Recipe: 1 Minute Brownie

Sometimes at the end of a long day, you just need some quiet & some chocolate! And chocolate doesn’t come in many better forms that brownies!

But, an entire pan of brownies is just too tempting!

So, my new best friend, is a Brownies in a Mug,AKA: The 1 Minute Brownie!

Recipe:

4 Tbsp Thrive  Fudge Brownie Mix

2 Tbsp Water

Optional: 1 Tbsp Mix-In (chopped nuts, candies, chocolate chips, ect)

Combine Ingredients. Microwave on high for 1 Minute in heavy mug or cup.

This delicious treat can also be used as a perfect gift!

You can easily package Thrive Brownie Mix in a cone-shaped bag or ziplock baggie. Place baggie in a mug. Decorate with cello bag or curly ribbons. Attach tag with recipe instructions.

Enjoy!

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Downloads

Welcome!!

You may have noticed a new section here at Tawny’s Thriving Home, Downloads! Here I will be sharing free goodies for  you to print and use! Go check it out! And be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss anything!

What’s New:

Is your Magic Mix hiding in your fridge in a bare #10 can? Are you constantly having to dig out your recipe? With this Cute label, your recipe is always accessible & no more bare cans!! Also includes my ‘Helper Mix’!

Go check it out!

I love feedback! Let me know what you think!

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30 Days Of Faves: Peach Drink & Recipes

Welcome Back! Each Day in June I will be sharing with you one of my favorite Shelf Reliance Products as part of the 30 days of Faves Blog Party.

We all need to drink more water…but, water can get boring from time to time! It can be especially hard to get children to drink the recommended amount of fluids daily, that is why I love Thrive Peach Drink!

Thrive Peach drink is so yummy! I love to add a couple teaspoons of Peach Drink to tea for a sweet fruity treat! Kids love it! And It is so much healthier for them than other sugary drinks that are essentially sugar water. Thrive Peach Drink provides Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Calcium, & Iron. Thrive Peach Drink is far from just another ‘sugary drink’.

Try These Great Recipes:

Summer Sparkling Peach Fizzer

*1 c Thrive Peach Drink

*1 Bottle Ginger-ale

*1 c Cold Water

*Thrive Freeze Dried Peaches

Mix Thrive Peach drink with water. Add ginger-ale and stir well. Garnish with Thrive Freeze Dried Peaches.

 

Sparkling Peach Ice Tea

* 2 tea bags

* 2 c boiling water

*4 c Ice cubes

*12 oz giner-ale

*1/3 c Thrive Peach Drink

*Thrive Freeze Dried Peaches

Bring the water to a boil and remove from heat.Place the tea bags in a large tea pot and pour the hot water over them. Cover and steep for 3 minutes. Uncover the pot and remove the tea bags.Add Thrive Peach Drink. Stir. Add the ice cubes to the tea and let cool (uncovered). When the tea has cooled to room temperature, transfer it to a pitcher, cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

When ready to serve, fill 4 tall glasses with ice. Fill the glasses 3/4 full with tea and top them off with ginger ale. Garnish each glass with a peach slice.

Do You have a yummy peach drink recipe you would like to share? Interested in ordering some Thrive Peach Drink and getting you and your children off that ‘sugar water’? Would you like to sample some yummy Thrive Products? Contact me today!

 

~ Go to TawnysThrivingHome.com to shop products and get the best deals on food storage and emergency preparation products.~

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Recipe: Homemade ‘Helper’ Recipe

We love easy around here. And we have all been brain washed into believing those boxed ‘helper’ recipes are as easy as it gets.

With a whopping 110 Calories in the mix alone and a lengthy list of unhealthy ingredients and preservative, there must be a better way!

Making homemade hamburger helper could not be easier!! You make up a basic ‘mix’ and add noodles and meat as you see fit. You could easily layer noodles, mix and spice into mason jars to give as gifts or as a quick meal. With options such as freeze dried meats or TVP, quick ‘helper’ style meals have never been easier!!

Homemade ‘Helper’ Mix

• 1 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1 Tbs. garlic powder
• 2 Tbs. dried parsley
• 1/3 cup Thrive Freeze Dried Onion
• 1 Tbs. salt
• 1 2/3 cup Thrive Powdered milk
• 3 1/2 Tbs. Thrive beef bouillon

Mix this all up and store in a glass jar or other sealed container.

Use 1/2 cup for each pound of ground meat.

The Nutrition Info for this basic mix comes to about the following: 41 Calories, less than 1g of fat
Basic Preparation:

• 1 pound meat (Thrive Freeze Dried Beef, Thrive Beef TVP, or seasoned browned ground beef)
• 1/2 cup of  ‘helper’ mix (above)
• 1 to 2 cups noodles (elbow macaroni for example)
• 1 1/2 to 3 cups water

Stir in meat, dry mix, then add 2 cups hot water and 2 cups noodles. You can add more or less water and noodles, proportionately, depending on much you need to stretch that pound of beef. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer, cover, and cook until noodles are tender, about 20 minutes.

This Recipe is easily adaptable to what you have on hand and what you are hungry for. Looking for a cheese burger? Add Thrive Cheese Blend or Shredded Cheddar Cheese. Throw in some Bacon TVP for a bacon Cheese burger! With Thrive Freeze Dried vegetables, its easy to add corn, green beans, or other yummy veggies to your helper meal. Just dd them when you add the noodles. Looking for a comfort food: Instead of macaroni, add 2-3 cups very thinly sliced potatoes. Simmer 20-30 minutes until potatoes are tender. Uncover and simmer until liquid has evaporated.

This recipe is easily adapted to your families dietary needs. Use whole grain pasta. Or gluten Free Pasta. Season and adjust the recipe to your needs and taste.

When you do the math this recipe is an incredible money saver!! You could easily take the $2 or so it takes to buy one preboxed ‘helper’ meal and buy enough pasta to make this recipe 2-3 times! The ‘Helper’ Mix cost about $2 to make & makes about 6 servings, so this mix is going to cost you about $.30 per serving!

With this mix you are going to save time. You can easily customize it to what you have. You are going to save shelf space, all those ‘helper’ boxes take quite a bit of room. You are going to save money, preboxed foods are expensive, and you are going to save your family’s health.

Ready to start making your mix? Go to my online store to get the very best in freeze dried and shelf stable foods. Contact me about making the most of your ‘home store’, or book a ‘make a mix’ party and share this and other great mixes with your friends while earning free products!

 

~ Go to TawnysThrivingHome.com to shop products and get the best deals on food storage and emergency preparation products.~

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Recipe: Granola Bars

Jaime at Thriving Food Storage, Posted this delicious granola bar recipe. I thought you might enjoy it!

Granola Bars

A few days ago my sister who has helped me with the design of my blog sent me a txt asking when I changed my blog.  I had no idea what she was talking about as I had not changed anything on it.  After a minute she realized she was at the wrong blog.  She went to self reliance by Jamie.I can see how she would get that confused with mine.  We have the same name and I sell Shelf reliance products.  Anyways I asked her to send me the link to the blog so I could take a look.  I was very impressed with what I was seeing.  I looked through her blog and found some yummy sounding recipes and great info.  I love a good food storage/emergency preparedness blog and another I have found.I am all about making homemade when I can.  I have been trying for about a year now to find a good granola bar recipe.  I have tried several different recipes and they have all tasted good. BUT when I go to cut them into bars they either crumble or fall apart when I pick them up.  My other problem is I compare them to store bought granola bars.  With these I need to remember that the homemade bars are not going to be like the store bought bars.  Anyways Jamie at self reliance by Jamie  about a year ago posted a recipe for granola bars.  They looked and sounded good so I tried her recipe yesterday.  Oh my goodness….I found my granola bar recipe.  Thanks Jamie!  These not only taste good but I was able to cut them into bars and they held up!!!Granola Bars

4 1/2 c rolled oats (regular, not quick)

1 c flour ( I like to use whole wheat flour)

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla

2/3 c butter, melted

1/2 c honey

1/3 c brown sugar, packed

1/2 c mini chocolate chips (raisins, craisins, other dried fruit, whatever you like!)

Combine all ingredients but the chocolate chips (or whatever you are putting in). Mix and then add the chocolate chips in and mix again. Press into a greased pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 18-22 minutes. Enjoy!!

**this is a basic recipe. . . if you like other things, try putting them in and make it your own recipe! Nuts, seeds, coconut, peanut butter. . . the options are endless!**

Don’t these look yummy!! I can’t wait to make them for my family!!

What is your favorite granola recipe? Share your link in a comment below!

~ Go to TawnysThrivingHome.com to shop products and get the best deals on food storage and emergency preparation products.~~Always be in the know… Sign Up for my Newsletter~

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Recipe: 5 Minute Please Everyone Taco Night

Have I mentioned we have a rather crazy dynamic to our household right now?  This mean, it’s incredibly hard to please everyone. I have never been, and will never be, one to make different or special meals for everyone in the household.  Everyone in the family was incredibly happy to hear my new idea for tonight’s dinner: 5 Minute-Please-Everyone-Tacos. With this easy dinner, everyone can make what they like!

I love Taco TVP. It is my number one ‘go to’ item. I use it in everything!

Tonight I made taco, nachos, and a taco salad in less time than it takes to order at the fast food restaurant!! And did so with zero added preservative, salts, or sugar! I fed my family REAL healthy food. And did it in less than 5 minutes!

5 Minute Taco Night

You Will Need:

*Thrive Taco TVP         *Lettuce              *Salsa

*Thrive onions              *Tomatoes          *Corn chips

*Thrive Peppers           *Cheese                *Tortillas

Directions:

1.Reconstitute enough TVP for your family’s needs. Remember the TVP almost doubles when reconstituted. For example, if you need 1 cup of TVP, reconstitute half a cup. I reconstitute my TVP by covering it in HOT water and letting it sit. I drain off any excess water. 2. Reconstitute onions and peppers to meet you family’s needs. Again, cover with water, let sit, and drain excess water.

3. While your other ingredients are reconstituting, warm your tortillas in the over. I warm mine at 300F for 5 min.

4. Again while other ingredients are reconstituting, chop lettuce and tomatoes.

5. I keep grated cheese in my fridge, but if you don’t, now is a great time to grate that cheese. You could also reconstitute some yummy Thrive freeze dried cheese.

6. Open your chips and salsa.

7. Serve

I serve this ‘buffet style’ and let everyone make his or her own plate. Some make Taco Salad with a salsa dressing, some have tacos, some have nachos, and some have a combination of them all! It is a real crowd pleaser!

This is also GREAT served with Beans! Yummy!!

Who doesn’t love a crowd pleaser that is healthy and can be prepared in less time than it takes to order at a fast food restaurant?

What are your favorite quick recipes? Do you have a yummy taco meat or taco TVP recipe you would like to share? Comment below.

~ Go to TawnysThrivingHome.com to shop products and get the best deals on food storage and emergency preparation products.~

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Classic Greek Spinach From your Food Storage

Around here, heart health is a number one concern. Because of this, we attempt to eat lots of Mediterranean Foods as they tend to be very heart healthy. We loosely follow the “Red Wine Diet“.

In any healthy diet, Veggies are a substantial portion of your food needs.

We are always looking for creative and new ways to serve our veggies. One of our favorite recipes is Classic Greek Spinach. I decided to make this yummy and nutritious dish using items from my food storage, or Home Store.

~*Classic Greek Spinach From Your Pantry*~

For this recipe You will need:

2 tbs – 1c Olive Oil

1c Rice

1 can Stewed Tomatoes

1 1/2 c Thrive Spinach

4 tbs Thrive Onions

2 tbs Thrive Bell Peppers

1 Beef Bullion Cube

4 c water

1 tbs Garlic (optional)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Method:

Place spinach and water into bowl. Cover with water and allow to soak for at least 5 Min.While spinach is reconstituting, pour 2 tbs – 1 c Olive Oil into pot. (Adjust oil to your family’s need and taste. Use more oil if you are planning on serving this as a main dish, or on a day you are not serving meat.) Over low heat, add onions, peppers, & optionally garlic to oil. Stir. When flavors have infused with oil, add spinach and water to pot. You may need to add a little extra water. The water needs to cover the spinach.Add bullion cube. Mix ingredients well. Bring to boil. When water is boiling, add rice. Cook until rice is tender. Remove from heat. Empty one can Stewed Tomatoes into pot. Salt and pepper to taste. Return to low heat and allow to simmer 5-10 min. Serve warm.

My family loves this dish! Even those who aren’t fans of spinach! The olive oil is a wonderful source of Omega 3 and healthy fats. Spinach is a “super food” and using the Thrive Freeze Dried spinach means we get the same nutrition as using fresh spinach! Tomatoes are an incredibly nutritious food and add an interesting flavor to this dish. And using stewed tomatoes makes this recipe both easy and food storage friendly. The rice adds a great color and texture to the dish. You can also use whole grain rice or brown rice depending on your family’s preferences.

Happy Eating!!

~ Go to TawnysThrivingHome.com to shop products and get the best deals on food storage and emergency preparation products.~

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Frugal Bean Recipes

Over at Life in a Shoe, Kim is hosting a Linky for Bean recipes. Why? She, like many of us, is becoming increasingly aware of the rise in food cost. The grocery budget just doesn’t seem to go as far as it use to. And, the sad news is, food cost are NOT expected to go down anytime soon.

I didn’t start this post to complain about the economy. I just want to keep the food budget under control, and I want to do it without resorting to ramen noodles, so we’re going to eat less meat, more beans and learn to use lentils.

So, what are we to do? Learn from our grandmothers and great-grandmothers. These ladies fed a family and providing comforting meals on near nothing! Don’t believe me? Take a look at how little people had to eat during War Time Rationing. We need to remember back to a similarly less prosperous time, and learn from out history. We have to remember how to keep our family comfortable and be frugal.

One suggestion Kim made was to eat less meat and more beans. Beans are easy, nutritious, cheap, and have a LONG shelf life. Beans are one of those foods you want to know several recipes for.

I love my cowboy bean recipe. You can easily use it as you “go-to” bean recipe and change it and adjust is according to what you have on hand. I sometimes use sausage. Sometimes beef. I’ve been known to throw in a can of Rotel or stewed tomatoes. It’s a very workable recipe.

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COWBOY BEAN RECIPE

• 1 cups dried pinto beans
• 1 cup dried red beans
• 1/2 cup dried Navy Beans
• 5 minced garlic cloves
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup BBQ sauce
• 1/2 cup Ketchup
• 1- 1 1/2 lb ground beef, browned
• bullion cube
• salt pork or bacon for taste
• salt to taste
• water

Method:

Quick Rinse Beans. Place onions, garlic, bullion cube, pork, and beans in crockpot. Cover with water. Cook on low for several hours (about 6-8) until beans are soft, stir occasionally and add water as needed. Once beans are cooked and soft, remove pork. Add BBQ sauce, Ketchup, brown sugar, and beef to beans. Combine ingredients well. Salt to taste. And serve.

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Thrive foods carries a line of  “Instant Beans”. These beans are ready to go and can be cooked in less than 20 min!! What a time saver! Thrive also carried a full line of dried beans ready to stock up in your pantry. Beans are a great addition to the home store, especially when you are on a budget!

And when you are looking to save money on your food budget, cutting down on the amount of meat you eat is a great way to cut cost. Why not try a cost-effective vegetable protein instead? Taco TVP and beans make for a very cheap and very affordable and super healthy meal!

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 THRIVE quick Taco ‘Meat’ and Beans

•  1/2 c THRIVE taco TVP
• 1/2 c THRIVE instant pinto beans
• 1/2c THRIVE instant red beans
• 2tbs THRIVE Red and Green Bell peppers
• 2tbs THRIVE Chopped onion
• 1 tbs minced garlic
• salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Bring THRIVE beans to boil in 6c warm water. Add peppers, onion, and garlic. Allow to simmer for 15-20 min. Reconstitute Taco TVP by placing in a bowl and covering with water, allow to sit for 5-10min or until TVP doubles in quantity. Mix TVP into beans. Season to taste.

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A Yummy recipe from the Thrive/Shelf Reliance Website. Pioneer Stew

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Pioneer Stew

• 1 1⁄4 c dry thrive pinto beans or kidney beans
• 3 c cold water
• 1 3⁄4 t thrive iodized salt, divided
• 1 T thrive freeze dried chopped onions
• 1 T thrive red & green bell peppers
• 1 c thrive freeze dried sweet corn, reconstituted
• 1 cn (16 oz) tomatoes, undrained
• 2 t chili powder
• 1 T flour + 2 t water
• 1 c thrive ground beef, rehydrated -or- thrive beef tvp
• 1⁄2 c thrive fd cheddar cheese, rehydrated

Method

In a small bowl, cover THRIVE freeze dried ground beef or TVP with warm water. Let sit for 5-10 minutes until softened or rehydrated. Drain.Place washed and drained beans, cold water, and 1 teaspoon salt in a large saucepan. Bring to boil, then cover and simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes.Add rehydrated ground beef, onions, bell peppers, corn, tomatoes, chili powder, and remaining salt to beans. Simmer an additional 20 minutes.Combine 1 tablespoon flour with 2 tablespoons water; stir into stew. Cook and stir until thick and bubbly.Stir in cheese and serve with any desired garnishes and toppings

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Share your favorite Bean recipes by commenting below. What role do beans play in your home store and food storage? Do you use TVP? I’d love to hear from you!

Happy cooking!

~ Go to TawnysThrivingHome.com to shop products and get the best deals on food storage and emergency preparation products.~

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Recipe and News from The Benefit

This weekend, Rena & I had the great pleasure of setting up a booth and selling baked goods at Coffee Creek RV Resort for their VFD benefit. 

We got a little sun… Ok A LOT of sun… and met some really awesome folks! We listened to some amazing blue grass, ate some delicious BBQ and told everyone about Thrive & Shelf Reliance. We baked lots of goodies and donated everything to the benefit. Nothing quite like a good time for a good cause!

Coffee Creek is so beautiful! And everyone there was so nice! We hope to be doing lots of events with these great folks!

For the benefit I baked several types of cookies. All using Thrive ingredients. We also made some yummy homemade granola!

Want the Recipe for some of those yummy cookies? I’m posting one below! For the other recipes be sure to subscribe to my blog. I’ll be posting the recipes throughout the week.

Chewy Oatmeal Cookies

1 1/4 c. Flour                                                                 1 box vanilla pudding                                                           1 c. raisins

1 tsp. baking soda                                                        2 tbs. THRIVE whole egg powder                                    1/4 tsp. allspice

1 c. butter                                                                       4 tbs. water                                                                              1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 c. sugar                                                                     2 tbs. THRIVE instant milk powder                            1/s tsp. nutmeg

3/4 c. brown sugar                                                       3 1/2 c. instant Oats

Combine baking soda and flour; set aside. Mix butter, sugars, and vanilla pudding in large mixing bowl; beat until smooth and creamy. In cup mix THRIVE whole egg powder and water. Beat in reconstituted eggs. Also combine THRIVE instant milk and spices; beat into mixture. Gradually add flour mixture; then stir in quick oats and raisins. Batter will be stiff. Drop by rounded measured teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets about 2 in. apart. Bake at 375F for 10-12 minutes.

Happy Baking!

~ Go to TawnysThrivingHome.com to shop products and get the best deals on food storage and emergency preparation products.~

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Recipe: Brownie Lollies

From Shelf Reliance Kitchen

Use the Sinfully Rich Triple Chocolate Brownies to make these beautiful treats. They’re great for entertaining or sharing at a potluck get-together.

Ingredients

• 1⁄4 c softened butter
• 2 T reconstituted thrive powdered milk
• 1⁄4 c melted chocolate
• 1⁄3 c cocoa powder
• 2 c thrive powdered sugar
• 1 pn thrive iodized salt
• wooden popsicle sticks
• additional melting chocolate (any variety), as desired
• sinfully rich triple chocolate brownies

Instructions

* Prepare the batch of brownies and place in oven to bake.

* Whip up a chocolate buttercream frosting by mixing butter, milk, and chocolate on high speed. Add powdered sugar slowly to reach the right consistency, followed by salt. Mix well. (If needed, add more milk to thin out, more powdered sugar to thicken, and more cocoa powder to increase the chocolate flavor.)

* Remove brownies from oven and cool. Top with prepared frosting.

* Take frosted brownies and use an ice cream scoop with a release handle to create little lollipop balls (see included picture). The frosting will act like a glue, keeping it all together.

* Place balled brownies on a wax-paper- or parchment-lined baking sheet. Poke a popsicle stick or other handle into each lollipop and freeze for 30 minutes.

* Meanwhile, melt more chocolate (any kind you like, even white chocolate).

* Once lollies are set up, dip into melted chocolate. After that chocolate has had a chance to cool on the lollies, drizzle with more chocolate. Repeat as much or as little as you’d like!

Happy Baking!

~ Go to TawnysThrivingHome.com to shop products and get the best deals on food storage and emergency preparation products.~

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