Strawberry Cheesecake or Pina Colada Muddy Buddies

My anniversary is coming up.   8 years of marriage...woohoo!  Annnnd we dated for 3 years preceding that so really to us it feels like an 11 year anniversary.

Even though Drew is training for a triathlon and probably doesn't actually have time to be indulging in a sweet tooth craving, I thought I'd be super considerate and make him something sweet anyway. ;)  He loves to munch (ask what he does after the kids go to bed almost every night to keep himself awake while he works late hours)  so I thought I'd help him switch it up a bit and add some zang to the late night hours.

This post can really be blamed on Dessert Now, Dinner Later who introduced the idea of Cherry Cheesecake Muddy Buddies.  Then, I was talking to Meilea about the Muddy Buddy recipes she's tried and she said her favorite is Strawberry Cheesecake.  I told her, I was thinking the same thing... man, these would taste so much better with Freeze Dried Strawberries added in for REAL Strawberry flavor.  And then my mind started wandering and I thought, self, Freeze Dried Pineapple is ALWAYS a hit... you must do the Muddy Buddies some justice and use REAL Pineapples in at least one recipe.  So I kindly listened to both trains of thought and created 2 recipes that I am SURE you are going to enjoy, like TODAY.

In fact, I'm so sure you'll enjoy them because my sister took a bag of these to her work to enjoy, and brought a baggie for her carpooling friend.  She came home with multiple requests for the recipes and $16 (and more money to come) to pay for baggies to be distributed at work.  Yes, they're awesome!

First up:
Strawberry Cheesecake Muddy Buddies

Ingredients:
10 c Chex cereal of choice
1 (12 oz) bag White Chocolate Chips
1 (10 oz) bag of Cherry Chips (or 2 white)
2 T Coconut Oil (you can use shortening)
3/4 c FD Strawberries, ground into powder
2 (4 oz) boxes Jello Brand Cheesecake Pudding Mix
1 c Powdered Sugar

Directions:
1. Grind Strawberries in your food processor or blender.
2. Get a ziplock bag and combine Strawberry Powder, Powdered Sugar and Cheesecake Pudding Mix.
3. Measure out your cereal into a large bowl.
4. Empty your White Chocolate Chips, Cherry Chips and Coconut Oil into a microwave safe bowl.  Microwave them for 30 seconds at a time stirring well in between each time increment.
5. Pour steadily over bowl of Chex mix and use a soft spatula to mix the melted chocolate around and completely cover the mix.  You will want to make sure there aren't huge chunks that need to be broken up before adding to the Powder Mixture.
6. Dump chocolate covered cereal into the Powder Mixture and shake until it is evenly coated.
7. Put into a serving container and ENJOY!

I like to premeasure everything so once the chips are melted,
we're ready to roll through all of the remainding steps.

Kid tested, Mother approved :)

Yes, even bloggers making a professional post find ways to make incredible messes.
I love how my nephew seizes the moment and thinks, sweet, I'm going to grab some while they're all over.

Second recipe for the day:

Pina Colada Muddy Buddies

Ingredients:

10 c Chex Cereal of your choice

1 (12 oz) bag of White Chocolate Chips

2 T Coconut Oil (or you can use shortening)

3/4 c FD Pineapple

1/2 c FD Vanilla Yogurt Bites (can replace with 1/4 c powdered sugar)

3/4 c Powdered Sugar

1/4 c Coconut Flakes, ground up slightly

1 (4 oz) box Jello Brand Coconut Creme Pudding Mix

Directions:

1. Grind Pineapple, Vanilla Yogurt and Coconut Flakes in your food processor or blender.
2. Get a ziplock bag and combine Pineapple, Coconut, and Yogurt Powder, Powdered Sugar and Coconut Creme Pudding Mix.
3. Measure out your cereal into a large bowl.
4. Combine White Chocolate Chips and Coconut Oil into a microwave safe bowl.  Microwave them for 30 seconds at a time stirring well in between each time increment.
5. Pour steadily over bowl of Chex mix and use a soft spatula to mix the melted chocolate around and completely cover the mix.  You will want to make sure there aren't huge chunks that need to be broken up before adding to the Powder Mixture.
6. Dump chocolate covered cereal into the Powder Mixture and shake until it is evenly coated.
7. Put into a serving container and ENJOY!

I'm a chocolate kinda girl, so of course I had to make a Reese's and Andes (different from this recipe) version.  I also found these Milky Way, and Cookies n' Cream versions to get started on.  YUM!

Thanks for stopping by!


Question of the Day:
  What is your favorite Muddy Buddy Recipe?

How to Use Powdered Milk

Printable Recipes and Instructions

Once you start storing powdered milk at home, you wonder how you ever went without it before.  It is so wonderful never having to run to the store last minute because you are out of milk or canned milk products like sweetened condensed milk.

The great thing about powdered milk is that it provides a large variety of things we have in our regular diets which we would have a difficult time doing with out including buttermilk, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, cheese, yogurt, cream cheese, cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, whipped cream… you get the picture.  So, if you like one or more of the proceeding items, you might want to consider getting some milk in your “Home Store”.

Powdered milk will become more than just a comfort food if we ever had to solely rely on food storage for dietary needs.  As you think about all of the calcium it provides for strong healthy bones in growing children and adults as well as a much more flavorful option than water in recipes it becomes a no brainer to add it to your home store.

Go here to learn more about the differences in powdered milks that are on the market as well as to learn why it is an important thing to stock up on for your Home Store. Click here to learn how to make Homemade Cream of Chicken or Cream of Mushroom soups.

Basic powdered milk conversions:

To Make:   You need	Water	THRIVE Instant Milk	Non-Instant
¼ cup	¼ cup	1-½ T	1 t
½ cup	½ cup	3 T-1/4 c	1 ½ T
1 cup	1 cup	1/3 c-1/2 c	3T
1 quart	1 quart	3/4c -1 c	1/3 c
1 pint	1 pint	1 1/2 -2 c	1-1/3 c
1 gallon	1 gallon	3-4 c	2-2/3 c

In most cases (like for baking bread) double the amount of powder for instant milk. I left variance in it because I know that some people like it stronger, but it is great with the lower amount.

When I taught a powdered milk class, hands down the THRIVE won 1st place.  I get people who drink it at my house all of the time who didn't realize it was "fake milk" or whatever nonbelievers like to call it ;)  We also sell a milk alternative we call non-fat powdered milk as well as a chocolate drink mix!

Now for the recipes!

Buttermilk aka Sour Milk

View this post for full details as well as a print out.  In recipes that call for buttermilk you simply need to put a teaspoon of either lemon juice or vinegar in the bowl, then add water and powdered milk.  Let it stand for 5 minutes as the acid creates the chemical reaction, then use as needed.

Evaporated Milk

1-1/2  C Water
1/2  C + 1 T non fat dry powdered milk

Blend very well in a blender. 

Evaporated Milk was created back in the 1920′s and 30's as a way to replace expensive cream and whole milk in recipes. It is whole milk with more than half the water removed before it is homogenized. DO NOT USE IT AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK. However, you can use it to substitute for half and half. Isn’t that great?! I know I don’t keep half and half stocked in my fridge. Use Evaporated Milk, made from your food storage, in any recipe by doubling the amount of the dry powdered milk and leaving the water the same. As a good rule of thumb to go by, for normal milk made from your powdered milk it is 3 T. dry powdered milk per 1 C. water and don’t forget there are 16 T. in a cup.

Sweetened Condensed Milk

½ c hot water              2T melted margarine or butter

1 c sugar                       1 c non fat dry powdered milk
1 t vanilla

Mix all ingredients in a blender or food processor. If lacking electricity you can boil the water beforehand and mix quickly with a whisk but it will not be as smooth.  Mix on high for one full minute. The mixture will be kind of thin, but will thicken up after standing for about an hour. This recipe makes about 1 ½ cups, or the equivalent of one can of condensed milk. This mixture stores in the fridge for a week, or for longer storage, freeze it for a few months, and then just thaw before using. The cans of Sweetened Condensed Milk cost about $1.50 in the store so this is a great deal with very little effort involved in the process!

Shop now!  

What are YOU doing to create a Peace of Mind?

I get asked pretty frequently so what do YOU buy?  What do YOU do to prepare?  I try to write mini posts from time to time on my favorite products, but I thought it might be more helpful to have a post each month where you can see my goals for the month and keep me accountable.  I in turn would also love to hear what you are doing to bring your home more peace of mind.

I am a very goal oriented, list making person.  It’s pretty silly but I’m even the type that if I’ve accomplished something that wasn’t on the list, I write in on the list and mark it off.  It helps me recognize all of my accomplishments and stay focused on long term goals.  I figure the beginning of the month when I am already planning my financial budget, monthly Q and purchases, and posting sales for the month would also be a good reminder for me to make a list of priorities on the blog.

Things I accomplished during April

-  I bought my Kindle Cook Kit and extra Flameless Pouches!

THRIVE Life just released the Kindle at Convention this year and I am particularly excited about this product because I think it will be perfect to add to my 72 hour kits.  Because it is a flameless heating source, it is something that I can even teach my 5 year old to use so if (Heaven forbid) we were to be separated for some reason, he'd be able to heat an instant entree.  (Just realized, I need to add the goal of teaching my son to use this and use his 72 hour kit to the list)

-         I bought my GP Tent.  Woohoo!

If there were a huge catastrophe, I want to be able to have a portable home for my family to live in should we be misplaced from our home.  This was something I've been waiting to get for 2 years.  I did a little happy dance 2 weekends ago when I was FINALLY able to check that off of my list of things to do.

-   Bought my Stove in a Can and Replacement Fuel

Although I hope for my Sun Oven to be my main form of cooking on a daily basis in an emergency situation and Volcano Stove to be my back up, I recognize that living in Denver means that the weather is crazy and unpredictable.  I need to start planning alternative options in case there are situations that prevent us from using our first two options. These are some of the benefits of the Stove in a Can:

     * Works well in extreme weather conditions
     * Can boil water in less than 5 minutes
     * Compact and portable (excellent for 72 hour kits)
     * Easy to set up and take down
     * Fuel source is safe and non-explosive
     * The replacement fuel is nice because each disk provides an hour of fuel.
      
-         Got more cooking oils in storage.

-         Got my Sawyer Water Filter

I love that this product is guaranteed for 1 MILLION gallons of water.  This means clean water for life.  Before this product was released, I had been most excited about my Katadyn Pocket Filter (which I still like and think will be good for on the go situations) but if we are going to be needing a filtered water source long term, I love that I won't be having to ask, gee, I wonder how many more gallons of water this filter is good for.  AMAZING!

Preparation Goals for May

***Main Goal*** I want to have a typed out Year Long Meal Plan for Food Storage.

-         Links to recipes (print outs of each)

-         Figure out amount of food I need to have to make them
-    Figure out cooking plan for these meals.  (How much charcoal would I need for my Volcano Stove if cooking on it once a week, which meals will work in the Wonder Oven, Sun Oven... etc)
          o  Get 3 bags of charcoal in storage for use with my VolcanoStove since it is cheaper during the summer.

-         Convert 2 recipes from this list to THRIVE for the blog

          o   Make at least one meal in my SunOvens (since I have 2 at my home -only one is mine-, I would like to make a main meal in one and side dishes in the other.  Check out tips here)

-         Have at least one meal that includes each of the May Q items in it.


-     Buy Food Saver so I can start dry packing meals to have on hand for easy meals or grab n go situation.

          o  Use Food Saver to pack a meal to have 1 day every other week for a year. (26 jars) 

          o  Use Food Saver to pack a cookie recipe to have 1 day a month for a year. (12 jars) 

-         Try one bread in a jar recipe from www.thatsmyhome.com

          o  Use Food Saver to pack a bread in a jar recipe for each day for 2 weeks. (14 jars)

-     Buy my cylinder stove for my tent.

-     Print out Emergency Grab n Go Binder from Misty’s Site

-     Teach son and nephew how to use the Kindle Cook.  

-     Update clothing in 72 hour kits since baby will be coming soon.

Cinnamon Oatmeal Bath Soak - Thrifty Thursdays

Do you like babies' soft skin? Me too!

Since May is the month of Mothers Day, we thought it would be a perfect time to put together a few Homemade Spa Treatments that you can make as wonderful, well needed gifts. I think it would be fun to make a few of these, buy a candle and decorate a #10 can and make it a whole spa in a can experience for your mother, mother-in-law, wife, sister-in-law, best friend...etc.  We hope that you will enjoy these Thrifty Thursday posts and use them in your home right along with us.

How many of us take time to take a long warm bath?  I still remember that I had an 8th grade English teacher who told us that no matter what, she soaked in a long warm bath at least once a week.  She said she would light a candle, bring a book and lock the door so the kiddos would know to leave her alone and enjoy the quiet time.

I have kids that are too little for me to just lock out and plan on them taking care of themselves, but I can still make a goal to do something like this in the evening after they've gone to bed.  We deserve it, right?!

The first Spa Treatment we will be introducing to also happens to use quite a few bulk storage items.  What an awesome way to rotate through some things!  This recipe is close to the original from this site.  It also uses powdered milk which is on sale this month!

Cinnamon Oatmeal Bath Soak
Ingredients:
3/4 c oatmeal
1 c powdered milk
1/2 c baking soda
2 t cornstarch
1 t cream of tartar
1 t cinnamon
An air tight jar to keep out moisture (I just reused an old jam jar)

Directions:
1. Grind your oatmeal in a food processor.  Once it is finely ground, add your remaining ingredients and mix well with the food processor.
2. Put mixture in a moisture proof container so it will not go moldy in storage.
3. To use, simply add 1/2 c of the mixture in a warm full bath.  Soak and enjoy.

I decorated it with paper to be able to give it as a gift in a bucket, then realized since its going to be around water, the paper will get ruined.  I wrapped the paper with packing tape to protect the paper.

I thought it was cute because a little bit spilled on the table because I had been lazy and not got a funnel... anyway the kids were sooooo excited and started licking it up immediately.  My daughter was sad when I told her it was time for bed.  She said, Please don't wipe it mommy.  I'll eat it later.  So there you have it, makes your skin soft AND gives the kiddos taste buds a joy ride :)

May 2013 Q Specials

So far all of you out there enjoying the 75 or 80 degree weather, I just wanted to say Happy May Day!

It just started in the early hours of the morning and just keeps coming down.  I had to pick up my son from preschool and had completely forgotten that I needed to save some time to wipe off all of this snow so I could actually see where I am driving.  There were several inches.  I'd estimate 4 maybe.  You would think that this wouldn't be a surprise to me at this point, but after living in Las Cruces, NM for most of my life and having snow happen MAYBE once a year and even then it typically falls from the sky but melts once it reaches the ground, this weather coming in May is still a SHOCKER.

Now its all clear why Meilea did the grow your own potato bucket article and not me, huh?  I am dying to start having a window garden too.  They say the rule of thumb in Denver is not to plant before Mother's Day weekend so maybe this will be the last snow... or maybe once more since there are still almost 2 weeks left til that time.  Anywho, I am pretty sure this sporadic craziness is almost over. :)

So the wait is over for those of you wondering what deals you get to score for April.  It would appear that Chef Todd was getting ready for Cinco de Mayo as there are a few ingredients for South of the Border recipes.  Remember that you can still take advantage of April Sales and winter price lists until 5 pm today, but after that, we will be switching to these new sales and price lists.  That means you have a couple more hours to stock up on pineapples before you can stock up on blueberries.

Here you go!

Don't forget to edit your Q so you can shop the sales and earn points on all of your purchases!  Mine is shipping out in a couple of days so I am getting mine done today.  If you haven't heard of the Q, you can check out the monthly sales and delivery service here or see my blog post on the difference between the old Q and the new Q here.

Since the Nonfat Powdered Milk is on sale, you can look forward to a post on the uses of powdered milk next week, as well as a huge variety of recipes coming throughout the month.  I will be writing another post later this week with my goals for the month.  I would love some suggestions.  Thanks for stopping by!

30 Days of Thrive: Best Ever Cornbread

When I joined Shelf Reliance (now THRIVE Life) I was super impressed with the chicken salad, but the cornbread is what REALLY knocked off my family's socks off.  My kids would scarf those suckers down like they were cupcakes and they were the highlight of any meal. These aren't the bone-dry, flavorless crumbly mess that most cornbread turns into.  These are incredibly flavorful and sure to please as they have at every food demo I've done so far.

As you can guess, I can take no credit for this recipe because it was developed by THRIVE Life, but they allow us to share this awesome recipe with our lovely party attendees so, you can thank TL for this complementary side.

The best part is they are made out of ALL food storage.  Yay!

I will warn you that one time I made these with some store bought cornmeal that we had leftover from before I started buying THRIVE and I made this same recipe.  It's not the same.  There is something about the Yellow Dent Corn that they use and the texture they grind it that makes the THRIVE Cornmeal really something else.  My family did not enjoy it and tasted the difference.  It was the first time I'd ever made them that they weren't all gone within the meal.  Funny how these things work sometimes!

I am adding this to the 30 days of THRIVE list because we eat it with our Chicken and Rice dish, Taco Soup and THRIVE Express Entrees so I am sure that it will be included as sides in your family's dishes in the future as well.

Another thing that I love about these muffins is that they can be cooked in an 8x8 dish or in a 12 pan muffin dish.  (Found that one out on accident when I went to do a food demo and the host didn't have an 8x8 dish. Aren't accidents you learn from the best!)

Try them out and let me know what your family enjoys them with. 

Print Full Page Recipe

Best Ever Cornbread

2 T THRIVE Powdered Milk, not reconstituted (either non-Instant or Instant will work)

1 c water

1 T vinegar

1/2 c THRIVE Butter Powder

2 T THRIVE Egg Powder

1/4 c plus 2 t water

2/3 c THRIVE White Sugar

1/2 t THRIVE Baking Soda

1 c THRIVE Cornmeal

1 c THRIVE Flour (I prefer wheat instead of white)

1/2 t THRIVE Salt

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease and 8x8 pan or a 12 muffin pan.
2. Whisk together Powdered Milk, 1 c water.  Add vinegar and let sit for 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl whisk the Butter Powder and Egg Powder into 1/4 c plus 2 t water.
4. Add milk mixture into egg/butter mixture and then add the remaining ingredients whisking until few lumps remain.
5. Bake in a preheated oven for 22-30 minutes if using an 8x8 dish or 15-20 minutes if using the 12 muffin pan.  (I used to be in a lower altitude before moving to Denver and have noticed a huge difference in cooking times since moving.  Check on yours periodically by doing the toothpick test and find the time for your area)
6. Serve warm!



Question of the Day:
What side dish does your family gulp down?

Thrifty Thursdays...a day late and a dollar short :)

So I am typically very on top of my blog posts.  If I say I'm going to do it, I am going to do it.  I am embarrassed that this Thrifty Thursday post is coming, well, on Saturday, ahem.  I promise it has been a crazy busy week with much that has been out of my control, but thankfully this baby growing in my tummy is doing well so I guess that means we're doing great.  I'm 32 weeks tomorrow... THANK GOODNESS! I cannot wait until 37 weeks and then she can come on out.  Knowing her stubborness though, she will choose 37 weeks as a time to stop letting me have contractions and will wait until the last day of 42 weeks to come.  Anywho, back on target!

This month we have been showing you simple ways to revitalize your home for Spring Cleaning using basics that you just happen to have lying around the home rather than having to buy a bunch of pricey organization boxes, planting pots and buckets.  I will have to edit this post throughout the week as I finish my spring cleaning project, but wanted to let you see what I've done with the #10 cans so far.

As I told you in this post before we have already adjusted our home quite a bit.  My sister and her two kids moved in with us in December.  We are making room for our sweet little edition coming our way in June, and now my wonderful mom is coming to live with us so I can be on some much needed bed rest for the rest of the pregnancy.  So, we are going from 4 people living in our home to 9 by the end of June.  While we are happy to have everyone coming, we've definitely had to make some major adjustments to how things are stored.  I want to show you guys a few things I've done as the week progresses.  Stay tuned for updates!

A cute birthday bucket I made for my sister.  She can reuse it now for
a styling trash can at the office or pencil holder... the possibilities are endless really.

What you'll need:
Emptied and cleaned #10 cans
2-3 Sheets of Themed Paper
Double-sided tape or Hot Glue
Ribbon (optional)
Markers

Since I was trying to use a theme that would be a little more lasting for my son's room, I chose to use pirate themed paper.  I used 12x12 scrapbooking paper.  Because the cans have a perimeter that is larger than 12 inches, you will have to overlap some of the paper.  Have fun using the different size scraps to add more depth to the designs.  I wanted to make the look a little more "rough" so I tore the edges of the solid paper.  You can choose which way you want to go with that.

Going for a cleaner look?  You can apply ribbon on top of where the two pages would meet to make a cute decorative look.

I have used these buckets more than just Storage Containers to revamp a room.  Here are a few ideas:
(Pictures to come of those which I still have on hand!)
  - Buckets for "spare parts"  You know, all of those nuts and bolts to different random things that you are afraid to throw away in case they become handy in the future.
  - Buckets for odd game pieces - Don't you just hate when you find puzzle pieces, little white balls to Hungry Hippos or little cherries from Hi Ho Cherry-O and you don't want to throw it away because it'll be needed again eventually... store them all in the same place so you know where to look
  - Buckets for pens, markers, pencils, etc.

This is where I first got the inspiration for most of the others.  http://imperfectlybeautifulms.blogspot.com/2010/09/gettin-crafty-with-empty-cans.html

  - Gift buckets - I really hate paying $5-7 for a gift bag that might just get trashed.  Why not decorate a bucket for cheap (or free depending on what you have at home).
  - Date Buckets - Surprise your spouse with a bucket with a movie or movie tickets, some candy, popcorn, a sweet note.  You can really make it geared for your hubby and add a little bottle of massage oil and promise that long needed back rub.  Don't you love it when someone goes the extra mile...its like a what flower arrangements do for ladies.
  - Mommy Buckets - Know someone who could really use a little break.  Why not create a little spa bucket... lotion, bath salt, candle, chocolate... sweet escape, yes please!
  - Easter/Halloween Buckets - Just drill holes and tie ribbon on either side of the can.
  - Reuse cans for Make a Mix containers - I love making my own instant meals so its fun to decorate and label a bucket for whatever food it is I'll be storing.
  - Break down larger buckets into smaller containers.  This is nice so you're not having to expose the food as often each time you open the container.
  - *Another Hubby Idea* Target Practice - I guess when they are empty you don't get to watch things explode when you shoot them, but you can paint them or tape target pictures to them.

Some uses I haven't tried but have seem at friends homes:
  - Furniture! We spent the night on a bed that was laying on a bed frame made completely of buckets and boxes of #10 cans... BRILLIANT!
  - #10 Can Stoves


Ideas from around the web:

http://spoonful.com/crafts/can-do-stilts

  - Stilts for your kiddos

From http://sewmanyways.blogspot.com

  - Flower Arrangements

Courtesy of http://sewmanyways.blogspot.com

  - Santa Clause centerpiece decoration

Thanks for stopping by!


Question of the Day:
I'm sure there are thousands of ideas out there. What do you do with your empty cans?