Thursday, May 31, 2012

Shelf Reliance Planner--Printables


I’m a busy mom who also happens to run a business.  Finding balance is a tricky thing.  As I have sought to be a good mother and a successful Shelf Reliance consultant I have found that have a system is critical.  It saves time, it helps me focus on the important areas of my business and it helps me know when I am finished working for the day.

I developed this planner with that in mind.

I have liked it so much that I shared it with my team at convention.  Those of you who attended my class also got a peak at it.  The printable documents have been on the site for a while but they were not all in the same place. 

The planner is a little different from others you might have used in the past.  I created this YouTube video to show how to assemble the planner and how to use it.





To assemble the planner
  • Print the cover in color.
  • Page 2 should go on the back of the colored striped cover.
  • Page 3 is the back of the back cover.
12 copies of the Monthly Calendar with the Monthly Expense Record printed on the back.  
52 copies of the Weekly Calendar

Binding
I have had good luck getting the planner bound at my local copy center.  I have heard from other consultants that they have had good luck getting it bound at Staples.
When I bound it the two bindings cost me a total of $4.00.
 
Copyright: 

If you are a consultant and would like to share this (or anything someone else has created) please link directly to this post.  
 

This planner  is licensed under the creative commons attribution-noncommercial-Non Devis 3.0 license. 
That means you may use it for personal use, you may not sell it or change it, you must include the attribution. 


I hope you like your planner as much as I like mine. 

What thing do you do to keep you business organized?  

Cupboard Door Food Storage Reference Chart


Recently I was cooking with some and someone asked how many tablespoons were in a cup.  I shouted out “sixteen.”  We got to talking and I mentioned that I have a chart  I keep taped to the inside of my cupboard door.  It has all the cooking measurement (like that there is 4 tablespoons in 1/4 cup)  and all the food storage conversions (like 2 medium eggs equals 2 tablespoons whole egg powder plus 1/4 cup water).  This way when I am cooking I don't have to look it up or figure it out.

They wanted a copy.  I thought you might too.

Here is the printable chart.  It is a Google document so remember to print from the Google document menu NOT the web browser menu. 

Enjoy!

The thing I always have to look up is how much yeast is in one packet. (2 1/2 tsp.)  For some reason I can never remember that. 

What cooking info are you always looking up? 

Monday, May 28, 2012

Emergency Products Review: Wing Stove and Esbit Pocket Stove


The wing stove is one of my personal favorite emergency products.  It is light weight, inexpensive, and can hold up to a gallon sized pot. 
The wing stove is a Shelf Reliance best seller. 
Recommendations:  At parties have a wing stove and take it out of the package.  Unfold it so that customer can see how it will work.  Even show them how it will hold a large pot (one without handles works best). 

The pocket stove folds down into a small box for compact storage. It will literally fit into your pocket while holding 3 tablets of fuel.  This hardy stove is used within NATO and comes with six 14g solid fuel tablets that burn up to 12 minutes, reach a heat of up to 1400⁰F, and store inside the stove. This stove is perfect for any outdoor adventure and is a lifesaver in emergency situations. Size (folded): 4” x 3” x 1” Weight: 6.3 oz.
Recommendations:  Show the pocket stove and how easy it is to transport. 

Thanks Autumn for giving us a demo on these great products!

How to talk about the Smart Start and Cheese Bread Recipe


How to talk about the Smart Start:  From Elise Burt


Introducing Smart Start


“Shelf Reliance has come up with a new program to help you learn how to cook with your home store. Three packages of food and you will be well on your way of making delicious, healthy meals for your family without the frequent trips to the grocery store.”
“3 shipments, 52 different THRIVE foods, 26 different recipes… Smart Start is a great way to increase you confidence in the kitchen!”
“Smart Start is a great way to utilize your home store immediately, no research needed. Try the recipes, love them, use them, and store them!”

Resolving Concerns
I don’t want basics:                                                                                                                                                    “Shelf reliance realizes that you probably have salt, but the packages are developed to work together as one pack. If you already have flour and salt then store the ones you receive in your Smart start, or use it to have a uniformed look in your cupboard or pantry.”
“You are only trying a pantry can of each item. That is a very small commitment. And who knows you may discover that you LOVE our basics more that what you currently use. Our flour is AMAZING!” (adapted from: Thrivequickdish.com)

$170 budget is a lot of money:                                                                                                                             “If you are implementing your Smart Start recipes you will go to the grocery store less. We are reallocating part of your grocery budget to your Smart Start shipments”
“After the 3 months are up you are welcome to change your budget. However, now you will have a better idea of what your family needs and a plan in place to continue implementing and building your home store.”
“I have saved money because I am now only storing food that I know my family will eat instead of food that I hope we never have to eat.”

I don’t like this recipe:                                                                                                                                            “I am glad you are thinking about storing what you eat, and eating what you store. A lot of these recipes you can edit to your families liking. Put your own culinary spin in it!”
“If you end up not making the recipe, store the rest. Now you have a great idea of what to buy in the #10 cans and buckets.”



Tips
Give a testimonial- try it yourself, use the recipes, open the box like you are opening your first shipment of THRIVE. We all know it is easier and more natural to sell something we have tried.




Cheese Bread

 Recipe from Chef Todd Lenord used with permission

Prep time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Yield 24 servings
Ingredients: 
1 package yeast (2 1/4 tsp.)
1/4 c warm water
1 tsp THRIVE White Sugar
2 c. THIRVE Instant Milk
2 Tbsp. THRIVE white sugar
1 Tbsp. THIRVE Shortening Powder (plus 1 tbsp water)
3 tep THRIVE iodized salt
5 1/2 c THRIVE white flour
1/4 c butter, melted
1 c. THRIVE Shredded Colby Cheese (FD), reconstituted
3 tbsp THRIVE Chopped Onions, reconstituted
3 tbsp basil and parsley, chopped and mixed together, (equal parts)

Directions: 
Preheat oven to 375 Degrees. Mix yeast, water, and 1 tsp sugar in small bowl and let bloom. 
In a small pan heat milk 2 tbsp sugar, shortening, and salt, until shortening is almost melted, stirring constantly. Pour into large mixing bowl. Sir in 2 cups of flour beat well. Add softened yeast: stir until smooth.  Stir in remaining flour. 

Keened bread dough on floured surface until it has a smooth consistency (6-8 minutes) Cover and let rise until doubled. Pour dough into greased 9 x 13 pan and spread out to sides. Brush melted butter over top of dough. sprinkle onions, cheese and seasoning s evenly over top and press down into dough. Bake for 30 -30 minutes, until light brown on edges. 
Note: If using dry herbs, use 1/2 less than measurements for fresh, as a general rule. 

My Notes: 
The reason many bread recipes call for you to heat the milk is because it denatures the proteins in milk that interfere with yeast production.  ALL powdered milks have already undergone processing with denatures this protein.  Consequently when baking with powdered milk there is no need to heat the milk.  When I make this recipe I skip that entire step and add the ingredients (milk, sugar, shortening powder, and salt) directly to my mixer.  Works great every time and one less pan to wash.