Cooking from my Home Store-Friday

   I'm sorry it has taken so long for me to get my final day of cooking from my Home Store posted. I had 3 dozen cupcakes and an 8" triple-layer cake to do for a party yesterday. With that over, I have time to focus on other things. Namely, the final meal for last week.
  This Chili recipe was conceived really from necessity one day. I was supposed to make a huge pot of soup for an event one day. Before I knew it, the day was over and I had 1 hour before someone would be coming by to pick up the soup. With so little time, I ran to my THRIVE products and started brain-storming. With instant beans staring me in the face, I realized I could have chili ready in 30 minutes or less.  It turned out to be less, 25 minutes from start to finish.
  Friday's dinner was all about making something quick and delicious, and trust me, it was delicious!

THRIVE Chili (my own original recipe)

5 c. THRIVE Instant Red Beans
1 c. THRIVE Sloppy Joe TVP
1 c. THRIVE Freeze Dried Ground Beef
1/2 c. THRIVE Freeze Dried Onions
1 1/4 c. THRIVE Tomato Powder
1/3 c. THRIVE Red & Green Bell Peppers
2 c. THRIVE Tomato Dices
4 quarts water
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. coriander
1 tsp. red chili flakes
1 tsp. Mexican oregano (or regular Italian oregano)
salt, to taste


  Place everything in a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15-20 minutes or until beans are tender.

  I used the Sloppy Joe TVP because it has cumin and some other spices in it that I wanted in my chili. Below is the recipe for making this same chili without THRIVE ingredients. Let me note, this recipe will take considerably longer to make because of the additional prep time and cooking involved.

Not THRIVE Chili

2 lb. ground beef1 onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
2 15-oz. cans red beans, drained 
28 oz. tomato paste
28 oz. diced tomatoes
3 quarts water
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. coriander
1 tsp. red chili flakes
1 tsp. Mexican oregano (or regular Italian oregano)
1 tsp. cumin
salt, to taste

  Brown ground beef in a large pot. Once meat is cooked through, add onion and bell pepper and cook until tender (about 3-5 minutes). Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30-40 minutes or until beans are tender.


  The past week was a test of my ability to make something from scratch using only the things I already had in my home. Should an emergency arise that knocks out our power, I would be forced to do things a little differently. I would have to use everything in our fridge first, then begin using the things in our freezer. 
  I would encourage you to take the opportunity at least every 3 months to spend a week cooking meals with what you have on hand. Each time I take on this challenge, I am forced to expand my thinking when it comes to cooking, which gives me a greater understanding of what I would be dealing with, should I be forced to cook like this for weeks or even months at a time.
                                                                                                                     Autumn Christiansen

                                                                                                        Independent Consultant-Shelf Reliance

                                                                                                    To purchase products, visit my online store:                                                                                                    http://THRIVEwiththebasics.shelfreliance.com

                                                                                                                           Join my team!

Cooking from my Home Store-Thursday

Photo Credit-Bon Appetit

   I decided to try another new recipe for dinner last night. My family is really good to try new things and one new thing I've been trying more of lately is Moroccan food. About a month ago I purchased some ground beef in bulk through a company called Zaycon Foods. I purchased bacon before that and have been incredibly impressed with all of it. Because I have the ground beef and happened to have everything else the recipe called for, Moroccan Beef Meatball Tagine became dinner for night four of "Cooking from my Home Store". I used my THRIVE Freeze Dried Spinach in place of the fresh (sprinkling about 2/3 cup dry over the meatballs when directed in the recipe). I did not have saffron or golden raisins, so I omitted those. I also do not own a Tagine so I prepared the meal in my cast-iron skillet and covered the pan with foil for baking. Overall the meal was pretty good. We decided it could use less cinnamon in the meatballs and only one cinnamon stick in the sauce.

 
                                                                                                                   Autumn Christiansen

                                                                                                       Independent Consultant-Shelf Reliance

                                                                                                    To purchase products, visit my online store:                                                                                                    http://THRIVEwiththebasics.shelfreliance.com

                                                                                                                        Join my team!

Cooking from my Home Store-Wednesday

   If you have not yet discovered the craze that is "Pinterest", I would advise you to stay as far away from it as humanly possible. I'm not kidding! Pinterest is so incredibly addicting it's ridiculous. Nonetheless, I am hooked and am looking for every excuse to try out all the wonderful recipes I've found in the process. One such recipe is for Spicy Honey Chicken Salad. Which brings us to day three of cooking from my Home Store.

  I had some chicken thighs in my chest freezer that were screaming to be used. I also had an enormous head of leaf lettuce and some avocados from my produce basket Saturday. So I set to work making Spicy Honey Chicken, salad and Honey-Citrus Vinaigrette and creamed cauliflower (also from my produce basket and needing to be used). Picture me under my carport, tongs in hand, grilling away while the snow is coming down. Now that your laughter has subsided, I'll continue...

  Let me just say, WOW! The chicken was fantastic. Although, I could have gone heavier on the final drizzle of honey-vinegar glaze-I was a little hesitant about vinegar going onto my cooked chicken and overwhelming it. While my husband is not a vinaigrette kind of guy, I thoroughly enjoyed it. We had mixed reviews about the creamed cauliflower (basically a slightly healthier version of mashed potatoes); our 14 month-old and I enjoyed them, the rest of the family...not as much.

Creamed Cauliflower

head cauliflower

3 cups chicken stock

3 Tbsp. butter

salt and pepper, to taste

  Cut the heads from the cauliflower stock and place in a saucepan. Add chicken stock to the pan; bring to a boil. Boil gently for 15 minutes or until cauliflower is tender. Place cauliflower and butter in a food processor and puree until smooth. Salt and pepper to taste.

                                                                                                                     Autumn Christiansen

                                                                                                       Independent Consultant-Shelf Reliance

                                                                                                    To purchase products, visit my online store:                                                                                                    http://THRIVEwiththebasics.shelfreliance.com

                                                                                                                           Join my team!

Cooking from my Home Store-Tuesday

 Last night's dinner was grilled steaks, baked potatoes, grilled pineapple and a new recipe for brussel sprouts. No one in my home likes brussel sprouts, but they came in my produce basket, so I searched for a way to use them. My sister had come across a recipe for brussel sprouts that was supposed to be the best ever (titled "Really Crazy Good Brussel Sprouts"). Turns out, my family still does not like brussel sprouts. My sister and her husband loved the recipe, however. So, if you enjoy brussel sprouts, I would encourage you to give the recipe a try.
  I would like to give a few pointers on baking potatoes and grilling pineapple (two favorites in our house).

Baked Potatoes

-Scrub potatoes very well and dry well with a cloth
-Prick each potato once with a fork
-Melt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter for 4 medium potatoes
-Roll potatoes one at a time in the melted butter and place on sheets of foil (each sheet of foil should be large enough to completely cover one potato)
-Generously salt the potato with coarse salt (I use kosher or coarse sea salt)
-Grind some black pepper over the potato
-Wrap the foil around the potato and press tight to seal


Bake at 375 degrees 1 hour 15 minutes for medium size potatoes.

 Grilled Pineapple

-Cut the rind away from the pineapple.
-Sprinkle a generous amount of granulated sugar over the entire pineapple
-Place the pineapple on it's end on the rack of a pre-heated grill. Turn the heat off on the burner directly under the pineapple. (Alternatively, place the pineapple on the top warmer rack of the grill and turn the grill heat to medium)
-Grill 15 minutes without lifting the lid of the grill. Turn the pineapple onto the opposite end, close the grill lid and cook an additional 15 minutes.
-Remove pineapple to a cutting board and allow to rest 5 minutes. Cut into wedges; serve warm.



                                                                                                                  Autumn Christiansen

                                                                                                      Independent Consultant-Shelf Reliance

                                                                                                  To purchase products, visit my online store:                                                                                                  http://THRIVEwiththebasics.shelfreliance.com

                                                                                                                       Join my team!

Cooking from my Home Store-Monday

  I apologize for not getting this posted yesterday. With it being a holiday, we decided to take the family out for a day of fun. As promised, however, I am cooking from my Home Store this week. The idea behind this is:

-to see where my family is in terms of food preparedness. During my husband's lay-off we were forced to eat what we had stored in our home. Those nineteen months gave me a greater respect for the concept of "food storage" and taught me a lot about being prepared. 
-to get creative in my cooking. I love to cook and cooking with THRIVE ingredients has given me a whole new challenge. Cooking with these products on a regular basis helps me become familiar with them, and helps our family get used to eating them. If we suddenly had an emergency and had to eat solely what we had in our home, I want to make sure my family will actually eat it!
-to rotate our food. I'm great at storing food, so it's a good idea to be equally as good at using it. Right?


  The menu yesterday was Taco Salads. Taco salad is a go-to meal at our house. I have these nifty taco shell pans that make the meal even more fun. I just pop a tortilla into each pan, put them in a 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes (until they're golden and crispy). I reconstitute my THRIVE Taco TVP, THRIVE Instant Black Beans and THRIVE Shredded Cheddar and chop veggies while they bake. By the time the tortillas are done everything else is ready and we can sit down to dinner within 20 minutes. Super Fast and super delicious!

Taco Salads

Tortilla Shells, if desired

Taco TVP (1/3 c. is enough to feed my family of 5)

THRIVE Instant Black Beans

THRIVE Shredded Cheddar (or cheese of choice)

Shredded Lettuce

Ranch Dressing

Diced Tomatoes

  Reconstitute the Taco TVP, Black Beans and Shredded Cheese (I lay my cheese out on a paper towel and spritz with a spray bottle until re-hydrated). 

  Place the lettuce in a toasted tortilla shell (if using) and pile on the toppings.

                                                                                                                      Autumn Christiansen

                                                                                                       Independent Consultant-Shelf Reliance

                                                                                                   To purchase products, visit my online store:                                                                                                    http://THRIVEwiththebasics.shelfreliance.com

                                                                                                                           Join my team!

Another year, another "Screamin' Deal"

   With the holidays behind us, I thought we would start the new year off with a bang!

  I absolutely love cheese, and I love that I can have THRIVE cheese in my Home Store without the worry of it going bad. THRIVE cheeses have a sealed-can shelf life of 20 years, and last 2 years once they're open. No more worrying about cheese molding in the fridge!
  I use my THRIVE cheeses for everything. I love that I can scoop right from the can without re-hydrating when I use them in soups and casseroles. When I want fresh cheese on tacos or salads, I just lay some cheese out on a paper towel and spritz with water from a squirt bottle until it's re-hydrated. So simple!
 
  This offer is only valid when you purchase through me, an independent consultant.

Cheese 6 Pack "Screamin' Deal"

2- #10 Cans Shredded Cheddar Cheese

2- #10 Cans Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese

1- #10 Can Shredded Colby Cheese

1- #10 Can Mozzarella Cheese

These cheeses would normally cost over $244 if you purchased each can individually through me. Right now this variety pack is yours for only $185.

A savings of over $59!

With the new year, comes new opportunities as well.

  I have one more fantastic offer. Book a class this month for any date this year and I will bring you a Cansolidator Cupboard on the day of your class.

I absolutely love my cansolidators. If you don't have one yet, or do but would like one more, here's your chance! Just give me a call before January 31st and schedule a date.

  If you have hosted a class before, think of guests who were unable to attend that might like to come this time.
  If you live outside Utah no problem, I'll happily have your new cansolidator shipped to you and teach your class via Skype.

  So many of us use our tax return on things to help our family become better prepared for unexpected emergencies. Let me come teach your family and friends about some of the best products on the market, and earn yourself some wonderful products by doing so...a new Cansolidator for starters!

For more details on hosting a class, to schedule a class date or to purchase the "Cheese 6 Pack Screamin' Deal" contact me today!

                                                                                                                   Autumn Christiansen

                                                                                                      Independent Consultant-Shelf Reliance

                                                                                                  To purchase products, visit my online store:                                                                                                   http://THRIVEwiththebasics.shelfreliance.com

                                                                                                                        Join my team!

Good Intentions

   I had the best of intentions for this week. Heather at Cooking with my Food Storage is participating in a pantry challenge Jessica at Good Cheap Eats started. Since January is an incredibly crazy month for me, a month-long challenge wasn't feasible. I planned to do another week of cooking from my "Home Store" (check out my previous experience) My plan was to cook from my "Home Store" every day this week and minimize my trips to the grocery store. Well, life has interfered so I have decided to postpone until next week. I wanted to give you a heads up so you can check in each day, and maybe even cook along with me.

  Until next week!
 
                                                                                                                     Autumn Christiansen

                                                                                                        Independent Consultant-Shelf Reliance

                                                                                                    To purchase products, visit my online store:                                                                                                    http://THRIVEwiththebasics.shelfreliance.com

                                                                                                                          Join my team!

New Month-New Specials!

                                                                                                                         


                                                                                                                  Autumn Christiansen

                                                                                                    Independent Consultant-Shelf Reliance

                                                                                                To purchase products, visit my online store:                                                                                                 http://THRIVEwiththebasics.shelfreliance.com

                                                                                                                      Join my team!