Honey Whole Wheat Rolls

During December, the THRIVE specials were all about making baking a cinch!  I don't know about you, but I tend to do a lot of baking during the holidays.  I also need as many things as possible to make my life easier.  As you can probably guess, due to my infrequent updating of this blog, I was a busy bee for the last several weeks.  Baking, shopping, cooking, visiting, prepping for 9 people in our 1000 square foot apartment for a week (yikes!)...  It's a busy time of year for me (and probably for everyone else as well!).  Thus, when I saw all the bakery yumminess on sale in December, I stocked up!  And last night, we enjoyed some Honey Whole Wheat Rolls with our pasta dinner :).

The preparation instructions for the bread (whether in loaf form or rolls) is on the can.  Basically, you put warm water and yeast in a bowl and add the required amount of Honey Whole Wheat Dough Mix, and you're well on your way to some yummy, moist, and soft rolls! 

I love that these rolls have whole wheat...  I know it's a healthier option for my family :).  I'm looking forward to trying this mix out for some whole wheat cinnamon rolls in the not-too-distant future, so stay tuned!

Four Bean "Chili"

Prior to heading out to Alabama for two weeks on vacation, our family was trying to not buy additional groceries we'd have to use up before we left!  And THRIVE was definitely handy at that point!  Because, even opened, my THRIVE products could sit and wait for our return -- including the onions and celery!  It's just awesome.

So, one night, while I was looking through our cupboards and trying to decide what to make, I decided on trying out a semi-made-up recipe.  And I came up with this Four Bean "Chili."  My main goal in preparing this dish was to use up 3 strips of bacon I had the in the fridge.  Fortunately, we also have many different kinds of beans!  I chose to use 3 types of dry beans (which required that I soak them overnight) plus some of the THRIVE Instant Pinto Beans I have.  So here's the recipe I came up with!

FOUR BEAN "CHILI"
1/2 cup dry white beans*
1/2 cup dry black beans*
1/2 cup dry kidney beans*
1/2 cup THRIVE Instant Pinto Beans
3 slices raw bacon
1 cube beef bouillon*
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons THRIVE Chopped Onions
1/4 cup THRIVE Celery
salt, pepper, cumin, garlic powder to taste
Water to cover beans in crock pot (about 2 to 3 cups)

In a large bowl, rinse and sort dry beans.  Fill bowl with fresh water to doubly cover the beans.  Allow to soak overnight.  The next morning, drain and rinse beans and place in the bottom of a crock pot.

Add THRIVE Instant Pinto Beans and the remaining ingredients.  Cook on high for 2 hours, then low for 4 to 6 hours.  Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, or other toppings of your choice, if desired.

*Denotes ingredients also available through THRIVE Life.