Recipe: Stone Soup

I love soup! It is so yummy and tasty and soothing! Best of all, soup in easy to make & freezes & reheats well!

Hillary posted a great recipe for 'Stone Soup' from your food storage!

STONE SOUP

Stone (optional ;)
4-5 Cups water
3-4 tsp beef bouillon
1/2 cup FD corn
1/2 cup FD peas
1/2 cup FD green beans
1/4 cup FD celery
1/4 cup FD onion
1 potato, diced (or potato dices)
1/3 cup carrot dices
1 1/2 cups FD ground beef
1 cup instant rice

1 tsp thyme
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste

Clean the stone and place it in your pot (optional of course).  Add water and bouillon and bring to a boil.  Add all other ingredients and simmer about 10 minutes or until all ingredients are heated and rehydrated.  Enjoy with cheese sprinkled on top.

This could be a great food storage meal in an emergency.  Keep the book Stone Soup with your food storage and in an emergency you can read the book together and then have kids help assemble their own stone soup and have a great time eating their creation.  It would be a great diversion from whatever crisis is at hand and also help get the kids to eat their veggies! 

I love that Hillary admits in her post that she "didn't exactly measure the ingredients". I habitually 'don't exactly measure' and throw things together! I would love to hear from my readers: Are you a measure-er or do you throw things together?

I was always a big fan of the story of Stone Soup. Some of my favorite memories are reading the story with my mommy and recreating our own stone soup! I think this week the Wee Ones and I will read Stone Soup and make this yummy dish! This would also make a great homeschool activity! Or provide some great entertainment and yummy food on a rainy day! I think I may also use this recipe to create a meal in a jar! Just put all your dry ingredients in a mason jar! Add water and you have a quick easy meal that is ready to eat! What a great addition to your Home Store! (Would make a great gift too!) When you are working with freeze-dried yummy Thrive foods, the possibilities are endless!!

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History Of Food Storage: The Root Cellar

Welcome! I love history! Through history, we are better able to understand ourselves, where we have been, and where we are going.

Each week, I am going to share a bit with you about the history of food storage!

Lucky for us, food storage is the easiest and healthiest it has ever been! Start your home store today and you will always have fresh yummy food on hand for you and your family!

The Root Cellar

Root  Cellars are an ancient form of long-term food storage of foods and veggies and fermented beverages.

Early records show Root Cellars in use 40,000 years ago.

Native Australians were among the first to take advantage of the insulated properties of burying food.

Walk in food storage cellars were invented in the 17th century in England. This was the first appearance of the root cellar as we know it.

According to Hobby Farm, "the most notable practitioners of root-cellar arts were the early colonists that arrived in North America from the United Kingdom. The eastern halves of America and Canada contain thousands of old root cellars, and the small Newfoundland town of Elliston actually claims the title of “Root Cellar Capital of the World,” and boasts of over 135 root cellars, some dating back 200 years."

How Does it Work:

Root Cellars were essentially the first refrigerators. The under ground storage provided a dark cool environment to store produce and slow or prevent spoilage. A good root cellar can often be 40F cooler than the outside temperature.

You can store just about anything in your root cellar! Some preparations and precautions are needed for some items and to prevent some produce from causing a bitter taste to others. One cellar may be used for items needing a high humidity, and a lower humidity cellar for other goods requiring a lower humidity such as canned foods, and grains.

According \ Wikipedia, "Vegetables stored in the root cellar primarily consist of potatoes, turnips, and carrots. Other food supplies placed in the root cellar over the winter months include beets, onions, preserves/jams, salt meat, salt turbot, salt herring, Winter squash, and cabbage.Separate cellars are occasionally used for storing fruits, such as apples. Water, bread, butter, milk, and cream are sometimes stored in the root cellar also. In addition, items such as salad greens, fresh meat, and jam pies are kept in the root cellar early in the day to keep cool until they are needed for supper."

Want to learn more or build your own root cellar?

Check out this great article or this one at Hobby Farm Magazine.

Start your own Chapter in Food Storage History today!

~ Go to TawnysThrivingHome.com to shop products and get the best deals on food storage and emergency preparation products.~

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Made in The USA

In today's age of 'out sourcing', almost every product we buy has 'made in china' or a similar country attached. When we pick up our phone to make a customer service call, our calls are often transferred over seas. In this day and age 'made in America' has become something rather rare.

According to the ABC News, if every American bought $3.33 worth of American made goods every week we could create 10,000 jobs.

In many areas of the country, we know just how bad those jobs are needed. It's basic economics. Spend money on goods made in your area, this creates jobs in your area, and stimulates the economy and helps it grow in your area.

We love our country! We have the best country in the world! So, lets show out support for our country! If spending just $3.33 on American Goods creates 10,000 jobs imagine what $9.99 would do!

We have strong work ethic standards in this country. When we buy American made goods, we know the workers received fair wages and fair conditions. When we buy American goods we know the goods meet health and other standards and regulations we have in this country to ensure quality.

So, take some time. Turn over the products on the shelf. Look for Made in The USA.

Many companies are opening, building, or reestablishing factories here in the USA. So, you will be seeing more made in the USA!

Love Chocolate? Mars Chocolate announced it's building its first new chocolate factory in the U.S. in 35 years!

Another great way to ensure you are getting American Made goods, Shop With Shelf Reliance & Thrive.

Shelf Reliance is an American Based Business. Your personal consultant in someone you know and trust. By shopping with Shelf Reliance, you are stimulating your local economy, buying US goods, and buying delicious high quality foods.

So hop on over to My Online Store and spend your $3.33 toward the cause!

Made In America. Buy with pride in your country & your community.

~ Go to TawnysThrivingHome.com to shop products and get the best deals on food storage and emergency preparation products.~

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Our Daily Starch?

Bread. For many generations, bread has been an essential to life for man kind. It was *the* staple of every culture. Bread was healthy. Bread was life sustaining. But now, it seems, bread just makes you fat.

Most likely you can peek at the label of one of your favorite treats and you will see 'enriched wheat flour' as a main ingredient. But what IS enriched wheat flour?

Enriched wheat flour is flour that has been bleached and striped of all nutrients until it forms a nutrition-less starch. Enriching is necessary because the processing used to make white flour destroys most of the nutrients that originally were present in the whole grain.

Interestingly, One of the key nutrients added back to white flour is iron, however it is not iron in a usable form, but yet a metallic form our bodies cant process.

White flour is essentially nothing more than a starch, and the body processes it does other starches and sugars. White flour is really nothing more than a refined carbohydrate. It is a great contrast to its Whole Wheat counterpart which is processed by the body in a completely different way.

Whole Wheat flour is absorbed by the body as a grain. It is used for energy and processed slowly by your body.

Enriched Flour is basically a healthy grain striped down to a starch and 'enriched' with some of the vitamins and minerals removed in the processing.

 This enriching and bleaching process is esentially why bread is now 'bad'. This bleaching process took a nutrutuous food which sustained life of all kinds and turned it into a literal killer. This 'Daily Starch' sends out bodies through a roller coaster of sugar highs and lows and leads to diabeties, obesidy, heart disease and a whole host of other health problems.

Our daily bread had been turned into our daily starch!!

But, the good news is, flour is NOT bad! Whole Wheat and sprouted flours are an important part of a healthy diet. With Shelf Reliance your can store whole kernels of wheat and grind it to make your own healthy flour!!

Chose Whole Wheat when ever possible... And think of white flour not as a grain, but as the starch/sugar it is once processed by your body.

Reclaim your daily bread!

~ Go to TawnysThrivingHome.com to shop products and get the best deals on food storage and emergency preparation products.~

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Downloads

Welcome!!

You may have noticed a new section here at Tawny's Thriving Home, Downloads! Here I will be sharing free goodies for  you to print and use! Go check it out! And be sure to subscribe so you don't miss anything!

What's New:

Is your Magic Mix hiding in your fridge in a bare #10 can? Are you constantly having to dig out your recipe? With this Cute label, your recipe is always accessible & no more bare cans!! Also includes my 'Helper Mix'!

Go check it out!

I love feedback! Let me know what you think!

Recipe: Homemade 'Helper' Recipe

We love easy around here. And we have all been brain washed into believing those boxed 'helper' recipes are as easy as it gets.

With a whopping 110 Calories in the mix alone and a lengthy list of unhealthy ingredients and preservative, there must be a better way!

Making homemade hamburger helper could not be easier!! You make up a basic 'mix' and add noodles and meat as you see fit. You could easily layer noodles, mix and spice into mason jars to give as gifts or as a quick meal. With options such as freeze dried meats or TVP, quick 'helper' style meals have never been easier!!

Homemade 'Helper' Mix

• 1 1/4 tsp. black pepper


• 1 Tbs. garlic powder


• 2 Tbs. dried parsley


• 1/3 cup Thrive Freeze Dried Onion


• 1 Tbs. salt


• 1 2/3 cup Thrive Powdered milk


• 3 1/2 Tbs. Thrive beef bouillon

Mix this all up and store in a glass jar or other sealed container.

Use 1/2 cup for each pound of ground meat.

The Nutrition Info for this basic mix comes to about the following: 41 Calories, less than 1g of fat
Basic Preparation:

• 1 pound meat (Thrive Freeze Dried Beef, Thrive Beef TVP, or seasoned browned ground beef)


• 1/2 cup of  'helper' mix (above)


• 1 to 2 cups noodles (elbow macaroni for example)


• 1 1/2 to 3 cups water

Stir in meat, dry mix, then add 2 cups hot water and 2 cups noodles. You can add more or less water and noodles, proportionately, depending on much you need to stretch that pound of beef. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer, cover, and cook until noodles are tender, about 20 minutes.

This Recipe is easily adaptable to what you have on hand and what you are hungry for. Looking for a cheese burger? Add Thrive Cheese Blend or Shredded Cheddar Cheese. Throw in some Bacon TVP for a bacon Cheese burger! With Thrive Freeze Dried vegetables, its easy to add corn, green beans, or other yummy veggies to your helper meal. Just dd them when you add the noodles. Looking for a comfort food: Instead of macaroni, add 2-3 cups very thinly sliced potatoes. Simmer 20-30 minutes until potatoes are tender. Uncover and simmer until liquid has evaporated.

This recipe is easily adapted to your families dietary needs. Use whole grain pasta. Or gluten Free Pasta. Season and adjust the recipe to your needs and taste.

When you do the math this recipe is an incredible money saver!! You could easily take the $2 or so it takes to buy one preboxed 'helper' meal and buy enough pasta to make this recipe 2-3 times! The 'Helper' Mix cost about $2 to make & makes about 6 servings, so this mix is going to cost you about $.30 per serving!

With this mix you are going to save time. You can easily customize it to what you have. You are going to save shelf space, all those 'helper' boxes take quite a bit of room. You are going to save money, preboxed foods are expensive, and you are going to save your family's health.

Ready to start making your mix? Go to my online store to get the very best in freeze dried and shelf stable foods. Contact me about making the most of your 'home store', or book a 'make a mix' party and share this and other great mixes with your friends while earning free products!

 

~ Go to TawnysThrivingHome.com to shop products and get the best deals on food storage and emergency preparation products.~

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30 Days of Faves: Cansolidator

Welcome back! Each day in June I am going to be sharing with you one of my favorite Shelf Reliance Products as part of the 30 days of faves blog party!

Today I am excited to share with you one line of Shelf Reliance Food Rotation Systems: The Consolidator.

 Do you have a disorganized pantry? Maybe a messy pantry?

Do you have expired fruits and veggies sitting on your cabinets? Do you rotate your canned goods? Is you pantry so disorganized that cereal falls on you while you search for Peanut Butter?

We have all been there! Keeping your food rotated and organized can be lots of work!

Not Any More!

Introducing The Consolidator Series!

These awesome devices store, organize, and rotate your canned goods for you!

The consolidator is adjustable and stackable!

The Consolidator series comes in 3 different sizes! The cupboard (20 cans), Pantry (40 cans), and Pantry Plus (60 cans).

With The Consolidator your pantry will be neat and organized.

You will save time and money by easily being able to find your canned goods.

Not Sure which Consolidator or Food Rotation System is right for you? Use our Shelving Planner, or contact me!

Watch Shelf Reliance Food Rotation Systems in Action:

~ Go to TawnysThrivingHome.com to shop products and get the best deals on food storage and emergency preparation products.~

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Adding to your home store for FREE

Who doesn't like free? There is a certain high from knowing, you got something for nothing!

Today I am going to tell you about how to add great foods and products to your home store for FREE!

Your home store is your 'food insurance' but it is also your 'basic necessities insurance'. No one like realizing your out of shampoo or other necessities when you need them most! Why not add these items to your store for FREE?

1.Host a Party by Tawny's Thriving Home

Shelf Reliance is unlike any other Party Plan out there! We have products that can be used by anyone who eats! We have some amazing hostess incentives! My favorite incentive: FREE PRODUCT! You can use your credit toward food, shelving and food rotation systems, outdoor gear or more! Shelf Reliance offers more than just food! As a hostess, you earn 10% of your parties total sales in FREE product!! You can also earn additional half off credit on products! And we have our exclusive double dip incentive! (For example: If you book a party while at Sue's Party and place an order of $100, Sue gets $100 credit for her party & you will also get to count your purchase toward your party! So you are starting with $100 in sales!!) Hosting a Shelf Reliance Party with me is easy! I do all the hard work for you! I offer exclusive benefits to my hostess, so contact me today for more information! I offer all kinds of parties, online parties, blog parties, book parties, theme parties and more! For more information, Contact Me today!

Hosting a Shelf Reliance Party is a great, fun way to add to your home store for FREE!!

2.Couponing

Couponing is a great way to make sure your home store is stocked with all those important items Shelf Reliance doesn't carry (yet). Have you ever been *in* the shower and realised you were out of shampoo? Your home store should contain these necessary items. This is where couponing comes in! You can stock up on these items for FREE! 

Couponing is easier now than ever before! Everything I know about couponing I learned from The Bargain Hunting Mom! 

I also love CouponMom.com! It's free and helps you know when & how to use your coupons to get the very best price!

I am also very excited about The Bargain Hunting Mom's Price Match Report! With this handy report, I do not have to run all over town matching my coupons to the stores with the best prices to get my free and almost free goodies! I use my report and have Wal-Mart match the prices! Their new price match guarantee policy means I just need to know the sale price and what store it is at. This saves me tons of time and money! And, helps me get lots of free goodies for my home store!!

Couponing is easier now than ever!! 

 

Your home store is your security net. It is your food insurance. It is convenience. It is healthy food waiting for you. It is quick meals. And it is what you want when you need it.

We all love free. So why not take these great opportunities to stock your home store for free!!

Contact me today to learn how easy it is to get your free goodies at your own Shelf Reliance Party!

 

~ Go to TawnysThrivingHome.com to shop products and get the best deals on food storage and emergency preparation products.~~Always be in the know… Sign Up for my Newsletter~

30 Days of Faves: Freeze Dried Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

We love cheese! It adds pizzazz to any dish! Cheese can be pricey and often goes bad before we get to use it. Seems the more expensive the cheese, the more likely it is to go bad in my house! We just don't use our soft and special cheese. It use to be frustrating problem... But not anymore!!

Thrive Freeze Dries mozzarella is my favorite of the day!

How many times have you been cooking or planning the day's meal only to realise that you don't have any Mozzarella Cheese? Now, because of the wonders of freeze dried foods, I have soft yummy always fresh mozzarella waiting for me in my home store.

Would you like more information on creating your own home store? Contact me today!

~ Go to TawnysThrivingHome.com to shop products and get the best deals on food storage and emergency preparation products.~~Always be in the know… Sign Up for my Newsletter~

Recipe: Granola Bars

Jaime at Thriving Food Storage, Posted this delicious granola bar recipe. I thought you might enjoy it!

Granola Bars

A few days ago my sister who has helped me with the design of my blog sent me a txt asking when I changed my blog.  I had no idea what she was talking about as I had not changed anything on it.  After a minute she realized she was at the wrong blog.  She went to self reliance by Jamie.I can see how she would get that confused with mine.  We have the same name and I sell Shelf reliance products.  Anyways I asked her to send me the link to the blog so I could take a look.  I was very impressed with what I was seeing.  I looked through her blog and found some yummy sounding recipes and great info.  I love a good food storage/emergency preparedness blog and another I have found.I am all about making homemade when I can.  I have been trying for about a year now to find a good granola bar recipe.  I have tried several different recipes and they have all tasted good. BUT when I go to cut them into bars they either crumble or fall apart when I pick them up.  My other problem is I compare them to store bought granola bars.  With these I need to remember that the homemade bars are not going to be like the store bought bars.  Anyways Jamie at self reliance by Jamie  about a year ago posted a recipe for granola bars.  They looked and sounded good so I tried her recipe yesterday.  Oh my goodness....I found my granola bar recipe.  Thanks Jamie!  These not only taste good but I was able to cut them into bars and they held up!!!Granola Bars

4 1/2 c rolled oats (regular, not quick)

1 c flour ( I like to use whole wheat flour)

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla

2/3 c butter, melted

1/2 c honey

1/3 c brown sugar, packed

1/2 c mini chocolate chips (raisins, craisins, other dried fruit, whatever you like!)

Combine all ingredients but the chocolate chips (or whatever you are putting in). Mix and then add the chocolate chips in and mix again. Press into a greased pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 18-22 minutes. Enjoy!!

**this is a basic recipe. . . if you like other things, try putting them in and make it your own recipe! Nuts, seeds, coconut, peanut butter. . . the options are endless!**

Don't these look yummy!! I can't wait to make them for my family!!

What is your favorite granola recipe? Share your link in a comment below!

~ Go to TawnysThrivingHome.com to shop products and get the best deals on food storage and emergency preparation products.~~Always be in the know… Sign Up for my Newsletter~

30 Days of Faves- Instant Milk AKA 'Milk in your Pantry'

Let's face it... One of 2 things (or both!) is happening in your home right now...

1. Your buying too much milk and it turning to cottage cheese in your fridge ... Or...
2. Your not buying enough milk, and you spending way to much on 'milk runs'.

Option one is disgusting and I don't even wish to discuss it (I have opened way to many stinky milk jugs with out checking the date! YUCK!) We talked a bit about Option 2 in my post "The Home Store Savings". No one likes putting pencil to paper on those figures!!

So what the solution? Keep milk in your pantry and you'll never face rancid milk or the dreaded milk run again!!

I know what your thinking... Milk. In my pantry. Gross. More than likely, at some point, you have had that awful powder chalk substance some call 'powdered milk'. It is gross. So, I understand your hesitation.

But this is NOT your grandmothers disgusting chalk milk! This is yummy delicious THRIVE Instant Milk! And it is YUMMY!!

We PREFER this milk to the milk we buy at the grocery store. It's that good.

My favorite thing about this milk (other than the yummy yummy taste!) is that I do t have to worry about it going bad!! And I never have to worry about running out! This milk is just waiting for me in my home store. I can milk up one glass or one gallon!!

Why else do I love Thrive Instant milk?
What is one 'sign of the times'? The cost of a gallon of milk. Milk is NOT getting any cheaper. And in all honesty,in times hard times, it's often an item we have been forced to give up. Milk is healthy. It's good for everyone in the family. It's a 'comfort item' for the wee ones. It's a staple to cooking and baking. Given the option,milk is NOT something I want to willingly give up. By stocking milk in my home store, I am assured that even in hard times, we are going to have milk & we are going to enjoy it!! (Your home store really is your food insurance!) A #10 can of Thrive instant milk makes 5 gallons of milk or more. When you do the math, Thrive instant milk is cheapest than out right buying 5 gallons of milk. And that is at today's price. Thrive instant milk has a shelf life of 25 years!! Can you imagine what milk is going to cost in 25 years?!?! I'd much rather invest now.

Watching your figure? ( Aren't we all?!) Thrive instant milk is FAT FREE!!! And has FEWEER Calories than skim milk!! ( Instant Milk 80 cal/ Skim milk 90 cal). All these waist benefits with the taste of real whole milk!! If you've some how become acclimated to skim milk, and prefer a weaker taste to your milk, your in luck, with Thrive instant milk, you determine how rich it taste! If you like strong creamy tasting milk, add a bit more milk powder, if you like a skim taste add less powder. It's that simple!! And Thrive instant milk is loaded with calcium! And we all know calcium helps us too loose weight!! Use a couple of teaspoons of Thrive instant milk in your coffee. You'll have great tasting coffee & be skipping out on calories, fat, & sugar in many coffee creamers & flavorings.

We love Thrive instant Milk so much, I almost alway add it to my Q, and still purchase it with hostess benefits as well! We use it all the time! (And it's an item we want be be sure we have in 'reserve' in our home store for those unexpected scenarios)

Interested in trying Thrive instant milk? Let me know! I'd love to get you more information on creating your home store & send you a sample of our instant milk for you to try! I know your going to love it!

Ready to order your Thrive instant milk? Browse my store at tawnysthrivinghome.com or click here.

~~How fast does your family use milk? How much milk turns into food waste? Are you interested in creating a home store to also give your family food insurance? Please Share your thoughts in a comment below!~~

~ Go to TawnysThrivingHome.com to shop products and get the best deals on food storage and emergency preparation products.~

~Always be in the know… Sign Up for my Newsletter~

30 Days of Faves- Instant Milk AKA 'Milk in your Pantry'

Let's face it... One of 2 things (or both!) is happening in your home right now...

1. Your buying too much milk and it turning to cottage cheese in your fridge ... Or...
2. Your not buying enough milk, and you spending way to much on 'milk runs'.

Option one is disgusting and I don't even wish to discuss it (I have opened way to many stinky milk jugs with out checking the date! YUCK!) We talked a bit about Option 2 in my post "The Home Store Savings". No one likes putting pencil to paper on those figures!!

So what the solution? Keep milk in your pantry and you'll never face rancid milk or the dreaded milk run again!!

I know what your thinking... Milk. In my pantry. Gross. More than likely, at some point, you have had that awful powder chalk substance some call 'powdered milk'. It is gross. So, I understand your hesitation.

But this is NOT your grandmothers disgusting chalk milk! This is yummy delicious THRIVE Instant Milk! And it is YUMMY!!

We PREFER this milk to the milk we buy at the grocery store. It's that good.

My favorite thing about this milk (other than the yummy yummy taste!) is that I do t have to worry about it going bad!! And I never have to worry about running out! This milk is just waiting for me in my home store. I can milk up one glass or one gallon!!

Why else do I love Thrive Instant milk?
What is one 'sign of the times'? The cost of a gallon of milk. Milk is NOT getting any cheaper. And in all honesty,in times hard times, it's often an item we have been forced to give up. Milk is healthy. It's good for everyone in the family. It's a 'comfort item' for the wee ones. It's a staple to cooking and baking. Given the option,milk is NOT something I want to willingly give up. By stocking milk in my home store, I am assured that even in hard times, we are going to have milk & we are going to enjoy it!! (Your home store really is your food insurance!) A #10 can of Thrive instant milk makes 5 gallons of milk or more. When you do the math, Thrive instant milk is cheapest than out right buying 5 gallons of milk. And that is at today's price. Thrive instant milk has a shelf life of 25 years!! Can you imagine what milk is going to cost in 25 years?!?! I'd much rather invest now.

Watching your figure? ( Aren't we all?!) Thrive instant milk is FAT FREE!!! And has FEWEER Calories than skim milk!! ( Instant Milk 80 cal/ Skim milk 90 cal). All these waist benefits with the taste of real whole milk!! If you've some how become acclimated to skim milk, and prefer a weaker taste to your milk, your in luck, with Thrive instant milk, you determine how rich it taste! If you like strong creamy tasting milk, add a bit more milk powder, if you like a skim taste add less powder. It's that simple!! And Thrive instant milk is loaded with calcium! And we all know calcium helps us too loose weight!! Use a couple of teaspoons of Thrive instant milk in your coffee. You'll have great tasting coffee & be skipping out on calories, fat, & sugar in many coffee creamers & flavorings.

We love Thrive instant Milk so much, I almost alway add it to my Q, and still purchase it with hostess benefits as well! We use it all the time! (And it's an item we want be be sure we have in 'reserve' in our home store for those unexpected scenarios)

Interested in trying Thrive instant milk? Let me know! I'd love to get you more information on creating your home store & send you a sample of our instant milk for you to try! I know your going to love it!

Ready to order your Thrive instant milk? Browse my store at tawnysthrivinghome.com or click here.

~~How fast does your family use milk? How much milk turns into food waste? Are you interested in creating a home store to also give your family food insurance? Please Share your thoughts in a comment below!~~

~ Go to TawnysThrivingHome.com to shop products and get the best deals on food storage and emergency preparation products.~

~Always be in the know… Sign Up for my Newsletter~

30 Days of Faves: Home Store

Each day during the month of June, I am featuring one of my favorite things about Shelf Reliance as part

of the30 days of Faves Blog Party at Party Plan Divas!

Today I am posting about my all time favorite thing from Thrive/Shelf Reliance:

The Home Store

Imagine walking into your pantry to find your own grocery store, stocked with all of your families favorite foods. Everything is fresh, ready to use, washed & chopped. All the food in this grocery store is free. You just grab and use what you need to prepare your families favorite meals. You have everything at your finger tips. Convenient and ready. All in your home.

This is your home store.

A Home Store is your essentially your grocery store in your pantry. It is your food insurance. In your home store you have stored all the foods your family uses and loves. Your Home store is the solutions to all the “What If” Questions.

With your home store you will never run out of milk or eggs.

In your home store you will have fresh fruits and vegetables always in season and already washed and chopped.

With your home store you never have to worry about sky rocketing food cost.

With your home store you are able to more easily minister to others, because you have food readily available.

With your home store there is Less Martha and More Mary, you are able to spend more time with your family and loved ones because your shopping, planning, and preparing are done.

With your home store, you have food insurance. No matter what happens, Job loss, a recessions, disability, or illness you will have nutritious food for your family.

Your home store contains lots of freeze-dried foods with a long shelf life. Your food store contains canned goods and quick meals you’ve stocked up on either through THRIVE or couponing.

The easiest way to build up your home store is using the Q. The Q is pay as you go Food Storage. Shelf Reliance helps you determine what and how much of each food you need. The Food Rotation system helps you ensure your foods are easily and properly rotated.

With the Q, everything comes to your door step! No crazy dashes around town for the best prices. No running into your ex at the grocery store. Just sit back and relax and let the food show up on your door step.

To Learn More about the Home Store click Here.

Want to Learn More about Shelf Reliance and Thrive Products? Start Here.

~ Go to TawnysThrivingHome.com to shop products and get the best deals on food storage and emergency preparation products.~

~Always be in the know… Sign Up for my Newsletter~

30 Days of Faves: Home Store

Each day during the month of June, I am featuring one of my favorite things about Shelf Reliance as part

of the30 days of Faves Blog Party at Party Plan Divas!

Today I am posting about my all time favorite thing from Thrive/Shelf Reliance:

The Home Store

Imagine walking into your pantry to find your own grocery store, stocked with all of your families favorite foods. Everything is fresh, ready to use, washed & chopped. All the food in this grocery store is free. You just grab and use what you need to prepare your families favorite meals. You have everything at your finger tips. Convenient and ready. All in your home.

This is your home store.

A Home Store is your essentially your grocery store in your pantry. It is your food insurance. In your home store you have stored all the foods your family uses and loves. Your Home store is the solutions to all the “What If” Questions.

With your home store you will never run out of milk or eggs.

In your home store you will have fresh fruits and vegetables always in season and already washed and chopped.

With your home store you never have to worry about sky rocketing food cost.

With your home store you are able to more easily minister to others, because you have food readily available.

With your home store there is Less Martha and More Mary, you are able to spend more time with your family and loved ones because your shopping, planning, and preparing are done.

With your home store, you have food insurance. No matter what happens, Job loss, a recessions, disability, or illness you will have nutritious food for your family.

Your home store contains lots of freeze-dried foods with a long shelf life. Your food store contains canned goods and quick meals you’ve stocked up on either through THRIVE or couponing.

The easiest way to build up your home store is using the Q. The Q is pay as you go Food Storage. Shelf Reliance helps you determine what and how much of each food you need. The Food Rotation system helps you ensure your foods are easily and properly rotated.

With the Q, everything comes to your door step! No crazy dashes around town for the best prices. No running into your ex at the grocery store. Just sit back and relax and let the food show up on your door step.

To Learn More about the Home Store click Here.

Want to Learn More about Shelf Reliance and Thrive Products? Start Here.

~ Go to TawnysThrivingHome.com to shop products and get the best deals on food storage and emergency preparation products.~

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Frugal Bean Recipes

Over at Life in a Shoe, Kim is hosting a Linky for Bean recipes. Why? She, like many of us, is becoming increasingly aware of the rise in food cost. The grocery budget just doesn’t seem to go as far as it use to. And, the sad news is, food cost are NOT expected to go down anytime soon.

I didn’t start this post to complain about the economy. I just want to keep the food budget under control, and I want to do it without resorting to ramen noodles, so we’re going to eat less meat, more beans and learn to use lentils.

So, what are we to do? Learn from our grandmothers and great-grandmothers. These ladies fed a family and providing comforting meals on near nothing! Don’t believe me? Take a look at how little people had to eat during War Time Rationing. We need to remember back to a similarly less prosperous time, and learn from out history. We have to remember how to keep our family comfortable and be frugal.

One suggestion Kim made was to eat less meat and more beans. Beans are easy, nutritious, cheap, and have a LONG shelf life. Beans are one of those foods you want to know several recipes for.

I love my cowboy bean recipe. You can easily use it as you "go-to" bean recipe and change it and adjust is according to what you have on hand. I sometimes use sausage. Sometimes beef. I've been known to throw in a can of Rotel or stewed tomatoes. It's a very workable recipe.

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COWBOY BEAN RECIPE

• 1 cups dried pinto beans


• 1 cup dried red beans


• 1/2 cup dried Navy Beans


• 5 minced garlic cloves


• 1 large onion, chopped


• 3 garlic cloves, minced


• 1 cup brown sugar


• 1 cup BBQ sauce


• 1/2 cup Ketchup


• 1- 1 1/2 lb ground beef, browned


• bullion cube


• salt pork or bacon for taste


• salt to taste


• water

Method:

Quick Rinse Beans. Place onions, garlic, bullion cube, pork, and beans in crockpot. Cover with water. Cook on low for several hours (about 6-8) until beans are soft, stir occasionally and add water as needed. Once beans are cooked and soft, remove pork. Add BBQ sauce, Ketchup, brown sugar, and beef to beans. Combine ingredients well. Salt to taste. And serve.

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Thrive foods carries a line of  “Instant Beans”. These beans are ready to go and can be cooked in less than 20 min!! What a time saver! Thrive also carried a full line of dried beans ready to stock up in your pantry. Beans are a great addition to the home store, especially when you are on a budget!

And when you are looking to save money on your food budget, cutting down on the amount of meat you eat is a great way to cut cost. Why not try a cost-effective vegetable protein instead? Taco TVP and beans make for a very cheap and very affordable and super healthy meal!

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 THRIVE quick Taco 'Meat' and Beans

•  1/2 c THRIVE taco TVP


• 1/2 c THRIVE instant pinto beans


• 1/2c THRIVE instant red beans


• 2tbs THRIVE Red and Green Bell peppers


• 2tbs THRIVE Chopped onion


• 1 tbs minced garlic


• salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Bring THRIVE beans to boil in 6c warm water. Add peppers, onion, and garlic. Allow to simmer for 15-20 min. Reconstitute Taco TVP by placing in a bowl and covering with water, allow to sit for 5-10min or until TVP doubles in quantity. Mix TVP into beans. Season to taste.

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A Yummy recipe from the Thrive/Shelf Reliance Website. Pioneer Stew

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Pioneer Stew

• 1 1⁄4 c dry thrive pinto beans or kidney beans


• 3 c cold water


• 1 3⁄4 t thrive iodized salt, divided


• 1 T thrive freeze dried chopped onions


• 1 T thrive red & green bell peppers


• 1 c thrive freeze dried sweet corn, reconstituted


• 1 cn (16 oz) tomatoes, undrained


• 2 t chili powder


• 1 T flour + 2 t water


• 1 c thrive ground beef, rehydrated -or- thrive beef tvp


• 1⁄2 c thrive fd cheddar cheese, rehydrated

Method

In a small bowl, cover THRIVE freeze dried ground beef or TVP with warm water. Let sit for 5-10 minutes until softened or rehydrated. Drain.Place washed and drained beans, cold water, and 1 teaspoon salt in a large saucepan. Bring to boil, then cover and simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes.Add rehydrated ground beef, onions, bell peppers, corn, tomatoes, chili powder, and remaining salt to beans. Simmer an additional 20 minutes.Combine 1 tablespoon flour with 2 tablespoons water; stir into stew. Cook and stir until thick and bubbly.Stir in cheese and serve with any desired garnishes and toppings

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Share your favorite Bean recipes by commenting below. What role do beans play in your home store and food storage? Do you use TVP? I'd love to hear from you!

Happy cooking!

~ Go to TawnysThrivingHome.com to shop products and get the best deals on food storage and emergency preparation products.~

~Always be in the know… Sign Up for my Newsletter~

What If

WHAT IF…

* What if there was an easy way to create your own “Home Store”, so that you didn’t have to run to town just because you ran out of milk or eggs.

* What if your store carried fruits and vegetables that were already washed and chopped?

* What if great tasting fruit like peaches and black berries were always in season at your store?

* What if you didn’t have to worry about salmonella making the price of eggs and spinach sky-rocket?

* What if I told you that this is all possible and much easier than you think and you can start stocking your “home store” without increasing your monthly food budget?

There is!

Welcome to the wonderful world of

&&

Welcome!! I know you will LOVE Shelf Reliance & Thrive! My family certainly does! I am excited you are here! And very excited to share Thrive & The Home Store with you and your family.

Thrive Products and your Home Store are going to save you time and money! You will spend less time shopping, preparing, and cooking foods, and More time with your family & doing the things you love. You might even say it helps achieve those “Less Martha, More Mary” goals.

Not only will your Home Store saves you time and money, but it is also you families “food insurance”. We all have car insurance because you “never know”. And you never know when prices may sky-rocket, you may experience a loss of income, or a disaster may occur. Having shelf stable foods on hand insures that your family is will prepared for what ever may come!

To Get Started:

You may notice some the search bar at the top of the page. Feel welcome to search my blog and find the answers you need. The “cloud” to the right very helpful in finding popular post topics. There is also a topic list to the right, such as food storage 101. You will notice lots of tabs and buttons. Please, feel free to click-a-way and read all you’d like, and comment and let me know what you think!!

If you have any questions, PLEASE, feel free to contact me! I’d be happy to help!

A Few Links To Get You Started:

What Is A Home Store?

Using The Q to Create Your Home Store

Why Store Food?

A Well Balanced Diet Just Got Easier

CHOOSE what is best for your family

Call me old-fashion, but, I am not one who likes to be "told" how to care for my family.

I am a big advocate for families researching their options and making the decision they feel is best. I don't always agree with others decisions, but at least the decision is theirs to make.

This holds especially true for me when it comes to the wonderful world of food and nutrition.

This article was of particular interest to me, and I felt it might be interesting to you as well.

FDA conducts armed sting on Amish farmer for selling milk.

A group of more than 1000 DC and Maryland consumers are irate at the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) attempt to shut down their food supply by conducting a sting operation of their private buying club.

Members of the private group contract with an Amish farmer in Pennsylvania to obtain fresh milk and other products from his farm. The FDA planted a spy in the group in October of 2009 to gather evidence against the farmer, for alleged illegal interstate commerce of raw milk.

Claiming that transportation of raw milk across state lines constitutes illegal interstate commerce, the FDA conducted many sting operations and raids against US farmers, providing consumers with fresh milk or fresh milk products.

Read More Here...

Government and other control of our food system is a very real thing. We often take the flow of food to our grocery store and homes for granted. We feel we have a "right" to choose the foods we feed to our family. But the fact of the matter is this is just not true.

A well stocked pantry and Home Store insures you can provide your family with fresh and healthy foods, even if the food supply is changed by one force or another. It is your food insurance.

Starting your Home Store is easy. And with Shelf Reliance, you earn rewards while building your Home Store using the Q. Let me help you and your family create a food storage plan today.

~ Go to TawnysThrivingHome.com to shop products and get the best deals on food storage and emergency preparation products.~

~Always be in the know… Sign Up for my Newsletter~