MM - Baby Days! Snackage.....

Happy Monday everyone!!!

I don't know about all of you, but snacks make the world go 'round in our household. Once Noah could eat solids, snacks were gold, in fact, this is still the case! My little guy is a super eater and loves meal time. Most of the time we are super busy and snacks fill the gaps for us. So today I thought that I would give you some "food for thought"!

Has anyone tried those yogurt bites that they have in the baby isle? Either the gerber brand or the store brand, to me they taste so weird. Now, have you tried the THRIVE yogurt bites? AMAZING!!!! In my humble opinion, the THRIVE yogurt bites melt easier in the little ones mouth, taste WAY better, and kiddos love them!! Not to mention that they are a ton cheaper! Noah's fav is Strawberry!

The thing I love most about THRIVE foods is that they make the perfect snack right out of the can! The fruits and veggies are awesome for when your little one starts to feed themselves! Try the peas, corn, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, mangos, and pears! They are great starter foods and they love the crunch! Noah absolutlely loves the fruits and veggies especially while he is teethin!! The applesauce is also amazing!



What about when they get a little older and goldfish are the bomb.com? Well, I was perusing the THRIVE cookbook the other day and I found this little gem! AMAZING!!! We made a batch this weekend and they were devoured!!!

***I have to add a disclaimer. I don't have an actual picture of the ones that we made this weekend. They were gobbled up rather quickly and I forgot to take a picture in the craziness that happened this weekend. Me and Noah got some burns on saturday as i was cooking. Some hot oil splashed on the both of us. Things have been just a little out of whack ever since then. ***


Photo courtesy of THRIVE Cookbook

Here is what you will need:
1 1/4 Cups TRIVE Flour (Whole wheat or white)
1/2 Cup THRIVE Cheese Blend
1/8 teaspoon THRIVE Baking Soda
1/4 teaspoon THRIVE Salt
3 Tablespoons Oil (I use coconut oil)
1/2 Cup Water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all your dry ingredients. Slowly add oil until the mixture is crumbly. SLOWLY add water until you form a tight dough.
Roll out you dough very thin (they will puff up when they bake) about 1/8 of an inch. Cut into squares or your favorite shape. Poke a hole in the top of them and transfer onto a greased cookie sheet. Sprinkle with salt.
Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden. Cool completely before removing them from the pan.
Happy Snackin!

Vegetarian Breakfast Pizza

Using Your April 2013 Q

Something I've had requests about lately is more vegetarian THRIVE recipes.  I have a recipe that comes from my mother-in-law that is a simple all inclusive meal that she typically serves when she is making coffee cakes or something else sweet and with a fruit platter as a final side.  Although her original recipe is not vegetarian, looking at it I realized that it would be easy to convert it to something tasty, THRIVE-ing and Veggieful.

Because the Bacon TVP is on sale this month, I tried adding that on the top, but forgot to take a picture of the just veggie finished product.  Sorry about that!  Other products from the April Q being used in this recipe include FD Cheddar Cheese, and FD Potato Dices.

Here's the line up of ingredients I used for the Vegetarian version (minus the sausage of course!).  I will also be adding a strictly 100% THRIVE Breakfast recipe meal to the 30 Days of THRIVE soon.

Original Breakfast Pizza Recipe adapted from Bev Breunig's Recipe

1 (8 oz.) can crescent rolls
4 eggs
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1/2 c milk
1 c Swiss or Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 lb bacon
2 c hash brown potatoes

Fry bacon; break into tiny pieces.  Brown hash browns lightly.  Separate crescent dough into 4 rectangles.  Place in ungreased 9x13 in pan. Press over bottom and 1/2 in up the sides to form crust.  Beat eggs, add milk, salt and pepper.  Pour over crust.  Add bacon, cheese and hash browns.  Spread evenly over top.  Bake 25-28 minutes at 350 degrees, or until golden brown.  Serve immediately.

Full Page Printable Recipe

THRIVE Vegetarian Breakfast Pizza

1 (8 oz.) can crescent rolls
3/4 c THRIVE Scrambled Egg Mix
2 T THRIVE Instant Milk
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 1/4 c water

1/4 c THRIVE FD Onion
1/2 c THRIVE FD Green Bell Pepper (or 1/4 each red and green)
1/2 c THRIVE FD Mushrooms
2 c THRIVE FD Potato Dices
1 c water

1 c THRIVE FD Cheddar Cheese
1/2 c water (drizzled slowly...do not just dump it!)

1/3 c THRIVE Bacon TVP (Optional)
Chef's Choice Seasoning (Optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Separate crescent dough into 4 rectangles.  Place in ungreased 9x13 in pan.  Press over bottom and 1/2 in up the sides to form crust.
2. Measure Onions, Bell Peppers, Mushrooms, Potato Dices and combine into a bowl then add 1 cup of water.  Allow to soak through for 2 minutes.  Mix thoroughly with a fork to ensure that all of the veggies get rehydrated. Set aside.
3. Measure Cheddar Cheese into a bowl. Slowly drizzle cold water on the cheese turning over softly with a fork for a minute.  Set aside.
4. Combine Scrambled Egg Mix and Instant Milk Powder, salt and pepper then add 1 1/4 c water.  Pour mixture over the crescent dough crust. Pour the vegetable mixture on top of the egg mixture in the pan. Sprinkle cheese on top of the whole mixture.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 27-30 minutes. If using optional Bacon TVP take out after 24 minutes, sprinkle dish with Bacon TVP and Chef's Choice Seasoning, then return to the oven for the remaining 3-6 minutes.

It so easy and mess-free using your THRIVE ingredients and a little water:

Mama Mondays - Healthy Mama Series

Good Morning Mamas!

I am so glad that you are joining us again this Monday! Today is an exciting one because I will be introducing another series as a part of Mama Mondays! This is something that I am really passionate about and something I have personally struggled with. Being a Healthy Mama!!!

I will be adding great tips, tricks, and recipes to help you throughout your pregnancy and again while breastfeeding! Tune in every 2nd Monday of the month!

Perhaps a little back story would help you understand why I care so much about healthy mamas!!!

When I was pregnant with Noah (He was a pleasant surprise FYI), I was waist deep in a very intensive Diagnostic Medical Sonography Degree. It required that I work 40 hr week at my clinical internship site (which was 45 minutes from home), and put in about 30 more hours of study, assignment time, just to stay afloat!! I was not an overachiever my any means! I was highly stressed and worn out! This did not make ideal conditions for a pregnancy. Once I started thinking about it, most moms now have to deal with less than ideal conditions while pregnant these days. So what can we do to make sure that we stay as healthy as possible? Let me tell you what I did.....

#1 Drink TONS of water!!!

While pregnant or nursing water is vital! You need plenty of water to keep you babies amniotic fluid at a good level as well as to clean the fluid. It is also very important for your own body. You are giving up so much to help that little one grow, your body needs the water to maintain its cells and critical functions, like the kidneys.

#2 Take some time for exercise!

I really loved to stretch while I was pregnant. You can find prenatal yoga and mediation videos everywhere!! This really helps to relieve some stress and help many fluids in your body to circulate much better!! Deep breaths and pamper those muscles!!! This can also help blood circulation and prevent varicose veins if done regularly.

#3 Plan to succeed!!! Plan Snacks & Meals!!!!

Make sure that you have a great eating plan. If you have a plan and take time to prepare your meals and snacks, you are giving yourself a head start. You are less likely to choose something that will will set you back. Healthy snacks and meals are essential to give your body the right fuel to keep you energized and grow that cute little baby! Here is some of my best advice....

Eat a really good breakfast! Make sure that you have a great protein source and that you add in some veggies!!! This gives you the best head start! MY favorite is to make an egg, veggie, and cheese omelet! Take your THRIVE Scrambled egg mix and create a "bed" for your favorite veggies and cheese. My favorite veggies are THRIVE Green Chile, THRIVE Asparagus, THRIVE Spinach, THRIVE Onions, and THRIVE Red and Green Bell peppers! I usually top it with just a little THRIVE Cheddar Cheese. Add some THRIVE Instant Milk and some THRIVE Quick Oatmeal to boost breast milk production!

Make sure that you plan some healthy snacks! One of my favorite snacks in the morning is an assortment of Yogurt bites and fruit and nuts! This ensures that you get a little protein! Add in any of your favorite THRIVE yogurt bites and favorite THRIVE fruits to some almonds and you are good to go! For a snack towards the afternoon (this is usually when most people begin to crave the sweets!) I love to add in something with a crunch! I LOVE the THRIVE Corn! It is almost like eating popcorn, but a little sweeter to satisfy my sweet tooth!

Make sure that your lunch is packed with good stuff! I love a great chicken salad with some fruit! Combine some of our THRIVE Superstars for a great lunch! Chicken, Onion, Celery, Apples or grapes, and some red or green bell peppers make an amazing chicken salad!

 

At dinner time it is important to pay attention to your balance between the carbs and proteins! You growing baby needs good proteins and veggies to carry you through the night. One of my favorite go to dinners is a stir fry! You get tons of protein and veggies in! Check back next Monday for my THRIVE Sizzle! Stir Fry recipe!!!

Last but not least, make sure that you are treating yourself! One of the biggest mistakes people make when trying to be healthy is that they feel like you have to completely cut out all the "Bad" things! NOT!!! If you love ice cream....eat a little ice cream!! The trick is, only eat a true serving size!!

#4 Perhaps the most important, Get good Sleep!

Getting enough sleep is so important when pregnant or nursing and probably the hardest to come by! Try and help yourself by winding down about 30 minutes before bed by doing some stretches and rubbing your feet. Use some lotion and really try to calm yourself down.

 

Try to remember that in order to take care of your growing little ones, you have to take care of yourself! Once you start you will love it!!  

Say Cheese!

As promised, I am going to let you in on more of the fantastic sales going on.  I know that the new price list is coming out on October 2nd, but do not yet know what things are going up or down, so I would suggest if any of these sales call out to you that you grab them before they are gone!

Click to view our Freeze Dried Cheeses

WHAT'S LIFE WITHOUT CHEESE?

Okay, tell me honestly, what would your life be like without cheese?  When I talk to people who have had to go Dairy-free, the most commonly missed food item is almost invariably cheese.

It is the magic in most casseroles and in many soups.  I love it in salad and of course quesadillas or grilled cheese- make that most sandwiches.  So what is life without cheese? Nothing.

Maybe that's a little dramatic.  Let's just say life is slightly empty.

On to the sale...





CHEESE VARIETY 6 PACK
For sale is a case of THRIVE's top quality Cheese Variety Pack.  This pack contains #10 cans of the following;
(3) FD Cheddar Cheese (*a savings of $5 off retail each)
(1) FD Monterey Cheese (*a savings of almost $6 off retail)
(1) FD Mozzarella Cheese (*a savings of $1 off retail)
(1) FD Colby Cheese (*a savings of almost $8 retail)

This averages out to $41.99 a piece or in Colby's case 1.058 per oz.  When buying an individual can of Colby Cheese* it is 1.254 per oz so this is a significant savings.

*Compared to buying individually at retail pricing.

Unfortunately, these deals are only available for the contiguous US.  Please go here for the shipping and return policies.

HOW DO I GET THESE SALES?
1. Email me giving me your first and last name and the area to which Shelf Reliance will be shipping the food.

2. Wait for my response either giving you a password for my discount site, or notifying you that your information has been switched as well as attaching all current sales.

3. Write me back and let me know which sales you are most interested in and a good time to call you back so we can place the order.  Tada! Big savings without a lot of effort :)

Optional 4th step.  Become a walking coupon and share my website with your friends.  You can earn up to 10% in free product of referral credit.  Here's the full chart.

Tomorrow I'm going to fill you in on ALOT more sales.

Tell me, what is your favorite food that includes cheese?

Light and Easy Alfredo Pasta

I had my beautiful niece, Lauren, visiting me from Virginia this summer (I miss her and so do my kids:( wiping away tears) and we did some cooking when she'd come over to my house a couple of times a week. Did I mention I miss her.. I wish I'd had money to buy a Cube-our deal to get her to stay and watch my children, forever... okay back on topic.


We were on a mission to make something that can bring so much comfort to the soul but that has a bad reputation for all of the grease puddles, healthier. I am delighted to tell you that we found a recipe that we LOVE that only has ½ T of oil. Some of the fat is made up in Parmesan Cheese, but its a much healthier fat- woohoo! Next step, BEG Shelf Reliance to start making Freeze Dried Garlic and Parsley, yum!
Not cooking with food storage? Skip down to the bottom.


Printable Recipe THRIVE recipe on page 1, non-THRIVE on page 2


Light and Easy Alfredo Sauce
Prep Time:25-35 minutes(depending on how long you leave it in the oven) Serves:6-8
Ingredients:
½ T Extra Virgin Olive Oil                     1 T THRIVE Chicken Bouillon
1 T garlic                                               3 T Flour
½ T THRIVE onions                           1 t salt
3 c water                                                ¼ t black pepper
5 T THRIVE Instant Milk powder      Dried Parsley
½ c grated Parmesan Cheese

1. Saute garlic garlic, onions, and EVOO until golden brown in large non-stick pan.
   
2. In a small saucepan, stir together water, milk powder, bouillon, flour, salt and pepper. Stir until smooth and thick.
   
3. Add milk mixture to the sauteed garlic mixture and continue to cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until sauce is thick.
   
4. Stir in the Parmesan cheese then sprinkle with parsley and your done!
   

Want to make of meal of it? Let's do it!
This sauce works well with all sorts of noodles. We started with a campanelle noodle, but also tried egg noodles. If using store bought noodles, cook up a full package. If using THRIVE noodles, you have spaghetti, macaroni , and egg noodles to choose from.


Alfredo Pasta Casserole
Ingredients:
1 package of pasta or 6 c THRIVE egg noodles       1 c THRIVE FD Spinach or FD Broccoli
2 c THRIVE FD Chicken                                        1 recipe Light and Easy Alfredo Sauce
¼ c cold water                                                        1 c THRIVE FD Mozzerella Cheese

1. Begin boiling water to cook noodles.
   
2. Saute garlic garlic, onions, and EVOO until golden brown in large non-stick pan.
   
3. Add noodles to water to be boiled.
   
4. In another small saucepan, stir together water, milk powder, bouillon, flour, salt and pepper. Stir until smooth and thick.
   
5. Add milk mixture to the sauteed garlic mixture and continue to cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until sauce is thick. Stir in the Parmesan cheese then sprinkle with parsley.
   
6. Place Mozzerella Cheese on a plate and spread the cheese flat. Pour ¼ c cold water on top of cheese and allow to soak up water. Place FD Spinach (or FD Broccoli) with FD Chicken in your 9x13 casserole dish.
   
7. Before draining your noodles, reserve 1 c water and pour it on your veggies and chicken. If there is a lot of excess water, you can add more veggie in. Drain noodles and rinse with cold water so they don't get too soft.
   
8. Pour your noodles in a 9x13 pan and mix around with the veggies and chicken. Coat noodle mixture evenly with Alfredo Sauce and stir. Sprinkle Mozzarella cheese over the rest of your dish.
   
9. Cook at 350 about 10 minutes or until cheese is slightly melted and crisp.\
   -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   
   
   Don’t have THRIVE?  You can still make this dish, you’ll just need to make sure you have precooked chicken and veggies.
   Light and Easy Alfredo Sauce
   Ingredients:
   ½ T Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 T Chicken Bouillon
   1 T garlic 3 T Flour
   ½ T dried onions 1 t salt
   3 c milk ¼ t black pepper
   ½ c grated Parmesan Cheese Dried Parsley
   1. Saute garlic garlic, onions, and EVOO until golden brown in large non-stick pan.
   2. In a small saucepan, stir together milk, bouillon, flour, salt and pepper. Stir until smooth and thick.
   3. Add milk mixture to the sauteed garlic mixture and continue to cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until sauce is thick.
   4. Stir in the Parmesan cheese then sprinkle with parsley and your done!
   
   This sauce works well with all sorts of noodles. We started with a campanelle noodle, but also tried egg noodles. If using store bought noodles, cook up a full package. If using THRIVE noodles I would use 1 lb of noodles which is about 6 cups, you can add more or less if you need to stretch it further or keep it more saucy.
   
   Alfredo Pasta Casserole
   Prep Time: 25-35 minutes (depending on how long you heat it in the oven) Serves 6-8
   Ingredients: 1 recipe Light and Easy Alfredo Sauce
   1 package of pasta or ½  c frozen Spinach, defrosted
   6 c any noodles 2 c Cooked Chicken
   ¼ c cold water 1 c shredded Mozzerella Cheese
   1. Begin boiling water to cook noodles.
   2. Saute garlic garlic, onions, and EVOO until golden brown in large non-stick pan.
   3. Add noodles to water to be boiled.
   4. In another small saucepan, stir together water, milk powder, bouillon, flour, salt and pepper. Stir until smooth and thick.
   5. Add milk mixture to the sauteed garlic mixture and continue to cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until sauce is thick. Stir in the Parmesan cheese then sprinkle with parsley.
   6. Place Mozzarella Cheese on a plate and spread the cheese flat. Pour ¼ c cold water on top of cheese and allow to soak up water. Place FD Spinach (or FD Broccoli) with FD Chicken in your 9x13 casserole dish.
   7. Drain your noodlesand rinse with cold water so they don't get too soft.
   8. Pour your noodles in a 9x13 pan and mix around with the veggies and chicken. Coat noodle mixture evenly with Alfredo Sauce and stir. Sprinkle Mozzarella cheese over the rest of your dish.
   9. Cook at 350 about 10 minutes or until cheese is slightly melted and crisp.
   
   
   
   
   I hope Lauren comes back next summer!

Meals in Minutes: Taco Soup

Ever gone camping and wished that you had something light weight, quick and easy for dinner that was filling, not greasy and inexpensive....hey me too!  Are you a mom or dad without a whole lot of time to throw dinner together and wish that you could have something healthy and tasty that could be waiting for you in your pantry when dinner time approaches?  I have been reading Dinner is in the Jar by Kathy Clark and making changes to these recipes that make it a little more user friendly for my family.  For example, if I was supposed to be soaking beans overnight and then start simmering them for 2 hours before dinner, it wouldn't have helped me as much as if I had beans that were ready to go.  That is why I LOVE Shelf Reliance Instant Beans.  This first recipe I am posting for you is one that taste's absolutely fabulous and can actually be done in about 20 minutes.  Because you don't have to pre-soak the beans, everything can go in the same bag.  This makes it all the more tempting to rig up 10 bags at once (ok, maybe more like 4) so you have future dinners set and ready to go. Thank you to Kathy Clark who got the seasonings perfect on this one.  Hope you like the Shelf Reliance doctored soup. My husband said I, "have full permission to make this soup again and again."  Basically his way of saying he loves it!  Also, since Taco TVP is the Qpon item of the month, I thought it convenient to include a recipe which would taste great with Taco TVP.

Something else I should mention is that I typically don't put my food in Jars.  I prefer to use those for when I can beans, chicken, meat or veggies so I use mylar bags for my "Meals in Minutes".  To learn more about mylar and oxygen absorbers, this is where I bought mine. These are also very convenient for when you are camping.  Mylar bags are also reusable so you can just trim the top off to open then save them for the next time you fill bags.  I put an oxygen absorber in my bags to keep the product fresh and crisp.  If you are making a meal that you are going to be eating soon  (like in a couple of days) you can use a freezer bag with a good zip lock and it should work just fine.



Taco Soup
Bag Ingredients:
1 c THRIVE Instant Red Beans
1 c THRIVE Instant Pinto Beans
1 1/2 c  THRIVE Freeze Dried Ground Beef THRIVE Beef TVP, or 3/4 c THRIVE Taco TVP (you can substitute 1 lb ground beef instead of THRIVE meat)
1 c THRIVE Freeze Dried corn
2 T THRIVE Mixed Bell Peppers
2 T THRIVE Chopped Onions
1/4 c ranch dressing mix (about 1 packet of Hidden Valley Ranch Powder)
2 T chili powder
1 t garlic powder
1/4 t THRIVE oregano
1/2 t paprika
2 t cumin
1 t seasoning salt
1/8 t ground black pepper
Pinch of cayenne pepper

Additional Ingredients:
9 c water
2 cans of diced tomatoes (2 1/2 c THRIVE Tomato Dices w/1 c water)

Optional toppings: (I've used THRIVE cheese & sour cream or just regular stuff from the grocery market.  Depends on if you are in a situation with refrigeration or not!)
cheese
sour cream
tortilla chips


Directions:
Bring water to a boil then turn off the heat and immediately add all of the other ingredients from the bag and cover the pot.  Let all of the ingredients sit for 5 minutes to begin rehydrating.  Add tomatoes, recover, then bring to a simmer allowing it to simmer for another 10-15 minutes.   Top individual bowls with shredded cheese, sour cream and crushed tortilla chips.


If you live in the Denver area or somewhere close by and would like to attend one of my Meals-in-Minutes group nights and store up a bunch of dinners for your family, contact me at Tiffany@HelpingFamiliesThrive.com. If you'd like to search the Shelf Reliance website and get the guaranteed best pricing available without having to use a coupon, you can visit www.helpingfamilies.thrivelife.com/home.

Chicken Enchiladas featuring the Magic Mix

These recipe and excellent step-by-step directions come from Rena Hearn at http://thrivingtexasmama.blogspot.com

I love this book!  This was my first book I ever purchased about food storage, about a year before I became a Shelf Reliance consultant.   She breaks down how to use food storage items that you may be new to you, such as whole wheat, powdered eggs and powdered milk.  She also has conversion charts that I copied and keep in my kitchen for quick reference.

One of the wonderful things I learned from her book was how to make Magic Mix.  It was developed by the Utah State Extension Service as part of their Don't Waste Your Milk Campaign.  For some great recipes and ideas visit this link and download the top 5 files.

https://extension.usu.edu/?publications&srchStr=magic%20mix&start=0

I found lots of new uses for Magic Mix and can't wait to print these out and try them!

Magic Mix

2 1/3c THRIVE Non-fat Powdered Milk

1 c All Purpose Flour

1 c (2 sticks) Butter at room temperature.  (I have usedTHRIVE Butter Powder before!)

I use my Kitchen Aid Mixer with the wisk attachment.  To the flour and milk, simply add the butter a slice at a time.

Every now and then you may need to stop your mixer and strap the wisk.

When it has a cornmeal like texture you are done.  Don't over mix, because you don't want to warm up the butter and cause it to melt down...don't ask how I know that!   Store in an empty Thrive or coffee can in the fridge.

Chicken Enchiladas

1 cup THRIVE FD Chunk Chicken

1/4 cup THRIVE FD Mixed Peppers

1/4 cup THRIVE FD Onions

1 cup THRIVE FD Mozzerella Cheese

2/3 cup Magic Mix

1 cup boiling water

1 can Enchilada Sauce

1/4 cup THRIVE Sour Cream Powder

warm flour tortillas

Reconstitute the chicken, onions and mixed peppers in the same bowl by covering with water for about 15 minutes then drain.  Reconstitute the cheese by placing in a plastic bowl with lid and adding 1T of water.  Put lid on bowl and shake up!  Every few minutes give it another shake.

Place about 2 T chicken mixture on a flour tortilla, sprinkle with a little cheese and roll up.  Place in glass casserole dish that has been sprayed with nonstick spray.  How many it makes will depend on how much chicken you like in them.

To make sauce wisk in 2/3 cup Magic Mix into boiling water. 

Stir as it thickens!  Add salt, pepper and garlic to taste.   Stir in enchilada sauce.

Wisk in THRIVE Sour Cream Powder.  Pour over enchiladas and top with any remaining cheese.  Bake in 350 degree oven until sauce is nice and bubbling hot. 

YUMMY!!!  Give it a try and let me know how it turns out.

More great recipes with Magic Mix are coming soon!  I LOVE this stuff!!

It's easy to keep up with the great sales and recipes! Just subscribe to stay up to date!  If you are interested in winning the Free Harvest 72" be sure to "Like Me" on Facebook and follow me through my blog for extra entries in the drawing.