Cucumber Salsa - Garden Harvest Enhanced With Thrive

Cucumber Salsa

by Kay Curtiss

I'm starting to harvest from my small garden - How about you?  We've got cucumbers, tomatoes, squash and raspberries all coming on.  Here's a recipe for Cucumber Salsa that combines the bounty from my garden with nutritious Thrive food, saving me time and money. This can be eaten with chips, crackers or used as a side salad.

Cucumber Salsa

FD - Freeze Dried
Thrive Product Numbers are for Pantry Cans except for Seasonings

Salsa Ingredients:
2 cups Cucumber, peeled, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 cup Thrive FD Tomato Dices (#22241) (or fresh from your garden if you have them)
1/4 cup Thrive FD Onion (#22227)
1/4 cup Thrive FD Green Chili Peppers (#22242)
1 Tablespoon Thrive FD Parsley (#23621)
1 Tablespoon chopped Jalapeno Pepper or 1 fresh pepper chopped
2 teaspoons Thrive FD Cilantro (#23622)
1 garlic clove, minced or pressed

Dressing Ingredients:
1/4 cup Thrive Sour Cream (#22449), reconstituted
1/4 teaspoon Thrive Lemonade Crystals (22899) (or 1 1/2 teaspoons Lemon Juice)
1 1/2 teaspoons Lime Juice
1 mini scoop Stevia Powder, sweeten to taste
1/4 teaspoon Ground Cumin
1/4 teaspoon Thrive Chef's Choice Seasoning Blend (#23628)
1/2 teaspoon Dill Weed, optional

Directions:

Mix salsa ingredients in a mixing bowl.  (Thrive ingredients are right out of the can - they will reconstitute when mixed with the dressing.).  Combine dressing ingredients in a small bowl and mix well.  Pour over vegetable mixture and gently combine, making sure all veggies are coated.  Let it sit for 10 minutes or more for FD vegetables to reconstitute and flavors to blend.

Can be served with chips, crackers or as a side salad.  Serves 8

Here's what the Thrive products would cost (with Q Pricing***) per recipe or serving:

During the summer when you can use "fresh" tomatoes out of your garden the Thrive cost would be even cheaper:  

Pantry Can Recipe Cost - $3.04  /  Cost per serving - $0.38

#10 Can Recipe Cost - $2.64  /  Cost per serving - #0.33

***Click here to find out about The Q and Q Pricing 

Click here to download Cucumber Salsa Recipe

Secret to a Clean Kitchen - Cook With Thrive

What would you do if you had an extra half hour every day? 

Find out with THRIVE—

You’ll spend less time preparing for meals 

and more time on the things that are important to you, 

from playing with your kids 

to picking up that book you’ve been dying to read.

Jamie Makin shares her experience:

No Prep Required

Cooking with THRIVE means 

Never having to do those dreaded kitchen tasks. 

Which one are you most excited to see go?

Thrive gives you a Prep Chef in every can!

Are you ready to start Thrivin"?

C is for Cookie - Thrive New Cookie Mixes

Did you know that 
July 9 is National Sugar Cookie Day? 

We are celebrating by sharing with you the 

NEW Cookie Dough Mixes in 
Thrive's NEW Bakery Line.

#1

Vanilla Sugar Cookie Dough Mix

Watch Chef Todd show us how easy this is to use these mixes:

What's your favorite cookie to make with a 
basic sugar cookie dough?

How about Snickerdoodles? or Peanut Butter?

OR 

How about a Fruit Pizza?

How about Frosting them?  

What your favorite thing to finish off your frosted cookies?

Besides colorful sprinkles or nuts, how about
Crushed Thrive Fruits? 

They could be sprinkled on top 
or mixed into the frosting 
to add natural color and flavor!

#2

Let's not forget the New Classic Cookie Dough Mix

Chef Todd, Oh what can we do with this one?

Besides your classic Chocolate Chip Cookies look at these:

Chef Todd's Power Bars

OR
White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies

OR 
one of my favorites
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies


Are you ready to add these to your Home Store?

Click here to check out our new Bakery Line
including both of these Cookie Dough Mixes

Can Thrive Save Me Money?

Can Thrive Save Me Money?

Yes, Thrive can save you money in several ways!

How do you balance convenience, nutrition, and food quality without breaking the bank at the grocery store? It’s easy with THRIVE. Take a look below at a few of the ways THRIVE can stop the drain on your wallet and shrink your grocery bill.

Here's what an average family of 4 throws away 

in ONE month!

Here's how Thrive can help you recover that wasted money:  

Impulse Buys 

How many times have you gone to the store for 1 thing 

And walked out $50 or even $100 dollars later - 

Sure was an expensive 1 item.  

Studies show that anywhere from 20–70% 

of all purchases are impulse buys, 

and that the average person spends 

$114,293 on impulse buys in their lifetime! 

By getting your food shipped to you, 

you’ll stay out of stores and save big.

What are your typical impulse buys?

Don't forget to factor in the gas you use 

for all those trips to the grocery store!

Thrive is the NEW Fast Food!

The average American eats fast food 159 times a year—that’s at least 3 times a week. With fast food running $5-10 a meal, that can add up to around $100 a month per person! With THRIVE, there’s no need to spend that much for quick meals; everything you need for fast, filling meals is already in your pantry.

Have you been adding up the savings as we've gone along?

Are You Ready to Start Saving?

I love helping people save money and eat better!  

I'd love to help YOU!

Click here if you want more info

Easy Sugar Free Chocolates - There's always room for Chocolate

Easy Sugar Free Dark Chocolate

by Kay Curtiss

Without Any Variations added in

This is an easy recipe that came be made up as a base for a lot of different variations.  It has been a great treat for me as I have been eating healthier and when I want just a little something "sweet."  It is best kept in the refrigerator, especially in the summer.  Some like to keep it in the freezer for a ice cold snack that melts in your mouth.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Coconut Oil
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
4 teaspoons Stevia Blend (adjust sweetness to taste)
dash of sea salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 Tablespoons Half and Half (optional)

Instructions:

Melt Coconut Oil but don't get it too hot.  Add the cocoa powder, stevia, salt, vanilla and half and half.  Mix well.  Add any of the variations below, create your own or can leave it just chocolate.

Pour into small silicon molds (makes about 20 depending on how full you fill the mold), OR let it sit a little and start to set up then drop into small spoonfuls on parchment paper OR spread into a single layer (about 1/4 inch thick) on parchment paper to be broken into pieces after set.  Put in freezer for about 30 minutes to set then transfer to container and keep in the refrigerator.

Variations:

1.  Almond Joy
     -     1/2 teaspoon almond extract
     -     1 1/2 - 2 Tablespoons unsweetened coconut
     -     1/3 cup coarsely chopped almonds

2.  Peppermint Patties
     -     2-4 drops doTerra Peppermint Essential Oil or peppermint extract to taste.

3.  Peanut Clusters
     -     1-2 Tablespoons Natural Peanut Butter (no sugar added) to Coconut Oil
     -     1/3 - 1/2 cup coarsely chopped peanuts

4.  Raspberry Blossoms
     -     4 Tablespoons Thrive FD Raspberries (#22343) + 2-3 Tablespoons water to rehydrate
     -     Let raspberries sit about 5 minutes then crush with a fork.  Add to chocolate mixture.

5.  Ice Cream Magic Shell - Make it up and pour on ice cream to make a sugar free chocolate shell.

The Thrive Q - What is It? How Does The Q Work?

The Thrive Q

What is the Q?

It's our Monthly Grocery Delivery Program

that can save you time and money!

Build Your Own Home Store Easily With

The Q

How Does The Q Work?
It's as EASY as 1, 2, 3 . . .

You pick the Thrive Foods 

Shopping our Monthly Specials 

Saves you even more 

(See July's Specials here)

Kay's Tip:  Feeling overwhelmed with all the products Thrive has to offer?  Not sure where to start?  An easy way is to begin with one of our Smart Start options - A Taste of Thrive or Chef's Selections 200.  These are a 3 month, preselected grouping of Thrive products that include recipes and tips to help you start using Thrive.  

You can get an idea of the Home Store foundation you will have with either of these Smart Start options by looking at the marked Pantry picture above.  Cans with "TT" come in the Taste of Thrive selections and "SS" come in the Chef's Selections 200.  

How much is your food budget?  

Kay's Tip:  Did you factor in for food you typically throw away and have to buy again?  How about the impulse buys that happen when you have to make extra trips to the store?  Or the fast food runs because you forgot to take something out of the freezer or don't have time to put together a good nutritious meal?

Reallocate a portion of that budget to Thrive.

No NEW money required to build your Home Store

Groceries delivered to your door

You can easily build your own Home Store

Kay's Tip:  How much time and money in gas can you save by not having to make extra trips to the store because you have a stocked Home Store?  

What would you do with an extra $300 - $700 in gas savings yearly?  

--  Summer Camps? 

--  Redecorating?  

--  Family Fun Activities? 

--  Piano or Dance lessons? 

--  Add to Retirement or College Funds?

What would you do with the extra time you'll save by eliminating some grocery store runs AND the speed you can now create your meals using Thrive (time can be cut in half for a lot of recipes)

--  Read to your kids

--  Read yourself

--  Take a walk in nature

--  Work on a project or hobby

--  Volunteer 

--  Take a nice, relaxing bath

  

READY TO GET STARTED?  

Click here . . .

Kale Chips - Tips and Seasoning Ideas

Kale Chips - Tips and Seasoning Ideas

My New Crunchy Snack 

by Kay Curtiss

I'm a little late getting on the kale bandwagon.  I know it is good to add to smoothies and I like the baby leaves to add to my salads.  But in an effort to eat healthier, I have to admit, I love the crunch of chips with a sandwich - and while carrots and other raw vegetables can fill the bill some of the time, I get tired of that and just want some chips.  Enter my new found snack - Kale Chips.

So I have been experimenting with Kale and different seasonings and different processes.  I found if you don't bake it long enough it's not crispy but if you bake it too long it gets bitter.  doTerra Essential Oils make great additions as part of the seasonings you can add to your base oil.

I found some great Kale Chip Tips (try saying that fast several times :) on Oh She Glows Blog and added a few of my own:

1.  Remove all the big stems from the kale.  I only want the tender leave parts.
2.  I spray my cookies sheet with an olive oil or coconut oil spray or you can use silicon baking sheets or parchment paper.
3.  I found about 8 heaping cups of kale per cookie sheet works good.
4.  I use 1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil per 8 cups (or melted Coconut Oil - I haven't tried that yet).
5.  Massage the kale with the oil until all the leaves are covered on both sides.
      --  If using dry seasoning, I spread the oiled kale on the cookie sheet and then sprinkle with dry seasonings or you could massage the dry onto the oiled leaves.
      --  If using liquid seasoning, I add seasoning to the Tablespoon of oil in a bowl and mix. Then I add my kale and massage until all the leaves are well covered with the seasoned oil and spread on the cookies sheet.

6.  Bake in oven of 300 degrees for about 20 minutes (turn pan around after 10 minutes) - works great in my oven.
7.  Let Kale Chips cool on the cookie sheet at least 3-5 minutes to finish crisping up. Make sure they are completely cool before you put them away, if there are any left over.

Here's a couple of seasonings I've tried so far:

Lemony Salt & Pepper Kale Chips  

I saw the original recipe on the doTerra Blog

Ingredients:
8 heaping cups of Kale
1 Tablespoon Olive or Coconut Oil
2 drops doTerra Lemon Oil
Salt & Pepper to taste.

Instructions:
Mix oils in a large mixing bowl.  Add kale and massage until leaves are coated on both sides with oil. Spread kale in a single layer on cookie sheet and sprinkle with Salt and Pepper.  Bake at 300 degrees for 20 minutes, turning pan after 10 minutes.  Let kale cool on cookie sheet for 3-5 minutes to finish crisping up.

Lemony Salt & Pepper Kale Chips

Kale Chips with a Kick and a hint of Lime

I saw the original recipe on the I Breathe . . . I'm Hungry Blog

Ingredients:
8 heaping cups of Kale

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

1-3 teaspoons Sriracha Hot Sauce (you could try other hot sauces)

1 teaspoon Oyster Sauce (used in Chinese cooking)

1 teaspoon Bragg's Liquid Aminos

2 drops doTerra Lime Oil

Instructions:
Mix seasonings with Olive Oil in a large mixing bowl.  Add kale and massage until leaves are coated on both sides with oil. Spread kale in a single layer on cookie sheet.  Bake at 300 degrees for 20 minutes, turning pan after 10 minutes.  Let kale cool on cookie sheet for 3-5 minutes to finish crisping up.

Kale Chips w/Kick & Lime

I also have tried the All Dressed Kale Chips recipe that is on the Oh She Glows Blog - It was a good dry seasoning mix but I found that the 1/2 Tablespoon of Olive Oil the recipe calls for is not quite enough and the seasoning didn't stick very well to the Kale.  So I'd suggest going with 1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil.

I'm also going to try my Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing Mix as the seasoning on my next batch of Kale Chips.

Buttermilk Ranch Mix

by Kay Curtiss

FD - Freeze Dried
Thrive product numbers are for Pantry size cans except for seasonings.

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup dry buttermilk powder
2 Tablespoons Thrive FD Onion (#22227)
2 Tablespoons Thrive FD Parsley (#23621)
1 Tablespoon Thrive FD Chives (#23623)
1/4 teaspoon Thrive Chef's Choice (#23628)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 Tablespoon Thrive FD Celery (#22223)
1/2 teaspoon Thrive Peppercorn Blend (#23629)
1/4 teaspoon paprika (smoked)
1/4 teaspoon dried dill weed

DIRECTIONS:

Mix all the ingredients together in a food processor or blender and pulse several times.  Store in a cool, dry place.

Do you have a good recipe to season Kale Chips?  

Share with us in the comments.

Kay's Bolognese Sauce - A Family Favorite

Kay's Bolognese Sauce

A Family Favorite

by Kay Curtiss

In the time it takes you to boil your pasta of choice, you can have our Family Favorite Bolognese Sauce to put on it - Yes that is correct - in less than 20 minutes Dinner Is Ready!

I've always "doctored" recipes, even before "Thrivealizing" recipes.  It always drove my friends nuts that it was hard to give them an actual recipe as I would throw in a little of this and a little of that.
Anyway, for years my husband was a "Ragu" man when it came to spaghetti sauce -- of course I doctored it up too, but the base had to be Ragu. Then last year Thrive introduced their new Sauce and Seasoning lines and a new sauce was born from the Thrive Tomato Sauce.  It started with the recipe that is printed on the can and I even Thrivealized that to make my own version.

There are many uses for this rich sauce and pasta isn't the only thing you can put it on.  With summer coming on and my summer squash will be ready soon,  I experimented with making zucchini and yellow squash pasta yesterday, using my mandoline.  What is a mandoline? Mine is a Norpor Deluxe Mandoline and looks like this and I originally got it so I could slice onions really thin to make my cousin's french onion soup (another recipe, another post :)

The first zucchini made noodles a little bigger than I wanted for my "spaghetti" noodles so I just sautéed them in a little coconut oil, garlic and an Oriental Spice seasoning I had and that was my lunch and it was delicious.  I then put the correct attachment onto my mandoline and got the size "noodles" I wanted.  My summer squash "noodles looked like this.

I blanched them in boiling salted water for 3 minutes and then let them drain good while I made the sauce.

Now for the sauce.  Click here for the original Bolognese Sauce recipe that is on the can was developed by Chef Todd at Thrive and here is my "Thrivealized" version that my family loves:

Kay's Bolognese Sauce

FD - Freeze Dried
Thrive numbers are for Pantry size cans except for Seasonings

Ingredients:

1⁄2 cup Thrive FD Ground Beef (#22564)
1/2 cup Thrive FD Sausage Crumbles (#22568)
2 Tablespoons butter
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoon fennel seeds (optional)
1/2 cup red wine (optional)**
2 Tablespoons Thrive Carrot Dices (#22221)
2 T Thrive Mixed Bell Peppers (#22235)
1/4 cup Thrive FD Chopped Onions (#22227)
1/4 cup Thrive FD Celery (#22223)
1/4 cup Thrive FD Spinach (#22234)
2 T. Thrive Tomato Powder (#22237)
1/2 t. Thrive Baking Soda (#22661)
2 tiny scoops Stevia or to taste
1 1/2 teaspoon Thrive FD Italian Seasoning Blend (#23627)
1⁄2 teaspoon Thrive Chef's Choice Seasoning blend (#23628)
1⁄2 cup Thrive Tomato Sauce, (#22604), dry
4 cups water
Thrive FD Shredded Mozzarella Cheese (#22443), right out of the can as garnish if desired.

Instructions:

Measure out all ingredients. Reconstitute ground beef and sausage by soaking in ½ cup water about 5 minutes. Do not drain. Sauté garlic and fennel in butter until softened. Deglaze with red wine and reduce by half. Add carrots, mixed peppers, onions, celery, and meat and reduce until syrupy. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer. Simmer on low for 8–10 minutes. Serve over pasta or veggie "pasta".  Garnish with Thrive Mozzarella Cheese right out of the can.

**Click here to see Alcohol Substitution Blog Post

This recipe is GLUTEN FREE 

if you use the Summer Squash Pasta.

Summer Squash Pasta

Summer Squash Pasta

OR 

TRY ONE OF OUR THRIVE PASTAS

RAINBOW FARFALLE PASTA (#22138)

Kid's love this one

Rainbow Farfalle Pasta

Whole Grain Penne Pasta (#22137)

A healthier alternative

Whole Grain Penne Pasta

Make it Vegetarian - 

Just leave off the meat and the cheese garnish and you still have a wonderful sauce over squash "pasta"

Click to download Kay's Bolognese Sauce Recipe