ZUCCHINI COOKIES

Adapted from all recipes http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Zucchini-Cookies/Detail.aspx

If you planted your own garden this year chances are you have an over abundance of zucchini.  That is the zucchini reality (or calamity, depending on how you look at it) I'm in.  I have been scouring the internet for any zucchini recipe I can find.  Here is a great one I found for a not so sweet cookie.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup  butter powder 
• 2 Tablespoon water (to reconstitute butter powder)
• 1 cup White Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Egg Powder
• 2 Tablespoon water (to reconstitute egg powder)
• 1 cup grated zucchini
• 2 cups white flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 cup raisins (I used 1/2 cup chocolate chips and 1/2 cup pecans).

Directions

In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. (When a recipe calls for butter to be “creamed” with sugar, add the butter powder, sugar and water (to rehydrate the butter) and cream together. It will not look the same as when using fresh butter, but it will bake the same. ) Beat in the egg and water for egg powder then stir in the zucchini. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon; stir into the zucchini mixture. Mix in raisins. Cover dough and chill for at least 1 hour or overnight.  (I didn’t chill at all, I could never wait 1 hour or overnight for cookies, they turned out fabulous.)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheet. Cookies should be about 2 inches apart.  (Teaspoonful?  Ok, whatever, I dropped by 1/4 cup to handful, who am I kidding.)

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven until set. Allow cookies to cool slightly on the cookie sheets before removing to wire racks to cool completely.  (Note the line above; allow to cool slightly. No need to wait until the chocolate chips are cooled, pop one in your mouth and scream in pain as they burn the flesh off the roof of your mouth.)

Do you have any recipes using THRIVE or food storage items? Join the recipe link party at http://www.cookingwithmyfoodstorage.com/ 

To Quiche or Not To Quiche

Quick and delicious Quiches

If you have read any of my blog then you know I own chickens.  My boyfriend refuses to eat eggs unless it is during breakfast, so why he decided to get chickens I’ll never know.  Anyway, the problem is TOO MANY EGGS. We have eggs coming out of our ears.  Okay, I will get on with the story and stop my ranting.



I was getting ready to present a Shelf Reliance brunch party and decided to use up some of my eggs.  My mom kept telling me how easy a Quiche was to make with THRIVE ingredients, so I figured what the heck. Quiche to the rescue !

I had never made a Quiche let alone tried it with my THRIVE ingredients, so it was totally foreign to me.  But I knew I could do it, have faith.  I looked up a few recipes online and found a basic recipe that seemed easily adaptable. The recipe I adapted was found on http://www.foodnetwork.com and was submitted by Elizabeth Gilroy called Quick Quiche.

Let me also mention that my computer is making the most horrific noise ever so this post will be quick.  I hope there aren’t too many spelling errors.

I made two Quiche’s one is Sausage, Mushroom, and Cheddar Cheese; the other is Spinach, Red and Green Bell Peppers, Onion, Broccoli, and Monterey Jack Cheese.   They were a big hit at the Shelf Reliance Party and I even heard a 20ish male remark to his mother “I never knew veggies could be this good”. 

Success!  I have found a new way to get rid of all those extra eggs, have a  show stopping taster at my parties and a quick meal that I can get the boyfriend to eat, even though it isn’t breakfast time.

 Sausage & Mushroom Quiche

   

Cook Time 1 hour   Prep time 10 minutes   6 to 8 servings    Level: Easy                          350⁰ Oven

Ingredients:

4 eggs

1 cup Half and Half

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 Tablespoons Flour

1/2 Cup THRIVE Freeze Dried Sausage Crumbles

1/4 Cup THRIVE Freeze Dried Mushroom Pieces

1 Cup THRIVE Freeze Dried Cheddar Cheese

1 (9- inch) unbaked pie shell

Salt, Pepper and nutmeg to taste.

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place THRIVE freeze dried sausage crumbles and mushroom pieces in a bowl.  Cover ingredients with hot water; use just enough water to cover. Let ingredients reconstitute for 5 minutes.  Meanwhile Hand whip eggs, half and half, mayonnaise, and flour in a medium mixing bowl.  Add Cheddar Cheese to the freeze dried reconstituted ingredients; there should be a small amount of water left over in your bowl.  If there is not enough water to wet the cheese add a little bit more, but not too much.  Stir until all the cheese is wet.  Let ingredients sit for 3 to 5 minutes.

Add egg mixture to reconstituted sausage, meat and cheese. Add Salt, Pepper, and nutmeg to your liking.  My mom say’s “The more nutmeg the better.”  Pour into unbaked pie crust and place in hot oven. Bake for approximately 1 hour or until the top is golden brown and a knife comes out clean from middle of Quiche.

          

Veggie Quiche             

Cook Time 1 hour  Prep time 10 minutes     6 to 8 servings     Level: Easy                          350⁰ Oven

Ingredients:

4 eggs

1 cup Half and Half

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 Tablespoons Flour

1/2 Cup THRIVE Freeze Dried Broccoli

1/4 Cup THRIVE Freeze Dried Chopped Spinach

1/4 Cup THRIVE Freeze Dried Chopped Onion

1/4 Cup THRIVE Freeze Dried Red and Green Bell Pepper

1 Cup THRIVE Freeze Dried Monterey Jack Cheese

1 (9- inch) unbaked pie shell

Salt, Pepper and nutmeg to taste.

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place THRIVE freeze onion, peppers, broccoli and spinach in a bowl.  Cover ingredients with hot water; use just enough water to cover. Let ingredients reconstitute for 5 minutes.  Meanwhile Hand whip eggs, half and half, mayonnaise, and flour in a medium mixing bowl.  Add Monterey Jack Cheese to the freeze dried reconstituted ingredients; there should be a small amount of water left over in your bowl.  If there is not enough water to wet the cheese add a little bit more, but not too much.  Stir until all the cheese is wet.  Let ingredients sit for 3 to 5 minutes.  Does this look familiar?

Add egg mixture to reconstituted Veggies and cheese. Add Salt, Pepper, and nutmeg to your liking. Remember what my mom say’s. Pour into unbaked pie crust and place in hot oven. Bake for approximately 1 hour or until the top is golden brown and a knife comes out clean from middle of Quiche.

I think this is a wonderful base recipe, the options are limitless for Quiche.  Why didn’t I listen to my mom just a little bit sooner?  I’m sure when she reads this she will be thinking the exact same thing.

Nikki

 Join the Food Storage Link Party  http://www.cookingwithmyfoodstorage.com/2011/08/food-storage-friday-link-party.html submit your recipe.

Make your own Soup Mix

Why make it homemade?

Well - not only is it cheaper, but it is healthier as well.

None of us need to keep eating pre-packaged, chemically processed and preservative-loaded foods.  We can take a few minutes out of each day and try to live a healthier life style.

It just takes a minute or two to whip this up; store tightly in your pantry and you'll be all set.

HOMEMADE CREAM SOUP DRY MIX

Using a quart jar, combine and whisk well:

2 cups instant non-fat powdered milk mix

3/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 cup chicken bouillon granules

2 tablespoons dehydrated chopped onion

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Store in your pantry or a cool, dry place; any airtight container may be used if you do not have a quart jar.

This recipe yields 3 cups dry mix or 9 cans of creamed soup reconstituted.

To Reconstitute Cream Soup Mix

Combine 1/3 cup dry mix and 1 1/4 cups water. Heat over medium heat until thickened.

VARIATIONS:

CREAM OF MUSHROOM SOUP: Add reconstituted and sautéed freeze dried mushroom pieces.

CREAM OF CELERY SOUP: Add reconstituted and sautéed freeze dried celery.

CREAM OF BROCCOLI SOUP: Add reconstituted and sautéed freeze dried broccoli.

Beefy Onion Soup Mix  

1 1/2 cups freeze dried onion

2/3 cup beef bouillon granules

2/3 cup onion powder—(do not use onion salt)

1/2 teaspoon sugar

Mix all ingredients together and store in an airtight container. This recipe makes approximately 3 cups mix.  I use 4 or 5 tablespoons when a recipe calls for one envelope mix.

For variations, add any Thrive vegetable powder that is left in the bottom of your #10 can, or add some chopped up freeze dried mushrooms to your mix. (Just remember to add a little more water to your recipe for reconstitution.) 

Scallop Potatoes - What is the difference between Thrive Potato Products

Scallop Potatoes

(click on highlighted product to view pricing and nutritional information)

2 cups dehydrated Potato Chunks

1 Tbsp dehydrated onion

2-3 cups water

2 cups Freeze Dried Shredded Cheddar Cheese  (if you are really feeling frisky try using any other variety or mix and match our Freeze Dried Cheeses) Colby, Monterey Jack, Mozzarella

2 Tbsp butter

Salt and pepper to taste

2 Tbsp dry milk + ½ cup water

½ cup bacon bits (optional, but who wouldn’t add bacon?)

Reconstitute cheese, potatoes and onions separately, drain and add onion to pan. Sauté onion in butter until soft, but not browned. Stir in flour, salt and pepper. Add milk, cook until smooth and thick, stirring continually. Add reconstituted cheese, stir until melted. Remove from stove. Mix potatoes, bacon bits, and cheese sauce. Bake in a casserole dish 20-25 minutes at 325°.

 

Thank you to Shelf Reliance Sisters for posting this amazing information about the difference between our potato products.

http://www.shelfreliancesisters.com/2011/06/one-potato-two-potato-three-potato-four.html

The difference between: freeze dried potato dices, dehydrated potato chunks, potato beads and sweet potatoes. (click on these titles to follow a link to shop online with a discount)

Freeze dried potato dices are freeze dried as the title indicates. This gives these potatoes an extraordinary shelf life, around 25 years sealed and 2 year opened.

Freeze dried products are the same as fresh with no added preservatives or salts. So a freeze dried potato is simply a fresh diced potato that has undergone the freeze drying process. This process does not use any chemicals. It simply compacts the moisture under vacuum pressure and evaporates it away, leaving less than 10% of the products moisture intact. Less moisture=longer shelf life.

These potatoes are perfect for "mashed potatoes from scratch." So delicious!
Just reconstitute (add water back in) by boiling until soft and then mash. Add anything you normally would to your regular mashed potatoes. They are soft enough to break between your fingers.

This amazing product saves you time and money. No more peeling and dicing and no more rotting potatoes in your pantry. Just grab what you need, boil and it's prepared in just a couple of minutes!

Potato Chunks are a dehydrated product. That means they were placed under heat to remove moisture. They do not contain any added salt or preservatives and they will last 8-10 years sealed and 18 month opened.
They are great if you need a recipe that calls for chunks of potatoes; so texture. They are great for potato salad and chowders.
Chunks are hard and you can't break them with your fingers. They require a 15-20 minute boiling time to soften.

Potato Beads are an easy and quick version for flavored mashed potatoes. They contain flavoring and coloring. They are super tasty and a great little side dish you can whip up in a flash without needing to add any of your own other ingredients. When you open the can, it smells like buttered mashed potatoes. These beads are softer than any of the other potatoes and can be reconstituted quickly in hot water.

Ingredients:Potatoes, salt, partially hydrogenated canola oil, mono and diglycerides, artificial color, natural and artificial flavor, freshness preserved with sodium bisulfite and BHT.

Sweet Potatoes are a dehydrated product very similar to dehydrated potato chunks. Sweet potatoes have no added colors or sugars and are an excellent source of vitamins A and C, 280% and 25% respectively.
To reconstitute add to boiling water for 15-20 minutes to soften and use in any of your regular recipes that call for sweet potato.
This is a real time saver! Sweet potatoes in their natural state are hard to peal and dice and they take forever to soften. This is a wonderful substitute without sacrificing any taste!

4th Of July Sale

Double click image to enlarge.

Shelf Reliance is offering fabulous sale pricing beginning today June 29th, 2011 thru July 5^th 2011,  up to 30% off the items listed on the flyer.

Please note you must contact me at nikkade@msn.com or 801-301-0406 to receive the special pricing, the specials are not being offered on the website.

If you have ever considered becoming a Shelf Reliance Consultant our consultant kits are also on sale 20% off.

What a great way to earn extra cash and stock up your "Home Store".

I will be happy to answer any questions you may have about becoming a consultant.

I hope you and your families have a wonderful and safe holiday.

#10 Can Stove Cooker

Need a creative gift idea?  Have too many used #10 and pantry cans? 
Try making the #10 Can Stove Cooker to be used in case of power outages, save energy, camping or just for fun.

Thanks to Jodi and Julie of Food Storage Made Easy . net for the tutorial.
http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/2011/06/13/10-can-stove-gift-idea/

 

 

 

 

 

 

#10 CAN STOVE CONTENTS

• #10 can
• 4 mini bags of charcoal in ziploc bags
• 4 bags of Quickfire
• 4 packs of matches
• cooking pot (any can, if it has a plastic lid, remove it to cook) This example uses a Shelf Reliance Pantry Can.
• cut iron rods (coat hanger) to insert into can, and place pot on top of

To purchase Quickfire for your #10 Can Stove visit http://nikki.shelfreliance.com/quickfire.html 

PDFdirections for making the #10 Can Stove.
http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/fsme/docs/10canstove.pdf

How to keeps eggs fresh 9 months to 1 year without refrigeration.

http://www.preparednesspro.com/blog/eggsactly-right/

Very interesting information on how to keep eggs fresh without refrigeration.  I have chickens so this is wonderful news to me.

Great comparison of serving sizes to Emergency Essentials by Hilary

http://thrivehive.blogspot.com/2011/06/serving-comparison.html

Thanks Hilary, what a great comparison.

June News Letter

Heartfelt thanks one and all for making the past few months records with Shelf Reliance and our Thrive products. It has been difficult to witness all the natural disasters and destruction in the world these past months.  I am so proud to work with a company that can offer extra piece of mind for families in these trying times.   We have some wonderful sale items this month to get you started on your “Home Store”, the sale is for a limited time so please contact me soon before the sales are over.

I am currently booking parties for the month of July and August. Parties are a great way to earn free and half-off products, while learning how to save time and money by incorporating healthy THRIVE foods into your family's meals. Call or email me today to set a date.
 
If you hold a party in July or August, you will receive a free #10 can of our Instant Black Beans $13.19 retail value.  These beans are a wonderful addition to any pantry, no need to soak overnight, no added salt or preservatives and ready in 20 minutes.  Click here for more information on hosting a party.
 
If you are interested in earning income and free product, there's never been a better time to start your own business as a Shelf Reliance Consultant.  Click here  for more information on becoming a Consultant.  If you sign up as a Consultant in the Month of June, July or August you will receive some of my favorite items including a pantry can of Freeze Dried Banana Slices, a pantry can of Freeze Dried Colby Cheese, a pantry can of TVP Taco and a #10 can of 6 grain pancake mix.  This is a retail value of $49.12 for free.
 
Thank you,
 Nikki DeNiro
Shelf Reliance Independent Consultant
801-301-0406
nikkade@msn.com
http://nikki.shelfreliance.com

June Monthly Specials

We have some great specials this month.  Two of my favorites are the Macaroon Cookie Mix for $13.39 retail price is normally $16.69 and Freeze Dried Mango sale price $20.39 retail is normally $25.49.   

Two Person 72 hour kit is on sale for $89.99 this month, normal retail price is $160.00.  What a fabulous deal.

The Fruit Variety Pack (Pantry Can Size) is on sale for $82.09 and includes Apple Slices,  Banana Slices, Blackberries, Blueberries, Mangoes, Peach Slices, Pineapple, Raspberries, Apricots and Strawberries.  All are Freeze dried except the Apple Slices. 

If you would like to purchase any of the sale items and are not a Q Club member you must contact me for the sale pricing.

If you would like more information about the Q Club and how you can build your Home Store on a budget please contact me.

http://nikki.shelfreliance.com/
thriveorders@hotmail.com
801-301-0406

Mushrooms will be back mid June.

Well all of you that are missing the Thrive Freeze Dried Mushrooms you will be happy to know they are scheduled back mid June.  I have thrown away so much money in spoiled slimy fresh shrooms that this is one of the first items I purchased from the THRIVE line.  I was leery to try them simply because I love mushrooms so much.  WOW, pleasantly surprised.  So easy to use, simply reconstitute in a little bit of water.  I love them sauteed, in spaghetti sauce, or simply placed in a light broth with a few veggies.  Don't judge but I also throw them in with my ramen noodles.  Yes, gourmet ramen made with THRIVE veggies.  Quick dinner on the run.