The Q

Shelf Reliance has done some research and has found 4 of the most common reasons that people dont have a food storage or "home store".  They have taken those 4 reasons and come up with a solution.  I wanted to share more about those reasons.

The top 4 reasons they found are:

What/how much do I need?
How do I use it?
How do I rotate it?
Money.

So Shelf Reliance came up with a program to help with those concerns.  Its called The Q.

We have a GREAT program that you get onto and type in everyone in your families names and if they are an adult or child. Then you put in how much food you want to store, 3 months, 6months, 1 year ect.  After you put in that info it spits out a plan.  It tells you what your family will needs.  Once you see your plan you can customize it.  If your family does not like say wheat, you just take it out.  You can think of it as your personal grocery store.  You only put in your store what your family likes.

Now you know what and how much you need!

How do you use it?  There are several ways you can use it.  Several of our items you can eat straight out of the can.  Or you can rehydrate it.  VERY simple.  Simply add water and let it soak until it is soft.  All our products also tell you on the can or pouch how to rehydrate them.  We also have TONS of recipes on our website.  We now have a cookbook as well.  Kelsey Nixon, one of our 2 chefs, also has put together several youtube videos on how to use our food as well as showing you different recipes you can make.

Now you know how to use it!

How do you rotate your food?  Use the oldest cans 1st.  We have GREAT rotators to help you do just that.  And they also keep your food nice and organized.  

Lastly how much is this going to cost you?  This is a big concern for many people.  Years ago I was going to buy a food storage package. I dont remember all the details now but the one thing I remember after picking out the package is them telling me it was going to cost $6,000!!! I was SHOCKED!!!  I dont have $6,000 laying around.  When I told them I couldnt afford it they said oh thats ok most people cant. We are able to break that up into 6 months worth of payments for you.  WHAT, are you kidding me?!?!  I dont have $1,000/month to spend on this!

We dont want you to feel that way.  The Q is not here to be a burden to you.  It is here to help you. The Q is a monthly shipment program. You will get automated shipments every month on a date you set them to ship.  You are only obligated to stay on for 3 months.  After the 3 months are up you are able have complete control over everything.  You can change the date you have shipments sent to you.  You can change the amount you spend either up or down. You can pause it if you are going to be gone or cancel if you decide this is not for you.  Our average Q is about $120/month.  You pick what you can afford. DO NOT GO INTO DEBT FOR THIS!!!  What we suggest you doing is taking your monthly food budget, the average US food budget is $600/month.  So if your budget is $600/month take say $150, or whatever amount you decide, and reallocate that to The Q.  I`m sure your thinking I`m already pinching pennies at the grocery store now you want me to take some of that and buy food storage. Thats right, I do, BECAUSE not only will you be building your food storage but you are also going to be using this in your daily meals.  I`ll tell you more about that in a minute.  So you are going to spend $450 at the grocery store and put $150 to The Q. 

When I talk to people about THRIVE foods the most common question I get is, Come on do you REALLY use this stuff.  The answer....YES, and on a daily basis.  I use dehydrated onions ALL the time, in fact I havent bought fresh onions, except for when I make stroganoff, for years!!!  The fruits I send with my kids in their lunches ALL the time, we use it as a snack, in meals ect.  It has become a part of our groceries. 

For my family of 6, 1 can of corn is not enough but 2 cans is too much.  So I am always throwing away corn.  What a waste of money.  If we looked at how much food we throw away we would be shocked.  I saw a study from Harvard I believe it was and if I remember correctly it said that the average person throws away like 40% from either waste or it going bad.  CRAZY!!!  With THRIVE you use what you need.  There is NO waste.  So you are saving money. 

We also have something called The Q Club.  Click here for more detailed info. Basically what The Q Club is, is for every $1 you spend on The Q you will get 1 point.  When you build your points you can turn them in for specific items or turn it into "cash" and use it for whatever you would like.  There are different levels for The Q Club.  The highest level is platinum.  It has an initial fee of $79.99 and a yearly renewal fee of $19.99.  I have a special that I am able to do right now where I can wave both of those fees for you.  So there will be NO initial fee or a yearly fee....EVER.  How great is that.  Just a few of the benefits of The Q Club is every month we have a Q-pon...haha I know funny hu...We have 1 item that has an extra discount.  April FD strawberries were an additional $4 off/can.  It changes every month.  Occasionally we will have shipping discounts, we will receive gifts.  When we have a new product come out we get it before anyone else can buy it!!  How sweet is that! 

I could go on and on about The Q.  It is such a wonderful program.  I am on it and LOVE it.  If you would like to know more info about The Q feel free to contact me and I can get you some more info!  Or if you want to sign up for The Q let me know.  In order for you to get the best pricing I need to set it up for you.  On The Q you will ALWAYS receive the best price!

What Happens if the Trucks Stop

I found this article from thrivehive.blogspot.com.  Now I am NOT posting this article because my husband is a trucker!  And Honey, PLEASE dont go getting a big head now.  :)  But really this is what could happen if truckers are not able to get their jobs done!

Do you realize how much your everyday life depends on whether or not truckers are able to do their job?  The American Trucking Associations (ATA) put out a report in 2006 about what would happen in the event that trucks became unable to deliver supplies to a given area.  There are many reasons why trucks might be unable to make their deliveries in an emergency, whether it is because of actions by the government halting or limiting truck traffic or the extreme traffic jams and destruction of roads that can occur in a disaster.  Whatever the reason, the potential consequences are alarming.  Below is a timeline from the ATA giving a brief description of those consequences.  For a more in depth look, check out the whole article entitled "When Trucks Stop, America Stops".

"When Trucks Stop, America Stops 

A Timeline Showing the Deterioration of Major Industries Following a Truck Stoppage 

The first 24 hours
• Delivery of medical supplies to the affected area will cease.
• Hospitals will run out of basic supplies such as syringes and catheters within hours. Radiopharmaceuticals will deteriorate and become unusable.
• Service stations will begin to run out of fuel.
• Manufacturers using just-in-time manufacturing will develop component shortages.
• U.S. mail and other package delivery will cease.


Within one day
• Food shortages will begin to develop.
• Automobile fuel availability and delivery will dwindle, leading to skyrocketing prices and long lines at the gas pumps.
• Without manufacturing components and trucks for product delivery, assembly lines will shut down, putting thousands out of work.

Within two to three days
• Food shortages will escalate, especially in the face of hoarding and consumer panic.
• Supplies of essentials—such as bottled water, powdered milk, and canned meat—at major retailers will disappear.
• ATMs will run out of cash and banks will be unable to process transactions.
• Service stations will completely run out of fuel for autos and trucks.
• Garbage will start piling up in urban and suburban areas.
• Container ships will sit idle in ports and rail transport will be disrupted, eventually coming to a standstill.

Within a week
• Automobile travel will cease due to the lack of fuel.  Without autos and busses, many people will not be able to get to work, shop for groceries, or access medical care.
• Hospitals will begin to exhaust oxygen supplies.

Within two weeks
• The nation’s clean water supply will begin to run dry.

Within four weeks
• The nation will exhaust its clean water supply and water will be safe for drinking only after boiling.  As a result gastrointestinal illnesses will increase, further taxing an already weakened health care system.

This timeline presents only the primary effects of a freeze on truck travel.  Secondary effects must be considered as well, such as inability to maintain telecommunications service, reduced law enforcement, increased crime, increased illness and injury, higher death rates, and likely, civil unrest"


I do not share this to scare, but to help prepare.  Some things this reinforced for me are that I need to:
1.  Become knowledgeable about first aid and have a good first aid kit.
2.  Make sure you keep a good stock of necessary medications on hand.  (If this isn't possible you may consider researching survival methods that can be used for people with your particular health issues).
3.  Always keep your gas tanks at least half full.
4.  Keep an adequate amount of food and water storage in an accessible place.  This will save you money, time, grief, gas, stress, etc. in case of emergency.
5.  Keep an ample supply of money in a safe, yet accessible place.
6.  Make sure you have reliable means of water purification.

Ample water supply is a key component of emergency preparedness.  See FEMA's Water Storage Guidelines here.  For additional information about water storage and purification, this article from the National Terror Alert Response Center is helpful.

THRIVE Chicken Pot Pie

The other night I made THRIVE chicken pot pie for dinner.  SOOO delish! 

I have posted a link to the youtube video that Kelsey Nixon made.  Unfortunately I couldnt find part 2.  Part 2 just tells how to roll out the dough, placing 1/2 of the dough in the bottom of your pie plate and then covering the top with dough.  In the video she uses fresh chicken.  You can do that or if you forgot to defrost the chicken or dont have any THRIVE freeze dried chicken will work just as well!  I used the FD chicken.

CHICKEN POT PIE

2 c. THRIVE chicken
1 c. THRIVE carrot dices
1 c. THRIVE green peas
1/2 c. THRIVE celery
1/3 c. butter
1/3 c. THRIVE chopped onion
1/3 c. THRIVE white flour
1/2 tsp THRIVE salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp celery seed
1 3/4 c. THRIVE chicken broth (1 3/4 tsp. THRIVE chicken bouillon + 1 3/4 c. water)
2/3 c. THRIVE instant milk rehydrated (4 Tbs instant milk powder + 2/3 c. water)

PIE CRUST (can use store bought crust or make your own)
4 c. THRIVE 6 grain pancake mix
4 Tbs melted butter
1 1/2 c. THRIVE instant milk rehydrated (9 Tbs instant milk powder + 2/3 c. water)

1- preheat oven to 425 deg

2- In sauce pan combine, chicken, carrots, peas and celery.  Cover w/water and boil for 15 minutes.  Remove from heat, drain and set aside.

3- In saucepan over medium heat, cook onions in better until soft.  Stir in flour, salt, pepper and celery seed.  Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk.  Simmer over medium low heat until thick.  Remove from heat and combine with chicken mixture.

FOR PIE CRUST

1- In lg bowl stir 6 grain pancake mix, butter and milk until soft dough forms.  On well floured (use pancake mix in place of flour) surface, work dough and shape into ball.  Knead 5 times.  Divide dough into 4 equal parts.

2- Gently press 1 part of dough parts into bottom of pie plate and up the sides.  Place 1/2 the chicken and sauce mixture in bottom of pie crust.  Roll out 1 dough ball and place over top and seal edges.  Make several small slits in the top to allow steam to escape.  Assemble 2nd pe with remaining ingredients.

3- Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until dough is golden brown and filling is bubbling.  cool for 10 minutes before serving.

You can cook both pot pies or freeze one for a later time!

Enjoy!

THRIVE 3 Bean Chili

I have decided that I need to start trying more recipes out of my THRIVE cookbook.  So last night I made the Slow cooked 3 bean chili.  As for the slow cooked part not so much!  I typically don't think about dinner until about 5pm when my kids are complaining that they are starving.  So I used THRIVE instant beans so I didnt have to soak them all day and I just put everything on the stove.  Dinner was done in about 15 minutes!  Cant beat that!

SLOW COOKED 3 BEAN CHILI

1/4 c. THRIVE chopped onion
4 cloves garlic minced
1 TBS chili powder
1 TBS cumin
1/4 c. THRIVE tomato powder
4 tsp. THRIVE chicken bouillon
1 can diced tomatoes
1 c. THRIVE instant black beans
1 c. THRIVE instant kidney beans
1 c. THRIVE instant pinto beans
2 cans diced green chiles
4 c. water (more if needs)
3 c. THRIVE ground beef (I used taco TVP)
2 c. THRIVE shredded cheddar cheese (I used fresh)
1/2 c. THRIVE sour cream, prepared

1- In a crock pot (or lg pot) place onion, garlic, chili powder, cumin, tomato powder, chicken bouillon, canned tomatoes, beans, green chiles, water and ground beef.  Stir to combine.

2- Cover and cook on low setting for 7-8 hrs (or until hot on the stove).  Stire in the cheese until melted.

3- ladle the chili into 6 bowls.  If desired top with sour cream and additional cheese.

This is sooo good and my PICKY son actually liked it!  That speaks wonders if he likes it!

Enjoy!

Happy Easter

Happy Easter to you and your family!  May we remember the true meaning of Easter.

Why Food Storage?

You may be thinking, why do I need food storage.  Whats the point?  Why do I need it?  What reason is there to store food?  I am going to talk about just that!  Hopefully you will learn of the value of having food storage. 

Why would you need food storage?  There are several different, yet good/valid reasons to have it.  Some of them are:

• Religious beliefs
• Job loss
• Inflation
• Weather
• Crop Failure
• Natural Disaster

These are only some of the reasons.  There are many more and your reason for storing food will be different from someone else. There are no wrong/bad reasons for having a food storage and being prepared.

My reason for having my food storage started out because of my religious views.  My church from the beginning has told us to build a food storage.  That is why I STARTED and partially why I am still doing it.  I am also doing it for a combination of the other reasons I listed.

With the way the economy is you dont know if you or your spouse could loose your job.  If you and/or your spouse lost your job how would that effect your life?  Will you still have enough money to provide your most basic needs?  Will you be able to  put food on the table?  If you have some food saved you wont have to be as worried as far as that is concerned.  Maybe you dont loose your job but maybe your boss is asking you to take a pay cut.  That hurts.  The more you can do NOW the more it will help you later. 

Prices of food are going up!  I`m not sure about you but that hurts my family.  Even if I just buy 1 extra can of corn today.  Tomorrow it may cost more.  So not only have I saved money but I am also helping to build my food storage.

Weather.  This is a big one.  This past winter I went to the store to get some things for a vacation I was about to go on.  When I got there it was PACKED!  I asked the cashier why it was so busy and she looked at me like I was crazy.  She said we have a snow storm coming.  People want to get food in case they get stuck at home.  The thought did NOT even cross my mind. I have plenty of food at home there was no reason for me to run to the store to get food in case I was stuck at home.  I have what we need.  Say you don't have food storage so you go to the store before the storm hits and you buy food.  The storm comes and it is WAY bigger than they predicted.  Now you are stuck at home for a week.  Did you buy enough food?

Crop failure and weather go hand in hand.  The weather will make or break our crops.  If we have more than normal freezing or a wetter than normal year it can ruin/destroy the crops.  Which then the price of our food is going to rise and you will be paying more at the register. 

Natural Disaster.  There is so much I could say about food storage and a natural disaster.  There are natural disasters happening all around us.  The huge earthquake and tsunami in Japan, the tornados in the USA, and the list could go on and on.  Yes, the Red Cross goes in and helps out people that have been affected my a natural disaster but if you could do your part by preparing your family you would be one less person that would need help. 

Our stores these days do NOT have days worth of food in their stores.  In the event of a natural disaster, or even just a predicted storm, the shelves in the stores will and are empty with in hours.....HOURS!!  Will you have time to make it to the store before the shelves are empty?  Will there be anything left that you and your family can/will eat?

For me, when I think/talk about food storage I also include things you need to live.

• toilet paper
• soap
• personal hygiene items
• laundry soap

You get the picture.  ANYTHING you need to live, you should have stored.  Not only is it there in case of any of the above mentioned reasons but it SUCKS to be doing laundry and realize that you have just run out of soap, or you go to start your dishwasher and you dont have any dish soap left.  Now you have to spend the money on gas, which is crazy expensive, and the time to run to the store.  If you had just stored it and gotten it when it was on sale you would be able to go to your cupboard and grab a new bottle.

Water is also an important thing to store.   If your water supply is cut off or the water is polluted you NEED to have water.  Buy an extra case of bottled water, fill containers of water.  Do something.  You can only go 3 days with out water.  Not only do you need water to drink but you need water to wash your dishes, flush your toilet ect.  It doesn't take much to store water!

I hope this has given you some in site on to why it is a good reason to store food.  It doesn't have to be hundreds of pounds of wheat, all though I do have a few hundred pounds of wheat, just buying an extra can of soup.  Or extra meat when it is on sale.  A little bit here and a little bit there will add up quickly!

Shelf Reliance News Paper Article

In this mornings Daily News they ran an article talking about food storage and food with a long term shelf life.  This article has been running through out the USA for a week or two now.  The only difference with this article is that they used my info for a local contact.  Click here to see the article!