Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Meal in a Jar: Potato Soup




A little while ago I ran across a recipe for potato soup mix, on allrecipes.  About a million people had made and reviewed the soup, and the reviews were amazing.  

I was intrigued.  So I tried it, with high hopes.  We hated it.  It was truly terrible.  So I went to work and created a Potato soup meal in a jar that my family liked.   

This Potato Soup is the result.

Recipe Notes: 

  • Precooked crumbled bacon.  I recommend using store bought precooked bacon.  I get mine at Sam’s Club.  It looks like this.  
  • Shelf Life with the bacon:  when I use precooked bacon in a meal in a jar recipe I figure that the shelf life can only be as long as the ingredient with the shortest shelf life.  In this case the bacon, which is 1 year.  
  • Shelf Life with out the bacon:   5 years.   You could just add bacon as you are cooking. 
  • Bacon TVP.  You could substitute Bacon TVP (think bacos)  instead of the precooked bacon, I haven’t tried it (we try to avoid soy) but it would give you a longer shelf life then the bacon.     


Potato Soup
½ cup Thrive Béchamel Powder
½ cup Sour Cream powder
¼ cup freeze dried celery
¼ cup freeze dried onion
1 ½ cup freeze dried potato dices
¼ cup precooked crumbled bacon (this shortens the shelf life, leave it out if you want a longer shelf life)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chives

For a thinner soup
Add contents of jar to 8 cup of rapidly boiling water.  Stir well.    Simmer 10 -12 minutes until potatoes are soft. 

For a thicker soup
Add contents of jar to 6 cup of rapidly boiling water.  Stir well.    Simmer 10 -12 minutes until potatoes are soft. 

Shelf Life as Figured by Me:  1 year if using precooked bacon, 5 years if not using bacon

Thursday, November 26, 2015

Thrive Life Black Friday Sale

The Thrive Life Black Friday Sale has started.  START SHOPPING NOW!  Or check out the sales flyer.

*The Thrive Life server experienced some problems earlier this week.  If you run into any problems please call me 435-535-1470 and I'll submit your order for you.



Meat and Beans:
Pinto Beans save $4.10 per #10 can, 33% off
Beef Dices save $20.80 per #10 can, 31% off
Ground Beef save $9.30 per #10 can, 16% off
Chopped Chicken save $18.30 per #10 can, 33% off
Seasoned Chicken Slices save $12.40 per #10 can, 21% off
Lentils save $6.10 per #10 can, 44% off
Beef TVP save $4.70 per #10 can, 33% off
Chicken TVP save $4.20 per #10 can, save 32% off
Dairy:
Nonfat Powdered Milk save $4.60 per #10 can, 22% off
Shredded Cheddar Cheese save $8.20 per #10 can, 16% off
Fruits:
Fuji Apples save $6.00 per #10 can, 21% off
Red Seedless Grapes save $14.30 per #10 can, 36% off
Vegetables:
Celery save $12.20 per #10 can 44% off
Tomato Powder save $9 per #10 can, 27% off
Shelves:
Harvest 72″ #10 or Traditional Shelf Unit: $249.99, 45% off
Cansolidator Cupboard: $16.99, 51% off
Cansolidator Pantry: $19.99, 56% off
Cansolidator Pantry Plus: $34.99, 44% off


Special Packages for this sale
There are three packs designed just for this sale.  They are filled with great products and are a great way to add the foods your family loves to your pantry.

View the Black Friday sale page then select "packages" to see the special packages.

Christmas Morning Pack
SALE: $313.49.  You save $66.65 when you buy the pack
2 Scrambled Egg Mix #10 1 White Flour (Unbleached) #10 1 Honey Whole Wheat Dough Mix #10 1 10 Grain Pancake Mix #10 1 Instant Milk PC 1 Green Chili Peppers (FD) PC 1 Green Bell Peppers (FD) PC 1 Chopped Onions (FD) PC 1 Sausage Crumbles (FD) PC 1 Shredded Cheddar Cheese (FD) PC 1 Iodized Salt PC 1 Instant Dry Yeast PC 1 Ham Dices (FD) PC 1 Mushroom Pieces (FD) PC 1 Chef’s Choice Spice Can
 
New Year’s Eve Pack SALE
$267.29.  You save $85.23 when you buy the pack
2 Seasoned Chicken Slices #10 (FD) 1 Chopped Onions (FD) PC 1 Celery (FD) PC 1 Red Seedless Grapes (FD) PC 1 Shredded Parmesan Cheese (FD) PC 1 Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese (FD) PC 1 Scrambled Egg Mix PC 1 Green Onions (FD) PC 1 Shredded Cheddar Cheese (FD) PC 1 Sour Cream Powder PC 1 Chopped Spinach (FD) PC 1 Iodized Salt PC 1 Red Bell Peppers (FD) PC 1 Peppercorn Spice Can 1 Chef’s Choice Spice Can 1 Parsley Spice Can (FD) 1 Italian Seasoning Blend Spice Can (FD)
 
Kid Approved Pack SALE
$243.59.  You save $56.93 when you buy the pack
1 White Flour (Unbleached) #10 1 Country White Dough Mix #10 1 Instant Dry Yeast PC 1 Iodized Salt PC 1 Shredded Mozzarella Cheese (FD) PC 1 Tomato Sauce PC 1 Sausage Crumbles (FD) PC 1 Chopped Onions (FD) PC 1 Red Bell Peppers (FD) PC 1 Chopped Chicken (FD) PC 1 Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese (FD) PC 1 Instant Milk (PC) 1 Scrambled Egg Mix PC 1 Italian Seasoning Blend Spice Can 1 Basil Spice Can (FD) 1 Chef’s Choice Spice Can 1 Shredded Cheddar Cheese (FD) PC 1 Pure Vanilla Powder Spice Can

Monday, February 16, 2015

Chicken Burrito Bowl Meal in a Jar





What’s a Burrito Bowl?  It a burrito you eat in a bowl with no tortilla.  You could always use this as burrito filling, but it is delicious without the tortilla. 




Chicken Burrito Bowl Meal in a Jar  
yields 5 1 cup servings

1 cup instant black beans (or instant pinto beans work great too)
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon of chili powder
1 teaspoon of cumin
1 Tablespoon chicken bouillon

Needed for Cooking
3 tablespoon of olive oil  
5 cups water

Add as toppings after cooking
2 cups of colby jack, monterey jack or cheddar cheese
kosher salt and pepper
freshly diced tomatoes
diced green onions
sour cream
guacamole

Jar Directions:  Layer ingredients in a wide mouthed, quart-sized jar, shaking the dry powder ingredients into the bulkier items. Top with an oxygen packet (300 cc) for longer-term storage, or seal with a food saver.  Cover with a new canning lid and hand-tighten the metal ring. 
This really does fit in a quart sized mason jar.  It is a tight fit to measure accurately and tap the jar  on a counter top to help the ingredients settle.

Cooking Instructions:
Heat 3 Tbsp. oil in a large sauce pan.  Add contents of jar and saute for 30 seconds.   Be careful don’t burn it.  Add 5 cups water and simmer 5 min. Remove from heat and cover for 10 minutes.

Printables
Regular Mouth Labels
Wide Mouth Labels
Recipe Card