Thanksgiving Dinner Menu

Congrats to the winners of my giveaway! Leah, Allison, and Marci each won a pantry can of the limited edition THRIVE Holiday Hot Cocoa Mix! Thank you to everyone who participated. I truly appreciate your support. Don't forget to like my Facebook page and participate in Project Preparedness as we get ready for Black Friday! Pre-Order forms are now available!!

What is on the menu for your Thanksgiving dinner?

Will you be using THRIVE foods in your recipes?

Here's what I will be making for Turkey Day:

CROCK-POT TURKEY

We're only feeding 4 adults, so I don't need a huge bird. Instead, I'm adapting ideas from two different recipes (Gaining Mommymentum and Carrie This Home) to make a small turkey breast in the crock pot.

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Turkey breast (bone-in, about 6-7 lbs)

Apple, sliced

Onion, cut into wedges

1 packet dry onion soup mix

3 Tbsp butter

Fill turkey breast cavity with apple slices and onion wedges.  Rub the turkey with dry onion soup mix. Place in greased slow cooker (breast side up). Cut butter into 3 pieces and place on top of turkey. Cover and cook on low 7-8 hours, or until internal temp reaches 175-180 degrees. I've heard that the meat just slides right off the bones.  :) I'll use the drippings to make gravy too.

STUFFING

I tried Pioneer Woman's recipe a couple years ago and I'm never ever going back to the boxed variety again!

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1 whole pan of cornbread (can make with THRIVE ingredients!)

1 loaf French bread

1 stick butter

1 whole medium onion, diced 1 cup THRIVE Freeze-Dried Onion, rehydrated

2 cups celery, chopped 2 cups THRIVE Freeze-Dried celery, rehydrated

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp thyme

2-3 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped 1/4 cup THRIVE Freeze-Dried Parsley

Salt to taste

Cut up the breads into small pieces and dry on baking sheets for 24 hours. In large skillet, melt butter over medium heat and cook onions and celery until translucent. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Stir in seasonings. Mix bread crumbs in a large bowl and ladle broth mixture in, tossing lightly and adding seasonings as you go. Bake in a baking dish at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

CRANBERRY-POMEGRANATE SAUCE

Again, Pioneer Woman stole my heart. I love anything with pomegranate in it!

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1 bag (12-16 oz) fresh cranberries 1 1/2 cups THRIVE Freeze-Dried Cranberries

16 fluid ounces pomegranate juice

3/4 cups sugar, more or less to taste

Combine and cook over medium-low for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool in the fridge (it will thicken up).

SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE

I can never decide what kind of topping I want on my sweet potato casserole, so I decided to use this fun idea from Cooking Classy, but I'm trying out a different recipe from Center Cut Cook.

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2 1/2 cups cooked, mashed sweet potato

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg, beaten 1 THRIVE Whole Egg, reconstituted

3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 Tbsp flour

1/4 cup finely chopped pecans

1 1/2 Tbsp butter, melted

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

mini marshmallows

Whip together sweet potatoes, granulated sugar, 1/4 tsp salt, 3/4 tsp vanilla extract, egg, and 3 Tbsp melted butter until light and fluffy. Bake in greased 9x9 casserole dish at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Combine brown sugar, flour, pecans, 1 1/2 Tbsp melted butter, and 1/4 tsp vanilla extract. Sprinkle crust over casserole, alternating rows with marshmallows. Bake another 10-15 minutes until crust is lightly browned and marshmallows are melted.

PUMPKIN CAKE

I don't like pie. I know, y'all think I'm crazy. But a few years ago, I tried this pumpkin cake and my Thanksgiving dessert woes were over. I got the recipe from my awesome friend Meg Meadows (shared with her permission).

1 yellow cake mix (minus 1 cup for later)

1 egg 1 THRIVE Whole Egg, reconstituted

1/2 cup melted butter

Mix and spread in 9x13 pan.

15 oz can pumpkin

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/4 tsp salt

2 eggs 2 THRIVE Whole Eggs, reconstituted

3/4 cup evaporated milk

1 tsp vanilla

Mix and pour over the crust.

1 cup cake mix

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup cold butter, cut into small pieces

Stir together the cake mix, cinnamon, and sugar. Cut in the butter. Crumble over the top of the cake mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.

I will probably mix up some Orchard Apple Drink Mix and bake up some crescent rolls, too.

Pre-Order THRIVE Black Friday Deals NOW!

Now Accepting Pre-Orders

I promised, and here it is! The AMAZING deals coming up from Thrive Life over the Black Friday weekend: deep discounts on all of their most popular food rotation systems and about 20 emergency prep items. Plus, every single THRIVE food item will be on sale for its lowest price of the year! These deals start on Friday, November 29th at midnight MDT and run through Monday, December 2nd at 11:59 pm MDT. But I am giving you the opportunity to pre-order now!

(Click on the image to download it. Fill it out, save it, and then email it back to me!)

Once I get your email, I will call you for your credit card information. Then you can enjoy your holiday and I will place the order for you early Friday morning (as close to midnight as possible). You can get your order taken care of before the holiday fun begins AND you will have a much better chance of getting all your favorite items before they sell out!

How To Get the Best Deals

This sale is amazing, but how do you decide what to buy? Here are some tips that will help you take advantage of the best deals of the Black Friday sale.

You want to make sure that you are buying those items that your family will actually use and enjoy. Use the order form to help you find those items. Every single item has a discount listed next to it that is color coded. Find those items that are 40% off or more and purchase your favorites or things you know your family will use. Then move on to the items that are 30-40% off, and then look at the ones that are 15-30% off. Just remember that every single THRIVE food item is on sale for its lowest price of the year. So if you want a particular item in your home store, now is the time to stock up!

Here are some of my favorite items that will be on sale this year:

     

Enjoy More With Project Preparedness

Don't forget to share this deal with family and friends! As part of Project Preparedness, you can earn extra FREE and half-off product just by telling others. Plus, they can get the same deal if they share with others! Forward my blog post to friends and family. Be sure they tell me that you referred them! Also, for every referral I receive, I will donate $2 to relief aid in the Philippines.

Don;t forget that today is the last day to enter my giveaway for a pantry can of the limited edition Holiday Hot Cocoa! Go here to get details and enter the giveaway.

As always, please email me (vhenry.thriveu@gmail.com) or call me (801-842-2009) if you have any questions.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Click here to download the pre-order form!

Here's a flyer highlighting some GREAT Black Friday deals.

(click on the images to download and print)

You can also preview all the Black Friday Specials at

vhenry.thrivelife.com/blackfriday

but the prices won't be active until Friday morning.

THRIVE Life Black Friday Sneak Preview!

It's almost here! The THRIVE Life Black Friday Sale is the best time to stock up on what your family loves and needs. Here is a sneak peek of some of the items that will be on sale on Black Friday:

And that is just the beginning! Every single THRIVE food will be on sale and there are many more deeply discounted emergency prep supplies and food rotation systems available as well!

Sign up for my newsletter and pre-order before the sale starts! Everyone on my mailing list will get an email early next week with all the sale details and will have the opportunity to place an order with me before Thanksgiving. Then you can enjoy your holiday and I will place the order for you early Friday morning (as close to midnight as possible). You can get your order taken care of before the holiday fun begins AND you will have a much better chance of getting all your favorite items before they sell out!

Just take a second to sign up right here:

Email Address

First Name

Last Name

Remember:
I'm also offering a some great benefits to anyone willing to help spread the word as part of "Project Preparedness!" Check it out here and let me know if you want to participate.

I'm also giving away a pantry can of Holiday Hot Cocoa to three people! Go here to enter the giveaway!

3 Month Celebration and Giveaway!

I have been a THRIVE Life consultant for THREE months!

To celebrate, I'm having a "party" with 3 exciting launches!

A giveaway on my blog

A new Facebook page

A new preparedness project
I hope you will join me!!

It seems like I have been a consultant for more than three months. Thanks to all of you and your support, I have grown and learned so much more than I would have thought possible in such a short period of time. So THANK YOU!! To show my gratitude, I'm giving away a pantry can of the new limited edition Holiday THRIVE Hot Cocoa Mix to THREE people!

This is my new favorite THRIVE product. It is the BEST hot chocolate and three people are going to win a can from me!

You have 3 ways to enter. You get one entry for each:
1. Sign up to follow my blog. Submit your email address in the box in the upper right, or add http://thriveu.blogspot.com/ to your Blog Reader.
2. "Like" my page on Facebook. Click here!
3. Subscribe to my newsletter. Click here! Each month I send out 2-3 emails with helpful tips, free printables, and deals.

Want extra entries?
1. Email 3 people about this giveaway and/or my blog.
2. Host a class with me and I will give you 3 more entries! Contact me to schedule.

Giveaway open from 11-20-2013 to 11:59 pm CST on 11-26-2013. Winners will be announced on Wednesday, November 27.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Physical Fitness

My family participated in a 5K this morning organized and hosted by my husband's company.

#weloveusaa

We walked a 3.1 mile circuit around the USAA campus. The air was brisk and cool, but not freezing. We pushed the boys in our double stroller and enjoyed the scenery.

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At about the two and a half mile mark I began to feel tired and started slowing down. Walking/running/hiking has never been my thing, but I can handle short distances. I started thinking about what a luxury it is to be able to drive everywhere.

How far is it to your nearest gas station, grocery store, pharmacy, or hospital? We have a gas station right around the corner from us, only about half a mile. We also live really close to a hub of hospitals called the Medical Center, so we have a choice of three major hospitals and two major pharmacies only about 2 1/2 miles away. Our grocery store is also about 2 1/2 miles away from our home.

If I didn't have use of my car, I could probably handle walking those distances to get to those important places. But what if the distance were farther? Or what if, in an extreme emergency, I had to carry my 72 hour kit on my back and/or carry my baby?

The 5K this morning reminded me that I need to do more cardio and get in better shape. Part of being prepared means being physically fit enough to handle any situation.