How I Keep My Long-Term Storage Guest-Post

 Heather at "Cooking With My Food Storage" has a section on her blog about how people store their long-term storage. She recently asked me to share my own storage. Check out my guest-post.

New Products!

We have new products!

The new products will be available for Q-club members to order on November 3rd and will be released to retail customers on November 10th. If you're not a Q-club member, now is a great time to join. You may also get these products by contacting me directly.

  I am so excited to try these new products. Freeze-dried grapes, who knew?! Applesauce in a snap! And let me just say how happy I am to see freeze-dried diced tomatoes and zucchini! Pasta anyone?

  As well, I'm anxious to add buckets of powdered and instant milk to my long-term storage, for an even greater savings!

Contact me November 3rd or log in to your Q customer account, to purchase these fantastic new products!

Product Review-New Drink Line

  First let me begin by mentioning how fantastic my "Upline" (the consultants three levels above me) is. I have a support team of three women above me who spend countless hours devising ways to help me better my business (the beauty of being part of a Shelf Reliance Team). 

  Last night I had the opportunity to attend a training at the home of one of these women, to discuss and taste many of our fantastic new (and old) products. The first set of products I'd like to highlight is the new drink line.

  The following is a list of the products within the line, my thoughts on each of them, and the value for the money. 

  Just to note: I did think all the fruity drinks were too weak, so I rated them according to flavor. I feel they would all be much tastier a little stronger than the directions on the can instruct.

Mango Passion- Very good flavor, quite fruity tasting. On a scale of 1-10 (10 being the best), it gets a 7.

85 8-oz. servings per #10 can= $.25/8-oz. serving or $1.98/64-oz. container juice

This is cheaper than a 64-oz. container of juice at the supermarket, and it's all-natural!

Melon Berry Blast- I'm not a fan of melon-flavored things, so I was surprised to find myself enjoying this one. I'd give it a 6.

85 8-oz. servings per #10 can= $.25/8-oz. serving or $1.97/64-oz. container juice

This is cheaper than a 64-oz. container of juice at the supermarket, and it's all-natural!

Orchard Apple- Yummy cold, but I prefer it warm. Add a little cinnamon and clove, and you've got a fantastic cider! Think Christmas gifts. This one gets a 9.

85 8-oz. servings per #10 can= $.21/8-oz. serving or $1.66/64-oz. container juice

This is cheaper than a 64-oz. container of juice at the supermarket,                                   and it's all-natural!

Orange Bliss- Not my fave, but I'm also not a fan of Tang. If you like Tang, you'd enjoy this.

85 8-oz. servings per #10 can= $.21/8-oz. serving or $1.67/64-oz. container juice

This is cheaper than a 64-oz. container of juice at the supermarket, and it's all-natural!

Simply Peach- I give this drink a 7. It's yummy, with a slight Jolly Rancher taste.

85 8-oz. servings per #10 can= $.20/8-oz. serving or $1.59/64-oz. container juice

This is cheaper than a 64-oz. container of juice at the supermarket, and it's all-natural!

Fruit Punch Performance- Not a win for me. I can't stand Gatorade because of it's salty after-taste, and that's what this reminds me of. This is a great option for a sick child in need of electrolytes, or someone who actually enjoys Gatorade.

85 8-oz. servings per #10 can= $.21/8-oz. serving or $1.69/64-oz. container juice

This is cheaper than a 64-oz. container of juice at the supermarket, and it's all-natural!

Chocolate Drink Mix- I was amazed to find how much I enjoyed this. I'm not one for powdered chocolate milk mixes, but wow. I wish I had purchased this product a long time ago, because I've been missing out! We tasted it warm last night (Hot Cocoa for Christmas gifts anyone?), and it was delicious. The recommendation for serving it cold immediately is to mix it with enough hot water to dissolve the powder, then make the remaining water very cold. The other option                                 is to mix it with hot water then refrigerate to chill.

                       

48 servings per #10 can= $3.20 per 1/2 gallon

  Although you may be able to purchase fresh chocolate milk at your supermarket cheaper, this product is shelf-stable (lasts 25 years sealed and 2 years opened). As well, my family does not need to drink an entire gallon of chocolate milk in the amount of time required before fresh milk expires, so this is a perfect alternative for the occasional glass of chocolate milk!

  One more thought: If you are considering giving this product as a "Hot Cocoa" Christmas gift, it is cheaper than the cans of hot cocoa found in the supermarket (serving for serving), and it has a longer shelf life!

  The per-serving prices are calculated at "Q" pricing. These prices are available as a Q customer, or by purchasing through me directly.

Cinnamon Rolls...Or Not

  I absolutely love Cinnamon Rolls; they're a staple in our home. I also love Orange Rolls, something my husband does not. These particular rolls are my compromise with him. He enjoys these rolls because of the addition of pineapple. 

  I've mentioned before how I like to find multiple uses for all my THRIVE ingredients. The 9 Grain Cracked Cereal has become one of my favorite products. I love that I can incorporate nine grains into my family's diet in a variety of ways. If you haven't seen my recipe for 9 Grain Buttermilk Muffins, it's a must-try.

  Get creative! Try using a THRIVE product in a way you haven't before.

 

9 Grain Pineapple-Orange Rolls

2 T. yeast 

¼ c. warm water                                                      

6 Tbsp. THRIVE Powdered Eggs 

1 c. + 6 Tbsp. warm water

1 c. THRIVE 9 Grain Cracked Cereal powder (Ground in a wheat grinder)

4 ½-6 c. THRIVE White Flour                             

½ c. THRIVE White Sugar                               

½ c. shortening

2 t. THRIVE Salt

2 ½ c. THRIVE FD Pineapple (Blend in food processor to a powder)                                               

2 Tbsp. THRIVE White Sugar

additional shortening for spreading

  In a small bowl combine yeast and ¼ cup water; let soften.

  Combine egg powder and 2 ½ cups flour in bowl of stand mixer. Add yeast mixture then everything else but remaining flour. Beat till smooth. Add flour a little at a time, and mix till dough is soft and no longer sticks to the sides or bottom of the bowl. Transfer dough to a large bowl that has been lightly sprayed with cooking spray; cover and raise till double.  

  Turn dough onto floured surface and roll into a ½” thick rectangle, spread with shortening and sprinkle with pineapple powder and 2 tablespoons sugar. Roll lengthwise and cut into rolls. Place in greased baking dish; cover and raise till double.

  Bake 350 degrees 20 min. Top with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting.

Orange Cream Cheese Frosting:

4 oz. Cream Cheese                          1/2 tsp. Vanilla
3 Tbsp. Butter, softened                     4 Tbsp. reconstituted THRIVE Instant Milk
3 c. THRIVE Powdered Sugar            ¼ c. THRIVE Mandarin Oranges

  Heat milk to boiling; add mandarin oranges and whisk to dissolve. Beat together cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Gradually beat in milk until spreading consistency. 

Strive To Give THRIVE!

   

   As we approach the holiday season, I believe most of us begin thinking of ways we may be able to help those less fortunate than ourselves. My husband and I have been blessed by a series of unfortunate events throughout our nine years of marriage, and thus have also been blessed by the kindness of others. I am in awe of the wonderful things people do to help someone in need.

  I joined Shelf Reliance at a time in our lives when we were looking for a way to rebuild our severely depleted food supply, and add some extra income (my husband had just found employment after a 19-month lay-off). Over the last 10 months, Shelf Reliance has given our family back a sense of security, and has blessed us in ways I can't even begin to describe. It is with great gratitude for the many blessings our family has been given, that I come to my fellow consultants asking for your assistance.

  As Shelf Reliance consultants we are given many perks. One of the great perks, is the opportunity to earn half-price product for "parties" we teach. It is with this benefit, that I would like you to help me in giving back to our local communities. In a combined effort, here's what I'm hoping we will be able to accomplish together:

  The week prior to Thanksgiving (November 14th-18th) head to your local Food Bank/Pantry and donate at least one #10 can of THRIVE Freeze-Dried or Dehydrated food. It's that simple! 

  There are currently 3750 Shelf Reliance consultants. The average number of servings in a #10 can of THRIVE is 51 (I did not include Pantry Basics, Entrees or Desserts in my calculations.) What this means is if every Shelf Reliance Consultant donated just one #10 can of THRIVE to their local Food Bank/Pantry, together we would be giving 191,250 servings of food in just one week! Imagine the number of people that food would help!

  I'm making it even easier for you to join this combined effort. Here is the link to Feeding America's website. This link will take you to an alphabetical listing of all 50 states. Click on your state (or enter your zip code) to be directed to your local Food Bank, to find your nearest drop-off location.

  The Shelf Reliance mission statement is "Through superior products and sound education, Shelf Reliance empowers people to become self reliant, prosperous and charitable". Let's all find the time this holiday season to be charitable together.

  Please link to this page and spread the word to every consultant you know, so we can fill our local Food Banks! Once you've committed yourself to this effort, join us on the Facebook event page so we can see who's giving and share our experiences.

  During this time when things are especially hard on struggling families, let's all find the time to "Strive To Give THRIVE", and see what a difference we can make.

Canning-Plum Jam

  I hope you've been enjoying the posts on canning. Canning is such an inexpensive way to provide for your family, and help improve your self reliance. 
  My next canning adventure took me to Plum Jam. Why plum? Well, because I received a bunch of them in the produce basket I get through the co-op (click here for details on the co-op I'm a part of). Why didn't I just eat the plums? Because they went from rock hard to shriveling, which is unusual, but not completely unheard of.

  I found a recipe which required no pectin. I didn't want to use pectin, so I could save it for my Grape Jelly (still to come). I used this recipe from Savory Sweet Life, but left the skin on the plums (for added flavor and nutrition). I placed the diced plums in a large saucepan, added the lemon juice, covered with a lid and let simmer 15 minutes. Once the plums were tender I pureed them, the strained through a fine mesh strainer. I followed the remainder of the instructions as given.
  I got one pint of Plum Jam for my efforts. Well worth it! Especially when most people would have taken one look at those shriveled plums and thrown them out!

Canning-Fruit Butters

Check out my post on making your own 

Caramel-Pear/Apple Butter.

Canning-Pears

  I just completed my round of pear canning. Canning pears is very much like canning peaches (see my post here). There is just a couple differences:

After blanching the pears and removing the skins, cut them in half. Use a melon-baller to remove the seed and stem section that runs the length of the inside.

Can pears in a light syrup rather than a medium one, like you do with peaches. The syrup is 2 cups sugar, 4 cups water and will fill about 3 quarts.

Follow the remainder of my instructions for canning peaches when doing your pears.

Host Incentive

Receive a FREE pantry can of Yogurt Bites when you schedule and host a class or web class by November 5th!

  Hosting a class is a great way to jump-start your storage while learning more about our fantastic products, and ways to save time and money. If you're in Utah I would love to come to your home. If you're not, a web class is still a fantastic option!

I'm starting you off with a pantry can of our incredible yogurt bites, but as a host here is some the other incredible benefits:

Free Product: You will receive 10% of the total sales from your party in free product. For instance, if your party sales are $800, you will receive $80.00 in free product at retail price.

Half Off: The total amount of sales at your party determines how much you will receive in half off merchandise. You will also receive an additional $100 in half-price product for each of your guests who schedules a party of their own.

Double Dip Promotion: If someone buys product at your party, and also signs up to host their own party, you get the credit at your party, and they get the credit at their party as well. This prevents people from withholding orders until they host their own party.

Contact me now to schedule a date that will work best for you!

Consultant Training

  I had the opportunity Tuesday evening to attend a fantastic consultant training. One of my upline consultants, Heather Lorimer, presented at the training and made some fantastic points. If you're a consultant (new, or old), or considering becoming one, check out her "New Consultant Quick Start" and her layout for making a 3-year plan for your business.

October Specials

  It's a new month, which means new sales!

  These prices are valid for the month of October only, and only for Q customers or through me. Contact me, or visit my Shelf Reliance Online Store to get these fantastic prices.