72-Hour Kits: Toddler Kit

It's the very last day of September, but it's not too late to take advantage of the awesome National Preparedness Month Sales!  Contact me today at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com to place your order before the sale ends!!!

And now, for your Tuesday 72-Hour Kit information!!

So when my husband and I first set a goal to have our 72-Hour Kits ready, we didn't yet have our little munchkin.  But once she came along (and life settled down a bit ;)), I realized I needed to make sure we had a 72-Hour Kit made especially for her!  After all, her needs are different than ours!

She is now 16 months old, so she isn't a baby anymore (though she'll always be my baby), and so, over time, we've had to make changes to her 72-Hour Kit more frequently.  As of today, though, we have a Toddler Kit for her. 

What we have in our munchkin's Toddler Kit:

• 1 change of clothes (includes warm shirt, warm pants, socks) for cold weather
• 1 jacket
• 1 knitted cap
• 1 pair of mittens
• travel pack of toiletries (baby powder, shampoo, wash, diaper ointment, lotion)
• 5 pouches emergency water
• sippy cup
• 9 diapers
• 1 burp rag (she uses these to self-soothe while sucking her thumb, so we wouldn't want to be without one in an emergency situation)
• 6 boxes yogurt raisins (these are a favorite treat -- and I think if we are in a situation needing the kit, it would be nice for her to have a treat)
• 1 snack container of cheese crackers
• 5 squeeze-food pouches (I chose most that have a starch like rice or potato in it, plus one that has chicken, and one that has Elmo on the front -- she's a big fan).
• toothbrush
• wipes

As much as possible, I put things into gallon ziploc bags.

 

And then I stored everything in a large bag. 

Truthfully, until recently, I didn't have her kit at all ready.  I had a few odds and ends in it (like diapers, wipes, a bottle, and formula when she was smaller).  But it was not really ready for an emergency.  Posting these every week motivated me to get her kit 100% ready.  And that gives me great peace of mind.  I may add a couple toys and a book to the kit as well so we have something for her to be entertained.  But for the most part, this kit is done, and I feel better about it!

Hope this helps you prepare for any little ones you may have at home!  Contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com if you have any questions!

Happy THRIVEing! 

Make-Ahead Monday: Butterscotch Oatmeal Cookies

Once-a-month cooking is very popular these days among many moms...  It's a great way to prepare a bunch of meals, freeze them, and then have them ready for preparing and eating with little to no effort on the day of! 

So I got to thinking:  what if THRIVE could help women in this way too!  But instead of freezing the meals, the THRIVE ingredients can be stored in jars!  Then, on a particularly busy day, you pull out a jar -- and just add water!

Super time-saver!

Thanks to the new THRIVE Vanilla Extract Powder, I was able to "make ahead" a batch of butterscotch oatmeal cookies!  Then, when I had to take something for a potluck baby shower, I grabbed my mix, added some water, and baked!  Super simple -- and they came out tasty too!

So here's how I did it:

BUTTERSCOTCH OATMEAL COOKIES
2/3 cup all-purpose flour*
1/2 teaspoon baking soda*
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon*
1/4 teaspoon salt*
1/2 cup THRIVE Butter Powder
1 tablespoon THRIVE Whole Egg Powder (equivalent to 1 egg)
1/2 teaspoon THRIVE Vanilla Extract Powder
1/3 cup packed brown sugar*
1/3 cup granulated sugar*
3/4 cup butterscotch chips*
1 1/2 cups quick oats*

Using a funnel, layer ingredients in a quart-size mason jar. (I put the chips on top). You may have to jostle the jar a bit to make everything fit.

To make the cookies: Pour contents of jar into mixing bowl with about 1/3 cup water. Mix well. Add extra water a teaspoon at a time if the dough looks too dry, blending well after each addition, until cookie dough consistency is reached. Drop by spoonfuls on greased baking sheet.  Bake at 375 for 8 to 10 minutes. Cool on pan for 1 minute then move to wire rack to finish cooling.

*Denotes ingredients also available through THRIVE.

These have passed the toddler test, the 5-year-old test, and the adult test ;).

Now, if you seal these properly and use an oxygen absorber, they can wait on the shelf for you for about 3 months.  If you don't (as I didn't), I would recommend you use it within 3 to 4 weeks of preparing the jar.  

I was really glad to have had these waiting for me to use yesterday evening.  Church was over at 4, but we got home after 4:30.  I had a family to feed (including nieces) and had to figure out what to make to take to the baby shower potluck.  These were definitely a nice treat -- one less thing for me to worry about :)!  And a great quick-fix solution!

THRIVE Vanilla Extract Powder is only available through consultants, so if you want to be able to make some "make ahead" cookies and have the ingredients that will help you, contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com!

Happy THRIVEing!

THRIVE Mushroom Pieces

One of my very first THRIVE purchases after becoming a consultant was the THRIVE Mushroom Pieces.  And here's why:

• I love mushrooms.  A lot.
• I add mushrooms to many of my dishes:  soups, pizza, stir fry vegetables, pasta sauces
• I am grossed out by slimy mushrooms -- and by week 2, my fresh mushrooms are usually slimy :(...
•  So I either have to deal with the slimy mushrooms...  Or waste money and throw them away and go without mushrooms.

Ergo...  THRIVE Mushroom Pieces came with my very first Q shipment!

Do I still purchase fresh mushrooms at the store?  Yes, I do!  But in a much smaller quantity -- and I use them in dinners almost immediately.  Because I really love the taste of fresh mushrooms in my stir fry vegetables.

But my awesome THRIVE Mushroom Pieces are sitting right there waiting for me to use in all my other mushroom-needing dishes!  And I love that!  They have now replaced my use of store-bought canned mushrooms completely.  And my dishes now have less sodium when I do that, thanks to THRIVE!

Did you know canned mushrooms have around 15% of the daily recommended allowance of sodium just in one serving!?!  This is because preservatives, such as salt, are added to the product to give it a longer shelf-life.

But not so with THRIVE!  THRIVE Life's Freeze Dried Mushroom Pieces are just that:  mushrooms!  No added sodium or other preservatives!  And still an amazing shelf life of one year (once opened) and 25 years unopened!!

I love that I can return and return to this can multiple times over months, scoop out what I need, add it to my dish, and close the can until the next time!  This means no more slimy mushrooms.  And no more waste!

So, in a nutshell, here is why I love love love my THRIVE Mushroom Pieces:

• Awesome shelf-life which means my mushrooms don't go slimy and don't get thrown away...  And I'm not left without mushrooms in my dish!
• No added sodium to preserve!  They are just freeze-dried mushrooms!
• So convenient and so easy to use!  No need to wash or slice!  Just scoop and dump!
• Rehydrating (which I do when I use them for pizza) is super fast and easy...  But for soups, I don't rehydrate!  I just throw them in the pot!

I have used them on pizza, in pasta dishes (both white sauce and red sauce dishes), and in a variety of soups. These mushrooms truly are among my favorite THRIVE Life products, and they will be a part of my home store from here on out!

How do you use THRIVE Mushroom Pieces?  Post in the comments below!

Happy THRIVEing!

Cooking With the Q-Pon: 10 Grain Pancake Mix: Ultimate Chicken Fingers

I have made these chicken fingers for many years now.  The original recipe can be found here.  My friend Donna shared that recipe with me back in 2004 or 2005, and it's definitely yummy!

So today, I decided to try it out with my THRIVE 10 Grain Pancake Mix! 

Definitely yummy -- and healthier, because I got 10 Grains!  (And so did my husband and toddler :)).

I love the versatility of this 10 Grain Pancake Mix!

These chicken fingers are always tasty and moist.  I've made them many times and have never been disappointed.  Today I just thought I'd try them out with my THRIVE!  I was pleased with the results :).

So here's the recipe as I made it today:

ULTIMATE CHICKEN FINGERS (a la THRIVE)
2/3 cup THRIVE 10 Grain Pancake Mix
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt or garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
2 pounds chicken breasts sliced into strips (or use chicken tenderloins)
1 egg, slightly beaten
3 tablespoons butter, melted

Heat oven to 450 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with foil; spray with cooking spray.

Mix THRIVE 10 Grain Pancake Mix, cheese, salt and paprika in a large bowl. Dip half the chicken strips into egg; place in THRIVE 10 Grain Pancake Mix mixture and coat.  Place chicken on cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining chicken. Drizzle butter over chicken.

Bake 12 to 14 minutes, turning after 6 minutes with pancake turner, until no longer pink in center.  (I usually cook mine a little longer, because I'm obsessive about cooked chicken!)

We served this up with a salad and mashed sweet potatoes!

If you want to grab your THRIVE 10 Grain Pancake Mix at the awesome Q price, you only have a week left!  So contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com to place your order today!

Happy THRIVEing! 

72-Hour Kits: Clothing

Happy Tuesday, fellow THRIVErs!!!  It's that time again...  Time to talk about 72-Hour Kits!!

I'm actually almost done with the categories of items my family has included in our kits :).  My final category?  CLOTHES!

Let's face it:  if we were in a situation in which we were living off our 72-Hour Kits, we'd probably start smelling pretty rough by day 3...  So it's kind of nice to have a change of clothes ;).  But that's not the only reason to have them.  Perhaps you live in Washington (as I do) and the odds of you getting rained on are pretty high...  Having dry clothes would definitely be beneficial.   Whatever the reason, clothing is an important addition to any 72-Hour Kit!

I didn't take a picture of all my clothing laid out.  But basically you'll want to be sure you have a few things as far as clothing goes:

• An extra pair of underwear (including a bra for ladies)
• 1 shirt
• 1 pair of pants
• 2 pairs of socks (I got this idea from Forrest Gump's Lieutenant Dan...  Protect your feet!)
• Sweater (in winter months)

You'll want to make sure you update your kit according to the weather, so you are sure to have the appropriate type of clothing to stay warm -- or keep cool.

Once again, I hope this information is helpful to someone out there!  I hope you've been able to see the value of a 72-Hour Kit and have learned how you can assemble your own kit easily at home!

As always, let me know if you have any questions or comments at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com :)!

Want to know more about 72-Hour Kits?  Follow these links:

Why a 72-Hour Kit?
72-Hour Kits: Food & Water
72-Hour Kits: Hygiene Items
72-Hour Kits: Miscellaneous Items
72-Hour Kits: Survival Items

THRIVE Potato Chunks + a Recipe!

I recently made my family sloppy joes for dinner.  And for some reason, potato salad just seems to be an appropriate side dish for sloppy joes :).

But here's the thing:  I don't always do a good job of having "good" potatoes on hand.

What do I mean by that?  Well...  Inevitably, I will buy potatoes and then not use them quickly enough.  And I'll end up with molding potatoes.  Ummmm...  Yuck.  And then I have to cut off a lot of the potato and waste it.

A friend of mine has talked to a potato farmer in the past, and apparently there are instances in which potatoes at the grocery store have been on a 6-month journey.  Yikes!  I guess that may explain why mine seem to mold faster than I use them.  (To be fair, for some reason I use potatoes very slowly...).

So THRIVE Potato Chunks were on my list of things to buy!  And, actually, they were among the items I got in my host benefits order from my first party!  And there was a very convenient recipe on the can for Potato Salad!

But, before I get to the recipe...  Just a little info on the THRIVE Potato Chunks.

THRIVE Potato Chunks are actually dehydrated instead of freeze-dried.  THRIVE Life offers both options, but I chose to start with the dehydrated potato chunks.  I definitely plan to try out the THRIVE Potato Dices as well and see which ones my family prefers!

Here's what I already love about the potato chunks:

• They have a 25 year shelf-life unopened.  Which means I can have potatoes for the long-haul and not have them go moldy!!! 
• They have a shelf-life of 1 year after they are opened!  Which means I don't have to use them up right away and they still won't be moldy ;)!  (Do you see a trend with the mold thing ;)?)
• Sodium Bisulfite is added to preserve freshness, but the sodium content of the potatoes is much lower than other wet-pack canned potatoes (THRIVE Potato Chunks have 1% of the daily recommended value of sodium while some canned potatoes have 15%).
• I saved so much time by not having to peel and dice the potatoes!  Easily 10 minutes of my time was spared by simply scooping out my chunks and putting them in a pot with water and turned on high to boil!  

Basically, I can see a lot of THRIVE Potatoes (whether they be chunks or dices) in my future!

So here's the Potato Salad recipe that is on the side of the #10 can!  (And it is husband-approved -- my last attempt at Potato Salad he said wasn't "real" potato salad -- because it was "Loaded Baked Potato Salad ;)).

POTATO SALAD
3 cups THRIVE Potato Chunks
4 1/2 cups water
1 cup dill pickles, diced
1 1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup water
2 teaspoons prepared mustard
2 to 3 teaspoons onion, diced*
1/2 teaspoon salt*

In a saucepan, bring potatoes and 4 1/2 cups water to a boil.  Turn heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.

Drain and cool.  Put potatoes in a bowl and mix in pickles.

In a separate bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients.  Gently stir the mayonnaise mixture into the potatoes and pickles.  Chill for 2 to 3 hours to blend flavors.  Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Water: An Important Component of Being Prepard

As I mentioned yesterday, I had  THRIVE Party Thursday night.  There were some great ladies there, and in the last couple days, I've been in contact with a couple of them who had some questions about preparing.

One of them asked if I had any advice about water storage, because her husband was very interested in that aspect of becoming prepared.  He had recalled attending a class in the past in which they spoke of things you can put into water to purify it.

So today I did some research to help her know what some of her options are!

My first piece of advice echoes what disaster-relief agencies such as FEMA advise:  You want to have at least 1 gallon of water per adult per day for at least 3 days.  I recently read in a FEMA handbook about preparing that a typical adult should drink about 1/2 gallon of water per day (it can be more for children or people who are ill).  But you would also want some water for other uses, such as brushing teeth, sponge-baths, and cooking.  That is why a full gallon is recommended for each day.  A 3-day water supply per person is a bare minimum, of course. 

I referenced how we handle our water storage in our home while I spoke of our 72-Hour Kits and having water included with them.  What we do is store our water in clean gallon jugs.  In order to make sure our water is rotated and stays fresh, We use this water for cooking (when we make soup or pasta or rice).  We then re-fill the jug when it is empty and it goes back into the rotation.  We currently have 7 gallons of water on-hand.  But this really isn't a long-term store of water.  This is actually very minimal for us -- and not quite sufficient since we have a toddler. 

That said, there are many ways to store larger amounts of water for the long-term storage.  Jugs are still an option.  However, having 50 gallon jugs sitting around and finding a place to put them (especially in our apartment) would be a challenge.  So what are my options?

One option is to have a very large water barrel, such as this one.  And if you want to have the whole kit to easily access that water, it's available here.  The large barrel will hold a large quantity of water to help you survive for a while until you could find another source of clean water again.

Another option is to have water filters.  This is probably the direction my family will go.  I like the idea of being able to get water from a stream and then filter it to make it potable.  This is one of the filters I am considering because it is rated to filter so much water.  I also like that it can remove 99% of viruses in addition to other bacteria and pollutants.

A third option is to have either drops to treat water such as these or tablets such as these.  The drops don't seem to purify as much as water filters or even the tablets, though.  So just a heads-up on that. 

I definitely plan to do more research to determine what will be the best option for our family.  And when I decide, I'll let you know!

Thanks for the question, Andrea!  I really appreciate the opportunity to research more and learn!

Do you have any questions or want to get prepared yourself?  Just contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com!

Berry Banana Smoothie

I know I post a lot of smoothie recipes!  I can't help it!  I love them.  And with THRIVE on-hand, I always have what I need to whip up a delicious one -- and it can be different every time!  Plus, I don't have to spend time washing or slicing!  (The banana gets frozen already sliced :).)

I feel like I hit pay-dirt with this recipe, though.  My niece helped me create this one by telling what she thought should go in it, and I decided on amounts :).

BERRY BANANA SMOOTHIE
1 cup frozen sliced banana (about 1 banana)
3 tablespoons THRIVE Instant Milk Powder
1 cup water
1/2 cup strawberry yogurt
1 tablespoon THRIVE Simply Peach Drink
1/3 cup THRIVE Raspberries
1/3 cup THRIVE Strawberries

Place all ingredients in a blender (water last) and blend until smooth.  Takes me no more than 2 minutes!

I served this smoothie up at a THRIVE Party last night and had several people tell me they really enjoyed it!  So I say it's a keeper :)!

Happy Friday -- and Happy THRIVEing!!

THRIVE Golden Cornbread Mix

On Sundays, my family tries to keep dinner prep to a minimum.  This often means we eat leftovers for dinner on Sunday evenings.  This past week, however, we had my nieces joining us for dinner; and I knew we wouldn't have enough food!

THRIVE came to the rescue once again!  I had some of the delicious THRIVE Golden Cornbread Mix, so I whipped up a batch of cornbread to accompany all the other things we had leftover.  It was so easy and so fast!  Just add water, mix, pour, and bake!

This is a very moist and delicious cornbread!  My nieces gobbled it up -- and so did we!

And the cornbread freezes well!  My mom bakes up a batch and freezes all but what she needs, since it is just she and my grandma at home.  Then she is able to take out a couple pieces at a time and enjoy them with dinner for several days!

If you want a quick, no-fuss side-dish that is delicious as well, this THRIVE Golden Cornbread is definitely something you want to try!  Contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com to order some!

Cooking with the Q-Pon!: 10 Grain Pancake Mix: Sausage Cheese PopUms

THRIVE Life 10 Grain Pancake Mix isn't just for awesomely delicious and healthy pancakes!  I recently used them in Sausage Cheese PopUms -- and were they ever yum!

This recipe can be used as an appetizer, a snack, a lunch, a brunch, and even a breakfast!  Very versatile!!!

I also loved how fast these came together!  I spent 10 minutes hands-on with this recipe -- and most of that was spooning the batter into the mini muffin tins!  Not having to cook meat is a real time-saver!  You can choose to make bigger muffins and it would take less time.  But I chose to follow the recipe and make the mini-muffins.  Just because, sometimes, mini muffins are fun!

I found this recipe on the awesome new THRIVE Life Recipe site, but I made a few change to accommodate what I had on-hand!  Here's the recipe as I made it:

SAUSAGE CHEESE POPUMS
1 cup THRIVE Sausage Crumbles
1 cup hot water
1 cup THRIVE 10 Grain Pancake Mix
3 tablespoons THRIVE Butter Powder (plus 2 tablespoons water)
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Put THRIVE Sausage Crumbles into a small mixing bowl. Add hot water, stir and let sit 10 minutes.

Put THRIVE 10 Grain Pancake Mix into medium mixing bowl. Add THRIVE Putter Powder plus 2 tablespoons water.  Mix with your hands until crumbly.  Add cheese to mixture and toss to coat. 

Add the sausage AND the water to the pancake mixture and gently stir until moistened. Scoop into well-greased mini muffin pan that has been sprayed with Butter Spray. Bake 18-22 minutes until golden brown and done in the middle (mine took 17 minutes).  Yield: about 28 mini muffins

I took these for lunch at a friend's house and we liked them.  They were moist and delicious.  And super easy!

There's only a couple weeks left to get the 10 Grain Pancake Mix at Q-Pon price!  So contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com to get it! -- or any of the other awesome time-saving foods!

Happy THRIVEing!

72-Hour Kit: Miscellaneous Items

It's Tuesday again, so it's time to help you get prepared!  Especially because it's September, and that means it's National Preparedness Month!

Today I will talk about our "Miscellaneous Items" category in our 72-Hour Kits.  I found that many of the items we wanted to have in our kit either didn't fit into other categories, or the other gallon bags were too full.  That was mostly true in the case of the hygiene items.  So I let those items spill over into the "Miscellaneous Items" category.

Here is what we included in ours:

• Disinfecting wipes
• a comb
• extra pair of glasses (old prescription)
• contact case
• contact solution
• pen
• pencil (masking tape, duct tape, and electrical tape wrapped around the pencil)
• small notepad
• scriptures (Book of Mormon)
• pair of nitrile gloves
• a book for reading
• cash (whatever amount you feel is necessary -- but include change as well!)
• list of emergency contacts both in and out of state
• copies of important documents (birth certificate, driver's license, mortgage paperwork, marriage certificate)

Some of these items may seem superfluous.  Like a book for reading... I suppose it is likely that in an emergency situation, I won't care about reading.  But just in case...  It's nice to have the option.  Since I wear contacts, I decided to be prepared for any eventuality.  If I have my contacts in when we have to leave in an emergency, I probably will want to be able to take them out at some point if I cannot come home for 3 days or something.  Money is important.  And the change was suggested on some sites for use in a pay-phone, because often times in a crisis situation, cell phones become blocked or clogged with people trying to call others to let them know they are safe.  Of course, who knows if there even are any payphones anymore...  But just in case.  And then the emergency contact list is important as well.  You especially want to have an emergency contact out-of-state so that all of your family members can call that person and relay messages and that person can relay messages for the rest of you who may be in the state.  For example, my family is mainly in Washington, as is my husband's.  But my dad is in Alabama and my brother is in Utah.  In an emergency situation, we will all call my dad so that he knows who is accounted for, and he can pass that information on to anyone else who calls him from our state.  

It's true, I hope we never find ourselves in a situation that requires all of this preparation.  But I do feel peace knowing we have prepared so that we can hopefully get through whatever could come our way. 

THRIVE to the Rescue!: Whole Egg Powder

I have a great story to tell you about how THRIVE Whole Egg Powder came to the rescue for one of my friends (and customers) today.

She and I got together to write some "happy" notes to a few ladies at church.  About halfway through, my friend suggested we also bake some cookies.  Well, I think taking treats to ladies is always a good thing (I mean, who doesn't love a nice surprise treat every now and again?), so I totally agreed. 

But then, halfway through mixing everything, my friend realized she didn't actually have any eggs.  Her family doesn't eat many of them, so she often doesn't have any in her fridge.  She suggested she could walk to the corner store for eggs.  I suggested we check out her Smart Start: Chef's Selection boxes of THRIVE first, to see if THRIVE Whole Egg Powder was included.

And guess what:  she had THRIVE Whole Egg Powder in there!  So she opened up her can, added her powdered egg plus the required water, and voila!  Cookie-baking emergency thwarted! 

It was awesome.

This is the power of building a home store with THRIVE!  You have a long-term store of ingredients that you may run out of easily -- or even ingredients that you know you don't purchase often.  She now has a can of THRIVE Whole Egg Powder which will last her a year now that it's opened!

Her comment to me:  "I'm so glad you thought of checking in my THRIVE for that!  Now I can do a ton more baking and not worry about not having eggs!"

This saved her some money and time (a trip to the corner market)!  I love seeing others benefit from THRIVE as much as I have!!!

And THRIVE Whole Egg Powder was actually my very first THRIVE purchase...  Because I love the idea of having eggs in my long-term storage...  And because I wanted to be able to eat cookie dough guilt-free while pregnant :) :) :) (THRIVE Whole Egg Powder is not raw egg!)

Want to start building your home store with THRIVE?  Contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com and I'll help you get started!

Strawberry Banana Smoothie

Do you love smoothies?  Well THRIVE can help you have them all the time!

I love smoothies.  Seriously.  But very often, I will find myself lacking an essential ingredient.  Like bananas.  Or yogurt.

But now that I'm building my home store with THRIVE, I'm finding that's no longer a problem for me!  I always have some yogurt bites on hand...  And I always have a variety of THRIVE fruits and berries on hand.  Makes for some awesome combinations :)!!

My most recent attempt was a simple Strawberry Banana Smoothie.  I happened to have some frozen bananas that I'd sliced before freezing.  I knew they'd make my smoothie delicious and frothy.  I also had THRIVE Strawberry Yogurt Bites and THRIVE Strawberries, so I knew this would be an awesome smoothie :).

Here's the recipe:

STRAWBERRY BANANA SMOOTHIE
1 cup THRIVE non-fat powdered milk, prepared
1/2 cup THRIVE Strawberry Yogurt Bites
1/2 cup THRIVE Sliced Strawberries
1 cup frozen banana slices (about 1 banana)

Place milk, yogurt bites, and sliced strawberries in blender and allow to sit 3 minutes. Put in frozen banana slices. Blend well, until smooth.

Why I Love THRIVE!: Eating Healthier

THRIVE Life is amazing.  I am especially fond of the foods.  Not that that is surprising... I am a foodie, after all ;).

There are several reasons why I love THRIVE Life foods!  One of those is that they help me -- and my family -- eat healthier.

For one thing, the vegetables and fruits are delicious right out of the can!  Which means I am more likely to have healthy snacks.  Because it is so easy to just open the can of asparagus or corn or peas and scoop out some to satisfy a munchie craving!  I also love that my little girl is getting her veggies better this way.  Our favorite vegetables for snacking are the asparagus, corn, and peas.  Our favorite fruits to snack on are the pineapple, peaches, and strawberries!

I will admit that I have always struggled at getting my daily suggested servings of vegetables...  THRIVE is helping me improve in this area of having a healthier lifestyle!

THRIVE's fruits and vegetables are picked at the peak of ripeness, flash-frozen, and shipped to the freeze-drying facility where they are then freeze-dried, packaged, and ready for sale!  This means the fruits and vegetables were able to ripen naturally and were not sprayed with chemicals to keep them from ripening during shipment or chemicals to help them ripen later on!  How awesome is that!?!

The other amazing thing about these fruits and veggies is that they don't have added preservatives, like salt and sugar!  And yet most of them have an shelf-life of 20 to 25 years!  This is wonderful, not just for snacking, but for when I cook with my THRIVE!  For example, one of the ingredients I love to include in soups and spaghetti sauce is mushrooms.  I didn't realize it before, but every time I added canned mushrooms to my soups or sauce or pizza, I was adding a lot of extra sodium!  So now, if I don't have fresh mushrooms, I use my THRIVE Mushrooms -- and all I'm adding is mushrooms!  No added sodium :).  And so my meals are healthier.  I love that! 

And most of THRIVE Life's foods are non-GMO!!!  And the list is constantly expanding.  Just this past week, we received notification that the white flour, cornmeal, and shortening powder have joined the already-extensive list of non-GMO items!  There are also several organic options through THRIVE Life as well :).

I have really enjoyed having so many healthy foods in my home store, thanks to THRIVE Life.  I love all the benefits I am getting with a long shelf-life!!!

If you want to experience these healthy-eating benefits with THRIVE Life, just let me know at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com!!

THRIVE Express: Southwestern Style Chicken and Rice

Last Friday I was honored to party THRIVE-style at my sister-in-law's house!  It was a lovely, laid-back, fun event and I got to meet some really nice ladies. 

The one catch:  dinner! 

My husband texted when he'd gotten home from work just to see how things were going.  Well, I missed his text until an hour later.  He asked if I wanted him to start making anything for dinner.  Well, the truth was I couldn't think of what to do for dinner.  But then it hit me:  THRIVE Express could help!

I knew I had to stop by the grocery store for milk (because we are doing whole milk for the munchkin), so I decided to pick up a Rotisserie chicken while I was there.  Plus, my mother-in-law had recently given us some home-canned green beans from her garden.  And THRIVE Express was going to help me with a side dish!

So I got home at 5, put the beans on; got the THRIVE Express Southwestern Style Chicken and Rice into some boiling water and unloaded the car, with my husband's help, while those things were cooking.  And by 5:30, we were eating dinner.  I even decided to open up a jar of peaches I'd canned in 2012 to include with dinner.

Now, that may not seem like all that big a deal.  But sometimes the hardest part for me is thinking up what to cook.  In this case, I came up with a solution to the main dish and the vegetable.  The side dish was stumping me, though, because everything just seemed to take time to make, like peeling potatoes for mashed potatoes.  So once I remembered that I had THRIVE Express in the cupboard...  Well, it provided my solution and made me a happy camper :).  THRIVE Express entrees and sides require very little hands-on time, so that was helpful on that particular day.

Other ways the THRIVE Express pouches might be able to benefit you:

• hiking or camping (light-weight and just add water -- you have a complete meal!)
• 72-hour kit
• Car emergency kit

There is quite a variety of THRIVE Express sides and entrees.  And because of their packaging, they have a shelf-life of 5 to 10 years (most have 10 years, but a few are 5)!!! 

If you think you'd like to try the convenience of THRIVE Express entrees and/or sides, let me know at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com.

Happy THRIVEing!

Cooking with the Q-Pon!: 10 Grain Pancake Mix

This month, 10 Grain Pancake Mix is the Q-Pon item!!  We happen to love pancakes in our household.  In fact, they are a Sunday morning tradition!  Plus I had heard this pancake mix is delicious!  So I knew I wanted to grab a couple cans at this great price this month and I added them to my Q!

I received my Q order for September this week, and I decided to start cooking!  And sharing :). 

The first recipe I tried is the recipe on the can!  Which means I just cooked up some delicious and nutritious pancakes for my toddler and myself!

1 cup THRIVE 10 Grain Pancake Mix
2/3 cup water

Mix both ingredients in a large bowl until smooth; do not over-mix.  Cook pancakes a couple minutes on each side.  Don't pat the pancake when you flip it the first time.

The grains in this delicious mix are finely ground, making for a smooth pancake batter.  And I love that we got whole grain wheat, rye, oats, corn soy beans, barley, brown rice, millet, and flax seed!

Another added bonus is that the shelf-life on this pancake mix is 3 years unopened, making it a great addition to your home store of food!

You don't want to miss the opportunity to enjoy a healthy, delicious breakfast with THRIVE 10 Grain Pancake Mix at a great price, so contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com before September is over and place your order!

72-Hour Kits: Survival Items

It's Tuesday, so you know what that means!!!  More about 72-Hour Kits and ideas to help you assemble your own!!  Especially this month, since it's National Preparedness Month!! 

Today I will tell you what we have in our 72-Hour Kits for survival items!

• an emergency candle (this will burn for 60 hours) 
• 3 other candles of varying sizes (for heating food, etc)
• a lighter 
• waterproof matches
• a 5-in-1 survival whistle (just got this with my September Q order, because it's on special this month!)
• extra batteries
• 2 rain ponchos
• 1 emergency lantern
• 1 emergency blanket
• hand-crank and battery-operated flashlight/radio/siren
• 2 packages hand warmers
• small first aid kit (bandaids, antiseptic wipes)
• pocket-knife
• Aleve
• iodide tablets (in case of a radiation leak -- we live near nuclear plants)

We pack all these items into a gallon size bag to try to keep them dry in case our whole kit gets wet somehow ;).

Many of these items are available through THRIVE Life.  You can even purchase a pre-assembled kit through THRIVE Life, if you don't want to have to figure out what you need and collect those items!

In case you missed it, I've also posted our Food and Water as well as Hygiene Items from our 72-Hour Kits!

If you'd like to place an order to help you start preparing, contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com!  I'll be happy to help you get started!

Happy THRIVEing!

THRIVE-Vamped Pancakes!

I mentioned the other day that we had brinner:  breakfast for dinner :).  As part of that meal, I made some THRIVE-Vamped Pancakes!  It was super easy, and I loved that I was getting so much extra goodness in my meal.

So much so that I whipped up a batch of those last night to go with all of our leftovers.  My nieces were over for dinner, so they got some extra whole grain too!

Here's what I did:

2 cups pancake mix  (I used Krusteas because it's all-inclusive)
3 tablespoons THRIVE 9-Grain Cracked Cereal
1 1/2 cups water

Whisk all together and cook pancakes according to package directions (or according to how you usually make pancakes).

This was so easy to do, because all I did was add some pre-mixed grains to my pancake mix and make it a batter!  Perfect for busy mornings too!  And you end up getting hard red wheat, hard white wheat, barley, rye, oats, corn, millet, hulled buckwheat, and flax seed! 

Happy THRIVEing!!!

Peachy Strawberry Smoothie

Today my wonderful sister-in-law hosted a THRIVE party!  It was lots of fun, and I got to meet some great ladies!  I loved that they had so many questions and were so interactive and involved in the whole event.  It makes for a great time!

One lady discovered that her young son -- who she says is her picky eater -- loved the fruits and veggies for snacks!

Another lady is excited about all the gluten-free options THRIVE offers, because of her husband's diet restrictions! 

I'm always excited when THRIVE Life can help other people in a variety of ways -- just as it has helped me!

As part of the party, we enjoyed a Peachy Strawberry Smoothie :).  Due to Nilla error (that would be me...), the smoothie at the party wasn't as awesome as the practice one I made at home.  The first time I made it, I forgot to add the THRIVE Simply Peach Drink Mix!  So I made a second batch -- and didn't blend it long enough (I so need one of those awesome high-powered blenders!  I obviously don't know how to work one!) so there was more ice chunks than I would have preferred :/...  But when I made it at home, I really enjoyed it -- even without any banana (and you know I love my bananas in my smoothies!)

So here it is: 

PEACHY STRAWBERRY SMOOTHIE
1/2 cup hot water
1/2 cup THRIVE strawberry yogurt bites
1 tablespoon THRIVE Simply Peach drink mix
1/2 cup THRIVE strawberries
1 tablespoon milk*
1 1/2 cup ice

Combine all ingredients except ice and let rehydrate 3 to 5 minutes.  Add ice and blend until smooth.

And as for my less-than-stellar ability to actually make it well at the party...  Well, you live and you learn!  I'll be better prepared next time :).

Bring On Brinner With THRIVE!

Because this month is back-to-school month for many people, THRIVE Life's specials are all about making breakfast easier, healthier, and still delicious!

But just because it's all about breakfast, doesn't mean it can't also be all about dinner!  So tonight, my family ate Brinner (breakfast for dinner), courtesy of THRIVE!

I adapted this recipe for my Breakfast Casserole.

Here's the casserole getting ready to go in the oven!

 And here it is, getting ready to be consumed :)!

 And here's the recipe:

NILLA'S BREAKFAST CASSEROLE
1 cup THRIVE Potato Chunks
2 cups boiling water
1 cup THRIVE Sausage Crumbles
1 cup THRIVE Spinach
1/3 cup dehydrated onion*
1 1/4 cup water
1/3 cup red bell pepper, chopped*
salt and pepper*, to taste
6 eggs, beaten*
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese*

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place THRIVE Potato Chunks into 2 cups boiling water and allow to sit 10 to 15 minutes (while you work on everything else). 

In a large bowl, combine THRIVE Sausage Crumbles, THRIVE Spinach, dehydrated onion, salt, and pepper.  Add 1 1/4 cups water and stir to mix well.  Allow to sit 3 to 5 minutes.  Add red bell pepper and mix. 

Drain potatoes and add to spinach and sausage mixture.  Stir to combine.  Add beaten eggs and stir until well combined.  Pour into a greased 9x13 pan.  Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes.

*Denotes other ingredients available through THRIVE.

We enjoyed this breakfast casserole with some Vamped-Up Pancakes, also courtesy of THRIVE!!  Check back soon to see how you can Vamp Up your pancakes :)!!!

Happy THRIVEing!

Quad Chocolate Chip Cookies

Now that the heat of Summer is leaving the Pacific Northwest, I am firing up my oven a lot.  And what better reason to fire up the oven than to bake some delicious cookies and try out more of my THRIVE :)?

...And maybe to include dessert for the meal I was taking to a family at church with a brand new baby!  (Bonus is I got to hold the baby...  Was my munchkin ever that small!?!)

So since receiving THRIVE Shortening Powder in my host benefits order, I noticed the recipe on the #10 can looked particularly appealing to one such as myself:  Quad Chocolate Chip Cookies.  Quad = 4.  Four chocolate.  I'm pretty sure I was sold already.  I knew I had to try it out.  And making dessert for a lovely family was a great reason to do so.  Plus I had all the types of chocolate chips in my cupboard...  I thought I was stocking up for Christmas baking back when all these were on sale...  Turns out I needed them sooner :).

Oh. My. Goodness.  These cookies are divine.  Chocolatey, yes.  But so moist and chewy.  Even now, 8 hours later...

It's possible I've had more than I should have...  But I'm not really sorry :).

Yeah, get to the recipe already, right?!?  Here goes:

QUAD CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup THRIVE Shortening Powder, prepared (2 tablespoons water added)
2/3 cup brown sugar*
2 eggs*
1 teaspoon vanilla*
2 1/4 cup white flour*
1 teaspoon salt*
1 teaspoon baking soda*
1 to 2 tablespoons milk*

Carefully melt 1 1/2 cups of the chocolate chips.  Combine sugar and prepared shortening (I just threw the shortening, sugar, and water in the mixer and mixed -- worked great) and mix together for 5 minutes.  Add eggs and vanilla, blend well.  Add melted chocolate and mix again.  Sift in flour, salt, and baking soda; blend well.  Add milk a little at a time if dough seems to thick (I added 2 tablespoons).  Fold in remaining chocolate chips (I didn't measure, and I'm pretty sure I used less than was called for and it was still plenty) and blend for 5 minutes.  Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.  Bake at 350 for 8 to 12 minutes.  Makes two dozen cookies.

*Denotes other ingredients available through THRIVE.

So, a couple extra notes:  The dough was pretty stiff when I took it out of the fridge.  I was worried.  My first batch didn't flatten much, but they were still delicious and soft and yum.  I chose to flatten the remaining batches slightly with my hand, just to get a bit flatter of a cookie.  I baked for 8 minutes (my oven bakes hot).  And I got about 40 cookies and I think they were decent size, so I'm not sure how huge the cookies would be if you only get 2 dozen!  (But I'm totally happy with 40 as opposed to 24 :)).

Seriously, you want to make these cookies.  And then eat them all.

Preparing With a Car Emergency Kit!

Though I have been trying to feature a post all about preparing with your 72-Hour Kit on Tuesdays, I was recently asked a question about a different kind of kit!  And I do love getting questions so I can answer them and help people with what they need right now!  So today I will discuss a Car Emergency Kit!

Let me offer a little bit of background as to why I got this question.  So my best friend lives in Alabama -- around the Birmingham area.  Though the winters get very cold there, snow and ice on the roads are not frequent occurrences.  And even when they do happen, it's usually a light dusting which melts before lunchtime.  And, usually, it happens overnight; so people are home safe in their beds, and many of the businesses and schools will just close in the morning.

Last winter was not a typical winter in Alabama...  There had been a forecast of snow on a specific day in the evening.  That being the case, many businesses were planning to close that night and possibly the following day.  But during the day, people went to work and school as usual. 

...And by 10 a.m. -- many hours before it was supposed to -- the snow was falling heavily.  People were trying to get home.  Interstates were backing up (when you don't know how to drive in snow, it's not an easy thing to do), accidents were happening.  Many people spent the night in their car, because they simply weren't moving.  Others were close enough to home to get out and walk.  For my best friend's daughter who'd gone to college that morning and didn't have a full tank of gas...  Well, she ran out of gas and ended up spending the night at a fire station.  Fortunately for her, she was able to get to a safe and warm place.  And she didn't mind hanging out with the cute fire fighters ;).  But for many others, the car was the best they could do to keep them out of the elements.  My best friend calls it Snowmaggedon.  And she wants to be prepared, in case it happens again -- for both herself and her daughter.  And she wanted to know what she should have in a car emergency kit.

THRIVE Life offers a pre-assembled car emergency kit.  But as with the 72-Hour Kit, you can also assemble your own and include what you think is most important.  The following list is what I personally feel is important in a car emergency kit.  Some of these things popped right into my head when she asked.  Some things she thought of.  Others come from the research I've done over the last couple of days.  (I've included links to items available through THRIVE Life.)

• Jumper cables
• work gloves
• walking shoes (if you usually wear flip flops or dress shoes in the car)
• flashlight and/or glow sticks and/or candles (2)
• water (preferably a gallon, but at least a few water bottles) and/or water filter
• food (we always have granola or trail mix bars in the car; I have a friend who includes THRIVE Express meals in her car kit, because they only require water and are packaged to last 5 years!)
• manual can opener (if your food requires one)
• basic first aid kit (band-aids, antiseptic cream, pain reliever)
• toilet paper
• blanket (preferably 2) and/or emergency blankets
• whistle
• garbage bag (you just never know how this can come in handy!)
• duct tape
• rope
• waterproof matches and/or lighter
• battery-operated or hand-crank radio
• cell phone charger if you have an extra
• hand warmers
• wipes and hand sanitizer
• feminine hygiene items (if you're female ;))
• knife or multi-tool
• pen/paper
• batteries
• sunscreen
• basic tool kit (screwdriver, pliers, wrench)

That seems like a pretty extensive list!!!   But many of the items are small.  I would recommend you get an opaque container and pack all these items inside.  A clear container could invite people to help themselves if the kit is visible through the windows, and they think you may have something they want...

You want to remember to rotate your food and water every 6 months or so.  Some medicines will also expire and need to be kept current.  For us, we are sure to rotate every 6 months because of General Conference, which is held every April and October.  That helps us remember to check all our kits.  So find a way to remind yourself every 6 months so you don't end up with out-dated food in your kit!

And one last tip:  It's a pretty good idea to always try to have at least 1/2 a tank of gas in your car at all times.  I'll be honest:  this is something I need to work on!

I hope this was helpful!  Remember, you want to make sure your kit meets your needs.  You may need to add more or less based on your family size, etc.  It's sometimes hard to know how to prepare prior to an emergency situation...  But any preparation is good, so don't be discouraged!  Because as someone once said:  "When it's time to act, the time to prepare has passed."  The time to prepare is NOW!

If I can help you in any way, contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com.

Happy THRIVEing! 

National Preparedness Month!!!

Happy September Fellow THRIVErs!!!

Did you know September is National Preparedness Month?!?  What a great time to start getting prepared!  And to help you, THRIVE Life has super-awesome items on sale this month!  Follow this link to see all the items on sale!

Several of their Food Rotation Systems are on sale!  These are awesome shelving units which will help you rotate your canned goods!!  They help you have the storage necessary to have a good home store of canned goods (whether those be store-bought or THRIVE cans!).  And they help you use the oldest items first!  In this way, these nifty systems can help you reduce waste and save money, because you no longer need to throw away expired canned goods that got shoved to the back!!

There are many other emergency essentials available for sale as well -- from water filtration systems to emergency whistles!  You don't want to miss this opportunity to get better prepared for whatever may come!

And that's not all!  This month, it's time to "Rise and THRIVE!" with some delicious THRIVE breakfast items on sale!  Getting back in the school-year routine can be tough!  But THRIVE is helping you whip up tasty, quick, and healthy breakfasts for your family before they head off to school!  Dont' miss out on this month's Q-Pon item:  10 Grain Pancake Mix (it's already in my Q ;))!!  And check back at A THRIVEing Nilla each week to see how I'm using that 10 grain Pancake Mix in my everyday cooking this month as I begin a new "series" on this blog:  Cooking with the Q-Pon!

Let's celebrate National Preparedness Month by getting prepared!!!  If you're not on the Q, contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com and I'll place your order and get you the Q price on these great items :)!

Happy THRIVEing!