Photo Contributed by Art & Soul Photography Inc.
What started as a strong friendship and a passion for business and blogging has become a thriving business, sharing delicious freezer-prep meals for busy parents.
Polly Conner and Rachel Tiemeyer, co-founders and CEOs of Thriving Home, have created a haven for accessible, healthy recipes that not only taste good, but are quick and easy to prep, freeze and enjoy later. “Our mission is to create approachable, family-friendly recipes that check three important boxes: they use wholesome, easy-to-find ingredients,” Tiemeyer says. “They appeal to all ages and can often be prepped ahead and frozen to save time and stress.”
Every recipe is tested several times before Conner and Tiemeyer share it with their audience. “I hate the idea of a busy parent wasting their time and money on a flop,” Tiemeyer says. “Families can trust that when they try one of ours, it’ll turn out right the first time.”
The duo started their blog in 2012, sharing organization advice, parenting tips and recipes. After gaining some momentum, Tiemeyer and Conner were approached by a publisher with the idea to release a cookbook. This led to a book proposal, multiple offers from publishers, and their debut book, “From Freezer to Table,” which is a guide to freezer cooking with 75 of their best recipes to help busy parents. “The cookbook helped propel our online business forward because when you publish a cookbook, it gives you credibility in the online world,” Conner says. “Even before we launched our first cookbook, we secured a deal for our second one.”
Their second book, “From Freezer to Cooker,” was released in 2020 with a focus on slow-cooker and Instant Pot recipes. Since both books were released, the pair has sold nearly 50,000 copies and were featured on the Hallmark Channel, in People magazine and on various other national media outlets. Conner and Tiemeyer have since shifted focus from books to creating an ad-free app that will feature more than 600 family-friendly recipes, a customizable weekly plan and grocery list, and a monthly freezer-prep plan.
“Our hope is that an app will make it even easier for busy families to save time, eat healthier and feel less stressed about dinner,” Tiemeyer says. “We are hoping to have it up and running by the beginning of next year,” Conner adds. The goal is to continue to help families gather at the table, whether that’s through their newsletters, free online recipes, cookbook or the app. “Family mealtime is irreplaceable, so knowing that we help families gather around the table more is a huge motivating factor,” Conner says.
