Are you looking for a fast meal that is HEALTHY and ECONOMICAL? Here you go:
I recently purchased Meals-In-A-Jar Made Easy. This is a fantastic book with shelf stable, simple to cook recipes that you can package in mason jars. Each of these recipes creates meals with freeze-dried foods and other dry ingredients. That means ALL the ingredients are premeasured and preparation requires only adding boiling water.
Meals-In-A-Jar Made Easy includes more than 40 delicious recipes. Each of these recipes take only a few minutes to prepare. Then each meal is ready for you to serve a hot, hearty meal in 10 to 15 minutes! Not only do you same time shopping, cutting, slicing, and cooking the meal but you also enjoy fast clean-up and ZERO food waste. Plus, there is simply no comparison in cost and nutrition between these "home-cooked" meals and fast food!
While these recipes are intended to feed your hungry family, there are many other reasons why you might grab one of these "meals in a jar", including:
Extra servings if friends or family stop by.
Long-term food storage already organized into meals."
Fast food" on busy nights or when family members need to eat in "shifts".
Holiday neighbor gifts or teacher appreciation gifts.
Meals for those in need (recovery, sick or new babies).
Church or group activity. Create an "assembly line" to make many jars and each person can take a few home.
Substitution for freezer meals.
Meals in a jar (or vacuum bags) are also PERFECT for RV and backcountry camping. Just like at home, you only need to add boiling water to have a satisfying meal at camp!
Every recipe includes the list of ingredients, instructions on how to put together the jar for storage, and meal preparation instructions. You will also see a shopping list if you want to assemble batches of 10-12 jars. Make multiple jars of your favorite meals in advance to save even more time.
These recipes with dried foods can be stored in simple Mason jars. Note that the freeze-dried Thrive Foods have a shelf life of 25-years in the unopened cans. Once opened, it is recommended that you consume the foods within one year. However, if you seal the Mason jars you can extend the shelf life to 3 to 5 years. (Adding an oxygen absorber is recommended). as an alternative, you can also prepackage the meals in sealed vacuum bags for longer shelf life.
Here is one favorite recipe: Chicken Fajitas In A Jar
Ingredients per jar, makes 3-4 servings.
1/2 tsp Seasoned Salt
1/2 tsp Cilantro
1/2 tsp Ground Cumin
1/4 tsp Chile Powder
1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
1/4 tsp Lime Powder (optional)
1/4 cup FD (freeze dried) Green Chile Peppers
3/4 cup FD Onion Slices
3/4 cup Green Bell Peppers
3/4 cup Red Bell Peppers
1 cup Chicken Slices (Break any large pieces in half. Then fill any remaining space with more pieces).
Directions: Add ingredients to jar in order listed. Add an oxygen absorber or seal with a Food saver jar lid attachment.
To Prepare: Add contents of jar to a sauce pan, frying pan, or bowl. Add 2 cups of boiling water and let sit for 10 minutes. Drain off excess water and serve on tortillas. Add salsa, cheese, sour cream, etc. as desired.
Optional: save the water to add back in if you choose to sauté the mix.. Add 1 Tbsp oil to skillet and stir fry until lightly browned.
Here is my friend Bill Keller demonstrating the assembly of the meals-in-a-jar and preparing the meal:
This recipe includes 3 to 4 servings for about the same cost as a "single-serving" camping meal. The ingredients are all freshly freeze-dried with no additives or preservatives. You can add or subtract spices to suit your taste.
Best of all, you can further reduce your cost by buying in bulk. Whenever you order over $99.00 of Thrive Foods, you receive a 15% discount PLUS free shipping - valued at 12%. That's a total of 27% savings on the freshest, most flavorful, and versatile selection of premium freeze-dried foods!
Follow the link above to learn more or CLICK HERE. On top of these savings, if you tell your friends, THEY will also receive the 15% discount and YOU will receive a 10% referral credit to apply to your next order!
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