Freezer Meal Workshops - the Wildtree Way

Introduce yourself to a new way to plan and prep dinner! Many of us would love to make some major changes to the way we eat (‘real food’ vs processed) and on top of busy schedules (kids activities, work, etc.), it’s near impossible some days to provide a yummy, healthy, homemade dinner. Meet Wildtree!

 

Wildtree is your source for all-natural, non-GMO, organic products that make meal time quick, simple, healthy, and….yes….delicious. Sound too good to be true? Eating healthy does not have to be costly or difficult! Whether you’re looking for new dinner ideas, ways to eat healthier, or simply want to solve the “What’s for Dinner?” dilemma, you’ll be thrilled to discover Wildtree’s way of cooking. Wildtree offers two options for you: (1.) an in-home Tasting where you can learn how to plan healthy, simple dinners and taste a variety of the products, or (2.) jump right in with a Freezer Meal Workshop where you use our products to assemble 10 yummy meals to take home and store in your freezer for those ever-busy nights.

 

  

Wildtree has a great variety of products to choose from, enticing any pallet. Personal favorites include the Alfredo Extraordinaire, Rancher Steak Rub, Tortilla Soup, Outrageous Orange Sauce, Opa Greek Seasoning, and, of course, our Grapeseed Oils. Grapeseed Oil is a Wildtree signature product: (1.) It’s good for you (reduces cholesterol, has the lowest level of saturated fats of all oils, easily digestible, contains antioxidants); (2.) tolerates high heat without burning (up to 419 degrees); (3.) a variety of amazing infused flavors to enhance your cooking! 

And that is NOT all.. read on!

I have an important announcement to make.  Believe it or not, my freezer is stocked to the brim with delicious, healthy meals for the rest of the month. This is a very big deal for me, since my meal planning capabilities took a nose-dive.  But not anymore, my friends! I’m turning a new leaf over here.  Are you ready for the best part?   Here is a sample of the kinds of meals that are sitting there ready and waiting for me to cook them:

Somebody pinch me, I think I’m dreaming.  Look how beautiful this is!  Today I’m eating the Chipotle Lime Fajitas from Wildtree. They were ready and on the table in 15 minutes. Seriously. Timesaver=lifesaver.

I discovered Wildtree products when my friend became a Wildtree rep a few months ago. She was telling me all about their freezer meal workshops, and how the “bulk prep and freeze” method saved her sanity. Bulk prep and freeze is pretty straightforward, but I’ll explain it in case you’re wondering. Bulk prep all of your meals, then freeze them until you’re ready to eat. Remove from freezer, thaw, cook, eat, done. SO SIMPLE, and such a time saver. I decided to host a Wildtree freezer meals workshop at my house, so all of my guests products were shipped to me.  Check out all the goodness that arrived:


Since she lives in Des Moines and I live in Belmond, she hosted my party virtually.  We just sat the laptop on a barstool at the head of the table and let her do all the talking.   We actually had three locations logging in virtually!  

And here are the rest of my workshop guests!  We ate dinner while she explained what to do, then we dove in and prepared all of our meat for the freezer meals that everyone brought in coolers to the workshop. I don’t have pictures of that part since we were in a little race to see who could get done the fastest.  I didn’t win. 

Each workstation was set up with all of our Wildtree products from the Comfort Foods Workshop, plus a few extra ingredients we were asked to bring:

Wildtree products for these eight meals were included in this workshop price.
Italian “Medallions” (chicken tenders)
Italian Flank Steak
Chipotle Lime Fajitas
Slow Cooker Chipotle Lime Chicken
Adobo Grilled Chicken
Spanish Style Garlic Shrimp
Rancher Pork Chops
Best Burgers EVER!

Each freezer meal serves 4-6 people, so I divided mine into half to serve 2-3 people since it is just my husband and I, which gave me a total of sixteen dinners.  The cost of the workshop was $53.00, plus the cost of the meat which I got on sale at Fareway for about $40.  That’s sixteen dinners for $93.00, which comes to a whopping $5.81 per meal, or $2.90 per serving!  Try to beat that at a restaurant.  Plus, the added benefit is that all Wildtree products are all natural and contain no GMOs, no MSG, no nuts, and no high fructose corn syrup! 

That’s pretty amazing if you’re trying to eat clean(ish)!

Plus the party was SO MUCH FUN!  Everyone went home loaded down with meals to feed their families for the next month.  With sixteen meals in my freezer plus all the holiday prep meals in my freezer and fridge, I don't have to go grocery shopping for a while!

Do you want to have a Girl's Night Out!  Give me a call and lets set up your FMW!!!



The Wildtree Story - the Beginning.

Quite often, we are asked how Wildtree got it start.  It is a unique and not unique story depending on your viewpoint.    It started out with a problem and a Mom who wanted to create something healthy for her children.


The Wildtree Story

Until the mid 90′s, Leslie Montie never dreamed she would become the founder of a company that helps families from coast to coast enjoy great tasting and nutritious meals that can be prepared in minutes. When Leslie discovered that her two young children had medical conditions requiring special dietary restrictions, she began her search for healthy alternatives. “It was amazing how this impacted our entire family.” recalls Leslie. “I needed to come up with meals that my children would not react to, yet still enjoy. And since I was a full-time working mom, they had to be easy to make.”


Leslie sought the help of her parents, Frank and Judy. As concerned parents and grandparents, they immediately began experimenting with new ways to flavor and prepare foods. “It was really a hit and miss sort of process and we came up with some great ideas.” says Leslie. “I remember thinking that others could benefit from what we discovered; how to make mealtime an enjoyable and effortless experience, dietary restrictions or not!” Leslie’s sincere desire to help others was the inspiration that led her to found Wildtree in 1996.”

Leslie and her mom, Judy, began by selling their specialty blends at local cooking fairs. They were overwhelmed by the reception and quickly gained a loyal following. When an enthusiastic customer asked Leslie if she had considered selling through home parties, she loved the idea! “I held my first party a few weeks later and knew it was the ideal way to bring our products directly to families.” The combination of Leslie’s natural marketing ability, Judy’s talent for product development, and Frank’s manufacturing expertise was powerful. In 1999 Wildtree, was officially launched as a party plan company and gained local acclaim.

Our Success Story Continues

Frank, Judy, and Leslie soon realized that their family business had the potential to become something greater than they ever imagined; a company that could become a household name across the nation. Leslie began to look for ways to turn that vision into a reality. While attending a national Direct Selling Association meeting, Leslie met Alan Luce, a leading expert in party plan sales. Alan met with the Montie family and was astounded at what they had accomplished. Alan became a Wildtree partner shortly after, and shared his enthusiasm with the folks at The Southwestern Company; affectionately known as the “Oldest Company in Direct Sales”. With 150 years of sales history, Southwestern recognized Wildtree’s unique qualities and joined the partnership.
That was the beginning of Wildtree as we know it today; a company with the highest standards for product and service and the passion, expertise, and resources to become the best in the industry.

About Our Products

Most of us do not cook from scratch anymore and let’s face it – we are a sauce from a jar, soup from a can, chicken shaking generation. Packaged foods do make our life easier, but they are also expensive, loaded with fats, salts, and preservatives, and just not as tasty as homemade.

We at Wildtree decided to create and offer products for today’s consumers.

Put yourself in control of what goes onto your family’s table. By using our unique herb & spice blends and mixes, you can provide for you and your family very healthful meals that taste great, are quick and easy to prepare and do not have the hydrogenated fats, preservatives, artificial flavors and additives in the packaged food you find in the store.

For example, add one tablespoon of our Hearty Spaghetti Sauce Seasoning to a 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes and heat. The sauce is great and does not contain any undesirable additives. You can also use your own garden fresh tomatoes. Add mushrooms, onions, a little Grapeseed oil or olive oil or anything else to personalize the sauce. Cost? about $1.50 for 28 ounces – not $2.49 for 10 ounces.

Wildtree was founded on the premise that food should be natural, nutritious, delicious and easy to prepare – all at the same time. Our products are made with the finest ingredients available and contain no preservatives, additives, MSGs or dyes.


A study* released on September 6, 2007, by researchers at the University of Southampton shows evidence of increased levels of hyperactivity in young children consuming mixtures of some artificial food dyes and preservatives.


It’s wonderful to see that the medical community has recognized information that we have believed to be true for many years within Wildtree. While we do not advocate that Wildtree products cure illnesses, we can assure you that helping our children eat natural, nutritious foods that do not aggravate existing medical conditions or food allergies and sensitivities was the driving force behind the development of our products. That is why we are proud to differentiate our products in the marketplace by affirming that they are free of preservatives, additives, MSGs and food colorants and dyes.

What is Wildtree?

Wildtree was founded on the premise that food should be natural, nutritious, delicious, and easy to prepare —  all at the same time.  As a parent, and a grandparent, this is very important to me.

Wildtree, now certified organic, is a nut-free company with products that are free of preservatives, chemical additives, dyes, MSG, and GMO’s AND high fructose corn syrup. And they enable you to create spectacular, great-tasting dishes that are quick and easy.

Our product line consists of tasty grape seed oils, culinary spice blends, soups & stews, dips, salsas, sauces, salad dressings, appetizers, breads, and deserts. Grocery shop for those healthier version of items that you already buy and try out some new ones as well.

Wildtree products also make great gifts:  Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, birthdays, Housewarming, the opportunities are endless!  Make a quick and easy skillet meal and take it to a friend who just had a baby.  Put a few items together in a cute basket and voila!, a gift anyone would love to receive.  And you can feel confident that your family and friends are getting healthy, organic, and delicious food.

Here is a recent article on the average cost of feeding a family.  With Wildtree Freezer Meal Workshops, you can easily plan and prepare 10 healthy meals for a family of 4 to 6.
Along with our fantastic products, we offer several cutting edge opportunities:

• Be a Representative!  A fun, flexible, home-based business opportunity with open markets all over the U.S.
• Be a Host!  A simple social Tasting gathers your friends together in a lively, delicious environment and you get to earn free products!
• Be a Customer!  Simply purchase at a Tasting Party or from your Wildtree Rep (me!) and enjoy healthier, organic eating in your home!

Recipes are easy, great tasting and good for you!  NO GMOs, preservatives, organic and many are certified Gluten Free.

Debunking Food Myths

This is from Fooducate site... so true!!!   Lots to be learned from this site about food..

As we go on our learning journey to a healthier lifestyle, these are some of the items we find . . .

Here’s the debunking of 4 common nutrition myths:

1. Organic is always better.Perhaps for produce, meats, and dairy products. But organic potato chips are still chips; an organic version of cereal with marshmallow puffs is still a sugary breakfast item. It’s important to understand “organic” isn’t a justification for consuming foods that should be regarded as treats
2. I want to be healthier so I’m going to be a vegan/vegetarian. Even without animal products, there are still plenty of unhealthful foods that would qualify as vegan and vegetarian. Cherry Coke, Froot Loops, Twizlers, and Nutter Butter are all vegan. Healthy eating doesn’t hinge on a label- it’s about the food choices that the eater consciously makes. (And the Fooducate app can help you be a more informed consumer!)
3. Lose weight with low fat/ low calorie/ low carb products. Americans have been trained to be fat- and calorie-phobic. Fat is undesirable in food or on the body. Hence the logic that eating low fat and low calorie foods will lead to improved health. In fact, a new “low” infiltrates the food markets every few years: we started with low fat, transcended into low calorie, and now we’re at low carb. Well, it hasn’t worked as planned- Americans aren’t getting any healthier or slimmer. These “diet” foods play tricks with our sense of fullness and sometimes propel us to eat even more. Not exactly the effect we’re hoping for. What to do then? Choose foods that are in their whole forms as often as possible and regard health claims as one of the many marketing tools used by the food manufacturers.
4. Eating healthfully costs a lot… and I can’t afford it. Not to discount the very real reality of food insecurity for many Americans but barriers to eating well are usually time and cooking skills, not money. Raw ingredients and many unprocessed foods are inexpensive, but they require time and skills before they become a meal. Slow Food USA posed a $5 Challenge in 2011 to encourage folks “take back the ‘value meal’” and demonstrate that healthful meals can be affordable. Resources associated with this challenge are still available on the website.
   
   Elizabeth Lee is a dietitian for an employee wellness program and an outpatient clinic in Southern California. She believes in sensible and sustainable eating. Follow her on Twitter: @HEALingFoodie.

Morning Baking Always Smells Better in the Fall.

Caramel Apple Cinnamon Buns     

Ingredients:

·       1 package Wildtree's Sunday Morning Cinnamon Rolls, just dough and filling, prepared according to package directions

·       2 medium apples, thinly sliced

·       1/4 cup butter

·       1/2 cup brown sugar

·       2 1/2 tablespoons heavy cream

Method of Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375º. Roll prepared dough out according to package directions. Then, apply cinnamon filling to dough and lay all of the apple slices evenly on the cinnamon dough. Roll dough into "log" shape and cut into 9 evenly sized pieces. Place buns into a greased 9x9 pan. Then bake for 30-35 minutes. When the cinnamon buns are done and cooling make the caramel sauce by melting butter, cream and brown sugar in a sauce pan.   About 5 minutes.  Number of Servings: 9

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 420

Carbohydrates: 68g

Cholesterol: 65mg

Calories: 420

Fat: 14g

Saturated Fat: 9g

Carbohydrates: 68g

Fiber: 2g

Protein: 7g

Cholesterol: 65mg

Sodium: 250mg

 

Spaghetti Anyone?

Wildtree's Hearty Spaghetti Sauce Blend is sooo good. Easy, natural, no preservatives... .EASY!

I used 2 cans (14 oz each) of diced tomatoes / tomato sauce. The directions call for crushed tomatoes but I didn't have any on hand. I added the Blend and cooked the sauce for 20 minutes (boil, simmer), added the meat, black olives and wow wow wow ... it was sooo good! I can’t wait until we get tomatoes out of our garden to use with this! I am so glad we planted quite a few so I can preserve the harvest!!

All natural ingredients.. no preservatives, GMO's, MSG...  best sauce I have tasted in a long time!

Message me if you are interested in having a tasting event, or would like to find out more about Wildtree!

Baked Spinich Balls with Garlic Lemon Dipping Sauce

Ingredients

½ tablespoon Wildtree Natural Grapeseed Oil

10 ounces fresh baby spinach
½ cup panko bread crumbs
pinch nutmeg
½ tablespoon Wildtree Garlic Galore Seasoning Blend
¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 egg, beaten

Dipping Sauce:
3 tablespoons mayo
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon Wildtree Garlic Galore Seasoning Blend

Method of Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°F. Heat the Grapeseed Oil over medium heat in a large nonstick pan. Add the spinach and sauté until wilted. Transfer to a mixing bowl. Once cool enough to handle, remove the liquid from the spinach by squeezing it with your hands. Work in small batches to do this. Once all the liquid has been removed, chop the spinach. Add the spinach back into the mixing bowl along with the bread crumbs, nutmeg, Garlic Galore, and Parmesan cheese. Toss to combine. Add the beaten egg and toss again. Shape the mixture into 12 balls and place on a greased baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, flip and continue cooking for 5 minutes more. While the spinach balls are baking stir together the ingredients for the dipping sauce. Serve with the finished spinach balls

Nutritional Info

Calories:  210
Fat: 13g
Saturated Fat: 2.5g
Carbohydrates: 19g
Fiber:  4g
Protein: 7g
Cholesterol: 60mg
Sodium: 360mg

Orange Chicken & Lo Mein - the Wildtree Way

Wildtree.  Amazing.  NO GMO's, certified ORGANIC, there are no, absolutely NO ingredients in anything that you cannot pronounce!  Refreshing isn't it?

This is what I made for supper tonight.  Orange Chicken and Lo Mein.  

NOTE: I would ordinarily have made rice with this, but when I searched the pantry there was no rice to be found and I HAD to have some carbs - thus the Lo Mein. 

So Yummy.  So easy to make.. took under 30 minutes from stove to plate.

Ingredients

• Two skinless/boneless chicken breasts
• Onion (I used 1/2 of a large Vidilia onion) cut into strips
• Green Pepper (I used 2 - we like peppers) cut into bite size pieces
• Wildtree Natural Grapeseed Oil (GSO) - 2 TBS
• Wildtree Roasted Garlic Grapeseed Oil (for Lo Mein)
• Wildtree Outrageous Orange Sauce
• Soy Sauce  2 TBS

That is it. Easy huh? 

1. I cut up the chicken into bite sized pieces. 
2. Poured 2 tablespoons of Natural GSO into pan and heated it up.  It is ready when you see little waves appear in the oil.
3. Place chicken pieces in the pan and cook until done (I like a light brown coating on mine - gives it a little extra flavor.  I also cooked my chicken in batches because I wanted to make sure it was completely cooked, part of the chicken was still a little frozen (but that makes it so easy to cut into small sized pieces).  After each batch is done, move to a plate until the chicken (smells so good), is ready to go back into the pan.
4. Measure 2 TBS of soy sauce into pan
5. Measure 1/2 cup of Wildtree's Outrageous orange sauce into pan and start to heat up
6. Put all chicken back into pan and coat with the sauce.
7. Add onion strips and green peppers
8. Stir around making sure all ingredients are coated and heated evenly. If you need to add a little more Outrageous Orange Sauce, you can do this now.
9. When the onions are almost translucent turn off heat.

We like our veggies a little crisp so the green peppers were just shy of soft and still had a wonderful crunch to them.

The Lo Mein 

While all of that chicken yumminess was cooking, I boiled spaghetti noodles, and of course I cooked way to much.  Why change?  <Leftovers>

1. When noodles are done, drain but DO NOT RINSE
2. Measure out 2 tablespoons of Wildtree's Roasted Garlic GSO into pan and heat until little waves appear.  
3. Add spaghetti noodles.  This is the easy part since you know how much you have as they are COOKED, you can eyeball servings.  Put the extra noodles that you cooked into a Tupperware container for more Lo Mein later.  
4. Stir noodles around to make sure they are coated
5. Add 2 teaspoons of soy sauce over the noodles and stir in. 
6. I added the leftover onions and green peppers to the pan and cooked until the onions are almost translucent.
7. I didn't have any bok choy, or cabbage, but I would have added it here just before turning off the heat to serve.

 This will serve 4 good eaters and one small child.