Homemade Chicken-Raspberry-Noodles-Jam

The title might be confusing but I'm just trying to efficiently mesh 2 recent THRIVE meal experiences. The post will be crystal clear!

Yes I'm making homemade egg noodles. It's an old family recipe I learned from my cousin when we were roomates at BYU back back back in the day.

It calls for one egg per person, flour and salt to taste. Very precise, I know. Through the years I've come to modify it a bit.

This time out I used all THRIVE ingredients. After all, if it's supposed to be able to feed my family in times of need/lazinessconvenience, I must use them in our favorite recipes. So out came the THRIVE FD (that means freeze dried for those new to my blog) chopped chicken. I love this stuff! It's already cooked, skinned, boned and chopped and rehydrates in about 10 min! Quick stuff! I used my THRIVE carrots, onions, celery and boullion which of course were added to the water in the pot. Next I rehydrated about 6 eggs. That's 1 TBS. of whole egg powder to 2 TBS. of water. Mix and you have liquid eggs ready to go! Then I added about 1 tsp. salt and flour until it was pasta like consistency.

Then they were rolled out very thin like in the first picture. Dust well with flour if you try this. Then roll up the pasta the short way. By that I mean you've rolled it in a sorta rectangular/oval type shape. Once it's rolled up, using a pizza cutter, slice through in about 1" sized pieces, unroll and add them too the boiling broth.

It turned out just as yummy and disappeared just as fast as if I had done it the way I learned in college and spent the WHOLE FREAKIN' DAY preparing this meal!! (There is no picture of the final product. It was fast Sunday and that large kettle of chicken and noodles was gone like the wind) So what about the raspberry jam mix thingie? I got some YUMMY fresh raspberries at the local farmer's market Wednesday. I had every intention of saving those fresh little sweeties for jam. But I saw then I noticed the ever shrinking bowl that no one claimed responsibility for. Anyway, I smashed up the 4 containers of berries. I needed 6 smashed up cups.

As you can or can't see here but trust me it's the truth, I am exactly 1 cup SHORT. I searched the freezer for some sign of frozen berry stuff. I did find some freezer burned strawberries which I took out and began to thaw. THEN I remembered that I had the bits, pieces and powders at the bottom of a large can of THRIVE freeze dried raspberries. Brilliant!

I pour the remnants into a measuring cup and added water just to rehydrate to a thick mush state.

As you can now see, my 5 cups of smashed raspberries now comes to 6 cups and I'm off to make my jam....Well I'm back and guess what? It's delicious and it's all sealed up just fine in my jelly glasses and put away in the pantry. So whenever you get in a pinch in the kitchen, remember your THRIVE products. They really can save the day even if it's not during a natural disaster!

The $2 Strawberry

Here it is in all it's glory. The $2 strawberry. Looks good, right? Juicy? Sweet? Worth it? NO! Not worth it at all. This is the thing. I bought these strawberries 1 1/2 days ago. What a deal, huh? $1.99 for the whole package. Couldn't wait to eat them on my cereal, as a snack, on my salad. So I worked yesterday. No big deal. This morning I got up, swam and then poured myself a bowl of Special K with the plan to slice up some strawberries on top. This turned out to be the only strawberry that was not wearing a mink coat. FAIL!

Now I should know better. I teach people that Americans throw out 25% of their food each week! I hate to waste food! Ask my kids about that one. I talk about rubber celery and furry berries. Furry berries! Like I said, I know better.

So I got out my THRIVE freeze dried strawberries that I share at my tasting parties. The can has been open for a couple month. This is what I saw:

A handfull on my cereal. Easy! They are prewashed, pre chopped and ready to go. No furry stuff.

MORAL OF THE STORY~ Either eat those fresh strawberries ASAP, or run the risk of strawberries with mink coats, costing $2 each. Or just get yourself a bunch of these to store in your cupboard.

Pizza on the fly

Okay I have to admit that I'm a lazy chef. REALLY L-A-Z-Y. I don't like to spend that much time in the kitchen. Even though chefery (is that a real word?) seems to be all the rage and helps people 'overcome stress', 'find their niche', 'master their demons' and ad infinitum, I am not one of those persons. I want to grab something tasty and quick and that's what I want to prepare as well. Cereal and milk? You get where I'm coming from! So yesterday after thrift window shopping for much of the day, I returned home and felt guilty about my hard working husband and felt I should at least prepare something good for him. So I took this.... Split it into two lengthwise, lightly buttered it and topped it with this... I used one can of tomato paste, one can of water from the tomato paste can, one tablespoon of THRIVE powdered tomato, large pinch of oregano, 2 tsp. of sugar, 1/2 t. salt, pinch of anise seed and a heaping tablespoon of Italian salad dressing and heated it in a pan. I used lukewarm water to gently rehydrate 3 cups of FD Mozzerella cheese. I also rehydrated about a cup of FD green bell peppers with 2 Cups of FD sausage crumbles (all THRIVE foods). So I spread the pizza sauce on both of the bread halves, topped it with the drained sausage/bell pepper mix, and then crumbled the softened cheese over the top of it all, spreading it evenly. Okay at this point it has maybe taken me 10 minutes!! I turned on the oven to 400 and put the pizza in for about 12-15 minutes. And this is what I got! And very soon it was gone. Gone, gone, gone (you have to say that like Jeff Bridges in True Grit). But it was yummy, quick, I was the hero of the night and now you can be as well. Pizza on the fly. That's just code for AWESOME LAZY-WOMAN MEAL.

Q. What's the Number One Question I Am Asked About Food Storage?

A. WHERE DO I START?

Every party I have given in the last 16 months I have gotten this question. Do you think I have one universal answer to it? Do ya, well do ya? No. I don't. I always say to start with the 'basics' (whatever that means because it's very subjective, fudge brownies being a basic necessity to me). But NOW, haleluia, I have the universal right one single answer! 3 months on 'Smart Start' for the Q is THE place to begin... and here is why:

The THRIVE Smart Start Pack consists of three packages. Each package includes either 16 or 17 pantry cans of THRIVE foods and four pouches of THRIVE Express. The first package also includes the THRIVE Smart Start pack recipe booklet (with 26 recipes, 3 monthly meal planners, and 3 monthly shopping cards) and the THRIVE Smart Start flyer. We ship one package per month for a total of three packages over three months.

The Thrive Smart Start Pack is a combination of our new entrees with other pantry-size thrive foods in combinations to make recipes. There are 3 packs that you put in your Q one month at a time. Each month you will receive a "Smart Pack" with recipes for that pack.

Contents of Each Month
Month 1 Smart Start Pack
17 Thrive pantry cans
Cornmeal
Salt
White flour (3)
White sugar
Instant Milk (3)
Baking Power
FD Pineapple Chunks
Fudge Brownie Mix
Shortening Powder
FD Colby Cheese
Chopped onions
FD Strawberries
FD Banana Slices
Simply Peach Drink mix
Entree - Creamy Beef and Noodles
Entree- Hearty Chili with Beans
Entree- Pasta Carbonara
Entree - Baked Potato Cheese Soup
5 Recipes: Cornbread (made 2x), caramel sauce, cheese bread, strawberry banana smoothie, strawberry puree

Month 2 Smart Start Pack
Taco TVP
Potato Chunks
Sour Cream Powder
FD Cheddar Cheese
Kidney Beans
Pinto Beans
Tomato Powder
Macaroon Cookie Mix
Mixed Bell Peppers
FD Sweet Corn
FD Tomato Dices
Chicken Bouillon
Instant White Rice
White Sugar
Apple Slices
Melon Berry Burst Drink mix
Entree - Southwestern Style Chicken and Rice
Entree - Wild Rice Pilaf
Entree- Garden Fresh Vegetable Pasta
Entree - Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
5 Recipes - Tacos, Easy Spanish rice, sour cream and cheese potatoes, sweet corn and bean salsa, taco soup (made 2x)

Month 3 Smart Start Pack
Elbow MAcaroni (2)
Cheese Blend
Butter Powder
White Flour (3)
Baking Soda
FD Apricots
Brown Sugar (2)
Whole Egg Powder
FD Blackberries
Quick Oats
FD Mangoes
Fudge Brownies Mix
Mango Passion Drink mix
Entree - Loaded Scalloped Potatoes
Entree- Creamy Garden Vegetable Chowder
Entree- Chili Lime Chicken Rice
Entree - Broccoli Cheese Soup
14 Recipes - Almond apricot thumbprint cookies, lemon blackberry crisps, chocolate chip cookies, taco salad, Zesty southwestern mac and cheese, apricot cobbler, oatmeal cake, apple spiced breakfast oatmeal, The Chef's rice and beans, macaroni and cheese, cheese blend sauce, strawberry/pineapple/banana compote, mango tango smoothie, cornmeal cookies.

More questions answered right here:
How much does the Smart Start pack cost?

The price for the THRIVE Smart Start Pack is $149.99 for each of the three monthly Q shipments.

Is it cheaper to purchase the THRIVE Smart Start pack than to buy each of the products individually?

Yes. In addition to the convenience of having a pack with preselected THRIVE products needed to cook great-tasting and healthy meals, you receive a 5% discount with the THRIVE Smart Start pack compared to purchasing these products individually.

And here's a little introduction to our new THRIVE Express meals products!



***Okay. So if you have actually read this post all the way to the bottom, leave me a comment and you will be in the running for a free gift from me! (It's the least I can do for you, for reading this novel) The winner will be chosen next Wednesday! Yay!

Happy Anniversary to me! One year with THRIVE!

Merry Christmas and Happy Anniversary! It seems like just yesterday I was placing my first ever order of THRIVE foods as gifts for my kids last year. I thought that giving them a supply of breakfast foods in a box would be a fun way of sharing these yummy foods. I sent 6 grain pancake mix, instant milk, freeze dried strawberries, powdered butter and eggs. And the next week, I signed up to become a consultant!!

It has been a grand year with my home based business. It took off like a rocket in January and has been going strong ever since. I have made a decent first year income and strengthened and fortified my home storage very substantially. Twice blessed.

To anyone out there who has been desiring a change from a 9-5 money for time job, I would encourage you to think about joining my Shelf Reliance team and see how far it can take you. The great thing about it is that there are no territories and no limit on how many people can become consultants with you.

Here are a few more reasons this makes sense:
A. Go to work in your Jammies
B. Make commissions AND free food
C. The parties are fun and no one regrets buying food!
D. Residual income, I said residual income I said.
E. Professional marketing and advertising done by the company
F. Nationwide public awareness of emergency preparedness
G. AND there's NO SHORTAGE OF PEOPLE!

It's so easy to begin. You can go to opportunies on my website and it will walk you right through the steps. The starter kit starts at $199 for a basic getting started kit to deluxe packages as well.

If you can open your mouth and you know people who like to eat, you can do this business!

I promise!

B-L-A-C-K F-R-I-D-A-Y

Team Edward? Team Jacob? How about team SALE! While everyone else lines up to get those TwiTickets, you can relax in your fuzzy PJ's and avoid the crowd while participating in the BIGGEST sale of the year from Shelf Reliance!!

When Shelf Reliance does their black Friday, it extends all the way to Black Monday! 4 Black Days!

And if that wasn't reason enough to place your Christmas orders, there are going to be many items discounted up to 50% for those same 4 Black days!

To make matters even BETTER, you do NOT NOT NOT have to bother me with your order on the days I'm trying to digest my previous day's overindulgence. No. For this sale all you must do is order from my website And all the sale prices will automatically be YOURS!

Who's on your list again? Have a wonderful, practical gift sent directly to their door.

So you see, it will be so beneficial to jump in NEXT FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 25th and fill your shelves.
I'm assuming that the words DISCOUNTED, SALE and SAVE are important to you at this time of year. Yes I know what it means when you 'assume' something. But don't make one out of me when I'm just tryin' to help! HEE HAW!

PS. For all you TWIHARDS out there, just pretend BLACK FRIDAY is the 5th Stephanie Meyers book in the TWILIGHT series! The one where Edward and Bella set up house and stock their shelves with THRIVE FOODS for all their many human guests...

PSS. For those of you who read this post in it's first incarnation, I apologize now for misinformation I received. It is NOT a free shipping weekend!! I thought forever that it was and now that I made that 'ASSumption' in public, I really did make an ass of me! SO VERY SORRY!

IN HONOR OF MY BIRTHDAY ~ QUICK! WHAT'S 6 TIMES 10?

Well!

If you think I'm going to reveal my age forgetaboutit! What I AM going to do is sell 6 of these packages before November 13th which IS my birthday and even tho the special runs until the 14th, that's my goal. 6! SIX! 2x3! Six of you or maybe 6 other friends will be all the more prepared for the crap that's coming soon with our economy and the prices of goods, services and most importantly FOOD. JUST SHOUTING!


NEW- Consultant Special - No Coupon Required

The three month (2 person) food and water package

(Catalog ID #25357)

$945.19 (regularly $1326.99)

10/17-11/14
*This package can only be purchased by calling a consultant (THAT WOULD BE ME!) to place the order. HERE ARE THE DIGITS : 541-404-6363!

Package contents include:
•6 Hard White Winter Wheat
•4 Potato Chunks
•6 Elbow Macaroni
•6 Six Grain Pancake Mix
•3 Cornmeal
•3 Quick Oats
•6 Instant White Rice
•6 Sweet Corn
•6 Green Peas
•3 Broccoli – Freeze Dried
•3 Raspberries – Freeze Dried
•2 Strawberries – Freeze Dried
•6 Apple Chips
•3 Carrot Dices
•3 Mixed Bell Pepper
•3 Potato Beads
•6 Non-Fat Powdered Milk
•4 Chocolate Drink Mix
•2 Cheddar Blend
•2 Bacon TVP
•2 Beef TVP
•2 Chicken TVP
•2 Taco TVP
•2 Pinto Beans
•2 Black Beans
•Kidney Beans
•Whole Eggs
•THRIVE™ Orange Drink
•Deluxe Wheat Grinder
•55 Gallon Water Container
•Water Pump
•Bung Wrench - doubles as a gas shutoff tool
•Water Treatment Solution

DON'T SAY YOU WEREN'T WARNED and have a nice day :)

This picture has nothing to do with this special. It's just so stinkin' cute I had to put it in here. I guess you could say this about it, If you're hungry enough, you'll eat anything! But if you are prepared ahead of time, you won't have to eat PAINT!