Farfalle Basil Marinara

This is now one of my go-to dinners!  Especially in the summer!  It's stove-top.  It's fast.  And it's delicious!  My whole family loves it!  It was served at a Power Up Seattle, and I knew I wanted to have it again at home!  And now we have it again and again :).

FARFALLE BASIL MARINARA
2 cups farfalle (bowtie) pasta*
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 tablespoon garlic
1 1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons THRIVE Chopped Onions
1/2 cup THRIVE Tomato Dices
1/4 cup THRIVE Classic Tomato Sauce, dry
1/4 teaspoon THRIVE Chef's Choice Seasoning Blend
1/2 tablespoon Basil*
1/4 cup THRIVE Shredded Parmesan Cheese

Cook pasta in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes until done.  Drain and set aside.

Sweat oil and garlic together in saucepan.  Add all remaining ingredients except Parmesan and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes.

Toss pasta with sauce and Parmesan and bring back to a simmer.  Simmer another minute or so and then enjoy!

*Denotes other ingredients available through THRIVE Life.

As written, this recipe makes about 3 servings.  But it would be very easy to double it for a larger family!  Seriously, our dinner was done in about 30 minutes from start to finish that night!  We served this dish alongside sauteed spinach, fresh strawberries, and French bread!  Yum!

And let me just say that I love the Classic Tomato Sauce!  I never would have considered buying it had it now been for trying this recipe at the Power Up.  Now I consider it a home store staple!

Happy THRIVEing!

Q-Pon Cooking: July 2015: Sausage Crumbles: Stove-Top "Baked" Ziti

July is halfway over, and I've been lax in posting my THRIVEing cooking experiences!  Trust me, I haven't been lax in having them, though!  Life with a 2-month old and a new baby is just a whirlwind and finding the time to sit down and post all of these culinary treats is not as easy as I would hope.  And on those rare days when I could have the chance since I (by some miracle) got both kids down to nap at the same time, I pretty much choose to nap as well -- because we're still in the mostly-sleepless night phase!  My little guy still likes eating on a 2-hour schedule these days. 

But that's enough about me!  Let's talk about some THRIVE!  It's still July, which means you can still snag some Sausage Crumbles at a great price!  Since I have posted before about why I love the THRIVE Sausage Crumbles, I won't reinvent the wheel...  But if you click on that link, you can read all about the many reasons they are among my favorite THRIVE Life products -- and why I keep them on hand in my home store ALL THE TIME now.  (And that's saying something for someone who maybe bought sausage 4 times a year in the past...).

And I'll just add this recipe I recently cooked up, using the THRIVE Sausage Crumbles to make a great one-pot meal even simpler!  You can find the original recipe here.

STOVE-TOP "BAKED" ZITI
1 cup THRIVE Sausage Crumbles
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
12 ounces rotini pasta
3 cups water
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese*
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese*

Heat olive oil over medium heat in large skillet.  Add garlic and cook about 30 seconds.  Add tomatoes, THRIVE Sausage Crumbles, red pepper flakes, pasta and water.  Stir.  Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer until pasta is cooked through, about 13 to 16 minutes. 

Remove from heat.  Stir in Parmesan and heavy cream.  Top with mozzarella and cover until cheese has melted, about 2 minutes.

*Denotes other ingredients available through THRIVE Life.

How easy is that!?!  There's a reason I love these Sausage Crumbles.  And I know you will too!  So get some.  Now!  Just contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com to get the Q-Pon price if you aren't a Q-Club member.  Or add it to your Q for July if you are a Q-Club member! 

Happy THRIVEing!

Throw & Go Vegetable Beef Soup

I've said it before, and I'll say it again:  one of my favorite things about THRIVE Life is how it helps me save time -- or have a good, healthy meal easily when I don't have any time.  Or when I have very little motivation to make dinner :).  (And I accept that as the way it is when I could deliver a baby any day!)

Well, Tuesday was one of those days.  I'd had a doctor's appointment, hit up Costco, the bank and Target, washed some laundry, took care of a toddler, took the toddler to the library to get new books...  And by dinner-time, I didn't have any meat thawed, and I really didn't feel like doing anything much.  It was quite tempting to go through a drive-thru while out at the library!

But I knew that wasn't the best option for us.  And so I convinced myself to come home and figure out something fast and easy with all my delicious THRIVE!

And I came up with this "Throw & Go Vegetable Beef Soup!"  And I liked it!  The THRIVE Ground Beef may be my new favorite item!!!

Seriously, I just threw a bunch of stuff in a pot, brought it to a boil, reduced to simmer and let it simmer 15 minutes.  I thawed out some french bread I'd made and frozen earlier.  And dinner was done!  Here's how I did it (but just realize you can adapt to your likes and preferences with THRIVE Life!)

THROW AND GO VEGETABLE BEEF SOUP
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons THRIVE Chopped Onion
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons THRIVE Celery
3 tablespoons THRIVE Carrot Dices
1/4 cup THRIVE Green Peas
1/4 cup THRIVE Mushrooms
1/4 cup THRIVE Asparagus
1 teaspoon THRIVE Chicken Bouillon
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce*
1 14-ounce can chicken broth*
2 cups water
1/2 cup THRIVE Ground Beef

Heat oil in a saucepan/pot over medium heat.  Add onion and saute 30 seconds.  Pour in tomato sauce, broth, water.  Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to simmer and allow to cook 15 minutes. 

*Denotes other ingredients available through THRIVE Life.

I enjoyed the flavor in this soup and I could really taste the beef flavor, even after only 15 minutes!  I thought this was awesome for a no-plan meal :).  And I loved that I got all my veggies in and in such variety!  The only thing I'll do differently in the future is add either some macaroni or potato chunks.  But that'll be just as simple with THRIVE Life :)!

I love my home store!

Prepping for Baby!

As part of preparing for the arrival of our little bundle of joy, I knew I wanted to have several meals on-hand.  Over time, I decided I didn't just want dinner meals readily available, but also breakfast (since I have a hungry toddler to feed in the mornings :)). 

Once again, THRIVE Life has helped me!  And I can't say how much I love how versatile the product is.  It has helped me in so many ways with shaving time off meal prep, reducing waste, and offering my family healthier options (and easy ways to get veggies!).  And now it's helped me prepare for a baby!  So loving it!

So now I have dinners and breakfasts, all thanks to THRIVE Life! 

Here's what I now have on hand (in addition to several freezer meals that THRIVE also helped me with!):

Oatmeals (this is the basic recipe I followed, but changed up the fruit and some of the spices for some of them!)
Sausage Zuppa Toscana
Sloppy Joes (I haven't posted this as a jar meal specifically, yet, but plan to eventually.  The recipe is there, though, and I'll just add a can of tomato sauce since I don't have tomato powder on hand at the moment!)

I know it'll be so wonderful to have these on-hand when we have a newborn and sleep is hard to come by -- and time is a little crazy for a while :).  I love THRIVE, and I love my home store!

Would you love to do jar meals or learn more about them?  Contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com!  We do jar meal classes periodically and are planning to do one in July for the sloppy joes!

Happy THRIVEing!

Chef Todd's Salsa... Sort Of

I had a get-together the other evening when I hosted a doTERRA Class for my sister-in-law.  (If you're interested in Essential Oils, you should totally check out her website here.)  Being the foodie that I am, I can't not serve food at an event!

So I made salsa.  One of the reasons for this was because I could "showcase" the edible uses of a couple of the Essential Oils (cilantro and lime).

The other reason was because I knew my THRIVE foods would come through for me and I could throw together a salsa in a snap!  Which was particularly awesome when that day turned out to be a harder one that I'd originally anticipated.  I needed easy like you can't imagine that day...

This salsa knocked my socks off for a couple reasons.  1.  It tasted great.  2.  My husband really liked it.  3. It was literally done in 5 minutes and was in the fridge mingling flavors.  No chopping or washing of anything (except the dishes later one).  It was amazing.  I may never make any other fresh salsa again, now that I know I can be spoiled with my THRIVE!

I halved the recipe (which can be found in its original form here) and made it as follows:

CHEF TODD'S SALSA... SORT OF
2 cups THRIVE Tomato Dices
2 tablespoons THRIVE Green Chilies
1 tablespoon THRIVE Chopped Onions
1 tablespoon THRIVE Cilantro
1/8 teaspoon THRIVE Chef's Choice seasoning blend
1 drop doTERRA Lime Essential Oil
a smidge (try not to use a full drop -- it's potent!) doTERRA Cilantro Essential Oil
3/4 cup water

Mix all dry ingredients in a medium bowl.  Add the lime and cilantro oils to the water and stir.  Pour the oil-infused water into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir to combine.  Cover and chill at least 2 hours.  Serve with chips.

See?  I told you this was easy.

Would you love to enjoy fresh salsa made in minutes?  Contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com or visit my website at www.thrivelife.com/THRIVEingNilla to place an order for these awesome ingredients!

Happy THRIVEing!

Jar Meal: Apple Pie Oatmeal

This Thursday I am doing a Make and Take Jar Meal class for my sweet friend Megan!  She's so awesome and she's so excited about THRIVE Life that she wants all her guests to have some THRIVE Life deliciousness to take home and enjoy -- hence the Apple Pie Oatmeal in a jar for every party guest :)! 

So this morning, my toddler and I tried it out!  And it is amazing!  My toddler asked for "more...more!"  And, considering she usually leaves her store-bought cereals to soak up milk and go soggy and go to waste, I was totally impressed that she at all of her oatmeal and wanted more! 

Being that I'm only 3 weeks away from my due date, I am definitely planning on making variations of this recipe to keep in my cabinet for easy to fix breakfasts after we have a new little bundle in our home (and I have less sleep in my body :)).  Definitely going to try doing it with bananas and cinnamon; strawberries and vanilla powder; peaches, etc.!  So versatile!

APPLE PIE OATMEAL
1 cup THRIVE Quick Oats
2 tablespoons THRIVE Instant Milk
1/4 cup brown sugar*
1/2 cup  THRIVE Granny Smith Apples, crushed/broken (about 5 to 6 apple slices)
2 teaspoons Apple Pie Spice

For the jar:  Layer ingredients in a pint-size jar, beginning with oats.

To prepare in microwave:  Place contents of jar in microwave-safe bowl (a larger one) and add 1 2/3 cups water.  Microwave on high 2 to 2 1/2 minutes in 30 second intervals, stirring after each interval.  Add more water slowly to reach desired consistency.  Add milk as necessary to thin/cool after oatmeal is cooked.

To prepare on stove top:  Add contents of jar to 1 3/4 cups water and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes, adding water as necessary.  Add milk as necessary to thin/cool after oatmeal is cooked.

*Denotes other ingredients available through THRIVE Life.

This is 2 servings in the pint-size jar; but you can half the recipe (in a jelly jar) and have single-serve breakfasts!  Which would be totally awesome to take to work with you -- or send with your husband ;)!

I may have used too small of a bowl in the microwave...  And I may have had a little mess to clean up!  But it was so worth it!

I'm so excited about jar meals and how THRIVE Life can help me have easy and fast meals on hand like this oatmeal!  And I'm definitely glad for it as I prepare to make-ahead a bunch of meals (both breakfast and dinner!) to help us as we transition from a family of 3 to a family of 4!!!

Would you like to be able to make your own jar meals?  I can help you out!  Just contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com or visit my website at www.thrivelife.com/THRIVEingNilla!

Happy THRIVEing!

*This is not my original recipe.  I got it from a jar meal cookbook available through my THRIVE Life team!

Quick, Refreshing Drinks!

Today my little munchkin and I had a play-date at a local park.  It was a beautiful day -- and we needed to get out anyway!  My husband is working the awful graveyard shift, so we try to leave the house every morning for a few hours in the interest of allowing him to get some solid sleep.

But that's not really important ;).

So as part of our play-date, we were doing a picnic lunch!  And I decided I wanted to take a quick, refreshing drink to enjoy!  So I played around with my THRIVE Life ingredients and came up with something yummy and fast which blended wonderfully during the hours it waited to be enjoyed!

I just grabbed a pint-size mason jar, tossed in some THRIVE Simply Peach drink mix (2 tablespoons, since that's the recommended amount for one cup water), and then added a small handful of THRIVE Pineapple Chunks and a small handful of THRIVE Raspberries!  Dropped in a couple ice cubes, just to keep it chilled, and then shook it up!  Oh yeah...  And don't forget the water ;).  I filled it with cold water to the neck of the jar -- and then I shook it!

And by lunchtime, the fruits were all nicely rehydrated and had added their wonderful flavors to the peach drink mix.  It was so yum!  And so easy!

And so customizable!  I'm looking forward to trying this with some other combinations in the near future!!!

Interested in adding some of these items to your Home Store?  Contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com!

Jar Meal: Chicken Tortilla Soup

We have another fun jar meal party coming up on May 5th -- Cinco de Mayo!  And to celebrate, we are making Mexican-inspired soups -- in a jar!

But naturally, I wanted to test out this recipe and see how it looks in the jar and how it tastes in a bowl :)!

So tonight, my family enjoyed Chicken Tortilla Soup!  And all I did when it came time to prep dinner was bring 8 cups of water to a boil, dump in the jar of ingredients and simmer 15 to 20 minutes!  And I definitely love the ease and speed of that!

Pictured is the prepared jar with most of the THRIVE ingredient cans!  I actually didn't have any THRIVE Green Chilies on hand, but my friend Rebekah did, so she dropped some by for me.  But I didn't have the can for the picture ;).  So there's most of the cans at any rate ;).

Just a close-up of the jar.  Very pretty, don't you think!?!  So here are the ingredients in the order I placed them in the jar:

1 cup THRIVE Chopped Chicken
2/3 cup THRIVE Green Chilies
1/2 cup THRIVE Chopped Onions
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 cup THRIVE Tomato Powder
2 teaspoons THRIVE Chicken Bouillon
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup THRIVE Sweet Corn

To prepare, add contents of jar to 8 cups boiling water.  Reduce heat to low and simmer 15 to 20 minutes.  Top with your favorite toppings:  tortilla chips, sour cream, cheese, green onions, salsa, etc...  *If you prefer a higher fat content in your soup, you may consider adding a tablespoon of olive oil to the water when bringing it to a boil.

And when you're ready to eat, it tastes delicious and looks like this!

This was as definite win in our household!  I'll be making it -- in a jar for easy meals on busy days! -- again and again!  If you'd like to have one (or more) of this jar meal on hand, join us at my house on May 5th anytime from 7 to 9 p.m.  Just drop on in!  Plus you can sample all these delicious recipes -- and more -- while mingling and visiting with others!  It's sure to be a great time!  Contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com for more information and location!

Or you can order the ingredients and make your own jars at home!  Just visit my website: www.thrivelife.com/THRIVEingNilla or contact me to place your order!  Remember, the BIG DEAL Sale is still going on through Monday, so now's a great time to get great prices on these ingredients!

Happy THRIVEing!

Product Highlight: THRIVE Potato Beads

Some days I need easy!  And today was definitely one of those days!  As the due date for our little baking bun draws ever nearer, there are simply more appointments and more things to get done.  Today was our "Stork Express" visit where we get pre-registered at the hospital.  So I wasn't feeling like spending a lot of time in the kitchen in the evening, especially because I had some appointments to keep after dinner was all done.

Today I relied on my THRIVE Potato Beads to round our our dinner with a delicious side dish!  And, to be quite honest, I've been relying on these Potato Beads quite a bit lately.  They are just so easy to use and so quick to make!  I follow the recipe on the can -- generally.  But we discovered that we like our potatoes a bit moister, so I always increase the water to 2 cups and keep all the other ingredients (milk, butter, salt, pepper) the same.

Because these potato beads are so easy to use, I literally had my side dish (mashed potatoes) ready from start to finish in the same amount of time it took to cook the biscuits!  It was a beautiful thing :).  Particularly since I threw all this together at the very last minute.  I love not having to peel or chop potatoes and wait for them to boil and soften.

I also love that I can have my sealed cans of these on the shelf for up to 8 years and they still maintain all their nutrients!  Or that I can open them and have the can's contents last up to a year!  I can't say that about regular potatoes (and I have had plenty of moldy ones to prove it!).

The Potato Beads are pre-seasoned, so they do have a higher sodium content than the regular Mashed Potatoes available through THRIVE (which I also love -- and just stocked up on more during the BIG DEAL sale going on right now!).  But my sister-in-law raved over these; and when she found out they were being discontinued, she stocked up.  So I wanted to try them.  They are delicious and fast -- just what I need!  Yes, they are being discontinued, but they are still available until the stock runs out.  So if you think you'd like to have some in your home store for those crazy busy days, contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com or shop my website:  www.thrivelife.com/thriveingnilla

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Our family loves pancakes.  We have them for breakfast at least once a week.  But sometimes 2 or 3 times a week!  We keep a variety of pancake mixes on hand, just for this reason.  We definitely love the THRIVE 10 Grain Pancake Mix, and we are super-excited about the changes that have been made to it, so it is now among the many non-GMO products THRIVE Life offers! 

And it's on special this month!  The perfect time to stock up!

But that isn't actually the pancake mix I used today.  Today I used a regular store-bought mix and jazzed it up -- a lot!  It wasn't a special celebratory day or anything.  I just felt like trying out some fancy "special" pancakes with the new -- and completely amazing THRIVE Peanut Flour.  I realize I've been posting a lot of recipes recently with the Peanut Flour, but that's because I am simply amazed by the versatility of it; not to mention how easy it is to use and clean!

I would have never thought to add peanut butter to my pancake mix without this great product.  I got the idea, because many people enjoy peanut butter spread on their pancakes.  So I thought, "Why not step it up and put peanut flour in the pancakes!?!"  And it was so easy to do!  I just tossed some in with my other dry ingredients, and oila!

And these were yummy.  So yummy, I didn't even use syrup.  And my toddler snarfed all of hers down.  Quickly.

OATMEAL PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE CHIP PANCAKES
2 cups all-inclusive pancake mix*(we used Krusteaz brand)
3/4 cups oats* (I used old-fashioned, but quick would work fine too!)
2 tablespoons THRIVE Peanut Flour
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 to 1/2 cups mini chocolate chips (this depends on how many chocolate chips you want!)

Add all dry ingredients, except chocolate chips, to a medium-size bowl and whisk together to combine.  Add water and whisk until well-blended.  Mix in chocolate chips.  Pour batter onto prepared skillet or griddle and cook according to pancake mix directions (or to your preferences ;)).

When I make pancakes, they are usually 6 to 7-inches in diameter.  This recipe yielded 5 pancakes that size.

I'm definitely making these again!  So easy, and so yummy!

The Peanut Flour is also on special this month!  It is a perfect time to get some!  Through April, it is $15.09 for a #10 can, which will make a little more than 11 1/4 cups of fresh peanut butter however you like it (you control the salt, sugar, and oil!).  And just for comparison purposes, 2 large jars of JIF peanut butter from Costco are 10 3/4 cups of prepared peanut butter without the ability to control the sugar, salt, and oil  (fat) content!  I can't remember the cost of the peanut butter at Costco right off hand, but I'll make a mental note to check on Tuesday and post it!  But the 5 year unopened shelf life on this peanut flour is a great thing, because it's a lot longer than store-bought peanut butter!!

It's a great time to stock up on some great things with THRIVE Life!  Not only are the 10 Grain Pancake Mix and the Peanut Flour on sale this month, but everything is being discounted for this months BIG DEAL Sale!  It's still going on through April 20th, so if you want to take advantage of the sale and bulk up your home store, contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com!!!

Happy THRIVEing!

Peanut Butter Cookies

Last night we had our first jar meal party!  We were blown away by the success of this event -- and we already have had multiple requests for another one!  So we have one in the works ;).

But as part of the "party" (which was really meant to be more of a 'come and make a jar meal' thing), I made some delicious peanut butter cookies featuring THRIVE Life's all new -- and all amazing -- Peanut Flour!

I have used this in 3 different recipes so far, and I love it.  I am getting more of it this month with my Q!


I made about 40 of these cookies for the event.  I came home with none!  And the best part?  They were so simple.

I halved the original recipe, which is a Chef Todd creation and can be found here.

PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 tablespoon THRIVE Whole Egg Powder plus 2 tablespoons water
1 2/3 cup THRIVE Vanilla Sugar Cookie Mix
2/3 cup THRIVE Peanut Flour
2 tablespoons water

Add softened butter to a mixer and whip until light. Add whole egg powder and water and mix until blended.

Add cookie mix and peanut flour and mix together. Add water and mix until dough forms

Scoop onto greased cookie sheet and press with a fork dipped in sugar.

Bake at 350F for 8 minutes.

I made smaller cookies and still came out with about 40.  They were delicious!  And my husband's comment was that he noticed they weren't super sweet, and he really liked that!  I told him it's because the THRIVE Peanut Flour doesn't have the added sugar!

The Peanut Flour is now available to add to your Q!  And if you aren't on the Q, but still want to get some of the peanut flour, contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com.

Want to see the other great specials this month?  It's all about the baked goods!  And THRIVE Life has re-vamped their Coconut Macaroons (now gluten free!), Fudge Brownies, and 10 Grain Pancake Mix making them all non-GMO!  Check out the specials for April here!

And that's not all!  April is going to be a BIG DEAL!  There is a huge sale -- everything on sale -- starting April 9!  I'll have pricing information starting tomorrow, and you won't want to miss out!

Happy THRIVEing!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownie in a Mug

It's officially announced:  THRIVE Life has a brand new product!!!  PEANUT FLOUR!!!  This new product was "unveiled" at the Leadership Training meeting in Seattle, and my friend and up-line was invited to attend that meeting.  She had the privilege of getting to try it out early -- and she's super awesome, so she got a can for me too!  And let me just say...  I'm adding this to my Q in April!  I love this Peanut Flour!

So here was one of my first experiments with the THRIVE Peanut Flour! 

PEANUT BUTTER BROWNIE IN A MUG
1/4 cup THRIVE Fudge Brownie Mix
1 tablespoon THRIVE Peanut Flour
2 1/2 tablespoons water

Place all ingredients in a mug and stir until blended.  Microwave on high for 30 seconds.  (Then I added some vanilla ice cream on top ;)).

Super simple.  Super yummy!  I simply love how easy it was to add peanut butter flavor without adding a lot of extra fat or sugar.  I am already imagining so many ways to use this great new product! 

If you are a Q Club Member, you can pre-order this great new product through your Q!  If you aren't a Q Club member, but still want to get some of this amazing new product, contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com and I'll get it on order for you! 

And here's a little more information about this brand new product:

*One extra change to note:  THRIVE Fudge Brownies will now be found as part of the THRIVE Bakery line, rather than the THRIVE Desserts!  And they are now completely Non-GMO!!!

Meals in a Jar Open House Sneak Peek!

Some of you are aware that my friend and I will be holding a Meals in a Jar Open House at the end of the month!  There are going to be some fabulous "jar meals" there, and you won't want to miss out on the opportunity to see what THRIVE Life can do to simplify your life on the crazy busy days!  We will be vacuum sealing these jars, making them shelf-stable for 5 years!  That's just awesome!


One of the meals attendees can make is my Italian Bowtie Pasta! It includes the following THRIVE Life ingredients:

THRIVE Sausage Crumbles
THRIVE Vegetarian Chicken Bouillon
THRIVE Chopped Onions
THRIVE Tomato Powder
THRIVE Rainbow Farfalle Pasta

A few other dried herbs finish off the delicious meal in a jar (oregano, thyme, and basil), and oila!  You'll have a quick and easy go-to meal that is way healthier than going through a drive-thru -- and cheaper too!  This particular meal is $9 a jar, and will make 8 1-cup servings -- which comes to only $1.13 per serving!

So if you're interested in trying out this meal in a jar -- or one of the others we'll have available for you to make, stop by the Sunn Fjord Condominiums Clubhouse on March 31st between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. and make one to take home! 

Contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com if you need directions or more information!

Mint Chocolate Milkshake

Today was National Mint Chocolate Day.  And anyone who knows me knows I think there are no finer combinations than mint and chocolate.  That taste... it's a beautiful thing.

So, in celebration of this wonderful day (because how could I not celebrate it!?!), I made a mint chocolate milkshake and used my THRIVE Gourmet Hot Cocoa Mix. 

I even shared it with my husband and toddler.  Rave reviews all around!  So here's how I did it:

MINT CHOCOLATE MILKSHAKE
1 1/4 cups fat-free milk*
6 ice cubes
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon mint extract (depending on your preference)
3 tablespoons THRIVE Gourmet Hot Cocoa Mix
6 Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies
1 1/2 cups vanilla ice cream

Place everything in the blender and blend until it looks like a milkshake :).  Then drink it up!  You can even garnish it with an additional Girl Scout Thin Mint.  But that's not required ;).

*Denotes other ingredients available through THRIVE Life.

So, here's to you, mint and chocolate!  You'll have a special place in my heart forever ;)!

Easy Fruit Salad

One of the things I love most about having my home store through THRIVE Life is the fact that I have a home store!  Does that sound redundant?  Probably.  But there have been many times when I've had the automatic thought, "Oh that recipe sounds good, but I don't have x ingredient." 

But then I remember my home store -- and I realize I do have that ingredient after all!!!

I had one such experience the other day.  I had made a breakfast casserole for dinner, but felt like I wanted something else to go along with it -- otherwise the plate would look kind of bare!  I had recently purchased some fresh strawberries which needed to be used up, plus I had bananas and red grapes (also in need of being used).  So I thought of the fruit salad I make for every large family gathering we attend.  It's such a simple recipe, and it's so delicious!  This time I would just have fewer fruits in it than usual, and no big deal...

Then I remembered I had some extra fruits after all!  I could add my THRIVE Raspberries!  And that's just what I did!  I just threw them in dry and let them get all soggy from the yogurt!  I've done this multiple times with yogurt parfaits, and I love how they turn out when they are allowed to sit and soak up the yogurt!  Saves time, too, since all my THRIVE foods are washed and ready for me to use!

So here's the recipe I made the other day.  It's very simple, and we always get a lot of compliments about it.  I'm actually pretty excited to try this with more THRIVE fruits in the future and see how it turns out, because I could actually make this fruit salad with all THRIVE ingredients, and I think that's pretty awesome!

EASY FRUIT SALAD
1 large banana, sliced*
1 cup red grapes, rinsed and dried*
5-6 ripe strawberries, rinsed, dried, sliced*
1 cup THRIVE Raspberries
1 cup strawberry yogurt* (or yogurt flavor of your choice)

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl.  Allow to chill for 1/2 hour and serve!

*Denotes other ingredients available through THRIVE Life.

This was a perfect breakfast-y complement to our breakfast-for-dinner casserole :).  And in the future, when I have them on hand, I'll be adding apples* and blueberries*!

THRIVE Sugar Cookies

As my little girl gets older and able to do more (she is almost 22 months now...), I find that she wants to do more.  Which makes sense ;).  So I've recently tried to find new activities she and I can do together.  One of the activities we recently tried was making sugar cookies.  And, conveniently, I had my THRIVE Vanilla Sugar Cookie Mix, which meant I only had to mix together 3 ingredients!  It made the mixing fast and easy -- and my little girl was able to help add the major part of the ingredients (the cookie mix).  She loves to be involved in all aspects ;).

I followed the recipe on the #10 can of the mix, which called for butter, and egg, and water in addition to the cookie mix.  I opted to use THRIVE Butter Powder, because I love that stuff!  And because I didn't have any softened butter and I didn't want to wait! 

We also opted to do roll-out cookies, so she could try her hand at cutting out shapes (which was an interesting experience for me, but she loved it!).  So we actually added a little extra flour as well.  Again, the recipe is on the can :).

Anyway, we frosted some of the cookies with canned chocolate frosting (because I had some in the fridge) and did some sprinkles (another learning experience for mommy!).  And then we delivered most of them to friends.  Because they were delicious!  And I didn't need them hanging around the house with my extreme sweet-tooth!

THRIVE Gourmet Hot Cocoa

We have officially had our first frost here in Western Washington.  (And actually, we've probably had 4 or 5 days at or below freezing!)  I have heard tell that this has been true for pretty much all of the United States -- I know Alabama has had quite the unseasonable cold snap, of below freezing weather!  And that kind of cold weather just puts me in the mood for some chocolatey goodness -- some hot chocolatey goodness!

So last night, we opened up our THRIVE Gourmet Hot Cocoa, and we indulged!  Oh my goodness was this ever rich and creamy!  (Honestly, I think it was a little too rich when made according to package directions...  So I'm cutting back on the hot chocolate mix in the future -- still delicious and makes it last even longer :)).

This really is a lovely hot chocolate.  It has amazing flavor, and if you really like your hot chocolate to be rich, then by all means -- prepare it according to THRIVE Life's directions:

2 1/2 tablespoons THRIVE Gourmet Hot Cocoa
3/4 cup hot water

Put THRIVE Gourmet Hot Cocoa into a mug; add hot water.  Stir and enjoy!

If, on the other hand, you enjoy your hot chocolate a little less rich (but still delicious!), I recommend 1 1/2 tablespoons to 3/4 cup hot water.  I actually doubled the recipe this morning... :). 

And because it's chilly....  I'll probably be having another mugful later this evening.  Yum!

THRIVE Gourmet Hot Cocoa has a shelf life of 5 years unopened (1 year opened), so it's a great addition to your home store!

The THRIVE Gourmet Hot Cocoa won't be around for long!  It's one of their seasonal items.  So if you want to have some of this chocolatey goodness to enjoy, get your orders in soon!  You can contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com to place your order if you don't have a Q.  Or, if you have a Q, simply add the hot chocolate to your Q, and it'll ship with your next order!

And don't forget!  Only two more days until the Big Black Friday Specials are announced!  So be on the lookout for my email!  And Happy THRIVEing!

THRIVE Mashed Potatoes

This month, THRIVE Life introduced a new product:  THRIVE Mashed Potatoes!!!  Naturally, I had to order some on my Q :). 

For one thing -- and I don't know why this is -- I never use fresh potatoes fast enough when I buy them, even a 5 pound bag!  So this was a wonderful solution for that!  Mashed potatoes without waste!

Another awesome thing about these mashed potatoes is that there is nothing additional in the can!  The ingredient list is brief:  potatoes.  

This was also a super-duper awesome, easy, and fast solution to a side dish for dinner!  And I needed exactly that.  Because the munchkin and I had had quite the day.  And we had a friend with her 4 kids coming over for dinner...  And I was taking dinner to another friend who'd just had baby #5 (via c-section). 

Knowing I was feeding -- literally -- a crowd, I decided on a wonderful Slow Cooker Salisbury Steaks recipe I enjoy, and which makes a lot!  I also knew I wanted to do a broccoli and cauliflower salad which was pretty quick and easy to throw together.  And my THRIVE Mashed Potatoes were the perfect side dish for this meal!  Because what pairs better with a Salisbury Steak gravy than mashed potatoes!?!





I prepped the mashed potatoes according to the recipe on the back of the #10 Can -- with a few alterations.  Below is the recipe as I made it:

SEASONED MASHED POTATOES
1 1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt*
2 tablespoons THRIVE Butter Powder
1 tablespoon THRIVE Instant Milk Powder
1 cup THRIVE Mashed Potatoes
pepper to taste

Combine water, salt, THRIVE Butter Powder, THRIVE Instant Milk Powder in a small saucepan.  Bring to a simmer and add THRIVE Mashed Potatoes.  Whisk until combined and remove from heat.  Add pepper to taste and mix in.  Allow to rest 1 minute before serving.

*Denotes ingredients also available through THRIVE Life.

Naturally, I increased the amounts I made and adjusted the ingredients accordingly.  But this was definitely easy and amazing!

The comment I got from my friend who ate dinner with us:  "Wow!  These taste really good!  The texture is nice!  Not like other instant potatoes!"

I call that a win.

The other win?  These have a shelf-life of 5 years unopened and about a year opened!  So I don't have to worry about moldy potatoes again :)!

Make Ahead Monday: Baking Powder Biscuits

I have neglected this blog for far too long!  I promise my reason is a good one:  I'm growing another human.  And as a result, I have been exhausted and feeling kind of yuck many afternoons.  So I have become re-acquainted with the advice to new moms:  sleep when the baby sleeps!  Only, in this case, my baby is now a toddler.  Nonetheless, I nap when she naps.  Which means I get very little done.  Today I'm trying to play catch-up!

And what better way than to show you how you can have some Baking Powder Biscuits just hanging out in  your pantry, waiting for water to be added! 

To be honest, I didn't have these made ahead this time.  However, they include all powder ingredients (and can be made with 100% THRIVE Life ingredients!), so they totally work well as a make-ahead recipe.  And even if only saving me 5 minutes of time...  Sometimes those 5 minutes are golden moments.  And I know myself (especially these days)...  If I know I can just add water -- not dirty a bunch of extra dishes -- well, I'm sold! 

So here's how you make these biscuits:

1/4 cup THRIVE Shortening Powder
2 cups all-purpose flour (or whole wheat flour -- I use 1 cup of each)*
1 tablespoon sugar*, if desired
3 teaspoons baking powder*
1 teaspoon salt*
3 tablespoons THRIVE Instant Milk powder

Either layer all ingredients in a jar, or mix all ingredients in a large bowl and then transfer to a jar and seal.  Use within 1 month.

*Denotes ingredients also available through THRIVE Life.

When you are ready to prepare:  Add 1 cup to 1 1/4 cup water (depending on whether you want drop biscuits or cut-out biscuits -- more water for drop biscuits).  Bake at 450 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.

I usually make the drop biscuit recipe (because it's faster).  However, as was true today, I'm often making the biscuit(s) for a dish called Tomato Biscuit & Cheese, which I got from my mother-in-law.  It's especially awesome for that summer harvest of tomatoes!  (Our tomato plants were a little ambitious this year, so we actually got 3 littles off our plant this past week, and I was able to use those plus a huge store-bought one).  Anyway, I say all that because, when I'm making the biscuit for that...  I make only one huge rectangular biscuit.  Again, because it's faster :).

So in case you're interested in trying out the Tomato Biscuit & Cheese recipe, here it is:

8 biscuits (or one large rectangular biscuit)
8 slices tomato (or enough to cover the rectangle)
1/2 to 3/4 cup cottage cheese
1/4 cup mayonnaise
salt, pepper, oregano, and basil to taste
1 to 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Place the biscuit(s) on a baking sheet.  Cover with one tomato slice.  Sprinkle tomato slice with salt, pepper, basil, and oregano.

In a small bowl, mix together cottage cheese and mayonnaise.  Spoon over seasoned tomato slices.  Sprinkle shredded Cheddar cheese over cottage cheese mixture.

Bake at 450 until cheese is melted and tomato is hot.

I don't know why, but there is something really satisfying for me about this dish.  And it's an easy one to throw together -- especially if you have made-ahead biscuit mix!

By the way, the THRIVE Instant Milk is the Q-Pon item for this month!  It's a great time to stock up on your milk supply.  I love that we can get powdered milk :).  I think it's an important part of food storage!  Contact me at THRIVEingNilla@gmail.com if you want to stock up!

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!