Frosted Marshmallow Brownies

‘Tis the season for all those summer get-togethers and family reunions.  Running out of ideas for what to take? 

Whether you say “dish to pass” or “potluck”, sometimes it’s just hard to come up with something yummy and easy.  Here is a great idea we shared last summer.

And who can resist a recipe post that starts out with Captain Jack Sparrow?  Savvy?

 

 Yesterday, my kids asked for “you know, those marshmallow brownie things we used to make all the time” and I was like…

jack sparrow brownies

Seriously, I had completely forgotten.  It’s been years!

It’s a recipe out of my husband’s family’s cookbook.  The original recipe has a scratch brownie, but when I’ve got Thrive Life Brownie Mix lying around, why not use it?  It’s a “just add water” mix so I love that.  But you can use your favorite store mix or your favorite basic brownie recipe!  The fun part comes in what you put on top!

Frosted Marshmallow Brownies
Yields 16
A quick and easy brownie makeover!
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Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
35 min
Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
35 min
Ingredients
  1. 3 3/4 c. THRIVE Fudge Brownie Mix
  2. 1/2 c. hot water
  3. 2 c. mini marshmallows
Frosting
  1. 1/4 c. butter, softened
  2. 1/3 c. unsweetened cocoa
  3. 2/3 c. powdered sugar (approximately)
  4. 1/4 c. milk
  5. 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Add the hot water to the brownie mix in a medium bowl. Stir just until the mix is fully moistened. Allow to sit for 5 minutes. (If not using Thrive mix, just prepare your favorite box mix or brownie recipe as directed.)
  3. Spread brownie batter into a greased 9x9-inch baking pan. Bake for about 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out almost completely clean.
  4. Turn off the oven, pour the marshmallows out in an even layer on top of the brownies, and return the pan to the oven for 3-5 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool.
  5. Mix the frosting ingredients together, adding more powdered sugar if necessary to make the frosting spreadable. Spread the frosting over the cooled marshmallow layer. Cut into squares and enjoy!
Mormon Mavens https://www.mormonmavens.com/

Best Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever

 

I. Can’t. Even.  How many chocolate chip recipes are there in the world?  I have no idea.

The best ones I had ever had, UNTIL NOW, were from The Cookie Place in Rexburg, Idaho.  Seriously.  Four big cookies in a box for $12, but so dang worth it!

Then one day I was making chocolate chip cookies with Thrive’s Classic Cookie Dough Mix and my husband said add pecans. So I did.  And then he asked “What’s Thrive Macaroon Cookie Mix?”  And I said that it was a little piece of coconut heaven, so we added that as well.

The results were simply life changing.  Enough said.  Try them for yourself. You’re welcome.

 

Ingredients:

3 1/3 cups Thrive Classic Cookie Dough mix

2 sticks of butter (1 cup), softened

1/4 cup Thrive Macaroon Cookie Mix

1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup chopped pecans

3 T. water

 

  1. Preheat oven on convection bake to 325 degrees F., or regular bake at 350 degrees.
  2. Place the butter in a stand mixer and mix until creamy.
  3. Add in the cookie mixes, semisweet chocolate chips, pecans, and water.  Mix until well combined.
  4. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper and drop cookie dough on each.  I used a medium cookie scoop and got about 13 cookies on each sheet.
  5. Bake on convection for about 12 minutes–we like our cookies a little softer so 12 minutes worked for us.

 

Source: Thrive Classic Cookie Dough Mix recipe on can with my variations.

Quick Bean Dip

 

 

It was one of those nights when I needed a really quick meal because it had been a busy day of Body Pump, Yoga, a couple of errands–one out of town–finishing up the mowing, paying bills, updating files…  Oh sorry.  I guess you didn’t need all those details, but you get my point.

I just wanted to relax and not have to go out to eat (yes I really said that) or spend a lot of time in the kitchen.

Have you tried any of the Delimex Taquitos? They used to be a good back-up entree back when the girls were little, before we were all freaking out about processed foods, and when we lived in a predominantly Hispanic city and anything Mexican was where we went.

Usually I just put these guys in a baking dish, sprinkle grated Mexican cheese blend on them and top them with green enchilada sauce.  Pop them in the oven for 14 minutes and there you go. 

Today I just wanted them a little crunchier so I actually followed the directions on the box and laid them out on a cookie sheet NAKED (the taquitos not the cook!) and baked them.  Well of course I would need some kind of sauce or dip, so I whipped up (literally in like 4 or 5 minutes) a small batch of Thrive Refried Beans, added sour cream, the shredded Mexican blend cheese and some spicy, tasty salsa.

SCORE!!

Quick Bean Dip
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Ingredients
  1. 1 3/4 c. Thrive Instant Refried Beans
  2. 1 c. water (I added about 2 T. to thin them out a little)
  3. 1/4 c. sour cream
  4. 1/3 c. shredded Mexican Blend cheese
  5. 2-3 T. Herdez Guacamole Salsa
  6. salt to taste
Instructions
  1. Whisk water into beans in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat for about 3-4 minutes.
  2. Add sour cream, cheese, and salsa and stir to combine.
  3. You're done!
  4. Serve with taquitos or tostadas, whatever your little heart desires.
Mormon Mavens https://www.mormonmavens.com/

Chicken Noodle Soup

 

I used to love volunteering at my girls’ elementary schools.  Yes plural on schools.  They went to two different ones because we moved in the middle of those years.

One of my favorite places to volunteer was in the school library.  All those books!  And the librarian at their second school became a good friend–before working in the library she was one daughter’s 2nd grade teacher.  She was amazing.

Anyway, one aspect of volunteering in the library was working the Scholastic Book Fairs and, since I had been a bank teller for several years in my single days, I usually worked “register” and did the deposit at the end of the fair.

Why am I telling you all of this?  Well, when you work at the book fairs you have early access to the books on sale and I would always check them out to see if their were any books that appealed to me.  Cookbooks were a favorite and I still have one called “Rise and Dine America”, full of Bed & Breakfast recipes from across the country.  Perhaps I will share a few at some point.  

Today’s recipe comes from one of those book fair cookbooks, entitled “Is it Soup Yet?”   I haven’t tried very many of these soups but this happens to be the very first recipe in the book and we really like it.  I actually have substituted Thrive Foods for several of the ingredients, and have noted that in the recipe.

It’s Fall y’all, and at some point–not right now because in the South we are still pretty darn warm–you are going to be craving some good old comfort food and that will include soups and stews, so get ready!

Chicken Noodle Soup
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Ingredients
  1. 3 lb. fryer
  2. 3 bay leaves
  3. 6 peppercorns
  4. 7 stalks of celery (I used 3 stalks, then 2 cups of sliced Thrive celery, cut up)
  5. 2 cups chicken broth (I used Thrive Chicken Bouillion)
  6. 1 large onion minced (1.5 cups Thrive Chopped Onion)
  7. 3 carrots, julienne sliced
  8. 1 T. dried parsley (Thrive)
  9. 1/2 lb. thin egg noodles (Thrive)
  10. 1 (10 oz.) package frozen peas (Thrive)
  11. 3 t. salt (Thrive)
  12. 1 t. ground white pepper
  13. 1 t. of your favorite all-purpose seasoning
Instructions
  1. Remove the neck and gizzard pack from the cavity of the chicken.
  2. Place the chicken into a 6 quart stock pot and cover with water. Add the bay leaves, peppercorns and 3 stalks of celery, broken in half.
  3. Cook over high heat until the water comes to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour or until the chicken falls off the bone.
  4. Remove the chicken to cool and strain the broth.
  5. Return the liquid to the pot, then add 2 cups of chicken broth, minced onion, 4 stalks of celery minced or Thrive celery slices cut up, carrots, dried parsley, and egg noodles. Cook over high heat until the noodles are soft.
  6. Chop the chicken into bite size pieces and add along with the peas to the broth.
  7. Season with salt, white pepper and other seasoning of choice.
  8. Cook for approximately 10 minutes or until the peas are heated through.
Notes
  1. Original recipe calls for Accent seasoning but I did not include that. I had a packet of Thrive seasoning left from something else and wanted to use it instead. I believe that Accent actually contains MSG, so no.
Adapted from Is It Soup Yet?
Adapted from Is It Soup Yet?
Mormon Mavens https://www.mormonmavens.com/

Pesto Grilled Cheese


Pesto Grilled Cheese. <sigh>

So my son came back from a recent trip to visit his girlfriend in Utah, and mentioned that he’d had a grilled cheese with pesto. 

“Mom, can we make pesto?”

Duh.  Thrive Life has freeze dried basil, and why have I not tried that before and why am I drooling right now typing this?

Cuz I stinkin’ love basil, that’s why.

So, shaking my head in wonder as to why I’d never thought to make homemade pesto before, I pulled out my phone and searched the Thrive Life recipe site because I just knew our Chef Todd had a recipe for it.  He did.  Yay! 

I told my son he could make it.  (You gotta make them do the things, right?)

IT. WAS. AMAZING.

So of course, I have to share it with you!  The pesto is exactly the same as Chef Todd’s recipe, we just smeared it on our grilled cheese.  We’ve used Gouda, Provolone, Cheddar, and Colby Jack so far.  My fave is Cheddar.  Experiment with your fave cheeses and let me know which turned out best for you!

Pesto Grilled Cheese
Serves 4
This is by far my favorite way to eat a grilled cheese sandwich! If you love pesto.....well, you're welcome.
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Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
5 min
Total Time
10 min
Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
5 min
Total Time
10 min
Ingredients
  1. 1/4 c. pine nuts
  2. 1/4 c. Grated Parmesan Cheese
  3. 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
  4. 2 tbsp. water
  5. 1/4 c. THRIVE Basil
  6. 1 tbsp. THRIVE Parsley
  7. 1/4 tsp. Salt, Table
  8. 1/8 tsp. THRIVE Peppercorn
  9. 1/4 c. really good olive oil
  10. The Sandwich
  11. 8 sli. bread of your choice
  12. 16 sli. cheese of your choice (thin sliced is what we used)
  13. 8 tbsp. butter
Instructions
  1. Using a food processor, pulse together the pine nuts, parmesan, and garlic until well-combined. Add in water, herbs, and salt & peppercorn and pulse again until combined.
  2. Add in the olive oil slowly through the chute while the processor is running. Once combined, remove pesto to a bowl and stir by hand to incorporate all the oil.
  3. Heat a griddle or skillet to medium heat.
  4. Butter one side of each slice of bread. Have your pesto and cheese slices at the ready.
  5. When cook surface is at temperature, place one slice of bread (butter side down) on the griddle, add 2 slices of cheese and spread a heaping tablespoon of pesto over the cheese. Top with a slice of bread, butter side up.
  6. Cook on both sides until golden brown. Enjoy!
Notes
  1. Make up the pesto and keep it in the fridge. Then you can have a pesto grilled cheese anytime you want!
  2. I like my pesto with just a little more salt than Chef Todd's recipe. Adjust according to your tastes.
  3. We've tried Cheddar, Colby Jack, Gouda, and Provolone in these. I think Cheddar is my favorite!
  4. We actually used our George Foreman grill for this at home. An advantage to using this, if you have one, is that you can use much thicker bread and it will compress. We were able to use up some thick sandwich rolls this way!
  5. Really good olive oil? I use a Picual from Beaufort Olive Oil Company. It makes a difference, in my opinion. But use what you have.
Mormon Mavens https://www.mormonmavens.com/

Sticky-Buns in Cast Iron

sticky buns in cast iron

Buns of Iron?

Okay, that was pretty lame.  But I couldn’t help it.

I’ve never made sticky buns before but when I saw a recipe making them in a cast iron skillet I knew I had to try it.  I love my cast iron cookware and use it all the time.  I especially love finding recipes where I can bake with it.

I followed the original recipe directions and made 9 large buns, but next time I will make smaller ones.  I think the sticky-to-bun ratio is better that way.  I also used my Thrive Life Country White Dough Mix for the bread.  Use any basic bread dough recipe you like.  Or maybe you love the frozen roll dough!  That’s even easier than using a mix.  Whatever works for you!  My dough mix recipe is for one loaf’s worth of dough.

I used a 9″ square cast iron skillet (my grandmother’s).  So to make it mathematically easy, I’ll divide the dough into 16 equal pieces and do a 4×4 arrangement.

Do you like cast iron?  If so, what’s your favorite piece?

Sticky Buns in Cast Iron
Bread, butter, sugar.....like seriously....do I need to say more?
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Prep Time
1 hr 20 min
Cook Time
25 min
Prep Time
1 hr 20 min
Cook Time
25 min
Ingredients
  1. The Bun Dough
  2. 1 c. warm water
  3. 2 tbsp. warm water
  4. 2 1/4 tsp. Active Dry Baker's Yeast
  5. 2 tbsp. honey
  6. 3 3/4 c. THRIVE Country White Dough Mix
  7. The Sticky Stuff
  8. 1/2 c. butter, softened
  9. 1/2 c. brown sugar
  10. 1 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
  11. 3 tbsp. honey
  12. 1 pn. salt
  13. 1/4 c. pecan halves
Instructions
  1. Prep the Dough
  2. Add the water, yeast, and honey to the bowl of a stand mixer equipped with the dough hook. Slowly add in the dough mix. Once it's all incorporated, knead in mixer for about 5 minutes.
  3. Spray a medium bowl with cooking spray. Form the dough into a ball and place in the bowl, turning to coat it with the cooking spray. Cover and allow to rise for about 40 minutes.
  4. When dough has doubled in size, punch it down and divide it into 9 pieces (or 16 as mentioned in the description). Set aside while you prep the sticky stuff.
  5. Prep the Sticky Stuff
  6. Combine all but the pecans in a medium bowl and stir well to combine everything.
  7. Spread this onto the bottom and up the sides of the cast iron skillet.
  8. Place the pecan halves evenly over the sticky stuff. (If you want it to be pretty, make sure you have the flatter side of the pecan facing up.)
  9. Dough + Sticky Stuff
  10. Take the dough pieces and roll into balls. Place these evenly over the sticky stuff. Cover and allow to rise about 30 minutes.
  11. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  12. Bake the skillet, uncovered, for 20-30 minutes or until rolls are golden and dough is cooked through. Allow to sit for 15 minutes once you remove it from the oven.
  13. Place a large plate upside-down over the skillet and carefully flip so that the rolls release onto the plate. Enjoy!
Notes
  1. Makes 9 large rolls, but you could make smaller rolls. I would make 16 for my square skillet.
Adapted from Rie McClenny
Adapted from Rie McClenny
Mormon Mavens https://www.mormonmavens.com/

Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole

 

It was one of those days when I felt the urge to serve breakfast for supper.  

And so I did.  

Fortunately, I was watching Pioneer Woman while ironing a million white shirts earlier in the day and she was preparing a brunch which looked mighty delicious. I went to the Food Network site and found her show…and this recipe.

Now, she was prepping for a brunch with friends for “the next day” and so she put the recipe together, covered it, and then put it in the fridge overnight.  I didn’t do that, but I did have it in the fridge for about 4 or 5 hours, so it still worked.

It was delicious and it is gone now.  We ate it up pretty quickly.

 

Due to technical difficulties today, we are using the older format for our recipe.  

 

Ingredients:

1 16-oz. bag frozen tater tots
Butter for your baking dish
1 T. olive oil
1 lb. spicy bulk breakfast sausage (I used 1 cup Thrive)
1 medium onion, finely diced (who wants to do that?  I used Thrive)
1 cup milk
1/2 cup half-and-half
1/4 t. seasoned salt
1/4 t. cayenne 
4 large eggs
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
1 green bell pepper, finely diced
2 cups grated Cheddar cheese (I used Mexican blend, on hand)
1 cup grated pepper jack cheese (I used regular jack, on hand)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

  1.  Line up the tater tots in a buttered 9 x 13 baking dish.
  2. Add the olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the sausage and onion and cook, breaking the sausage up with a wooden spoon , until browned and cooked through, 8-10 minutes. OR…do what I did and use Thrive foods.  Scoop 2 cups of Sausage Crumbles and about 1/4 cup of already refreshed Thrive chopped onion.  Toast up for a few minutes–seriously, like 4 minutes– in the olive oil.
  3. Set meat aside and let cool a little, then sprinkle over tots.
  4. In a large bowl, mix the milk, half-and-half, seasoned salt, cayenne, eggs, bell peppers and half of each cheese and salt and pepper to taste.  Pour over the tots/sausage mixture, then top with the rest of the cheeses.  Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight or until you need to cook it.
  5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  6. Bake, covered, for about 25 minutes.  Remove foil and continue to bake until the cheese is brown and bubbly and the casserole is cooked through–about 20-35 minutes.
  7. Cut into squares and serve with sliced tomatoes, grapes or other appropriate sides.

 

SOURCE:  Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman on FoodNetwork.

 

 

Bagel Quiches

bagel quicheIt’s a new look for bagels…and quiches!

If you’re bored with the same-old, same-old for breakfast, give this a shot.  We’re always using Thrive Life ingredients in our home, but you could easily sub your own ingredients; Thrive Life just makes prep easier. 

Try some different combinations of flavors!  I think a Caprese combo would be great, and it’s next on my list to try:  basil, tomato dices, and mozzarella!

 

Bagel Quiches
Serves 1
Quiche in a bagel!
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Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
25 min
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
25 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 bagel, sliced in half
  2. 2 eggs
  3. 1 pn. salt and pepper to taste
  4. 2 tbsp. THRIVE Red Bell Peppers - Freeze Dried
  5. 2 tbsp. THRIVE Mushroom Pieces - Freeze Dried
  6. 2 tbsp. THRIVE Shredded Cheddar Cheese - Freeze Dried
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Measure out your Thrive Life veggies/cheeses/meats and place them in a small container with a tight-fitting lid. Add in about a Tablespoon of water and close the lid. Toss every couple of minutes to refresh the ingredients while you prep the other items. (If using non-freeze dried, prep and chop ingredients and set aside.)
  3. Cut a trench into each bagel half by cutting about 1/4" away from the outside edge and the inside hole. Use your fingers to carefully remove the bagel bread from between the cuts; again, being careful not to tear all the way through the bottom.
  4. Cradle each bagel half in foil and place on a baking sheet.
  5. Whisk the eggs in a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Add in the salt and pepper while whisking. Pour enough of the egg into each bagel half to cover the bottom of the trench.
  6. Drain the container with the Thrive Life veggies/cheeses/meats if needed. Using your fingers, sprinkle these ingredients over the egg in your bagel halves. Add more whisked egg over top but do not overfill the bagel (just fill to the top).
  7. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until egg is set (25 minutes in my oven at home). Serve!
Notes
  1. Depending on the size of your bagel, you will use anywhere from 4-8 Tablespoons of Thrive Life ingredients (or your non-freeze dried ingredients).
  2. Try adding Thrive Life's Chef Choice Seasoning or our delicious freeze dried herbs (or whatever herbs you have on hand)!
  3. Use any combo of ingredients you like.
  4. Could be a great way to use up those leftover veggies from dinner!
  5. I used presliced bagels, but would have preferred bakery bagels that are unsliced. Too often, presliced bagels are uneven--the top is thinner than the bottom. Still, it worked. 🙂
  6. You can also use our Thrive's Scrambled Egg Mix! It comes in handy if you're out of eggs, and I promise it is delicious. Even my pickiest eater eats it!
Adapted from Recipe Girl
Adapted from Recipe Girl
Mormon Mavens https://www.mormonmavens.com/

Frittata in a Flash

 

Well this just happened–Frittata in a Flash!  I am visiting in my sister’s home for a few days and today I was put in charge of throwing together some lunch.  We were trying for something kind of Keto and kind of Abs Diet-y and I thought this would do well.  I think it is totally Keto, by the way.  Keto aficionados, please let me know if I am wrong.

So, I just kind of threw this together.  Someone wanted omelettes and this was just quicker since there were 5 of us eating and it was a busy day of errands, odd jobs around the house, and homeschooling.  A huge time-saver was using Thrive freeze-dried vegetables

This was a big hit!  And super easy.

Frittata in a Flash
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Ingredients
  1. 10 eggs,
  2. Turkey sausage (about 1/4 or so of a bulk package)
  3. 2 Roma Tomatoes, chopped
  4. 1/2 cup Thrive freeze-dried asparagus
  5. 1/4 cup Thrive freeze-dried green onions
  6. 2 T. sour cream
  7. 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (shred your own from a brick of cheese)
  8. Salt and pepper to taste
  9. Olive oil or spray
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Refresh the asparagus and onions in a little bit of water in a container with a lid. Shake a few times while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. Drain off excess water before adding to the sausage.
  3. Spray a large oven-proof skillet with olive oil spray and heat on medium-high heat.
  4. Add the turkey sausage and brown it as you chop it into small pieces.
  5. Add the tomatoes, onions, and asparagus and saute for a few minutes to bring out the flavor. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  6. Whisk the eggs to blend well, adding sour cream and cheese. Pour egg mixture into skillet and stir to incorporate the vegetables and sausage.
  7. Cook for a few minutes and then reduce to medium and cook until almost firm. Check the bottom of the frittata to make sure you aren't over browning it, since you will be putting it in the oven.
  8. Put the skillet in the oven for about 8 minutes to complete the cooking.
  9. You're done! Eat it!
Notes
  1. An afterthought: mushrooms would have been a great addition!
Mormon Mavens https://www.mormonmavens.com/

Sweet Orange-Berry Butter

sweet-orange-berry-butter

 

Don’t you just love Our Best Bites ? I followed them for several years and then stopped and now I am ready to follow again–I have missed those girls.  A few years back I printed off this recipe so that I could substitute some THRIVE freeze-dried fruit and thereby find even more ways to use this great stuff! So here you go–and just so you know, the original recipe is a different color.  It all depends on how you use your fruit.  It’s delicious either way.  Be sure and try this on those Banana Bread Paleo Muffins from last week’s post!  Pretty tasty.

Sweet Orange-Berry Butter
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Ingredients
  1. 1 c. real butter, at room temperature
  2. 3 T. honey
  3. 2 T powdered sugar
  4. 1 or 2 drops of Wild Orange Essential oil *
  5. 1/4 to 1/2 c. freeze-dried berries (I used strawberries/blueberries/raspberries)
Instructions
  1. Place all the ingredients in a food processor and whip until creamy and lovely.
  2. Serve at room temperature on just about any kind of sweet bread, muffin, etc.
Notes
  1. * A story--so I whipped up my berry butter and tasted it and thought "Okay, that's pretty good." Then I was looking over my recipe and realized I had left out the orange zest--and my oranges were sitting right over there on my kitchen island! I had already put my processor in the sink, so I got out my Wild Orange Essential Oil and added a couple of drops to the spread and stirred it up really well. Oh my goodness! That orange really sets this off. DO NOT FORGET TO DO IT!!
Adapted from Our Best Bites
Adapted from Our Best Bites
Mormon Mavens https://www.mormonmavens.com/