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Did you Know about These Resources for Finding a Job at your New Duty Station

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It is a well-known fact that military spouses suffer from underemployment and unemployment. Finding a portable job feels like a search for a Unicorn. There are three employers on military bases where military spouses may be able to find the unicorn job.

Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR)

The military service branches have MWR offices at most post locations. These offices are funded by non-appropriated funds, meaning they are not tied to or pending Congressional budgets. The funds for employment are made by the facility’s funds themselves. MWR locations include movie theaters, daycares, on-base restaurants, and bowling alleys. When you go to an event or participate in these activities, those funds go directly to an employee there. Knowing the challenges of the military lifestyle, there are often flexible and regular positions available.

MWR positions are posted on usajobs.gov. You can search specifically by military installation. Positions specifically on Air Forces bases are posted at nafjobs.org.

Specifically for military spouses who move frequently, there are two hiring incentives – spouse preference and reinstatement.

The job posting will indicate if a spouse can receive preferential hiring. If the spouse preference is used, proof of marriage through a marriage certificate, orders, and a copy of the ID card will need to be sent along with the job application. Spouse preference and application for positions can be sent up to 30 days in advance of the report date.

Reinstatement occurs when a spouse that previously held an MWR position at one military installation applies for another job at the next military post. This does not happen automatically. The military spouse needs to submit an application to the new location, and their name is kept on a referral list. If a job of the same pay grade or below opens, they may receive a call about an open position.

Community Services

Marine Corps Community Services, Air Forces’ Force Support Squadron, and Army Community Service are resources for families in their new military post. Job positions within the community services are similar to MWR – ranging from bowling alleys, movie theaters, and restaurants to the military stores on post.  Like MWR, there is a military spouse preference program. If the position has the spouse preference, the spouse can select it and send in the required paperwork with the application.

Job postings are military installation specific. For example, if living near MCAS Miramar, you could search “MCCS Miramar job postings” for the specific job board for Marine Corps Community Services on MCAS Miramar. Always check your bases’ social media pages for job fairs, sometimes they offer interviews on the spot.

U.S. Government/Department of Defense (DOD)

The military needs a large support system. There are many positions and jobs for civilians to help and support the military mission.  There is a Military spouse preference (MSP) program which is a specific federal hiring authority that was created with the goal of lessening career interruption for military spouses and allow spouses to noncompetitively be considered for federal employment.

The jobs are posted on usajobs.gov and will list if MSP can be utilized. This is not the same as veteran preference. For more specific information on the program or on applying for a position, contact the local Department of Defense Civilian Personnel Office. Use your favorite search engine to look up the nearest one. If there are several bases near you, look for the biggest base and enter that in the search bar with the term “Department of Defense Civilian Personnel Office.”

With Government Service (GS) positions, an employee may be able to transfer to a position of similar grade. The employee must have passed the probationary period of 52 weeks prior to applying for a transfer. There are some positions that are restricted to veterans only, so if you are looking at open positions at the next duty station, make sure there isn’t a veteran-only preference unless that specification applies to you.

Military spouses continue to face challenges on the employment front. There are three on-base resources available that may provide spouse preference. Check out your base MWR, Community Services or even DOD positions.

4 Fall Recipes You’ll Want to Try This Season

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When the social media channels begin showing images of pumpkins and costumes, you know it is time to bring out the rotation of fall dishes. While you may have your routine comfort dishes that you make and eat every season, this fall, try these cozy recipes to warm you up all season long.

Pumpkin Lasagna

Gourds are common fall foods. Pumpkin is in all the fall-drinks, why not try it in a pasta dish. The ultimate comfort dish for the cooler temperatures is lasagna, so mix the two together and what do you have – pumpkin lasagna!

Ingredients:

Butter

Garlic cloves

1 Chopped Onion

1 tsp dried sage

3 cans of pumpkin puree

1 Tbsp maple syrup

1 tsp ground nutmeg

1 15 oz container of ricotta cheese

3 cups shredded mozzarella

1 cup parmesan

1 egg beaten

1 box of lasagna noodles

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375.

Sauté butter, chopped garlic, and onion until the onions are soft. Add in sage, pumpkin, maple syrup, and nutmeg and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Heat in a sauté pan until warmed.

In a mixing bowl, combine the cheeses (reserving 1 cup of shredded mozzarella and the parmesan for topping) and egg.

In a 9 x 13 baking dish, spray with no-stick spray. Put a small layer of pumpkin mix on the bottom of the dish so that the noodles do not move when you lay them down. Lay noodles down and rotate between layering noodles, pumpkin, and cheese for three layers.  Top with mozzarella and parmesan.

Bake covered for 30 minutes. Uncover and heat over to 400 degrees and cook until cheese is melted.

If you want to add meat, you could add sausage to the pumpkin sauce, but the flavors are perfectly fall and delicious.

Stuffed Butternut Squash

Another fall gourd is the butternut squash. There are many ways to stuff the squash, and you really can’t go wrong. The preparation of the squash is the same.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the squash halves and place the squash halves cut side down. Bake for 30 minutes. Once the skin begins to brown, flip the squash and season with salt, pepper, and baste with oil or butter. Combining butter and brown sugar will lead to the caramelization of the squash, creating a great background for any dish.

Stuffing ideas:

  • Bread stuffing
  • Cranberries
  • Chickpeas
  • Kale
  • Chopped Apples
  • Walnuts
  • Italian Sausage
  • Quinoa
  • Pumpkin seeds

Mix your favorite stuffing together. Make sure that any meat is cooked before mixing in other fillings.  Top with melted butter mixed with your favorite combination of spices like ginger, nutmeg, sage, oregano and cinnamon.

Shepherd’s Pie

A classic dish in the UK, cottage pie or Shepard’s pie, is a layered pie of meat and potatoes – it’s a comfort dish.

Ingredients

Ground lamb

2 tsp dried parsley

1 tsp dried rosemary

1 tsp dried thyme

½ tsp salt

½ tsp ground black pepper

1 TBL Worcestershire sauce

1 cup chopped onion

3 minced garlic cloves

2 TBL all purpose flour

2 TBL tomato paste

1 cup beef broth

2 cup frozen mixed vegetables

For Mashed Potatoes:

2 pounds of russet potatoes cut into one-inch cubes

1 stick of unsalted butter

1/3 cup of milk

½ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp salt

½ tsp ground black pepper

Instructions:

Heat oil in saucepan and cook onions until translucent. Add ground lamb, add in seasonings, and cook until all brown. Once mixed, add in Worcestershire sauce and garlic. Cook until garlic is fragrant. Add in flour and tomato paste until everything is well combined. Slowly add in broth and combine. Then add in frozen veggies. Heat until simmer and heat through.

While making the meat, make sure to get the potatoes covered in water and cook until fork tender. Don’t forget to salt the water! Once the potatoes are fork tender, mash the potatoes and add in butter, milk and seasonings, mix them all together.

Layer the meat mixture into a 9 x 13 dish and then spoon potato mash on top.

Make it vegetarian by omitting meat and use cubed butternut squash instead!

Pumpkin Ravioli

Another great pasta dish, but with a shortcut so you don’t have to make pasta.

Ingredients:

Salted butter

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 can of pumpkin puree

Kosher Salt

½ chili powder

¼ cup pine nuts

36 whole wonton wrappers

1 egg

Black pepper

Fresh parmesan cheese

Instructions:

To make the filling, melt 2 TBLP salted butter and cook garlic until fragrant. Add one can of pumpkin puree and add salt and chili powder. Cook until mixture is combined.

Toast pine nuts until golden brown. Pull out nuts into a separate dish. In the same saucepan, melt ½ cup of salted butter and let bubble until golden brown – this is the sauce!

Lay out ½ of the wonton wrappers. Place a spoonful of pumpkin puree into the wrapper. Beat one egg with one tablespoon of water and brush egg mixture on outside of wonton wrapper. Place wrapper on top and press edges together with finger. Once all ravioli is made, put them to the side.

Bring a pot of salted water to boil, and place 3-4 ravioli in at a time. Cook each ravioli for about 2 minutes and then pull our with slotted spoon. Complete all ravioli until all are cooked.

To serve, top with toasted pine nuts and brown butter. Yum, yum, extra yum!

What are your favorite fall dishes?

Seven Fall Date Night At Home Ideas

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Whether you have recently moved, or have been living in your area for a year or two, the reality is that having children changes your date life. You cannot be spontaneous because you have to schedule and set up a babysitter. Dating your partner, whether married or not, improves communication and the relationship. When you are confident in your relationships, you are less prone to stress and have more confidence. The benefits of dating are clear, it’s having the time and ability to go on dates.

What about a date at home? This requires a little planning ahead to gather supplies in some cases, but the key is to plan for uninterrupted time together. After the kids are in bed, and with cell phones or anything distracting off to the side – it is time for some alone time. Plan a few of these dates this fall for some fall-themed fun.

Movie Night

This one requires the least amount of planning except knowing what you want to watch and making sure you have your chosen film available for streaming or able to download.

If you are both fans of horror films, this may be the thing for you. When the kids are in bed, time to turn on a horror film. You can even set up Bluetooth listening on some devices now so you can use headphones instead of the sound shaking the entire home or waking up those sleeping children. Turn on The Shining, the Halloween series, or I Know What You Did Last Summer via your favorite streaming device.

Fall is the time for football for many families. If you are looking for a football movie, check out Remember the Titans, Blind Side, Rudy, and Friday Night Lights.

If a fun mystery movie is more your speed, check out Sleepy Hollow or Murder on the Orient Express.

My personal favorite for fall because of the murder-mystery but can be watched all year is the 1985 film Clue. The film is based off the card-game and has a star-studded cast that will leave you laughing throughout.

Puzzle Night

While not specific to fall, a puzzle date night is great when the temperature is cooling, and you are looking for a fun way to spend time together indoors. If you have a puzzle at home you have been waiting to build, this is the perfect time to build it together. Perhaps you are not normally a puzzle family  – check out your local Buy Nothing pages or ask on neighborhood pages if anyone has puzzles they want to give up. Or, plan ahead and find one of interest to purchase online or find in a thrift store. Doing a puzzle together allows for flow of conversation, building on communication all while working on those skills needed to build puzzles.

Reading Together

Like the days of radio, reading together out loud is a fun way to spend a date at home. By choosing a book by Agatha Christie, you can solve a whodunit together. Take turns reading and make up fun voices for each character. It is a fun way to spend time together, laugh together and solve together. And there won’t be any radio commercials for Ovaltine while doing it (Oh yes, A Christmas Story).

Pumpkin Painting or Carving

Consider a pumpkin competition of painting or carving. Each adult getting one pumpkin to design and go to town! Or make it a team effort and work on a more intricate design that you may normally choose for a family or bigger gathering for pumpkin carving.

Game Night

Spending time together playing a game like Scrabble or even the more lengthy and complicated Risk, are fun ways to spend time together. Use board games you have at home to make it a free date at home or check out your local Buy Nothing pages for anyone giving away games. Or hit up your local thrift shop for fun games (just make sure that all the pieces are there before purchasing).

Cook Off!

A fun way to mix up a date night at home is a cook off. If you have young children or babies with early bedtimes, making dinner together is a fun date. Since it is just the adults you can make it a relaxing meal together. Or maybe make your favorite meal that you can’t normally do due to time constraints. This could be a fun way to spend time together, plus have a meal. A pretty fun date, and all at home!

This may be difficult if you have older children who have later bedtimes. If that is the case, make it a dessert bake off. Find a fall recipe you want to try and make it a competition – make two different spins on it. Or make it a teamwork exercise by making it together. Once made, enjoy a yummy treat together.

Cozy Fort

While building a fort with couch cushions may seem like an activity for younger kids, adults can totally make one too! And maybe even with better construction materials. Build a cozy space together. Maybe put pillows and a blanket on the floor and hang a blanket for a tent of sorts. It’s a perfect place to read together, or maybe play a game.

Either game night or reading night can be done together at an outdoor firepit if the temperature allows. It can be a fun way to step outside the typical home environment and add ambiance with fun lighting.

Budget Battle: Six Ways to Improve your Budget Savvy

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Write Everything Down

This can take some work, potentially, but it will be worth it. Grab a notebook that you can carry with you every day so you will have easy access to it. If you really don’t know where the money goes at the end of the pay period, write it all down. This includes a coffee at the drive-through and any vending machine used. Write everything down every day. Do this for two weeks, adding up the totals at the end of every day. Compare with any other family members in your home, make sure to add the total. It is usually pretty clear when you add the numbers up what you have been spending it on.

If you do this for a couple of weeks a couple of times of a year, it is a great check on the pulse of your budget. You can easily make changes or twinges to what costs you need to change when you are aware of them.

This also helps you determine the needs versus the wants in your life. While the wants are nice to have, it isn’t something you need to spend money on.

Get a Budget Analysis

Military families can attend budget classes through the service branch-specific Community Services or Relief Societies. These budget classes come in two forms – one in a group setting and a one-on-one budget review. A group budgeting class reviews the budgeting principle for a group. This means you can go with your partner or take turns attending to review the basics. In the individual budget analysis, you sit down with someone trained in reviewing budgets to build a budget. They assess the spending and provide guidance on where to trim if you want to or where you may need reassessments.

Grocery Delivery

Wait, don’t scroll this one by. Grocery delivery is a great way to stay on budget. You are able to scroll through coupons and deals specifically to spend money on the best budget deals. You also aren’t pulled into easy grabbing or colorful packaging. Within the grocery delivery order, you can select the coupons or a sale tab to really stick to a budget. Make it a game and stick to a certain amount of money for that trip.

This also saves you from shopping while hungry. The key is to have a snack before sitting down to the grocery shopping online.

Coupons

You don’t have to be a super saver to use coupons. Check out websites for your favorite stores, or just search coupons in your favorite search engine. Once on the coupon section, you can specifically browse for your favorite brands. Clip those coupons and then use them. Don’t let them expire. Think of it as money – because that is what it is.

Money Saving Applications

If you really don’t want to coupon clip, digital coupons are common and accessible. Check your store for digital coupons to add to your rewards card. There are many coupon applications as well that requires you to scan the item and then submit your receipt. These applications usually can be combined with digital and paper coupons as well, so this can save you some extra money, especially if there are multiple coupons on your favorite brands.

Get Everyone Involved

If you are in a family or couple, make sure to involve everyone in the budget plan. If everyone isn’t on board, you will not be able to stick to the budget. Plan ahead with a meeting of everyone’s spending, and build the budget plan together. Discuss writing everything down and a weekly grocery budget. Setting out expectations for the budget will make it a smoother process overall and lead to more progress.

 What’s your top budget tip?

What To Consider Before Going to the Ball

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The military tradition is deep within the community. One such tradition is the military ball. The military ball for each branch of service occurs around the birthday of that service. For the Army, it is around June 14th. For the Navy, October 13th. For the Air Force, September 18th. For the Marines, the birthday falls on November 10th. The Coast Guard’s birthday is August 4th. The birthday ball is a time for military members and their family members to celebrate together. This celebration means dress uniform for the service members and ball gowns or suits for their partners. It is a time to feel like a Gilmore all dressed up and somewhere to go. It is, however, an expensive time. For the Navy and Marine Corps, the birthday falling in the fall season is right before the holidays, so spending a bit of money before the holidays can be daunting. Here are some ideas to make the most of the ball and what to consider before going.

Budget Tips

One of the key factors of the ball is the cost. There are several factors that add up: tickets, outfits, travel, hotel, and babysitting. How do we make the most of it?

Ticket

If you want to have a hand in the ticket cost, you must get involved in the ball committee. The ball committee for one year usually meets the moment the previous ball ends. For instance, the 2023 ball committee would start to meet the month after the 2022 ball is completed. The ball committee decides the venue location of the ball, meals, and ball gifts, which are ultimately the items that decide the cost of the ball ticket. The ball committee also decides and works on fundraising, which can lower the ticket cost. The goal of fundraising is to find a way for the ball ticket to be free for E1-E3 ranks due to its cost. If you want to have a hand in this and the cost of tickets, join the ball committee!

Outfit

For the military member, the dress uniform can be an expensive piece of clothing costing thousands of dollars. Depending on rank, the uniform allowance can be used to purchase the dress uniform offsetting cost. Another way to save money is to look for uniform items at local base thrift shops. Sometimes those military members who are leaving service or change uniform types or size donate their uniform, and any purchase of the uniform supports programming for the military families. Ask your local base pages to find out if there are uniform sales at other locations.

For those looking for suits or ball gowns, check local thrift stores both on and off base. Ball gowns are worn once or twice and on resale aren’t as expensive – this is an item you may be able to pick up for a few dollars in comparison to the new price.

Some bases hold gown swapping or gown giveaways in preparation for the ball season, stay tuned to your military base’s social media pages and websites to learn about their events.

Outfit swapping – this one could be fun. Swap suits or gowns with friends. This expands your closet to much more than what you have and allows you to try new outfit types and colors you may not normally try.

Travel

If your ball is out of the local area of your base, you may have to travel there. Depending on the location, you may fly or drive. If you are driving, consider carpooling to save money on gas. Splitting the gas bill can help, especially if you have a lengthy drive ahead for the ball. If you are looking to fly, don’t just look on the website for airlines – check our Google Flights and CheapO airlines to save money. Time is money, so if you need to fly because you have to return to work the next day, a factor that in.

Hotel

The key with this one is to make sure the ball committee made a room block for the ball. The room block typically provides a group rate for the hotel that the ball is happening at. This usually means much cheaper room cost, plus you will be rooming near others there for the ball. If you want to make a weekend of it, the hotel room block is typically there for several days – one day before the

Babysitting

This one is tough. Especially if you have just moved. Sometimes childcare is offered by the ball committee. Check with the ball committee to see if they have set up a babysitter at the ball location.

If not, ask friends if they would be willing to swap babysitting, especially if the ball is local.

If you are using a new babysitter, save by staying for the ball and not staying overnight.

With all the expenses of the military ball, it can feel overwhelming. While it will probably be the most expensive date you will have this year, participating in the tradition is a memorable event. Make the most of it. Being a member of the armed services doesn’t last forever and taking part in the ball as an active member is a unique experience. Make the most of it by using the tips above.

USPS Holiday Shipping Price Increase and Timeline

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The holiday season brings an increase in volume for the USPS. Many families across the United States send holiday cheer in cards and packages form to their families and friends. Due to the increase in volume, the USPS is planning an increase in shipping costs for the holiday season.

Per the News Release from the USPS, there will be increases across the board ranging from 25 cents to $6.45 increase depending on the weight of the package and where it is being shipped.

Expected price changes per the release:

The planned price changes include:

Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express:

  • Commercial:
    • $0.75 increase for PM and PME Flat Rate Boxes and Envelopes.
    • $0.25 increase for Zones 1-4, 0-10 lbs.
    • $0.80 increase for Zones 5-9, 0-10 lbs.
    • $0.75 increase for Zones 1-4, 11-25 lbs.
    • $2.80 increase for Zones 5-9, 11-25 lbs.
    • $3.00 increase for Zones 1-4, 26-70 lbs.
    • $6.50 increase for Zones 5-9, 26-70 lbs.
  • Retail:
    • $0.95 increase for PM and PME Flat Rate Boxes and Envelopes.
    • $0.30 increase for Zones 1-4, 0-10 lbs.
    • $1.00 increase for Zones 5-9, 0-10 lbs.
    • $0.95 increase for Zones 1-4, 11-25 lbs.
    • $3.20 increase for Zones 5-9, 11-25 lbs.
    • $3.25 increase for Zones 1-4, 26-70 lbs.
    • $6.45 increase for Zones 5-9, 26-70 lbs.

First-Class Package Service, Parcel Select Ground, and USPS Retail Ground:

  • Commercial:
    • $0.25 increase for Zones 1-4, 0-10 lbs.
    • $0.40 increase for Zones 5-9, 0-10 lbs.
    • $0.75 increase for Zones 1-4, 11-25 lbs.
    • $1.60 increase for Zones 5-9, 11-25 lbs.
    • $3.00 increase for Zones 1-4, 26-70 lbs.
    • $5.50 increase for Zones 5-9, 26-70 lbs.
  • Retail:
    • $0.30 increase for Zones 1-4, 0-10 lbs.
    • $0.60 increase for Zones 5-9, 0-10 lbs.
    • $0.95 increase for Zones 1-4, 11-25 lbs.
    • $2.70 increase for Zones 5-9, 11-25 lbs.
    • $3.25 increase for Zones 1-4, 26-70 lbs.
    • $5.85 increase for Zones 5-9, 26-70 lbs.

The list of pricing changes is available on the Postal Service website here.

When the pumpkins start to appear in the stores, it is time to start thinking about shipping overseas. Shipping to military posts overseas can only ship via the USPS. The shipments are transferred from USPS to the military plane that travels to that post for military families.  

The 2022 Holiday Shipping Dates are not currently released, but on the whole, when shipping to APO/FPO, the deadline for packages being sent via USPS ground service to be delivered by December 25 would need to be mailed out by the first week of November. Just think, before Halloween, plan ahead and get the packages together and ready to go. First Class and Priority Mail packages to be delivered by December 25 would need to be mailed out by the first week of December.

Shipping items via the USPS Retail Ground within the Contiguous United States would need to be shipped by about 10 days prior to December 25th if you want delivery by that date.

Stay tuned for holiday shipping deadlines when they are released from the USPS.

Veterans and Retirees with No Expiration Card IDs Will Need Update

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Military retirees and their dependents without an expiration date will need to move to the Next Generation Uniform Services Identification, USID, anytime  – in the next four years.  The goal of rotating to the USID cards, so they are more durable. Read more about the cards, and see what to expect in regards to the imaging here.

Any current cards that have expiration dates must be updated to the USID within 90 days of the expiration date.

The goal of the Department of Defense is for the USID card to be the only acceptable identification card by 2026. The USID card is more similar to the Common Access Card, or CAC, that military service members are more familiar with.

To renew an ID card, check the ID Card Office Online and click the office locator to find a location that is convenient and make an appointment to save time. The appointment locator can be utilized to schedule an appointment with anyone eligible to renew or update their Department of Defense identification card.

What Patriot Day Means to Military Families

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Patriot Day was introduced as a National Day of Mourning in October of 2011, making 9/11/2002 the first Patriot Day. The day is a day of remembrance in memory of those who died during the September 11 attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Center and the crash of Flight 93 in Pennsylvania. While memorials have been created at the sites of these losses, Patriot Day is a day to remember and reflect on 9/11.

Patriot Day is a time of remembering for all Americans, and for military families, it is a time to also reflect on the military service of the service member.  Those who were old enough to remember this day, remember where they were and what they were doing. It is a memory that will not soon be forgotten. For many serving in service now, 9/11 was the impetus for them to come to service or even return to service.

Walk/Run to Remember

Military bases around the world have set up memorial runs or walk on 9/11. While Patriot Day is not a federal holiday, doing something active to reflect on this loss is important. Bases or units hold organized runs. Participating in the activity provides time to be together and reflect on the losses of the day.

Reflect on Service

For those who were not in service at 9/11, it may have been the impetus to enter service. Per Veterans Affairs, of the 4.2 million Post-9/11 veterans, 2.8 million of them served only during Post-9/11. Seeing the tragedy play out on television, or for some in real-time as they were in Washington DC or New York City, was the call to serve their country in some capacity. Within the 246th Marine Corps Birthday Message, General Berger and Sgt Maj Troy Black reflected on those who specifically joined or rejoined service and, after twenty years, had reached their retirement. The events on 9/11 led to the campaigns of Operation Iraqi Freedom(OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), of which military service members deployed and served. Whether 9/11 was the reason for serving or not, military service members deployed in some capacity in support of those campaigns, and Patriot Day is a time to reflect on that service and those who they served with.

Memorials

Fully recognizing that 9/11 shaped the military course for the following decades, Patriot Day is a time for memorials. Not just for those who perished on that day, but for those who died in service to their country. Pictures with names of service members line streets on the base, at entrances of military posts, and sometimes in personal yards. It’s a stark reminder of the meaning of the day. It is tangible.  For military families who may not be able to travel to the memorial sites in Pennsylvania, Washington DC, or New York City, this is a way to reflect and remember, creating their own memorial.

There are pieces of the Pentagon and World Trade Centers around the United States. The Marine Corps Museum has a specific 9/11 unit with items and a wall from the Pentagon. The Ronald Regan Presidential Museum in Southern California has a piece of bent structure from the World Trade Center showcasing the power of that day. Families that are closer to these locations don’t visit just on Patriot Day but throughout the year, sharing the life-changing day with their children.

Being a member of the military, and a family member of a service member, during the post-9/11 world means there is an understanding of what deployment is. Typically, multiple deployments for military service members. At the height of OEF and OIF, deployments were on average 6+ months in length. Sometimes that meant 6 months deployed, 6 months home, and then repeat. That is the reality of the all-volunteer military service.  As a military family member, that meant more time alone – juggling all of the demands at home alone. The weight of home life was burdened on those left behind. The operation tempo meant long hours of deployment work-up and then periods of no communication while the service member was deployed.

The profound immediate shock of September 11, 2001, has passed. Now over twenty years later, it may feel remote, especially for those who were not alive at that time. In fact, there are military service members in active service who were born after that date. But among the military community remembering the loss of 9/11 and the impact it had on the military community is valued, and remembering this day will continue.

Back to School Lunches Your Kids Will Actually Eat

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Back-to-school time is an exciting time. Kids get excited about picking out their new backpacks, getting new sneakers, and gathering up their favorite-colored pencils. Whether they have dusted off last year’s lunch box or have a new one, it isn’t always easy to get the kids to eat the lunch inside that lunch bag. Get them excited about what they will be eating with these fun lunches.

Finger Foods

One of the easiest ways to get your kids to eat their lunch is to make it fun to eat. Fun finger foods like small sandwich roll-ups are a hit and can include their favorites. Maybe your kids like peanut butter and jelly – cut the sandwich into rectangles, making it easy.

If your kids enjoy dipping their carrots in hummus, then pack baby carrots or carrot sticks with hummus. It will be like snack time at home. Maybe they enjoy dipping fruit into yogurt – pack a dippable container!

If packing a charcuterie will encourage them, cut up their favorite cheese into cubes and add crackers for a charcuterie on the go.

A fun food to try is rice cakes. They come in different flavors, don’t require refrigeration, and are the perfect snack food.

Warm Foods

A fun treat, especially on a cold day, is warm soup or mac and cheese for lunch. Make sure to warm it up just before storing it in a thermos. Make sure to tighten the thermos, so there isn’t soup leakage within the lunch box of the backpack, though.

Pinwheels

Pizza pinwheels – for the kid that loves pizza, this one is a favorite and easy to make. All you need refrigerated crescent rolls and your favorite pizza toppings – sauce, cheese, meat, and veg. Roll out the crescent rolls pressing the seams together. On top of the crescents, evenly spread pizza sauce and top with your chosen toppings. Once all topped, roll the crescents so it is the longest roll. Once all rolled up, cut every 2 inches and place the pinwheels on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 11-13 minutes until cheese is melted and bread is golden.

Mix up any sandwich by using flatbread and smearing with your favorite condiments and layering with cheese and lunchmeat, or peanut butter and jelly for a sandwich pinwheel.

Go All Out

While it isn’t easy to do this all the time, it is a fun treat to add cookie cutters to the rotation from time to time. Cut your child’s favorite sandwich in a star, the heart or tree shape to add an extra layer of fun. You can even cut up fruits like watermelon, kiwi, or pineapple in fun shapes. Keep foods separated with colorful cupcake liners.

Add Extras

Add in notes, jokes, or fun toothpicks to the lunch. The kitchen section of your favorite store has fun cocktail picks with bright colors or your kids’ favorite characters on them, poke them into cut fruit or veg, allowing for fun snacking. It may even encourage them to try new foods! Putting in a joke is a fun way to break the ice, and they may even share the joke with their friends.

5 Pasta Dishes That Aren’t Spaghetti

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Pasta is an affordable meal that can stretch, but when you are tired of spaghetti, what do you do. You can mix up the pasta type – try a different noodle. Maybe try a veggie or chickpea one to add variety to the flavor and texture.  And then try these other pasta versions.

Farfalle with Chickpeas and Pesto

This is a fun change to a traditional dish. Swap the traditional noodles for farfalle and the traditional red sauce with pesto. The chickpeas add a great crunch to the dish.

Ingredients:

  • Farfalle pasta
  • Garlic
  • Basil
  • Pine Nuts (or walnuts)
  • Salt
  • Lemon Juice
  • Parmesan

Prepare the noodles as stated on the box.

While the pasta cooks, make the pesto sauce by blending 2 cups of basil with two cloves of garlic, ¼ cup of pine nuts (or walnuts if that is what you have on hand), ½ teaspoon of salt, and a squeeze of half a lemon (a little over one tablespoon of lemon juice). Blend until smooth. If you like more lemon, you can do more now or squeeze more lemon on the completed dish.

When the pasta is ready, pull the pasta out into a large bowl with one can of drained chickpeas and pour over the pesto. Mix together and top with parmesan. If you want an extra bite, toss in arugula for an extra zing of pepper.

Cauliflower and Herb Orecchiette

This pasta dish adds in veggies without changing the color of the dish. Cauliflower is a vegetable that can be flavored to just about anything, so add in your favorite spices.

Ingredients:

  • Orecchiette Pasta
  • Olive Oil
  • Head of Cauliflower
  • Garlic
  • Parmesan
  • Parsley
  • Other additional ingredients: olives, capers, chili flakes, anchovies
  • Prepare orecchiette per the box directions.

While pasta is cooking, heat up olive oil in saucepan. Cut cauliflower into small sizes, all of similar size for even cooking. In the saucepan, cook cauliflower until golden brown. Toss in garlic to your heart’s desire. To add extra flavor, consider olives, capers, or chili flakes. Once the pasta is ready, pull pasta over to the saucepan to mix with the cauliflower goodness. Top with shreds of parmesan for and fresh parsley. The cauliflower and olive oil-garlic sauce is light and flavorful.  Want to add more veggies? Wilt some spinach in with the cauliflower and make sure to add pasta water to the cauliflower-spinach mixture to make sure the flavors meld.

Pasta with Artichoke and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

The beauty with this dish is that it is awesome cold the next day too, no need to heat it up. So make sure to make extras for lunch.

Ingredients:

  • Pasta of choice
  • Garlic
  • Olive Oil
  • Red Pepper
  • Sun-Dried Tomatoes
  • Jarred Artichokes
  • Fresh Basil
  • Pepper
  • Salt

Make pasta according to box – choose a small pasta like bow-tie or spirals so that the sauce will get into all the little areas.

Sautee 2 cloves of minced garlic in olive oil over medium heat until the garlic smells, and then add in 1/2-1 cup of diced red pepper. Once the pepper is cooked, add in ¾ cup to 1 cup of oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes (drained) and 1 cup of chopped artichokes to heat them through. Add in ½ cup of fresh basil sliced just before adding the pasta. Sprinkle ground pepper and onto the dish, and if you need it a pinch of salt. The flavors will meld together creating a great tasting, beautiful dish.

Pumpkin and Pecorino Pasta

This one is a fall favorite and comfort food and any pasta type can be used. Make sure to use your favorite pasta.

Ingredients:

  • Pasta of choice
  • Olive Oil
  • Butter
  • Garlic
  • Pumpkin Puree
  • Pecorino
  • Parmesan
  • Cook the pasta to the package directions.

While the water for the pasta is heating, add 1 tablespoon oil and 2 tablespoons butter to a heated skillet. Once the butter is melted, add 2-3 cloves of minced garlic. Once you can smell the garlic smell, stir in 1 cup of pumpkin puree to prevent burning the garlic. Combine the mixture and thin it out with one cup of pasta water. Add in the pasta noodles and sprinkle with nutmeg and saved pecorino and parmesan. This is a luxurious tasting dish without the luxury cost.

Pasta with Edamame

  • Add a pop of color and freshness with some heated edamame.
  • Ingredients:
  • Shelled Edamame
  • Olive Oil
  • Garlic
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Pasta of Choice
  • Lemon Zest

Heat water to warm and cook the edamame beans. You can typically find bags of shelled edamame in the freezer section. Once the edamame is heated through, use the water to cook your pasta of choice. In a large skillet with plenty of oil, heat 2-3 minced cloves of garlic. Add in the edamame to the garlic oil to coat the edamame Once the pasta is ready, put the drained pasta in the oil and top with salt and pepper. If you have a zester and a lemon, get extra fancy and zest on some lemon!