Why I Love THRIVE: Saving Me Time!

Celery ready-to-use!

Let me tell you a true story.  It happened today.  It's happened other days as well...

With my husband working swing shift, somehow the whole household falls into a later schedule.  And so it was that the 3 of us were still snoozing until about 8:40 this morning.

...Which meant the munchkin and I were late getting to our play date that was supposed to start at 9:30.

We got home around 11:15, and it was time to start thinking about lunch and nap.  I needed a nap too (I'm feeling a little extra tired these days)!  Well, lunch happened.

...Nap did not. 

So, instead, munchkin and I went to library story time.  And then, by the time we got home, she was ready for a nap.  And I was still ready for my nap ;).  So I took one too!

And by the time I woke up, it was 2:45...  And guess what I hadn't thought about all day long?

Dinner.

And so I started racking my brain.  What would I do for dinner?  And thanks to THRIVE Seasoned Chicken Slices, I had my answer!  Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad.  I've made it before (you can follow that link for the recipe), but today it was my last-minute solution. 

And that's just one reason I have loved my THRIVE Life!  I can save time by not having to thaw chicken, then cook it, then shred it or cut it.

This has been true with other items as well!  The THRIVE Sausage Crumbles, the THRIVE Celery and THRIVE Chopped Onions that are already chopped for me...  I just save so much time when I add THRIVE to my meals. And tonight, I was just so grateful for that convenience!  It allowed me to come up with a fast and delicious dinner solution that was not fast food!

Do you want to save time in the kitchen?  Contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com and I'll help you out with that!

Party Food!

Tonight I had the opportunity to do a party for my friend Christina.  I find that I am still learning a lot as I continue in this adventure of being a consultant for THRIVE Life.  I am grateful for the opportunity to learn and grow and expand my horizons!

I've found that I love to share food with guests at the parties.  And today, I shared 3 different things:

Berry Banana Smoothie
Chicken Salad with crackers
Quad Chocolate Cookies

I've shared the recipes for the smoothie and the cookies before, so if you click those links, you'll be able to visit those recipes (they are yum!).  In fact, the smoothie recipe is even available on the new THRIVE Life recipe site, because I submitted it to them!  It's kind of exciting ;)!

So tonight I will share the awesome chicken salad recipe!  It's so easy to throw together, and the ladies at the party tonight were impressed with just how easy and fast it was!  So here it is:

CHICKEN SALAD
2 1/2 cups THRIVE Chopped Chicken
1/2 cup THRIVE Chopped Onion
3/4 cup THRIVE Celery
2 cups water
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt*
1/4 teaspoon pepper*

Combine the chicken, onions, celery, and water; stir well and place in refrigerator 10 minutes.  In a medium size bowl, mix remaining ingredients until well incorporated.  Mix chicken mixture into mayonnaise mixture without draining.  Salad may be slightly runny, but will thicken.  Refrigerate for 1 1/2 hours and stir before serving.

*Denotes other ingredients available through THRIVE Life.

When I make this recipe, I just mix everything together in a bowl and refrigerate it 1 1/2 hours.  It works just fine :).  No need to dirty extra bowls ;)!

And you could totally make the chicken salad mix (meaning the chicken, celery, onions, and seasoning) ahead of time and put in a jar -- then take it to work or have it for a ready-to-fix lunch or snack for a busy day!

If you are interested in any of the awesome THRIVE Life products to help you make these delicious recipes, just contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com!

Cooking with the Q-Pon: Instant Pinto Beans: Taco Soup

Well, after a crazy week (plus) of not living in our own home...  We're back!  Which means I can get my THRIVE on a bit more again :)!

And, being that today was Wednesday, I decided it was the perfect opportunity to start cooking with October's Q-Pon item: THRIVE Instant Pinto Beans!!  I made a version of this soup by Chef Todd.  I used the recipe as my guide and changed it up a bit to suit what I had on hand!  Here's how I made it:

TACO SOUP
3/4 pound ground beef*
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup THRIVE Chopped Onions
1 1/2 cup THRIVE Instant Pinto Beans
1/2 cup THRIVE Sweet Corn
1 1/2 cups diced tomatoes* (I used ones I'd diced and frozen from our garden, but a can would work too)
4-ounce can diced green chilies*
8-ounce can tomato sauce*
2 tablespoons THRIVE Seasonings: Cilantro
2 beef bouillon cubes*
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
7 cups water

Optional toppings:
tortilla chips
sour cream (I used THRIVE Sour Cream Powder!)
shredded cheese*

Brown beef.  Add garlic and saute about 30 seconds.  Add all remaining ingredients (not including toppings).  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer 10 to 20 minutes. 

Add desired toppings.  Enjoy!

*Denotes other ingredients available through THRIVE Life!

I thought this was tasty!  A perfect dinner for a chilly, rainy Pacific Northwest evening!

Preparing for a Pandemic

My intention is not to be an alarmist.  But here's the thing:  Ebola scares me. 

Perhaps this is because I read the book The Hot Zone many moons ago when I was in high school (and maybe I even read it twice...).  That book served to teach me that, sometimes, truth is much scarier than fiction ever could be.

And maybe it's because I've watched Hollywood give their take on pandemic situations with some of their movies (recent and less-recent) over the years. 

But I was less-than-thrilled when news of Ebola on another continent showed up in the news.  I'm even less thrilled now that there are confirmed cases in the United States. 

As with many things such as this, it got me thinking though:  How prepared is my family?  Could we hunker down for days, weeks, months, if we needed to?  Would we have what we needed to survive away from society?  And I keep coming back to the answer:  I'm not sure.  And maybe that's because I'll never feel completely ready.  I mean, who really wants to contemplate these things?  But it's so important to be prepared.  And now Ebola has given me one more reason to make sure we are.

So how can you be prepared?  Well, interestingly enough, ready.gov offers guidelines for helping people prepare for a pandemic situation.  They focused mainly on an influenza pandemic, and their guidelines include a 2-week supply of water and food.  You can check out more information here.  I am unsure if a 2-week supply would be sufficient for an Ebola pandemic.

The truth is:  I hope I never have to be prepared for an Ebola pandemic -- or any other one, quite frankly.  But as I read more and more in the news and do more and more research about being prepared, I am finding the reasons for being prepared are varied and plentiful.  And so, even if I never have to be prepared for Ebola...  I'd like to be. 

And you know what?  THRIVE Life can help you get your supply of food and water.  But I'm not intending this to be a "scare tactic" kind of thing.  Because you can prepare without THRIVE Life as well.  I honestly believe in being prepared -- and I honestly want those I care about to be prepared as well.  And that will look different for every one of us.  I want this blog to be a source of help, of information, and possibly even learning for those not familiar with the idea of preparing for the long-term in a variety of ways.  My family chooses to add variety to our home store of food with THRIVE Life, but that doesn't mean it's the right choice for everyone.  But becoming prepared is the right choice.  So please, if you take nothing else away from this blog, please know I want you and yours to be prepared.  Because, chances are if you're reading this, I know you -- and I care.  If you have any questions about how you can help your family prepare, please feel free to contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com.  I don't claim to be an expert, but I have been preparing with my family and researching preparedness for 3 1/2 years now, and I'd be more than happy to share my knowledge and experiences with anyone who would like help or guidance.

Sausage Pizza

Home-made pizza is a hit at our house.  But, because it's a great way for my family to get a lot of vegetables, I pretty much always make a vegetarian pizza.

Today, however, we find ourselves not in our house and still in our friends' house.  Which meant I was cooking dinner for 4 (plus a toddler).  So I made two pizzas!  One vegetarian and one sausage!  I'd been wanting to try out the THRIVE Sausage Crumbles on a pizza for some time now, and tonight presented the perfect opportunity!

I made my standard pizza dough as follows (this recipe makes one pizza crust):

2 1/2 to 3 cups flour* (tonight I used all white, but usually I do 1 cup white, 1 cup wheat)
2 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon yeast*
1/4 teaspoon salt*
1 teaspoon sugar*
1 cup water

Combine two cups flour (for me this is one cup each) plus next 5 ingredients.  Add remaining flour a little at a time until it is not sticky, but still a little tacky.  Knead until it becomes smooth and supple.  Grease a large bowl, place dough in bowl and turn to coat.  Cover with damp towel and place in a warm place to rise 30 minutes to 1 hour (depending on how much time you have).

While the dough is raising, get the toppings ready:

1 cup THRIVE Sausage Crumbles
1/4 cup THRIVE Chopped Onion
3/4 cup chopped bell peppers*
1/2 of an 8 ounce can tomato sauce*
THRIVE Seasonings Basil
THRIVE Seasonings Oregano
1 to 2 cups mozzarella cheese*

Rehydrate THRIVE Sausage Crumbles and THRIVE Chopped Onion in water 5 to 6 minutes.  Drain.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

When the dough is ready, press it out onto a pan of your choice.  Spread with tomato sauce.  Sprinkle sauce with THRIVE Seasonings Basil and THRIVE Seasonings Oregano.  Then top with bell peppers and THRIVE Sausage Crumbles and THRIVE Chopped Onion mixture.  Sprinkle all with mozzarella cheese and bake 20 minutes or until dough is cooked and cheese is melted.

*Denotes ingredients also available through THRIVE.

I was definitely pleased with how the pizza turned out!  And even happier that I didn't have to mess around with raw sausage OR chop up onion in order to enjoy this pizza!

If you'd like to give these THRIVE Sausage Crumbles a try, contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com!  I'm definitely loving them!  And don't forget:  the THRIVE Seasonings are only available through your consultant!

Chicken Asparagus Pasta

Well, in case you haven't heard...  My little family of 3 is currently staying with a very dear friend.  Our apartment building is having some construction going on -- the kind that required we not be in the building for the duration of the project...  I suppose it makes since, since I just drove by to check on progress and, if we were there, we'd literally have no way to exit our apartment as all the front decking and stairs are gone...

But it is still not the most convenient of things.  Particularly with a toddle.  However, we are very blessed to have such amazing friends who have welcomed us into their home and given us our own space.  It has been a great help.

The result of this temporary relocation (that could last up to 10 days -- and hopefully not longer!), is that I am unsure how frequently I'll be able to update this blog.  Not having all my THRIVE at my fingertips can make it challenging to cook with it ;).  But I'll do my best to fill you in on worthwhile information in the interim!

Today, though it's not a make-ahead recipe or a meatless recipe, I figured I would post a recipe I made last week.  And I'll tell you a funny little story to go along with it ;).

So I am a Pinterest fan.  And anytime I happen to find a recipe on there I think I might want to try, I pin it and eventually get around to trying it.  So I had pinned a chicken asparagus pasta dish many, many months ago; because I had extra fresh asparagus to use up (I'd bought a whole bunch for a Marvelous Monday Meals -- and didn't end needing it all.  And I didn't want it to go to waste, so I had to find a recipe to use it!).  Well, I made the recipe using fresh chicken breast and fresh asparagus -- and I didn't really like it.  I mean, it was okay.  But it didn't knock my socks off.

Fast-foward several months, and now I tend to scour Pinterest with my "THRIVE eyes."  This means I'm always looking for recipes that would be great for all my THRIVE!  So I came across this recipe for Chicken Asparagus Pasta and I thought, "Well, that looks good.  And I can use my THRIVE Seasoned Chicken Strips and THRIVE Asparagus!"  So I pinned it to my THRIVEing with Nilla board.  All the while not realizing I'd made the recipe before.  And then I decided to make it last week.

And then, as we were eating it, I became sure I'd made it before.  And wasn't so impressed the first time I made it (with all fresh ingredients).  So, I tell you this story, because this was not my personal favorite dish -- or anywhere near.  And that was true whether I made it with fresh or THRIVE.  the benefit of using my THRIVE was that at least I didn't have to waste time handling raw chicken or washing and chopping asparagus.  And, just to allow the two sides on this...  My husband likes this dish just fine (but I am still not making it again!)

So here's the recipe.  Because who knows?  This may be up your alley -- and THRIVE certainly makes it easier.  But it's just not as up my alley as I thought it would be...  Twice. ;). (This is where I found the original recipe when I made it with THRIVE.)

CHICKEN ASPARAGUS PASTA
1 12 oz box Bow Tie pasta
1 1/2 cup THRIVE Seasoned Chicken Slices
1 cup THRIVE Asparagus
1/2 cup chicken broth*
1/2 cup reserved pasta water
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 heaping tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried basil*
1 teaspoon dried oregano
red pepper flakes pinch of
4 oz cream cheese
1/4 cup whole milk
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Cook pasta according to directions on the package. In the last 10 minutes of cooking, add the THRIVE Seasoned Chicken Slices to the water.  In the last 5 minutes of cooking, add the THRIVE Asparagus to the water. Drain and set aside while reserving a cup of the pasta water.

In a skillet over medium heat, saute garlic in olive oil.  Add dry seasonings.  Add broth, milk, cream cheese, and half of the Parmesan cheese to the skillet.

Add pasta, chicken, and asparagus to your skillet and stir until well combined. If pasta seems too dry, add reserved cooking water a little bit at a time. Stir over med heat until desired consistency. Add salt, pepper and extra Parmesan to taste.

*Denotes other ingredients available through THRIVE Life.

Again, it's not my personal favorite and I don't plan to make it again...  But I liked that I saved time with THRIVE :)!

Sweet Potato Muffins

At the end of September, I had the opportunity to visit my brother-in-law and sister-in-law and do a mini-THRIVE "party" for my mother-in-law at a Stampin' Up get together!  It was a fun evening, and I enjoyed learning more about crafting -- and getting big a little by the card-making bug!  If you're into card-making, you should check out Stampin' Up here.  I flipped through the catalog and found so many things I wanted!  They were so stinkin' cute!  Being that I'm not super-crafty, my sister-in-law (who is incredibly patient -- she reminds me of my mom with how patient she is!) "held my hand" and helped me make the cutest "pop-up" card.  Which I was able to use as part of a house-warming gift just this past weekend.  So fun!

Anyway, I was also able to meet several awesome ladies and learn a little bit about them.  One sweet lady was particularly interested in how THRIVE Life Foods can help her eat healthier while on the road.  She drives a truck with her husband, and she said it can sometimes be challenging to eat well when their refrigerated space is quite limited and they are on the road for weeks -- and sometimes months -- at a time!  I am always excited when someone finds a way THRIVE Life can benefit their life's circumstances in new ways I'd never thought of before!

I wanted to be able to share some of the deliciousness that can be accomplished with THRIVE Life foods, so I made Sweet Potato Muffins!  I found the recipe on the back of the #10 can of THRIVE Sweet Potatoes, but it can also be found on the THRIVE Life recipe site.  I adapted it a bit to fit what I had.

SWEET POTATO MUFFINS
1/2 cup THRIVE Sweet Potatoes
1 1/4 cup water, boiling
1/4 cup apple juice
2 tablespoons THRIVE Instant Milk
1/4 cup THRIVE Shortening Powder
2 tablespoons THRIVE Whole Egg Powder
1/2 cup THRIVE Honey Crystals
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour*
1/2 tablespoons baking powder*
1/4 teaspoon salt*
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup THRIVE Powdered Butter
1/2 cup butterscotch chips

Soak sweet potatoes in boiling water until soft (about 10 minutes).  Do not drain water.  Add potato mixture to blender and puree with apple juice.

In a separate bowl, mix dry ingredients together.  Add puree mixture and blend until almost mixed.  Add in butterscotch chips and mix until barely incorporated.  Spoon mixture into prepared muffin tin.

Bake at 400 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes.  Makes 16 muffins.

* Denotes ingredients also available through THRIVE Life.

These were so yummy!  And they were a hit at the party :).  In fact, my sister-in-law may have temporarily broken her diet for them... ;).

Food Rotation Systems: The Cupboard Cansolidator

I know I focus a lot on the foods available through THRIVE Life on this blog.  And that's because they are awesome on so many levels!

But THRIVE Life is so much more than their amazing food line!  In fact, the very first product introduced by the company (when they were known as Shelf Reliance) was the food rotation system!  You've seen these in the canned soup aisle in most grocery stores -- and you know you think they're cool :).

And, after all...  Don't you want a convenient, central place to store all the awesome foods in your home store?  With the food rotation systems, you have a great spot to store all your canned goods (both THRIVE Life foods as well as other canned goods) which not only stores it all for you, but also helps you rotate your food to make sure you use the oldest first!!!

I received this Cupboard Cansolidator yesterday from a friend!  Naturally I had to put it together :).  The picture above is put together according to the directions.  This Cansolidator is designed to fit right into your cabinet, automatically providing you with room to store all your canned goods in an organized and efficient way!  In the pictures below, the cansolidator is purposefully incomplete (because I lack enough pieces to construct it the wrong way ;)) with the intent to show you how the Cansolidators can be stacked to give you even more room!

If you're trying to get your kitchen organized, you definitely want to check out the Food Rotation System options available to you!  There's no better way to keep all your cans organized!

Contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com to get yours today!

Hosting Promo!

THRIVE Life has awesome Host Benefits!  When you choose to host a party with THRIVE Life, you get a lot of free and half-off product! 

And through the end of October, you can get even more!!!  Check out the sweet hosting promo going on right now!  And then contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com if you're ready to host!  I am ready to THRIVE at your house!  (Including Alabama in November ;)!)  But remember, a party doesn't have to be a live event!  You can have a catalog party, a virtual party, a referral party...  There are many options and opportunities to introduce your friends and family to the amazing products of THRIVE Life!  And then you can start stocking up your own home store!

Remember, this promo ends at the end of October, so you don't want to miss out!

What to Store?: Vegetables

Part of being prepared in our family includes having a home store of long-lasting, great-tasting foods!  As I have mentioned in this blog before, we choose become prepared in this way because we follow the counsel of a living prophet; counsel we believe comes from the Lord.  We believe having a store of food can be beneficial for our family in many circumstances, including job loss, long-term inability to work, and possible disaster or emergency situations.  Or perhaps a home store may help this upcoming winter if there is a freak snow-storm where you live and you get stuck at home for a week or two!  The truth is, life is full of surprises.  For that reason, we believe in being prepared and following the counsel we've received.

And guess what!?!  Winter is coming!  So now's a good time to start stocking up just in case ;)!

So then the question becomes:  what do I store?

I'd like to take a moment to share something amazing about my mother-in-law, which she shared with me right before her THRIVE Party a couple weeks ago.  She has known times in the past in which her family used their food storage because my father-in-law was temporarily out of work.  Apparently they would sometimes be asked, "How do you eat with him not working?"  (The question was asking if their meals were different.)  The answer, because of her diligence in making sure they had a home store, was, "We eat the same as we did when he was working."  This is the benefit of a home store.  Because she had taken the time and put for the effort to build up her own family's home store -- with foods they ate on a regular basis -- they were able to continue eating as they always had (with the exception of some desserts).  I have to say, I really admire my mother-in-law for her wisdom and her diligence and determination to be prepared.  She is an example of the blessing a home store can be to a family facing financial difficulties, whatever those may be.

So again, the question is, what do I store?  And the answer is:  Store what you eat!  If you're family does not spend every day eating rice and beans, you probably want to store other alternatives.  I'm not saying rice and beans are not a good thing to have in storage!  They are a great thing to include in your storage -- and THRIVE Life can help you there!  But, though you can survive eating them every day, your family may not enjoy it so much.  And that's why I love THRIVE Life!  So much variety is available through THRIVE Life!  With THRIVE Life, if my family ever faces financial difficulties (or others that require the use of our food store), I don't just want to survive... I want to THRIVE!

Therefore, because my family doesn't only eat beans and rice day in and day out, I want to make sure I am storing other things.  One of the things my family eats (and which I feel are very important that we always continue eating) is vegetables!

Did you know that the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) recommends that adults have 2 to 4 servings of vegetables each day?

That's a lot of vegetables!  And THRIVE Life has an amazing selection of freeze-dried and dehydrated options for vegetables! 

One very helpful thing about THRIVE Life products is that they are labeled with the number of servings in each can.  This can help you determine how much of each THRIVE Vegetable you need for your family!

My family loves to eat the THRIVE Sweet Corn, THRIVE Green Peas, and the THRIVE Asparagus right out of the can as snacks!  (I even like to eat the THRIVE Cauliflower and the THRIVE Celery from the can too!)

Another amazing aspect to the THRIVE Life Vegetables is their long shelf-life!  Most of the vegetables will last 20 to 25 years unopened, and 1 year after they've been opened!  That's a phenomenal shelf-life!  Plus, there are no added preservatives to keep them lasting so long!  Imagine the peace of mind that comes knowing you have the vegetables you need to keep your family healthy for years to come!

In addition to tasting great and helping us know we have vegetables that will last a long time for our food store, theses vegetables save me a ton of time in my everyday cooking!  I am constantly using the THRIVE Celery in my soups, chicken salad, and other dishes.  Tonight I'll be making a chicken asparagus pasta!  The vegetables arrive at my door washed and chopped, leaving me the small task of scooping them out and adding them to the pan! 

If you'd like to try some THRIVE Vegetables and start building your vegetable home store, you can even start by ordering the Vegetable Variety Pack.  This pack offers THRIVE Life's best-selling, most popular vegetable items!  Truly a great, easy, and convenient way to start building your home store!

Do you have a favorite THRIVE Life vegetable?  Share yours in the comments!

And if you're interested in getting started with the Vegetable Variety Pack or any other THRIVE Life awesomeness, contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com and we'll get you going!

Meatless Monday: Beef Enchilada Bake

In recent months, the price of beef has gone up significantly.  As a result, I started looking for more meatless meals to help me stretch our grocery budget!  

THRIVE Life has opened my world to so many possibilities with their great variety of TVP (textured vegetable protein) products!  I'm loving that we're able to have meals that would usually use beef, but don't -- and we don't feel like we're missing out!  Our beef supply is stretching further this way, and I'm not having to buy beef at the grocery store nearly as often! 

One of our recent meatless meals was a Beef Enchilada Bake.  I found the recipe on the back of the THRIVE Life Sweet Corn #10 can.  I made a couple of substitutions, since we currently have the THRIVE Taco TVP.  The recipe below is as I made it -- and I felt like it came out quite well!

BEEF ENCHILADA BAKE
1 cup THRIVE Taco TVP (I subbed this for THRIVE Beef TVP)
1 cup boiling water
1/2 of 6-ounce can tomato paste* (I subbed this for 1 can condensed tomato soup, because the THRIVE Taco TVP is seasoned more than the THRIVE Beef TVP and I wanted to decrease the sodium due to my original substitution)
1 cup salsa*
1 cup THRIVE Sweet Corn, rehydrated
6-8 corn tortillas, cut into 1-inch squares
1/2 to 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese*

Combine THRIVE Taco TVP and water in a microwave safe dish; microwave on high for 6 to 10 minutes.  Let stand for 5 minutes.

In a large skillet, combine the THRIVE Taco TVP, tomato paste, salsa, THRIVE Sweet Corn, and tortillas.  Heat through.  Transfer to a 2 1/2 quart baking dish and top with cheese. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.  Top with a dollop of sour cream* and sliced olives if desired.

*Denotes ingredients also available through THRIVE Life.

If you want to stretch your grocery budget a little further with the help of some of THRIVE Life's awesome TVP options, contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com!

You can also check out more info on the THRIVE Taco TVP by following this link!

Brownie Batter Milkshake with THRIVE!

I am a huge fan of Pinterest.  I have found some of the most yummy-looking recipes through Pinterest.  And every now and again, I try some of them out.

One such delicious-looking recipe I'd pinned was the Brownie Batter Milkshake (the original recipe can be found here).  It's been pinned to my Liquid Yumminess board for around 2 years...  Because here's the thing:  when do I ever have brownie batter I want to open and only use partially?  Well, the answer used to be never.

But thanks to THRIVE Life, the answer has now changed to all the time!  Because THRIVE Fudge Brownie mix is the perfect thing for me to have for single-serve brownies in a mug!  So I now always have a pantry can of THRIVE Fudge Brownie Mix sitting in my pantry, ready to use a little at a time!

So I knew was going to be making that Brownie Batter Milkshake finally!!!

It was a yummy, creamy, rich treat.  And it was super easy!  So here's the recipe (I halved the original):

THRIVE Brownie Batter Milkshake
1 1/2 cups vanilla ice cream
1/2 cup milk
3/4 cups THRIVE Fudge Brownie Mix

Place all ingredients in blender and blend well until smooth.  Drizzle with chocolate syrup and garnish with brownie bits (both optional).  Enjoy!!

And just remember, I didn't say this was diet-food ;)!!!  Only that it's delicious!

Want to get some THRIVE Fudge Brownie Mix for yourself?  Contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com!

The Q: Q&A

One of the many fabulous options offered by THRIVE Life is the Q.  Pictured above is my Q shipment for September!  (I am anxiously awaiting my October Q shipment -- it's wheeling it's way to me as I type!)

So, what exactly is the Q?

The Q is a convenient and easy way to get some of your groceries delivered right to your door every month! When you set up a Q through THRIVE Life, you set a budget of how much you want to spend on THRIVE yumminess each month.  You choose what items you want to have arriving at your doorstep and add them to your Q.  And then they arrive!  The idea is to reallocate some of your monthly grocery budget to ordering long-lasting, healthy, delicious, and convenient foods to start building your home store.  With the Q, you also have control over when your order processes each month (the date your credit card is charged).  You can even change it from month to month!  And though you can always order through me -- and always get the Q price when you do...  When you have a Q, you will get the Q price every time you log-in and place your own order on your Q!


What is a home store?

A home store is a supply of food in your home from which you can "shop."  It can be a time and money saver!  Here's how:  Have you ever found yourself in the middle of making a meal and find you are lacking one stinkin' ingredient?!?  I have.  And it is the most frustrating thing!  For me, it seems the ingredient I am most often without is sour cream.  Even when I plan my menu out for two weeks and I know I'm going to make a dish that calls for sour cream, I somehow frequently forget to put it on my grocery list.  So then it doesn't get purchased.  And then I find myself mid-meal-prep with no sour cream.  One day I called around to 2 friends who live nearby to see if they had any.  They didn't.  So I texted my mom at work to see if she did.  She did.  So I had to get my baby ready, and go to my mom's house for sour cream.  True, I could have gone to the store...  But since I could walk to my mom's, I saved gas.  And I saved myself on impulse buys.  But I still wasted a ton of time in the endeavor!  So guess what is coming to my house this month in my Q shipment?  THRIVE Sour Cream Powder!  I will never have to make an extra trip to the store -- or shop at Mom's -- now that I will have sour cream in my own home store!  I can just "shop" at home!!!

Is there a minimum required budget?

Only if you are a consultant, in which case the minimum budget to remain active as a consultant is $50 a month.  For non-consultants, there is no minimum budget.  You can set your budget at $20 a month or $200 a month, it's all up to you and what your family feels is best.  The most important thing to remember is that your budgeted amount does not include shipping.  Shipping is additional to your budget total.

Is there a contract or commitment for the Q?

Yes.  When you sign up for the Q, you commit to spending your chosen budget for 3 months.  For example, if you sign up for a Q in October at a budget of $60, you commit to ordering $60 in October (or whichever month you choose to begin, as you can post-date your first Q shipment), $60 in November, and $60 in December.  After the first 3 months, you can increase your budget, decrease your budget, pause your Q, or cancel your Q entirely.  It's all up to you!

When I am on the Q, are my shipments pre-determined, or do I get to choose what I want to have shipped to me each month?

It depends on your preference!  If you would like to allow THRIVE Life to select items for you based on some parameters you define, you can do that.  If you want to start out with one of their Smart Start Kits, you can do that. (These kits have the most popular items and will offer you a large variety for the first 3 months of your Q, giving you an opportunity to try several THRIVE Life products quickly so you can determine what your family likes best!)    Or, if you prefer, you can opt to always choose your items yourself.  This is what my family has chosen to do!  Then I decide each month what treasures will be arriving next :)!

Can I only purchase food items on the Q?

No!  THRIVE Life offers other awesome products, such as emergency essentials and food rotation systems -- and you can purchase them all on your Q, as well as the delicious, long-lasting foods!  (If you'll notice in the above picture, I ordered a 5-in-1 Emergency Whistle as part of my September Q!)

What is the Q Club?

The Q Club is similar to the Q, but better!  When you join the Q Club, you have access to new products when they first come out (meaning you can pre-order them before others can), you are able to purchase the Q-Pon item (the most deeply discounted item each month), and you receive rewards points!  Your rewards points can continue to accrue as long as you want them to, and then you can redeem them for free product at THRIVE Life!

How do I join the Q Club?

You can join the Q Club 3 different ways:

1. Become a consultant!  You are part of the Q Club free for life!
2. Set your Q budget at $100 or more and you're in the Q Club for free.  (If you choose to order the Smart Start Kits, these will automatically qualify you for the Q Club your first 3 months.)  Remember, the budget amount does not include shipping.  You must purchase at least $100 in product, NOT INCLUDING SHIPPING, to be in the Q Club at no additional charge.  If you choose to lower your budget to below $100 after the first 3 month commitment, you will retain the points you have earned, but you will not continue to earn rewards points unless you pay the Q Club membership fee.
3. If you do not wish to set your budget at or above $100 or become a consultant, but still want the benefits of the Q Club, you can pay $79.99 to join the Q-Club at any chosen budget.

I hope this little Q&A session about The Q has been helpful!  I know there is a lot of information to learn when one chooses to set up a Q, so I want to help as much as I can to make it easier to understand and use from the get-go!

I love my Q and look forward to filling it each month with the THRIVE Life goodies I want to try next -- or add to in my ever-expanding home store :)!

Would you like to set up a Q to help you build your home store?  Contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com and I'll help you get started!

THRIVE Taco TVP

First off, what the heck is TVP? 

TVP stands for Textured Vegetable Product.  Basically, this means it is made of soy product textured to appear like beef.  This particular THRIVE TVP item is seasoned with taco seasonings, making it a great and quick! addition to a variety of Mexican-inspired dishes!

I'm a visual person, so I took a picture of the product in the can to show you.

The product can be eaten right out of the can.  (I know, because I tried ;)).  I don't recommend it, though!  It's pretty high in sodium straight out of the can.  Once prepared, the water dilutes the sodium content.

THRIVE Taco TVP is vegetarian and it is also Certified Gluten-Free!  My family doesn't have concerns about either of those, but I have many wonderful friends who do have concerns about one of the other, so it's always nice to find something that will work for them!

So why did I decide to try THRIVE Taco TVP?  For a couple of reasons, actually.  One is the ever-increasing price of beef.  Sigh.  In our household (mostly due to me...) we mainly eat beef and chicken.  Sometimes some pork (which is actually increasing since I now have THRIVE Sausage Crumbles in my home store!), but mainly beef and chicken.  So as I noticed the price of beef going up, I was noticing our grocery budget taking a bit of a hit.  Plus, my husband and I have talked about efforts to decrease our meat intake.  Not to do away with it entirely; but to have more meatless meals.  We feel this can be beneficial to our family's overall health.  And, of course, having some meatless meals will also help lower the cost of our meals as well.  So I decided to try out our first TVP product through THRIVE.  I wasn't brave enough to just try the beef or chicken, though ;).  I felt like I would know how to use the THRIVE Taco TVP, though.  It would be a great way for me to introduce TVP to  my family!  This means our meals can be cheaper and we are consuming a little less meat for a healthier lifestyle!

Preparing the THRIVE Taco TVP is super simple.  You use 2 parts water to 1 part THRIVE Taco TVP.  For our family, I usually use 1 cup of the THRIVE Taco TVP and 2 cups of water.  I bring the water to boil in a skillet, add the TVP, allow it to simmer 2 minutes, and then remove from the heat.  I generally find that most or all of the water is absorbed into the product, but if it is too moist for you, simply drain it before adding it to your dish!

Last night we used our THRIVE Taco TVP for taco salad.  I personally really enjoyed it.  I didn't feel like I was missing out by not having ground beef in my taco salad.  My husband said he could tell it "wasn't the same" but that it wasn't bad.  He completely supports my substituting THRIVE Taco TVP sometimes, so I plan to use the THRIVE Taco TVP frequently for our taco salads in the future.  Taco Salad is one of our "go-to" menu items, so this will be handy!

And, it turns out the THRIVE Taco TVP comes with another bonus too!  Not only is it helping us cut costs by allowing us to purchase less beef and helping us eat more meatless than before...  It also takes less time and effort to prepare!  The preparation is quick and painless, and there is no splatter of grease from browning the meat.  There's also no need to remember to thaw the beef, if your beef is in the freezer :).  So definitely an additional perk for me!

I am really pleased with our purchase of THRIVE Taco TVP.  It has been a great addition to our home store on so many levels.  I have used it as well in a Beef Enchilada Bake, and I will post that recipe at a later date.  Basically, I see THRIVE Taco TVP being a part of our home store for a long time to help us have the proteins we need for our family for the long-term -- and the short-term!

Are you interested in trying THRIVE Taco TVP?  Contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com to place your order today!

Cooking with the Q-Pon: 10 Grain Pancake Mix: Peach-Raspberry Cobbler

I know it's officially October, and there is a new Q-Pon item for the month (which you can find on the October Specials Flyer)...  But I haven't gotten my Q for October yet, so I'll do one more Cooking with the Q-Pon post with September's Q-Pon Item: the 10 Grain Pancake Mix!

Plus, it was officially made in September, since it was featured as dessert at Marvelous Monday Meals!  So it still counts ;).

I found the recipe at the new THRIVE Life recipe site!  The original recipe can be found here.  I adapted it a little and used raspberries instead of sweet cherries :).  It was yummy the first day, served up with ice cream.  But I think it tasted even better the next day, once the flavors all blended even more.  So delicious!

PEACH-RASPBERRY COBBLER
Filling:
3 cups THRIVE Peach Slices
1/2 cup THRIVE Raspberries
1/2 cup brown sugar*
1/4 cup THRIVE Powdered Butter
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups water

Cake:
3/4 cup THRIVE 10 Grain Pancake Mix
1/3 cup sugar*
1/2 teaspoon baking powder*
1/4 teaspoon salt*
1 tablespoon THRIVE Instant Milk
3 tablespoons THRIVE Butter Powder
1 1/2 teaspoons THRIVE Pure Vanilla Extract Powder
1 tablespoon THRIVE Whole Egg Powder
1/3 cup water

Streusel:
1/4 cup THRIVE Butter Powder
1/4 cup brown sugar*
1/4 cup oats*
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes.

Pour into a greased 9x9 dish. For cake, combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix until combined. Spread batter on top of filling.

For streusel, cut butter into remaining dry ingredients and mix until combined. Sprinkle streusel on top of cake batter.

 Bake at 400°F for 18–22 minutes or until lightly browned and toothpick comes out clean.

*Denotes ingredients also available through THRIVE Life.

This cobbler is delicious!  I'm really glad I took it for Marvelous Monday Meals dessert, because it was a hit!  And I think it's so awesome how versatile the 10 Grain Pancake Mix is!  And, though it looks like a lot, the recipe is actually quite quick and simple!  I'll definitely make it again!

Remember:  THRIVE Pure Vanilla Extract Powder, like all the THRIVE Seasonings, are only available through consultants, so contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com to order yours!!