Kay's Herbal, Essential Oil Salve

My recipe is adapted from my friend Jonelle Hughes.

A salve is a wonderful thing to have in your first aid kit. Most salves have drawing properties that are wonderful for splinters, planter warts, etc. Because a salve has beeswax in it combined with the drawing properties of the herbs, you want to make sure that the area you are using it on has been cleaned, and is ready to heal. Do not use on a wound with stitches, unless they are ready to come out.

1/2 cup herb blend (i.e., comfrey, plantain, calendula) 

1 cup cold pressed extra virgin olive oil 

10-20 drops essential oils (i.e., Tea Tree Oil and Lavender)

Beeswax (I/4 cup per 1 cup of oil, after strained)

few drops Vitamin E (optional) 

Spray crock pot with hydrogen peroxide and wipe out. Add herbs and olive oil. Set crock pot on low for 1 hour and then move to warm for 12-24 hours.

Turn crock pot off, and let salve cool to luke warm. Have washed unbleached muslin ready, as well as a strainer and stainless steel bowl. Lay stainer in bowl, and muslin in strainer. Pour contents of crock pot into muslin. Gather all sides of muslin and twist and squeeze out all oil making sure to get the darker oil that is squeezed out last - squeeze & squeeze :O).

Clean crock pot thoroughly and wipe out with peroxide again. Add strained oil back to crock pot and set on low until warmed through. Stir in beeswax until melted. Turn off crock pot and let cool just a little. Add preferred essential oils and pour into prepared, cleaned jars.

Label and date.

My Success Story:  I've been using this in place of neosporin for minor cuts.  It has also helped with my eczema, chapped skin and has been great on my rough dried feet - I put it on my feet at night with socks before I go to bed.  I did this for a few nights until my feet were soft and smooth again.

THRIVEalized Taco Soup

THRIVEalized Taco Soup

I got the original recipe from my friend, Rachel Mano, for Rachel's Taco Soup.  Since she created her recipe, THRIVE has brought out other ingredients that enabled me to THRIVEalize it more.  So here is my THRIVEalized version of Rachel's Taco Soup.  I can throw it together in less than 5 minutes - SO EASY and SO TASTY.  I've made it in my crock pot so I don't have to attend it but it could be made on the stove bringing it to a boil and simmering it for 10-15 minutes.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup THRIVE FD Sausage Crumbles
3/4 cup THRIVE FD Ground Beef
1/4 cup THRIVE Red/Green Peppers
1/2 cup THRIVE FD Onions
1/4 cup THRIVE FD Green Chili Peppers
2 cups THRIVE FD Tomato Dices
1 cup THRIVE FD Sweet Corn
1/2 cup THRIVE Instant Red Beans
1/2 cup THRIVE Instant Black Beans
3 Tablespoons THRIVE Tomato Powder
2 Tablespoons Taco Seasoning (see below)
5 cups water (you can add more at the end if you want it a little juicier)

Easiest Directions: - Mix everything together.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 10-15 minutes - or put in a crock pot - low for 2 hours or high for about 1 hour.

Garnish with THRIVE FD Green Onions and/or THRIVE FD Cheddar Cheese

Variations on directions:  Saute the Sausage Crumbles & Ground Beef in a little Olive Oil to "crisp" them up before combining with other ingredients.

Vegetarian version - just leave out the meat and you can increase the beans :O)

To make a Creamy Taco Soup add to the above recipe:

2/3 cup THRIVE Sour Cream Powder
2/3 cup THRIVE Cheese Blend Powder

Mix the Sour Cream Powder, Cheese Blend Powder & Tomato Powder with the water first and whisk until mixed in.  Then all the other ingredients and follow the directions above.

I like to make my own Taco Seasoning

1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
1 teaspoon Cumin
1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1/2 teaspoon THRIVE Oregano
1/2 teaspoon THRIVE Chef's Choice (or Garlic Salt)
1/2 teaspoon THRIVE Peppercorn Blend

ENJOY!

THRIVEalized Pineapple Fluff

Pineapple Fluff

4 cups THRIVE FD Pineapple, reconstituted (reserve 2 TBSP. "juice" - use the rest of the drained juice to flavor your water)

2 TBSP Lemon Juice

2 TBSP Lime Juice

1/3 cup THRIVE Sugar

1 1/2 cups Heavy Cream, whipped

Place reconstituted FD Pineapple, lemon juice, lime juice, sugar and reserved pineapple juice in a blender.  Cover and blend until smooth. 

Pour into a container and put in the freezer to chill for about 30 minutes.

Whip up heavy cream and fold in blended pineapple.

Put into container and freeze.  

Note: I put spoonfuls into sample cups with a piece of reconstituted pineapple on top and put those in the freezer for a THRIVE party.  The rest we get to eat.  Enjoy!

FD Pineapple is on sale during April 2013 for 25% Off - Don't miss out!

"THRIVEalized" Brown Sugar Upside Down Meatloaf

I learned a new word today - THRIVEALIZE - the process of taking a recipe and converting it to using THRIVE products.

Yesterday I "THRIVEALIZED" a recipe and adapted it with my new THRIVE ingredients. 

The results????  

Well, my 28 year old son (that usually doesn't eat with us) came up to cook a pizza and I asked him to please just try my dinner.  Next thing I knew, the pizza was back in the freezer and he had made a plate of meatloaf, cheesy potatoes, corn and rolls.  Later he asked me what I would be Thrivin' tomorrow?  

Yea for THRIVE!

Menu:
Brown Sugar Upside Down Meatloaf
Cheesy Potatoes (a.k.a. Thrive Funeral Potatoes)
Thrive Freeze Dried (FD) Corn
Thrive Freeze Dried (FD) Broccoli

THRIVEALIZED Brown Sugar Upside Down Meatloaf

Ingredients:

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup ketchup

3 Tbsp. – Thrive FD Celery

3 Tbsp. – Thrive FD Onion

3 Tbsp. – Thrive FD Carrots

3 Tbsp. – Thrive FD Spinach

3 Tbsp. – Thrive FD Red/Green Peppers

3 Tbsp. – Whole Wheat Bread Crumbs (can use any bread crumbs or oatmeal)

3 Tbsp. Worchestershire Sauce

1 Tbsp. Thrive Beef Bouillon

1-1/4 cup Thrive Instant Milk reconstituted

2 eggs beaten 

2-1/2 pounds of meatloaf mix (beef, veal, pork) or ground beef

Directions:

1.      Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2.      Press brown sugar into the bottom of a 9x9 pan or 9x5 loaf pan
3.      Spread the ketchup over the brown sugar
4.      Mix the Thrive FD vegetables, bread crumbs in bowl.  Add milk and let it sit for 5 minutes.
5.      Add Worchestershire Sauce, Thrive Beef Bouillon & eggs. Mix well.
6.      Add the meat and mix thoroughly.
7.           Spoon meatloaf mixture into pan on top of ketchup and press to the sides.
8.      Bake for one hour.  Remove from oven and pour off juices into a bowl and discard juice.
9.      Let meatloaf rest for 10 minutes.
10.      Invert meatloaf onto a platter or cutting board, slice it up.

   Click here to download my THRIVEALIZED Brown Sugar Upside Down Meatloaf recipe

   

I also modified Chef Todd's THRIVE Funeral Potatoes.  The recipe calls for Thrive FD Potatoes Dices  and I only had Thrive FD Potato Chunks which worked great.

What's THRIVIN' in your Kitchen?  Let me know if you try this recipe or tweak it in some other way in the comments below.