THRIVE made this a very simple and easy meal since all the veggies are all pre-cut and the meat is pre-cut and precooked! I made this last night and it was tasty:
**Photo from LaaLoosh: Not my own kitchen**

• 1 1/2-2 cups THRIVE freeze dried roast beef
• 1/3-1/2 cup THRIVE tomato powder
• 8 cups water
• 1 tsp sage
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp THRIVE beef bullion
• dash of pepper
• 2 tsp garlic salt
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4-1/3 c. THRIVE freeze dried celery
• 2-3 T. THRIVE carrot dices
• 2-3 T. THRIVE freeze dried onion
• 1/2 c. THRIVE freeze dried potato dices

Combine tomato powder, water, sage, salt, bullion, pepper, garlic salt and worcestershire sauce in a microwave safe bowl. Heat on high for 2 min. Put beef, celery, carrots, onion and potatoes in crockpot. Pour tomato mixture over vegetables and beef. Cook 4-5 hours on low. Makes nine or ten 12-14 oz servings.

**Notes**

• I left the sage, pepper, garlic salt and worcestershire sauce out this last time since those are not ingredients you can get from Shelf Reliance. It still tasted great. However, those are all items I keep in my food storage anyway.
• You can also make this very quickly over the stove (not in a crockpot). Just boil everything for about 10-15 minutes to make sure it is all well hydrated.

Total Cost for #10 cans required for this recipe: $157.81**

• You will get: 80 servings and have lots of bullion, tomato powder, celery, onions and carrots left over.
• Cost per 13 oz serving: $0.70 using THRIVE ingredients
• Average cost for 19 oz can of soup at the grocery store = $1.50.
• Savings by using THRIVE ingredients: around $0.19 per 13 oz serving

You can lower that cost by 5% purchasing ingredients in a case of 6.

There is also a great special running right now (until at least 3/1/11) on a meat package that brings the cost per serving even below the case pricing.

Premium Meats Essentials Pack: $184**
288 Servings in Six #10 Cans

• 2 Cans Roast Beef
• 2 Cans Chicken Dices
• 2 Cans Ground Beef

This package brings the cost of the beef from $39.75 per can to $30.67 per can saving you an additional $0.15 per serving.**

If you are interested in purchasing these ingredients, please contact me first to set up a preferred customer account to get the quoted prices!

**Prices based on the Winter 2011 price list which is valid until March 1st. Price after March 1st 2011 may be different.**