Thursday, January 30, 2014

Thrive Refrigerator Chia Jam


I decided to experiment with Thrive Freeze Dried (FD) fruits to see if I could make a quick and easy refrigerator jam.  I wanted to create a "Basic" recipe that you could use any of Thrive FD fruits or
combinations of Thrive FD fruits that you could make your own variations.  How creative can you get?


I also decided to use Chia Seeds as the "thickening" agent.  It has no taste and as it "swells," it absorbs the taste of the liquid it is in.   Most Chia Seeds are black & white.  You can also get just white seeds, which I think looks better in the lighter colored fruits like peaches, pineapple, mango, etc.  But taste wise, it doesn't matter which seeds you use.

". . . Why would you want to eat Chia?

Chia seeds are said to have:

  • 2 times the protein of any other seed or grain,
  • 5 times the calcium of milk, plus boron which is a trace mineral that helps transfer calcium into your bones,
  • 2 times the amount of potassium as bananas,
  • 3 times the reported antioxidant strength of blueberries
  • 3 times more iron than spinach
  • copious amounts of omega-3 and omega-6, which are essential fatty acids

They are a complete source of protein, providing all the essential amino acids in an easily digestible form. They are also a fabulous source of soluble fiber . . .  They can hold 9-12 times their weight in water and they absorb it very rapidly - in under 10 minutes . . . "  Click here for more information about Chia Seeds and other Chia Recipes.

Now back to the Jam -- 

It took me a few tries to get it right - My "mistakes" got thrown into smoothies and they were very good -- and NO waste! :O)  So don't be afraid to experiment.   It doesn't take a lot of time and if you don't like it as jam, just make a smoothie!

Here's my first variation on the above Basic Recipe --

Thrive FD Blueberries, Raspberries, & Blackberries.  
Thrive Melon Berry Burst Drink Mix & Chia Seeds
Here's the recipe:


Now I'm going to get fancy - and it turned out SO, SO GOOD!!!!!!!!!!

Thrive FD Peaches & Mangos
Thrive Simply Peach Drink Mix & White Chia Seeds
Almond Extract & chopped Pecans

Here's the recipe:

I also made:

Now it's your turn.  
What varieties of Thrive Refrigerator Chia Jam 
can you come up with? 
Make sure you share your discoveries in the comments.



Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Basic DIY THRIVE Cup of Soup


Last weekend, I went to a Saturday Summit Meeting with other Thrive Consultants in Charlotte, North Carolina.  One of the fun things we did was bring 4 people up and give them a variety of Thrive ingredients and give them 15 minutes to create a Pasta Dish.  They worked in pairs and both had a Chicken Pasta dish done in 10 minutes - yes that is correct - 10 MINUTES start to finish! And we got to sample it and it was delicious! This got me to thinking (I know that can be dangerous :O) . . . 


Having cooked with Thrive myself for over a year and working with others, it seems that the biggest fear is that cooking with Freeze Dried food is a little different so people tend to fall back into familiar habits that usually take longer, are not as nutritious, and in a lot of cases cost you more money

I decided that in my future demonstrations, everyone that comes will have the opportunity to "cook" with Thrive products so they can see just how easy it really is and hopefully take some of the fear away.

So today, my friend Judi Stull, came over and we were "Thrivin' It Up" all afternoon.  We figured out a basic proportion of various Thrive Products which you see in the recipe at the top or download it here.



We then started playing and made 6 different Single DIY Soups using the basic recipe above and the Thrive ingredients in my Home Store -- Chicken Rice Veggie Soup, Chicken Noodle Soup, Hearty Beef Vegetable Soup, Chili, Cauliflower Cheese Soup, & my favorite Shepherd's Pie Soup - it was awesome!


Thrive is so forgiving - if it is a little thick, add a little water - a little thin, add a little more sauce mix. Most ingredients will rehydrate in 10-15 minutes.  Bigger & thicker pieces, obviously, will take a little longer. 

You pick one of Thrive's 4 New Sauce mixes as the base for your soup.  They are Bechamel Sauce (Creamy White Sauce), Espangnola Sauce (Savory Beef Gravy), Tomato Sauce (Classic Tomato Sauce); & Veloute Sauce (Rich Chicken Gravy).

Now if you want meat, you can pick from Seasoned Chicken Slices (FD), Sausage Crumbles (FD), Ground Beef (FD), Diced Beef (FD), and lots more.  



You can find all the meat selections available by going to My Thrive Website and then Shop for Products.

Next you add your Basic Veggies (Mirepoix Mix) - which is usually Onions, Celery & Carrots.  I also have Mixed Bell Peppers available as well.


Then pick from a variety of Thrive's 9 New Spices to add to your soup mix, like:


If you want any Instant FD Pinto, Red or Black Beans OR Instant White or Brown Rice OR Egg Noodle Pasta, Thrive has you covered.

The last layers, you pick 3-5 different Thrive FD Vegetables from their vegetable line which currently has 27 different options, like: Asparagus FD, Broccoli FD, Cauliflower FD, Beans FD, Peas FD, Corn FD, Mushroom FD, Tomato Dices FD, Zucchini FD, new Butternut Squash, and coming soon Sweet Potatoes.  Where can you find this kind of variety that stores for 25 years unopened and usually around 2 years opened (if it lasts that long).

Add about 6 ounces of boiling water, stir well.  Put a lid on it and let it "steep" for 10-15 minutes. Then it's time to each and ENJOY!

To Recap:  To check out all the Thrive Products go to My Thrive Website.  From there it's easy to navigate to Shop for Products - or if you want a better deal or find out ways to get THIVE even cheaper (and sometimes for FREE) you can always email me at thrivewithkay@gmail.com.

You can check out all of my Thrive Recipes including the soups from this post here - or click on the Soup names above for a link to the individual recipes.

Happy Thrivin'

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Loaded Beef Burritos the THRIVE Way

Loaded Beef Burritos the THRIVE Way



January's THRIVE specials include ingredients that went into our dinner tonight - the Loaded Beef Burrito - it was very YUMMY!.  If you'd like to take advantage of these specials and more check out my website:  https://www.thrivelife.com/ThriveWithKay

Here's the THRIVE Ingredient Pyramid with all the ingredients before I started:


Now here's the Recipe:

Loaded Beef Burritos

Ingredients:  Note:  (fd) means product is Freeze Dried
2 T butter
1 t garlic
1⁄2 c thrive sausage crumbles (fd) - one of my favorite Thrive products
1⁄2 c thrive roast beef (fd)  (on sale in Jan. 2014 for 20% Off)
2 1⁄2 c water
1⁄4 c thrive instant pinto beans (on sale in Jan. 2014 for 20% Off)
2 T thrive chopped onions (fd)
2 T thrive mixed bell peppers (on sale in Jan. 2014 for 20% Off)
1⁄4 c thrive potato chunks  (on sale in Jan. 2014 for 20% Off)
1⁄4 c thrive sweet corn (fd)
1⁄4 c thrive green chili peppers
1⁄4 c thrive instant white rice
1⁄2 t cumin
1⁄4 t chipotle powder
1⁄2 t thrive chef's choice seasoning blend
1⁄4 t chili powder
2 T thrive cilantro (fd)
1 T thrive beef bouillon
1⁄4 c thrive tomato dices (fd)
2 c thrive shredded colby cheese (fd)

Instructions:
Reconstitute cheese (preferably night before). Sweat butter and garlic together in a medium sized pot. Add sausage and roast beef and lightly caramelize and toast.
Add water and all remaining ingredients except for tomatoes and cheese. Cook on low simmer for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook until liquid is mostly gone.
Fold half the cheese and ¼ cup THRIVE Enchilada Sauce (from recipe) into the filling mixture. Scoop 1 cup of the filling into the bottom center of each of 4 large tortillas and roll up tightly. Place burritos in baking dish and top with remaining cheese and sauce. Bake at 350⁰ F for 14 minutes.

Enchilada Sauce

Ingredients:
2 T thrive chopped onions (fd)
2 T thrive green chile peppers (fd)
1 t cumin
1 t chili powder
1 T lime juice
2 1⁄2 c water
1⁄3 c thrive espagnole sauce, dry
1⁄2 c cheddar cheese, shredded
1⁄4 c sour cream

Instructions:
Combine all ingredients except sauce mix, cheese, and sour cream in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, add sauce mix and simmer for 2 minutes. Pour into a blender and blend until smooth. Pour back into pan. Fold in sour cream and cheese. Stir into sauce, just until incorporated. Mix ¼ cup sauce into burrito filling and pour the rest over top of burritos.











You can go to my website or 
email me at thrivewithkay@gmal.com

I can help you with any of your THRIVE needs.