It's that time of year... dun dun DUN!  This time of year brings so many feelings:  excitement for new things, sadness for losing free time, wonder over the enormous changes my kids will grow into, and STRESS over HOW WILL I MANAGE TO CLEAN THE HOUSE, DO LAUNDRY, FEED MY FAMILY AND WORK!

Do you hear me on that?  Can I get a "HECK YEAH?"

Fortunately, I have some secret weapons... and (spoiler alert), it's all freeze dried!


Quick and easy breakfast:
Scrambled egg mix with freeze dried sausage crumbles, freeze dried spinach.

Midmorning snack:
Strawberry yogurt bites

Lunch:
Chicken Salad on crackers & dried fruit (I'm craving fuji apples and peach slices)

TO MAKE (this makes A LOT... I often halve or quarter it):
2.5 cup freeze dried chopped chicken
1/2 cup freeze dried chopped onion
3/4 cup freeze dried celery
2 cup water

Add water to chicken, onion & celery.  Stir well and chill for 10 minutes.  Mix 3/4 c mayo, 1 Tbsp dijon mustard, 3/4 tsp salt & 1/4 tsp pepper until well mixed.  Combine with chicken mixture, do not drain.  Chill in fridge for 1.5 hours till thickened.

Afternoon Snack:
GORP (trail mix) with added freeze dried blueberries & mangoes with Thrive Classic Lemonade

Dinner:
Southwest Chicken and Rice burritos & Thrive Fudge Brownies

TO MAKE:  Make the Thrive Express Southwest Style Chicken and Rice (simply add water and simmer for 15 minutes).  Scoop into tortillas and top with shredded cheddar cheese and salsa.

Now put up your feet and RELAX (perhaps with an extra brownie and glass of pinot noir)!

Bon Appetit,

One of our favorite family musicians is Billy Jonas.  His song "Any Way You Go You're Gonna Get There" makes me think of all of my pasta salad success stories of late.

RANDOM?  Perhaps, but this is the way my brain works!

For this salad, you truly let your taste buds guide you.  Typically I NEED a recipe to follow, at least loosely.  But with a pasta salad, you simply need pasta, a sauce and then add-ons.  It can be different every time and it'll always be awesome!  When using Thrive ingredients, this healthy meal takes only the length of time needed to boil the pasta!  

It's been about 6 weeks since I lost my father and the pain is still breath catchingly shocking.  Just forcing myself to write those words brings the reality and finality crashing down on me as my eyes tear and my every fiber fights to change the subject.

One of my vows is to keep the memory of my father alive.  I want my children to know him though stories, laughter, projects, nature hikes, sky gazing, etc.  So, I keep him present through my language...AND with sharing his favorite things.


So today, for the first time EVER, I'm sharing his WORLD FAMOUS Orris Burger recipe.  Ok, that may be a tad grandiose, but friends from all over the world have eaten Dad's "mini meatloaf" burgers and LOVED them... so that's pretty darn close.  His burgers were always plump, juicy, oozing with flavor.

I about fell over the first time I visited a friend's house and her dad served flat pre-made frozen burgers.  BLAH!  These are simple and OH-SO-SATISFYING!

The other day we were in the mood for burgers, so I pulled out my father's recipe card and got to work.

To make these burgers correctly, you need to create them while wearing a mischievous grin and loudly slap the meat while making goofy eyed looks at all those grinning near you.  Try it... I bet you'll be unable to resist it forever in your future!

Of course, I simplified his recipe and used my THRIVE ingredients.  I'll provide the info for both ways, in case you're ambitious and like to chop your own veggies ;)

Orris Burgers
from John Orris' world famous, time-tested recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs lean ground meat
• 2 med yellow onion or 2/3 c THRIVE fd onions
• 2 green pepper or 1 c. THRIVE fd green or red peppers
• 1/2 c sliced mushrooms or 1/2 c THRIVE fd mushrooms
• 2 oz soy sauce
• 2 eggs
• 1 Tbs THRIVE beef bouillon
• 1 c cereal (only if not using THRIVE, typically plain cheerios or rice crispies)

Directions:

1. If using fresh vegetables:  sautee chopped onions, then add peppers & mushrooms till softened.
2. Mix all ingredients well using your hands.
3. Make 8-12 burgers (use that slap method!)
4. Cook on grill over high heat, about 10 minutes per side.

*note:  the cereal catches the grease and is the key to these moist burgers.  However, when using THRIVE freeze dried produce, the dried veggies reconstitute by catching that grease.  It's really a match made in heaven!


Thanks Dad for the best burgers I ever ate!  I'll never match your skill, but heaven help me... I'm gonna keep practicing :)


Bon Appetit,

Cornbread tastes like DOG.  That's right, I said it.  I meant it.  My entire life, I've been disappointed by corn bread.  It's dry and well, tastes like dog.


However, as a THRIVE Life Independent Consultant, I kept reading rave reviews of the THRIVE cornbread.  So, I gave it a shot... and made it every week since!

LGM's World's Best Cornbread


Ingredients:
2 Tbs THRIVE powder milk, not reconstituted
1 cup of water
1 Tbs vinegar
1/2 cup THRIVE butter powder
2 Tbs THRIVE egg powder
1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons water
2/3 cup THRIVE white sugar
1/2 teaspoon THRIVE baking soda
1 cup THRIVE cornmeal 
1 cup THRIVE white flour
1/2 teaspoon THRIVE salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 F (preheat extra early to make sure oven is to temp.  I ruined a few batches before I learned to double check the oven temperature).  Grease an 8x8 in square pan, muffin cups, mini muffin cups or our family favorite, corn on the cob cast iron molds (affiliate link & photo below).
2. In a small bowl, whisk 2 T of powder milk into 1 cup of water.  Add vinegar, mix and let rest for 5 minutes.
3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the butter powder & egg powder into 1/4 c plus 2 t of water.
4. Add milk mixture to egg/butter mixture.  Mix together.  Add the rest of the ingredients and stir until only a few lumps remain.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-30 minutes (18 for mini muffins) or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Best served warm with a reconstituted THRIVE butter powder!  

• Dump about 1/2 cup of THRIVE butter powder into a bowl, add teaspoons of water and stir until it is a nice consistency.  
• The butter powder does not contain salt, so if you prefer, add a dash of salt.  
• OR, add some cinnamon & honey or herbs... because of the creamy consistency, you can easily stir in your favorite additives.