Thrive = clean eating

For those who are unaware; I tend to think about everything I eat. Everything. I wasn’t always this way. Two years ago, I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease. I didn’t put thought into it, until 9 months later when my little sister had mentioned going gluten-free, and that she had friends who had gone GF and their symptoms were minimal because of this change. So I took the plunge.  I went Gluten free in April 2013. For a few months the fog left and I felt great, but it was short lived. I got sick again, and started really suffering from headaches and what not. So a few months ago, I told my husband I was going to go crazy, and do no sugar OR dairy to see if it helped. Within weeks I felt 100% better! Now, don’t get me wrong, I LOVE sugar, and I love ranch dressing; but not having headaches and having energy is more important to me. (BTW, I am the only one who is GF. My husband and kids still eat “normal”)

With that in mind, I wondered how Thrive would work for me and my life style. I try and eat “clean”, or the “Paleo Diet”. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, I love Thrive! Canned veggies are high in sodium and have lost a lot of their nutrients. Frozen is better than canned, but they get freezer burned, and I tend to forget about them! Thrive is perfect. I get the vegetable or fruit. Nothing more. Nothing less. When I signed up to be a consultant, I knew I needed to start cooking with the food. And I have! I love it…

So here is my Thrive version of Coconut Flour Zucchini Bread/Muffins:

Ingredients

1. 1/2 cup coconut flour
2. 3/4 tsp. baking soda
3. 1/2 tsp. salt
4. 1 Tbsp. cinnamon
5. 4 Thrive Eggs (8T of powder/4T of Water)
6. 2-3 Tbsp. honey
7. 1 cup (1 small to medium) zucchini, shredded finely
8. 1/3 cup Thrive Banana blended up into small pieces
9. 1 Tbsp. coconut oil
10. 1/2 cup walnuts/raisin/Chocolate (Optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease a loaf pan with coconut oil or line with parchment paper; set aside.
3. Shred your zucchini finely
4. Mix the egg/water, honey, and banana together in a large bowl.
5. Add the dry ingredients and zucchini, and stir until the batter is smooth. If a dry, add a tablespoon of water of water at a time until it is soft and fluffy.
6. If using optional items, stir them in.
7. Pour batter into your greased loaf pan and bake for 45-50 (20-25 mins for muffins) minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

The last Alaskan Frontier dream

As I was in bed last night... I had visions of Thrive, as I do every night. I'm going to let you in on a little secret of mine... I've watched the "Last Alaskan Frontier" on Netflix. Inside I've always thought, WOW, how incredibly awesome is that?!?! They have their gardens, and they hunt during the summer; but they get enough to sustain them through the winter. I've secretly thought that was sweet! I could hibernate for the winter!! This last spring, I set out, again, and planted a garden. My hopes were to have enough to can and have enough to get us through the winter. I, too, want to live in the last Arizona Frontier! For the exception that I love using the restroom in the comforts of my own home.. No running out into the forest in the below freezing in the middle of the night (or using a can in the corner of my room!) I'll pass.  Plus, you have bears. No bears. No, I don't do bears. At. All.

Last night though, I started to think about my corn. Last year I had a good little crop, until the rains came, and ruined it!! This summer, it looks oh so pretty. I went out yesterday to look at one, and much to my disgust, they all had worms!! This was suppose to be my corn... I wanted to can it, and sustain my family over the winter. Who cares that I only had enough to get us through the summer, the worms are now enjoying themselves. But I will have the last laugh, as my chickens will enjoy them and the corn, and we will enjoy the eggs!


So here I am. Cornless, but not Thriveless! I started thinking about what it would be like if I could build up my pantry, to where I would only have to go into town and only need to spend $30-50 at the grocery store a month! I live 20 miles away from the closest grocery store. Imagine having almost everything you need for meals, on hand, any time of the month? How great that would be. While today I am not there, I can see it happening in a matter of months!! Thanks to the Q!

This month I sat down and started planning out my meals, and my budget (yes, BUDGET!!). I looked at what I could get through Thrive, and what I needed to go to the grocery store. My sample menu looks a lot like this:
Meal sample-

1. Crock-pot Beef stew
2. Taco Salad
3. Pork roast, potato's, pea's and rolls
4. Pizza
5. Meatloaf 
6. Chicken Pot Pie
7. Chicken salad pita's 

Thrive Q order sample -

1. Tomatoes (pizza, pita's, beef stew)
2. Pea's (beef stew, pork roast, chicken pot pie)
3. Carrots (beef stew, meatloaf, chicken pot pie)
4. Ground beef (taco salad)
5. Chicken (chicken pot pie, pita's)
6. Onions (All)
7. Potato's (beef stew, pork roast, meatloaf side garlic style)
8. Celery (beef stew, chicken pot pie, pita's)
9. Chicken bouillon (chicken pot pie)
10. Tomato sauce (meatloaf, pizza)
11. Cheese (meatloaf, pizza and taco salad)

Grocery store sample:

1. Taco seasoning
2. Flour - if you don't already have some from Thrive - Chicken pot pie
3. Mayo & mustard - chicken salad pita's
4. Beef stew meat
5. Pepperoni - and other toppings for pizza
6. Pita bread
7. Pork pot roast
8. Frozen rolls - can be used for pork roast and for beef stew

And like that, you have a week worth of food... BUT the food you have in your Q, will be used towards so much more during the rest of the month! And you can substitute stuff off your Q and put on your grocery list, if it's way above and beyond what you want to spend. Sit down. Make a months menu and plan around that. You will find ordering off your Q will in fact save you MORE money, and trips to the store! 

Love,

Thriven With Rachel ~ Rachel Maroney

First of First

Today was the BIG day. Today was my very first Thrive party. Thank you to all those who came out and supported me! I thoroughly enjoyed myself! I just wanted to restate, again, why I chose Thrive. It started small. I just wanted pure "gluten-free" cornmeal. Little did I know that I was about to try some of the best stuff, ever!! Then, Liz, start talking to me about some crazy thing called "Q" something and other club. But something was clear. I set my budget, I set my products I wanted, I set the date, and it was shipped to me. I was nervous when she told me that it was $100 budget. I sat down and looked at how much I spent on groceries a month, and I am cheap. But I knew I was doing two things with this. Groceries and food storage.

So I did it. I signed up. My first month I signed up for a few things that I knew my family used (zucchini, mushrooms, onion, tomatoes). I got my shipment, and it hit me... I LOVE THIS STUFF EVEN MORE!!!! I can be out of food, and still be able to cook something for my family that isn't junk! I am still doing the Q club and love it! I decided I would give the recipes of what I baked today.

If you have any questions, please contact me! I love to talk!

Love, Thriven with Rachel ~ Rachel Maroney

Gluten-Free Blueberry muffins
Ingredients
10 T soft butter
1 cup white sugar
2 Thrive Whole Eggs (4T Egg powder, 2T water)
1 cup sweet white sorghum flour
1 cup white rice flour
1 cup tapioca flour
1 ½ t baking powder
½ t baking soda
½ t salt
1 ½ cups Thrive strawberry yogurt bite rehydrated
1 cup Thrive blueberries rehydrated
2 T raw sugar -for topping

Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 375
2. Combine all the dry ingredients together and set them aside.
3. Cream the butter, sugar and eggs together
4. Add one half of the dry ingredients, while mixing
5. Add one-third of the yogurt and combine until mixed
6. Add remaining one-half of the remaining dry ingredients into the mix
7. Continue adding the rest of the yogurt until they everything is mixed-in
8. Fold in blueberries
9. Oil a muffin tin well, then sprinkle with white rice flour each cup (or use muffin liners)
10. Fill each space for muffin 2/3rds full
11. Sprinkle the raw sugar over the top
12. Bake the muffins for about 35 minutes - or 20in mini muffin pan
(Adapted from http://www.realfoodfreaks.com/recipe/gluten-free-blueberry-muffins/)


                                             
Gluten-Free Cornbread muffins
◦1 1/2 cups Thrive corn meal
◦1 cup all-purpose gluten-free flour blend (I used Bob Red Mill)
◦1/3 cup sugar ◦1 teaspoon salt ◦1 tablespoon baking powder
◦1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
  ◦2 Thrive whole egg (4T mix, 2T water)
◦14 tablespoons melted butter
◦1 1/2 cups whole milk

Instructions
1.Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and grease a 9x9 inch baking pan.
2.Whisk dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Add eggs, melted butter and milk and whisk until smooth.
3.Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
(adapted from http://www.agirldefloured.com/2012/08/08/moms-gluten-free-cornbread/)