In a society of excess STUFF, I make an effort to give my loved ones fair trade, hand made or consummable gifts.  This year, instead of baskets of highly processed crackers & cheese... I'm giving THRIVE!  Whole foods, delicious, easy, nutritious & inexpensive... the perfect combo!

FUDGE BROWNIES!  After you buy this, send me an email and I'll send you printable can toppers to make it a gift & card in one!

Released just last night, this is a gift which is sure to bring smile after smile!

Pantry cans (16 servings) are on sale for $5.59!

HURRY...these won't stay in stock long!

THRIVE EXPRESS MEALS! Perfect for a college student, a busy family, an elderly relative, an adventurer/backpacker or a single friend... ok EVERYONE who wants a night off from cooking without sacrificing taste, nutrition or paying a fortune at a restaurant.

Each pack costs about $7 and contains 4 servings (beat THAT drive-thru lane!). The side dishes contain 2 servings.

Head to my webstore to drool over the THRIVE EXPRESS meal options!

Ok, this one isn't edible, but you can't go wrong with something SO PRACTICAL!  Personally, I want one in every room in my house... BRING IT ON STORMY WEATHER!

Red Cross Blackout Buddy!  An LED rechargeable flashlight that...wait for it... TURNS ITSELF ON when your power goes out!  BRILLIANT!  You can also use just one of the LED bulbs for a nice nightlight.  Yes Grandma, you will be getting this... no more stumbling around trying to remember where your flashlight is...only to discover that it's d.e.a.d!

In my story of how I came to be a Shelf Reliance consultant (here), I mentioned how I contacted a consultant, asked a lot of questions and she generoulsy sent me the ingredients to make a soup, 5-Minute Creamy Enchilda Soup to be exact.

HOLY GOODNESS!  The week I joined as a consultant, I had a surprise visit at 4:30 from a family of 4.  The husband was doing some plumbing consulting work for us and I was really enjoying the company of his wife while our kids wrecked havoc in our playroom.  I figured it was a win-win to invite them for dinner and I had just enough ingredients left from my sample pack to whip this soup together again (leaving out the sour cream due to a dairy allergy).

My friends were IMPRESSED and became the first people to agree to host a party :)  

What do you think, are you ready to try this soup yourself?  Read below for the recipe:   (click here for the original post with crock pot adaptation)

5-minute Creamy Enchilada Soup

Prep:  5 minutes
Cook:  20 minutes
Yield:  8 servings, 1 cup each

Ingredients:
6 cups water
3/4 cup THRIVE tomato powder (perhaps the most useful/versatile items EVER)
2 T cumin
1 T garlic powder
1-2 t salt
1/2 cup THRIVE freeze dried green chili peppers (optional, I didn't have these and the soup was still perfect)
3/4 cup THRIVE freeze dried tomato dices
1/2 cup THRIVE freeze dried corn (one of our favorite foods to eat straight out of the can!)
3/4 cup THRIVE instant black beans
1/2 cup THRIVE freeze dried red bell peppers (also optional)
1/4 cup THRIVE freeze dried chopped onions (about one bajillion times tastier than French's Dried Onions)
1/2 cup THRIVE freeze dried chopped chicken

For the THICKENER (I made this once with the thickener and once without, didn't miss it one bit!)
1 cup water
3 T THRIVE butter powder
3 T flour
2 T THRIVE instant milk powder

• Mix in small bowl until smooth

Directions:

1. Put water in large pot
2. Whisk in tomato powder of medium high heat
3. Add spices.  Taste and add more spices if desired
4. Add the rest of the soup ingredients and mix well
5. Bring to a boil, cover, simmer for 20 minutes
6. OPTIONAL:  SLOWLY add thickener until reach desired consistency (you won't use all the thickener)
7. OPTIONAL:  garnish in each bowl with sour cream, avocados, cheese (don't rehydrate first and enjoy the crunch) &/or tortilla chips

Bon Appetit,

Mushrooms are at the top of my "good intentions" list.  I buy them, often the ones that are already on the edge of slime because they are on the discounted rack.  I put them in my fridge.  And from there they turn to black slime.

I like mushrooms, kinda.  Enough to intend to use them, but not enough to actually use them.  

So THRIVE freeze dried mushrooms are the perfect solution!  Open the can and find gorgeous, thick, white slices of mushroom.  Unopened, the mushrooms stay fresh for 25 years, once opened, they maintain their ENTIRE nutritional value for 1 year!  

When I think of all the money I've thrown into the compost with styrofoam bin after styrofoam bin of mushrooms... I feel like slapping my forehead and chidding myself for not realizing freeze dried produce exists!

To rehydrate the mushrooms, simply add water ( ration mushroom : water = 2 : 1), let soak for 1-3 minutes and then drain. 

LGM TIP:  Rehydrate mushrooms immediately before using!  I rehydrated some and after draining, let them sit in the fridge overnight... SLIME city!

Retail Price:
$21.29 for #10 can, $8.89 for pantry can

Black Friday Price:
$14.99 for #10 can, $6.29 for pantry can


*prices for US lower 48 as of 11/23/12.  Head to my store for current prices for Alaska, Hawaii, Canada & Puerto Rico

I started a very very bad habit with Hazel... GUMMIES!  I love gummies myself, but Hazel LOOOOOVES gummies.  I try to limit her gummies to just at church or travelling.  The members of my church have been subject to frequent cries "I WANT GUMMIES".  One pack is just never enough.

Enter THRIVE who SAVED THE DAY!  Now I just fill a baggie with REAL FRUIT SNACKS!  Straight out of the can, these fruits are bite sized, crunchy, sweet and delicious!  They have ALL the same nutrients as fresh and because they are freeze-dried, they have a 25-year shelf life and no additives or preservatives! 

Now when Hazel asks for gummies, I'll say "how about fruit snacks".  She'll smile and nod her head vehemently. 

This package is typically only available through a home party (or by emailing me).  However, for the Black Friday Sale, you can purchase this online for this AMAZING price (only Friday through Monday)!


Pie Fruit 6-Pack
Retail:  $218.59
Black Friday Sale Price:  $163.89
*note:  after posting this I realized that that price can be shocking unless you understand how much fruit you're getting.  Those are each #10 size cans.  For example, the strawberries (our favorite) has 44 servings (1/4 cup)!  Like my wise father just said, "it may be a good price, but I'd never sit down and eat 3 peaches... but I WILL eat 3 handfuls of these peaches!".  So, now your biggest problem is that you're eating TOO MUCH HEALTHY FOOD :)

Bon Appetit,

I have a distinct memory of the metallic, chalky taste of powdered milk on my cereal during my first backpacking trip.  Each morning, I mastered the art of getting the moistened cereal off the spoon, but leaving the milk in the bowl!

So I was BLOWN AWAY by this INSTANT MILK!  Shelf Reliance also sells a THRIVE Powdered Milk... these are 2 very different products!

INSTANT MILK is for drinking.  My husband, kids and party guests have all agreed that it tastes just like fresh.  It also has the same nutritional value of fresh milk.  Not only is it convenient, just imagine how many plastic jugs you will save by no longer buying store bought milk!  In fact, you might need to start lifting weights now that you're no longer lugging gallons of milk around!



POWDERED MILK is better for baking and cooking.  Any recipe that calls for milk can be replaced with powdered milk!  On each can, it tells you the measurements to make the milk... so you add the right amount of powder to your recipe and then add the right amount of water.

The THRIVE INSTANT MILK is one of the BEST Black Friday Deals!

A #10 can of Instant Milk (53 servings) retails for  $21.69.

SALE PRICE:  $15.19!!! Join me in stocking your pantry with delicious, nutritious milk :)  

Hi Friends!

I'm launching a new business and I'm finally ready to COME OUT and tell you about it.  Click over to my "THRIVE with Shelf Reliance" page to read about my journey.

Let me tell you a few of the reasons I have switched my family to THRIVE foods:

• Cuts dinner prep in HALF (pre-cooked & pre-chopped)
• Tastes DELICIOUS!  My kids LOVE munching on freeze dried fruits, veggies & cheese.  ALL of the nutrition of fresh, without any preservatives or additives!  My husband and I love the high quality, whole food dinners I'm making with THRIVE.
• Eliminates1 shopping trip a month!  WHY OH WHY didn't I discover this 3 years ago with my first newborn?  I reallocated 1/4 of our grocery budget to set up automatic shipments of my food once a month.  
• Eliminate all the moldy, wilted foods in my fridge... I no longer buy celery, sour cream, sliced mushrooms from the grocery store... NOPE... now those foods are always ready to go and have an average 25 year shelf life :)  That 1/4 of our grocery budget that I reallocated, that's how much food the typical family throws away!  So, I'm not spending any extra money, I'm just getting MORE food for my money.

I want you to know about this because from Black Friday through Cyber Monday ALL THRIVE foods and products will be on sale.  ALL!

I know that Thanksgiving can be a busy time and I want to give you a few days to plan your shopping instead of just surprising you on Friday morning!  Every single delicious THRIVE product is on sale.  Cansolidators are 56% off and there is a large selection of emergency supplies that would make great stocking stuffers!

A Few Important Notes:

1. All of these sales are "while supplies last."  It is very likely that Shelf Reliance will sell out of some products before the end of the day on the 26th.  So, I suggest getting your order in as soon as possible.  You may even consider filling your shopping cart now (make sure you are logged in) and then just logging in to pay on Friday morning.  The website will very likely be slow on Friday because of this sale.
   
2. EVERY SINGLE THRIVE Food item is on sale for the lowest price all year!  I will highlight a few of my favorite items over the next few days, but make sure to browse around the site, because EVERYTHING THRIVE is on sale!  NOW is the time to JUMP IN WITH BOTH FEET to get a nice variety of THRIVE foods to incorporate into your new healthy, whole food diet :)
   
3. Email me asap if you have questions.  This is the ONLY time when you can get the same prices on my webstore and through me personally (my party pricing). 

                    View Everything On Sale By Clicking Here!

Cheers,