Pumpkin Walnut Breakfast Cake

The ever versatile Thrive 6 Grain Pancake Mix strikes again in this delicious breakfast cake. Spend five minutes putting this recipe together, then pop it in a hot oven before you jump in the shower. It will be ready to serve by the time you're done applying your makeup :)

1-1/2c Thrive 6 Grain Pancake Mix
1c Milk
2/3c Pureed Pumpkin
1/2c Applesauce (or butter, or coconut oil)
1/2c Chopped Walnuts
2T Thrive Whole Egg Powder
2t Ground Cinnamon
1/4t Ground Nutmeg
Dash Ground Cloves

Preheat the oven to 350 and grease a pie plate. Combine all ingredients and mix well. Pour into greased pie plate and bake for 40 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Macaroon Breakfast Rolls

This surprising combination would be perfect served with a nice fruit salad at your next brunch!

1c Warm Milk
1/4c Thrive Brown Sugar
1 Packet Yeast
3c Thrive Flour (White, Whole Wheat or a Combination)
1T Thrive Egg Powder
1/2t Salt
1/2c Butter or Coconut Oil, melted and cooled slightly

Dissolve sugar and yeast in warm water and set aside to proof for 5 minutes. While yeast is proofing, melt the butter or oil and allow to rest on counter. Combine flour, egg powder and salt. Add milk mixutre and oil or butter and stir. When the dough becomes too thick to mix, turn it out onto a floured counter and knead for 5 minutes. Cover with a damp towel to rest. Preheat oven to 350.

2c Thrive Macaroon Cookie Mix
1/4c Hot Water

Combine cookie mix and water and mix well. The mixture should be fairly moist - add additional hot water if necessary. Allow mixture to rest for 5 minutes.

Roll out the dough to make a long rectangle. Spread the macaroon cookie mixture, leaving about 1" dry all the way around the dough. Sprinkle cookie mix with toppings if you would like to - white chocolate chips, cinnamon, chopped nuts or even sprinkles would all be nice additions. Roll dough to make a long round, then slice into 1-1/2" rounds. Place is greased baking dish and bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

And the winner of the Tropical Morning Muffins Giveaway is....MamaKaren!!! Congrats!! I'll be getting in touch with you soon to get you your prize!!

Carrot Cake Oatmeal

Yesterday it was sunny and 90 degrees here in Colorado, and this morning it 45 and blustery! Fall is well on it's way, and that means it's time to break out my favorite fall recipes. Apple pie, pumpkin spice cake, winter squash casseroles and thick, flavorful soups. I prefer to serve a hot breakfast to my family on cold mornings, and this carrot cake oatmeal certainly is delicious!

1T Thrive Carrot Dices
1 1/2c Water, Divided
1/2c Thrive Instant Oats
1T Thrive Instant Milk Powder
1T Brown Sugar
1/2t Cinnamon
1/2t Pumpkin or Apple Pie Spice

Dissolve milk powder in 1 cup cold water and set aside. In a small saucepan, simmer the carrots in 1/2c water for 5 minutes or until tender. Add milk, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon and spices. Simmer for 5 minutes or until oats are tender. Serve piping hot!

Pigs in a Blanket Pie

When I told my daughter we were having this for dinner, she said "Genius, Mom!" Pair it with a fresh fruit salad and you can be a genius, too.

1 1/2c Thrive 6 Grain Pancake Mix
2T Thrive Whole Egg Powder
1c Water
6 Precooked Sausage Links*

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease a pie plate. In a medium sized bowl, combine pancake mix, egg powder and water. Pour into greased pie plate and arrange sausage links on top. Bake for 20 minutes or until cake is golden brown. Serve with warm maple syrup.

* You could easily sub Thrive Sausage Crumbles or Sausage TVP - just rehydrate and mix into the pancake batter before baking.

Overnight Coconut Cinnamon Oatmeal

This one takes a little planning ahead, but it is oh so worth it. Refrigerating the cooked oats overnight allows them to absorb the extra liquids, turning them into large, pillowy soft oats. This recipe will make one bowl that you won't want to share - so if your husband is going to want some, you'd better double it now!

1/2 Thrive Oats
1 1/2c Water
2T Thrive Instant Milk
2T Thrive Macaroon Mix
Cinnamon

Microwave oats and water in medium bowl for 3 minutes. Stir in instant milk and macaroon mix. Refrigerate overnight. Reheat in the morning and garnish with cinnamon.

Hint: this would make a nice gift! Package the dry ingredients in a cute little celophane bag, top it with a pretty ribbon, and include the instructions on a card attached to it. All the recipient will need to add is water.

* To order Thrive Macaroon Mix, click here and fill out the contact form. I'll be in touch with you shortly. Your contact information will not be shared.

Breakfast "Cupcakes"

Told you we'd be making more savory cupcakes soon! Today, breakfast. Simple, quick and delicious.

12 Small Wonton Wrappers (alternative below)
2T Thrive Red & Green Bell Peppers, Rehydrated*
8T Thrive Whole Egg Powder
2T Thrive Ham TVP
1T Thrive Freeze Dried Onions
1 1/4cThrive Instant Milk, Prepared
1/2c Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 12 cup muffin tin and fit one wonton wrapper into each cup. In a medium sized bowl, combine peppers, egg powder, ham, onions and water. Stir well. Pour mixture into wonton cups and top with cheese. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until eggs are set and cheese is melted.

If you don't have wonton wrappers, you can use bread. Remove the crust, then flatten each slice with a rolling pin and fit it into the muffin cup. Toast and eggs in one cute little hand held "cupcake"!

*Rehydrating Thrive Red & Green Bell Peppers: I have found that the best way to rehydrate our peppers is to put them in a small bowl and cover then with water plus one inch. Cover the bowl with a little plastic wrap and microwave them for one minute. Check to see that they are softened; if not, microwave in 30 second increments until they are soft.

French Toast with Blueberry Syrup

There's nothing like breakfast for dinner after a long day! It's quick, easy, and generally pleases everyone in our house. Tonight I decided to do a little something special and make blueberry butter and blueberry syrup to top our french toast - yum.

Blueberry butter is amazingly simple. Mix 2T Thrive Butter Powder with some powder from the bottom of your can of Thrive Freeze Dried Blueberries. No powder? Just crush a few in a zip top bag by smashing them with a mallet or rolling over them with a rolling pin. Add a little bit of honey and 1T water. Stir, adding more water if necessary until you reach a consistency you like. Chill it in the fridge until your french toast is done.

Yes, it really is that purple!

 To make your own blueberry syrup, combine 1/2c Thrive Freeze Dried Blueberries with 1c maple syrup and simmer gently in a saucepan. The berries will rehydrate and soften nicely while you make your french toast. If your family isn't a blueberry fan, feel free to use any of the Thrive berries.

While the syrup warms on the stove, make your french toast:

1c Thrive Instant Milk, prepared
6T Thrive Whole Egg Powder
1t Ground Cinnamon

Mix all ingredients well. If you have a martini shaker, it will make this process much easier. I like to use the Ziploc containers that have a screw on lid. Once your dip is mixed thoroughly, pour it into a shallow dish. Heat a griddle or skillet to medium high heat and grease well. Dip the bread of your choice into the egg mixture, coating each side well, and cook for 4 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Serve topped with blueberry syrup and blueberry butter!

What is your favorite "breakfast for dinner" meal?

What Do You Do With Butter Powder?

Welcome to installment two of "What the Heck Wednesday." Today we are going to take a look at what might be considered a peculiar product: Butter Powder. This stuff wasn't quite as puzzling as the Whole Egg Powder, but it still seemed a little odd. It's powdered, and it's butter, and it's in a can. Really.

The first thing you will notice upon opening your can of Butter Powder is that it actually smells really yummy - like butter (woah). It has a nice soft texture to it and measures easily. How often are you cleaning up butter smears off your kitchen counters after slicing, melting, softening, creaming and blending butter? With Butter Powder, you don't have to worry about those messes anymore. Just measure out the amount you need and mix it into your recipe. Butter Powder works perfectly with casseroles, cakes, muffins, cupcakes and soups. It can be sprinkled directly on your freshly popped popcorn, roasted veggies and braised chicken. You can also use it like you would regular butter - just mix it with water to your desired consistency and chill before spreading on the toast/muffin/corn cob of your choice.

Butter Powder also allows you to be super creative! Instead of (or in addition to) water, try mixing your Butter Powder with honey, agave nectar, flavored extracts, jelly or peanut butter. Blend it with Whole Egg Powder and milk for the richest french toast dip you have ever tasted. Add in a little powder from the bottom of any Thrive fruit cans for a fabulous flavor and color - strawberry powder makes for an amazing flavor and looks beautiful on cornbread or muffins, blueberry would be an excellent addition to a big stack of Blueberry Pancakes.

What is your favorite way to use Butter Powder?

Gooseberry Cobbler with Strawberries and Crumble Topping

A couple of days ago we visited the Happy Apple Farm down in Penrose, CO, and picked about three pounds of gooseberries. I haven't had them since I was a kid, and eating berries right off the bush brought back some great memories of playing at our family cabin where gooseberries grow wild in the forest. They are sour little things, but oh so yummy and they cook up perfectly sweet with a little bit of sugar and some Thrive freeze dried strawberries!

 

Unbaked Cobbler

For Filling:
1c Thrive Freeze Dried Strawberries
3c Fresh Gooseberries, washed with stems removed
1/3c Thrive White Sugar
1/4c Water

For Crust:
1/2c Butter, melted
1c Thrive Whole Wheat Flour
1c Thrive White Sugar
1c Milk (fresh or Thrive Instant Milk, prepared)
1/8t Salt
2t Baking Powder

For Topping:
3T Thrive Whole Wheat Flour
3T Thrive Brown Sugar
1/4c Thrive Oats
3T Butter, softened
1/4c Pecan Pieces (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium sauce pan, combine gooseberries, strawberries, sugar and water. Simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until berries start to break down, about 10 minutes. Mash mixture slightly with a fork, then turn off heat and set aside.

While the berry mixture is cooking, make the crust layer. Pour melted butter into a 9" pie plate. Combine flour, sugar, milk, salt and baking powder and pour on top of butter. Do no stir.

To make the topping, combine flour, brown sugar, oats, butter and pecan pieces until a crumbly mixture forms.

Once berry filling is done, pour on top of crust mixture. Do not stir. Top with crumble mixture and bake at 400 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until topping is golden brown. Serve warm. For extra deliciousness, top with vanilla ice cream or a nice dollop of Cool Whip.

Blueberry Pancakes

2c Thrive Six Grain Pancake Mix
1c Thrive Freeze Dried Blueberries
1 1/4c water

Combine the pancake mix, berries and water. Stir gently until well combined, then let rest for 10 minutes. This will allow the berries to rehydrate nicely. After 10 minutes, stir the batter a little to check the consistency - it should be on the thin side but not runny. These pancakes cook up so thick and fluffy that the batter needs to be slightly thin, otherwise you'll end up with pancakes that are beautifully browned on the outside but raw on the inside. Use a small ladle to portion out the batter onto your griddle or skillet and cook them over medium high heat, flipping after the edges look a little dry.

I used a 1/4c size ladle and got 9 pancakes from this batch. They have such a nice flavor that I personally don't like mine drenched in syrup - I just put a light layer of butter on top. Other topping ideas: peanut butter, powdered sugar, brown sugar and cinnamon, or a few rehydrated blueberries.