Slowly, but surely, I'm working my way through the many wonderful THRIVE products to bring you reviews. I'd like to highlight our powders this time. So, in no particular order, here they are:
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| Shortening Powder |
1 cup Shortening- 2 cups Shortening Powder + 1/2 cup water
When reconstituting, the powder will float on the water; continue whisking and it will come together. Refrigerate the mixture to create a shortening about the same consistency as what you would buy at the supermarket.
Shortening Powder may be added to the dry ingredients in a recipe when baking (add the correct amount of water with the wet ingredients).
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| Butter Powder |
1 cup Butter- 1 1/4 cups Butter Powder + 1/4 cup water
Butter Powder may be added with the dry ingredients when baking (add the water with the wet ingredients).
When a recipe calls for "creaming" in the butter, and the Butter Powder and water and "cream" (it will take much longer than creaming fresh butter does).
When a recipe calls for "cutting" in the butter, as biscuit or pie crust recipes do, simply stir the Butter Powder into the dry ingredients then add the water with the wet ingredients.
Butter Powder does not "saute" well, as it does not melt.
Butter Powder sometimes has the same effect margarine does in baking, as it can dry out your baked goods. To solve this problem, simply add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil per cup of butter in the recipe.
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| Instant Milk |
1 cup milk- 1 cup water + 2 Tablespoons Instant Milk powder
Ingredients: Real instant nonfat milk, vitamin A, palmitate, vitamin D3
THRIVE Instant Milk is intending for drinking. Instant Milk powder and cold milk make be combined and then drank right then. Once reconstituted, refrigerate to keep fresh.
Proportions may be altered to suit individual tastes.
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| Non-fat Powdered Milk |
1 cup milk- 1 cup water + 3 Tablespoons Non-fat Powdered Milk
Ingredients: Non-fat powdered milk
THRIVE Non-fat Powdered Milk is intended for baking/cooking. It is best to reconstitute THRIVE Non-fat Powdered Milk with hot water to completely dissolve the powder, then refrigerate.
THRIVE Non-fat Powdered Milk is great for making homemade pudding, as it has the ability to thicken.
Homemade Pudding (great for pudding pies like Banana Cream):
1/4 c. cornstarch 3 c. reconstituted THRIVE Non-fat Powdered Milk
1 c. sugar 4 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1/4 tsp. salt 3 Tbsp. butter
1 tsp. vanilla
In a saucepan, combine sugar, salt and cornstarch. Mix in beaten egg yolks. Whisk in milk. Add butter and cook, stirring constantly, over low heat until thickened (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat; add vanilla.
Transfer pudding to a bowl and press plastic wrap to the surface of the pudding to prevent a skin from forming (alternatively, you could spoon this over fresh, sliced bananas in a pie crust, then cover with plastic wrap-this recipe will fill one 9" pie pan).
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| Cheese Blend |
THRIVE Cheese Blend is great for Mac and Cheese (Because I am an avid coupon-user I often get noodles free. I buy the "Quick Cook" macaroni noodles, make a sauce from my Cheese Blend, and voila, dinner in under 10 minutes!) The Cheese Blend is also great for cheese-based soups like Broccoli-Cheese, and is a great base for cheesy casseroles.
To make a spread combine equal parts water and Cheese Blend powder.
For a cheese sauce, gradually combine 1 part Cheese Blend powder with 2 parts hot water; small amounts of milk may be added if desired. Stir until smooth and creamy.
Heather at "Cooking with My Food Storage" came up with a fantastic recipe she calls "Nacho Who? Nachos".
1/2 c. THRIVE Cheese Blend
6 Tbsp. butter
6 Tbsp. milk
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 can diced green chilis
Combine Cheese Blend and cornstarch in a saucepan. Add butter and milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick and bubbly. Serve with tortilla chips and any other desired toppings (ie. Taco TVP, sour cream, salsa, etc.)
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| Sour Cream Powder |
1 cup sour cream- 1 cup Sour Cream Powder + 1 cup water
It's best to reconstitute the Sour Cream Powder with very hot (almost boiling) water, then refrigerate until ready to use-it will thicken as it sits in the fridge.
I'm not a fan of eating the Sour Cream Powder on it's own (it's very bland), but was given a tip that adding 1 tablespoon lemon juice per cup Sour Cream Powder enhances the flavor.
The Sour Cream Powder is fantastic in recipes calling for sour cream.
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| Tomato Powder |
Tomato Juice- 1 part Tomato Powder to 10 parts water (1/2 c. powder+5 c. water)
Tomato Sauce- 1 part Tomato Powder to 4 parts water (1/2 c. powder+2 c. water)
Tomato Paste- 1 part Tomato Powder to 2 parts water (1⁄4 cup powder+1⁄2 cup water=6 oz. can or 3⁄4 cup tomato paste)
This is one of my all-time favorite products! I absolutely hate opening a can of tomato paste to use 1-3 tablespoons. What do you do with the rest?!
To give your dishes a little something different, add THRIVE Tomato Powder to soups, dressings, mayo, homemade bread. The possibilities are endless!
The best part about THRIVE Tomato Powder is that it comes out cheaper than purchasing its counterparts at the supermarket!
Autumn Christiansen 
