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Ten Crock Pot Meals for Back To School Meal Prep

By Heather Walsh 2 Comments

Back-to-school time means a change in routines from summertime. Finding ways to save time, energy, and money are great sanity savers. One way to save time and money is by planning crock pot meals. The crock pot can be filled, set, and left. Some crockpots even have features where they will turn to warm after the set times. This guarantees a tasty, filling meal at the end of a busy day when people are more apt to go through fast food just to get something to eat. Check out these ten crockpot meals for back-to-school time.

  1. BBQ Chicken Quinoa Bowl: A surprising recipe from the CrockPot website, this recipe is a mix on barbeque without the time needed to marinate and grill. To the slow cooker, add 1 cup of uncooked quinoa, 1 cup frozen corn, 1 cup chopped bell pepper (color based on availability and choice), 2 TBL minced garlic, ½ TBL cumin, ½ TBL chili powder, ½ TBL smoked paprika, 1 cup of BBQ sauce, ½ tsp hickory liquid smoke and 1 cup of chicken broth over ½-1 pound of chicken breast. Cook on high for 2-3 hours, or low for 4-6 hours. Once the chicken is cooked through, pull out the chicken and shred it and return it back to the crock pot. Stir all the ingredients together.  
  2. Vegetable Minestrone Soup: A hearty and nutritious soup loaded with various vegetables, beans, pasta, and Italian herbs, this is a great one for cool evenings or when a comfort dish is needed. Add together 6 cups of vegetable broth, 1-28 ounce can of diced or crushed tomatoes, 1-15 ounce can of kidney beans, 1 large onion chopped, 3 large carrots diced, 3-4 celery stalks of celery diced, 1 cup of green beans (or add in a cup of mixed veggies or whatever frozen veg you have), 2 cloves of garlic minced, 1 TBL minced fresh parsley, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper, ¾ tsp dried thyme together and mix. Consider adding in any fresh veg you have on hand – zucchini, squash, spinach – whatever is on hand, in season, or perhaps you need to use. About twenty minutes before serving, boil water to make the elbow macaroni, and once cooked, add it to the soup base in the crockpot and cook for 15 more minutes. Serve in bowls with freshly grated parmesan as desired.
  3. Honey Garlic Meatballs: This one is a great way to use frozen meatballs as an extra time saver. This delicious sauce will add great flavor to the meal. The honey garlic sauce mixes ¾ cup ketchup, ½ cup honey, 3 TBL soy sauce or mirin, 1 TBL brown sugar, and 3-4 garlic cloves chopped together – mix these all together in a separate bowl. Add two pounds of meatballs to the slow cooker, pour over the honey garlic sauce, and cook on high for 2-3 hours or low for 4-5 hours. Garnish with green onions and serve over rice or noodles for a delightful meal.
  4. Beef and Broccoli: Tender beef and broccoli cooked in a flavorful Asian-inspired sauce is a favorite dish ordered for take-out. The ingredients include 4 pounds of sirloin steak or boneless beef chuck roast, sliced thin (4 pounds if you want leftovers), 2 cups beef broth, 1 cup low sodium soy sauce, ½ cup brown sugar, 2 TBL sesame oil, 8 cloves of garlic minced, 8 TBL cornstarch, 8 TBL water, 2-3 heads of broccoli cut into florets. If you don’t want leftovers, halve the recipe. Put everything together with the meat except the cornstarch and water and broccoli. Cook on low for 4 hours. Once the meat is cooked and tender, in a separate bowl create a slurry by mixing the cornstarch and water together. Add the slurry and chopped broccoli to the crockpot, mix and cook for 30 minutes to thicken the sauce. Serve over steamed rice for a satisfying dinner.
  5. Taco Soup: A spicy and comforting soup that can be made with and without meat, and with just about anyone’s favorite veggies or meat. Add in chicken breasts and shred them once cooked for a chicken taco soup. Or add beef cubes for a beefy taco soup. Or if you have time, brown some ground beef and add that to the base of the soup. Add in black beans, corn, canned chilies, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, onion and spices. You can add in a packet of taco seasoning or make your own taco seasoning and add that the crockpot. Top with shredded cheese, sour cream (or plain yogurt – trust me!), sliced green onions or even tortilla strips or chips.
  6. Lemon Garlic Chicken: This one does require an extra step, but yields great results. This can be done with chicken breasts, or chicken thighs – 2 pounds of meat in total.  Mix together 1 tsp oregano, ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp black pepper and rub on the chicken. Put a small tab of butter in a saucepan and brown each piece of chicken on each side once melted. Place the chicken breasts in the crockpot, and in the saucepan, add ¼ cup of water and 2 TBL lemon juice to deglaze the pan. Add 2 cloves of minced garlic and one tsp chicken bouillon granules to the pan and heat until just boiling. Pour the mixture over the chicken in the crockpot and cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours. Just before serving, sprinkle on chopped parsley. For a delicious and healthy meal, serve with roasted vegetables or a fresh salad.
  7. Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup: Creamy tomato soup with cheese-filled tortellini and a hint of Italian herbs. Perfect for a quick and delicious dinner. To a crockpot, add in two-28 ounce cans of crushed tomatoes, 1 and ½ cups of chicken broth, ½ cup of minced white onion, 2 cloves of garlic finely chopped, 1 TBL sugar, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper, and ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours or low for 6 hours. Add in 1 cup of heavy whipping cream at the end of the cooking time, if at the low setting, change to the high setting before adding the cream. Add 1 package of premade tortellini to the sauce and cook for 15-20 minutes. Garnish with parmesan cheese, or basil pesto as desired.
  8. Beef and Vegetable Stew: A hearty filling stew with tender beef, root vegetables, and a rich tomato-based broth. Toss together beef stew meat, chopped carrots, chopped potatoes, chopped onions, and any other veggie your family enjoys with broth, crushed or diced tomatoes, and tomato paste and cook for 6-8 hours. Add spices per your liking. Ideas for seasoning include the onion or beefy onion packets or make your own.
  9. Lentil Curry: A comforting and protein-packed vegetarian curry made with lentils, coconut milk, and a blend of aromatic spices for a delicious, comforting meal. Mix 4 cups of lentils (red or brown – whatever you have on hand), 2 diced onions, 4 cloves of garlic minced, 1 TBL minced ginger, 5 TBL curry paste, 1 TBL garam masala, ½ tsp turmeric, and ¼ tsp cayenne pepper to a crockpot. Add 1 29-oz can of tomato to the lentils. Fill the can with water and add that to the crockpot – keep adding water to the crockpot this way until the lentils are covered with water. Stir and cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 7-8 hours. Make sure to add water or tomato puree if the lentils absorb the liquid. Once the lentils are soft, stir in ½ cup of coconut cream or milk and serve. Serve over rice or with naan bread.
  10. Hawaiian Pineapple Chicken: Sweet and tangy chicken cooked with pineapple, bell peppers in a sweet and sour sauce. Add 2 cups of pineapple chunks and 1 yellow onion chopped and mix them together. Mix 2 TBL honey, 2 TBL soy sauce, ¼ cup dark brown sugar, 1 TBL grated ginger and 1-2 garlic cloves minced to the slow cooker and mix together. Add 4 chicken breasts, in 1 inch cubes, to the crockpot on top of this. Cook on low for 5 hours or on high for 3 hours. In a separate small bowl or custard cup, mix together equal parts cornstarch and water and add to the crock pot. Mix together. Add in 2 red bell peppers chopped and stir again. Cook for 30 minutes to ensure sauce thickening. Serve over rice.

These ten crockpot meals offer a diverse range of flavors and ingredients to keep your back-to-school meal planning exciting and convenient. With minimal preparation and hands-off cooking, you’ll have more time to focus on getting back in the school routine and to spend quality time with your family. Happy meal planning!

Military Families Left Without Homes After PCS

By Heather Walsh 6 Comments

The summer military moving shuffle is a common sight. Moving trucks line streets in on post-housing, and among neighborhoods where military families frequent. While many military families leave their previous duty stations, are they moving directly into homes? Is housing affordable?

While the basic allowance for housing (BAH) did increase in some areas in the 22-23 fiscal year, it was not enough for many areas. The housing crisis is nationwide. Home prices spiked during the pandemic and interest rates continue to increase. The housing inventory is low as many homeowners do not want to give up their low-interest rate mortgage. This means that there are fewer homes available for purchase.  Unfortunately, the rental market boomed to prices sometimes double what the rental price was three years ago, far beyond the BAH. Why the huge change in the housing market? Atop of stagnant sellers, another factor is investment groups like Blackstone who purchased many homes during COVID as they lost revenue on their commercial properties. These homes were then turned into a large property management company, Invitation, and rented out at top market prices. These homes, however, have led to lawsuits in some areas due to poor maintenance. When affordable housing is out of reach, what do military families do? And will they ever again have a chance to build home equity like their non-military peers?

A post on a local military spouse group showcases what families are dealing with this summer and have been for the last couple of years in areas where the BAH has not kept up with the local housing market:

“I think we’ve come to a standstill point in our life and literally don’t know the next move. We are paying $2750 [BAH for this member is $2,745] a month for our house, an hour from base. We have survived as long as we can. With gas, tolls, utilities, and food for our giant family, we just can’t do it anymore….We are at our end. Savings is gone, income isn’t enough to cover these expenses we did not expect….We’ve looked into food stamps and they’re telling us we make too much…How are our enlisted friends doing it?”

These kinds of posts are common in areas of high cost of living. Families are turning to programs like WIC and food stamps, but some families do not qualify as the post mentioned. Installations may offer food pantries, but these may be designated only for certain ranks and don’t serve all the families that need it. These programs are just band-aids to a larger problem.

On-installation military housing would be a reasonable answer, but oftentimes in high-cost-of-living areas, base housing lists have a long waitlist. On-base housing affords people with a home managed by a privatized housing agency, on-call maintenance and included utilities all for the cost of the entire BAH. There is not housing for every military member and their family.

Per the BAH primer for the DOD, “Per U.S. Code Title 37 § 403, BAH rates must be based on the housing costs of ‘civilians with comparable income levels [to Service members] in the same area.’” Anchors are set for different ranks for those with dependents and those without. The example used within the primer here, discusses a E6 with dependents with a housing allowance for a 3-bedroom townhouse and a WO3 with dependents rating a 3-bedroom single-family home, and what those costs would be in formula to determine the dollar difference. Certain ranks with and without dependents are used as “anchor” points, and then the formula is used to determine the rate.

The DOD uses several resources to analyze the market area annually for accurate reflections of housing costs. The analysis is done in the spring and summer months when most military families are PCSing, and when the rental market is most active.  Per the DOD, they collect current residential vacancy data from local Military Housing Office representatives, commercial subscription-based rental databases and Robert D. Niehaus, Inc. to determine an accurate BAH rate. Niehaus, Inc reviews rental data and the military housing office reviews that data for safety. Homes like mobile homes, one-room units and homes in poor repair (although it doesn’t say how these are determined) are removed from the data. This data collection is completed in August, and the DOD and Service Housing perform a quality review through October. The DOD determines the total housing costs of median rent and average utilities for each military housing area. The DOD then calculates the rates through November, and DOD typically approves the final rates sometime in December before announcing it. BAH is supposed to cover 95% of housing costs, with the service member to cover 5%.

If the DOD wants its personnel to be content and productive in their roles, then maintaining clean, affordable housing and reasonable commutes would assist with the long-term goal of maintaining attrition.  Nothing is listed in the DOD document about the radius around a military base where housing data is collected. Areas like Washington DC and its suburbs have a much higher cost of living, but the BAH doesn’t necessarily equate to 95% of housing costs in those areas so the data may include 30-60 miles as the crow flies for housing options.

No individual service member information is solicited for BAH calculations. If there is a concern over BAH, the DOD directs service members and their family members to reach out through their Chain of Command per page 16 of the 2022 BAH Primer.  Few service members are going to take that step, and few chains of command will know what to do if their servicemembers bring up this concern.  The reality is that inflation is hitting servicemembers more than just in the grocery cart, it is shrinking the roof over their heads and lengthening their commute.  Base pay and BAH are supposed to keep up, but they haven’t.

Helping Your Military Children Adjust to a New School

By Heather Walsh Leave a Comment

Given the fact that military families move every 2.5 years on average, and some more frequently than that, chances are in the next couple of years your military family may be moving. Military children move from school to school, starting in new schools at milestones different from their civilian peers. Being proactive in helping your military children adjust to a new school is key to helping them continue their school success in a new location.

Contact the School Liaison Officer

Each military base has a School Liaison Officer or SLO. They are there to provide information on the local schools, school registration requirements, and any special programming specifically to military children. Looking for a school with an excellent sport for your child to continue? They should know what the options are for your area. This helps you narrow down your home search. Or if school choice is open in the new area, the SLO can help navigate to make sure your child is plugged into the school as soon as you arrive.

Get Your Child Involved

If your child is old enough, get them involved in learning about the new school. Check out the school’s website, which often has a list of clubs and photos of events in the past. This allows your child to learn about the new school and perhaps find things they want to explore once the school year starts.

Take the Tour

When you have your orders, have a new home, and know where your children will go to school, call the school and ask for a school tour. This familiarizes your children with the school before the first day. It allows them to meet teachers, see classrooms, and perhaps see the school’s playground or gym equipment. There may be something familiar from their previous school which excites them. This also is an opportunity for everyone in the family to ask questions about the school, classroom, and curriculum.

Get Involved in Extracurriculars

If you can move ahead of the school year start, plug your kids into an activity that feeds into their school. This gives them a chance to meet people that may be in their classroom. Vacation Bible School, summer youth sports or even local summer camps at the school are good options. Aren’t sure where to start? Ask on the local military base pages and contact the base SLO.

Ask for Open Communication

When meeting the teacher for the first time, share that you are new to the area and you want to ensure a successful school year, so you want to be apprised of any concerns. Addressing academic, emotional, or social concerns early will help your child feel plugged into the school faster. Share your child’s strengths and desires, as the teacher doesn’t have the benefit of talking to another teacher in the school or reading previous school files to learn more about them.

Familiarize Everyone with the School Routine Early

If able to, begin running over the daily routine the week or so before school starts. What time will wake up be? What will need to be prepared the day before? What time is pick up? This is especially key if your family has moved or changed time zones, especially just before school. It also helps parents to be aware of what needs to happen so it isn’t as stressful on that first week of school. Stressed out parents can lead to stressed-out kids, which isn’t a fun way to start the school year.

Celebrate the Small Things

Celebrate what may feel like a small achievement – getting up and ready on time, a great day at school, a report that came back with a fantastic grade. These things will get everyone in the swing of things and encourage continued success.

Use Your Resources

Each school has a school counselor if needs need to be addressed outside of what the teacher can provide. Reach out to the SLO as well, and most bases have Military Family Life Counselors (MFLC) who can help address concerns and changes that are unique to military life.

Home Study Environment

As soon as possible, set up a study environment. Create a space that will be the study space for your students. Ensure it is well-lit and comfortable so they are more willing to sit and study there. Even a spot at the dining room table will work if there is a cubby or place to put school items when it is time for dinner.

By proactively planning and researching schools and being proactive before school starts, you can help your military children adjust to a new school. As with any change, there will be ups and downs, and everyone adjusts at different paces, so be patient with everyone in the family. With patience, planning, and engagement, military children will be ready to embrace and grow in their new school environment.

Defense Department Expands Child Care in Your Home Program

By Heather Walsh 1 Comment

According to annual research collected, performed, and analyzed by Blue Star Families, one of the top three stressors for active-duty families is military spouse employment. One of the biggest challenges to military spouse employment is adequate childcare. Military bases are usually located in remote areas or areas that are highly populated, like San Diego and Washington D.C., which adds an extra challenge to finding safe, affordable childcare.

While there are Child Development Centers (CDC) at each military post, most are small, understaffed, and unable to accommodate the true need for childcare. In addition, CDCs prioritize who gets a coveted spot, with dual military first and two working parents second. Those new to a military base looking for work are left waiting. Families often put their name on a CDC list months prior to a baby being born, to be called when the child is two, and now the spouse has been unable to have consistent work for those two years or longer.

The In-Home Child Care pilot has been expanded and is now called the Child Care in Your Home program. The program provides fee assistance for full-time, in-home childcare providers. The program once covered five areas but now includes 11 locations.

These locations include:

-Colorado Springs, CO

-Seattle/Tacoma, WA

-Jacksonville/Mayport, FL

-Fort Walton Beach, FL

-Fayetteville, NC

-Las Vegas, NV

-National Capital Region

-Hawaii

-San Diego, CA

-Norfolk, VA

-San Antonio, TX

The program covers a minimum of 30 hours to a maximum of 60 hours in a week.

The Child Care Aware program is a separate program that provides fee assistance for service members to use community-based care facilities. Families apply for the assistance program per their military branch on the website above. The amount of assistance is based on the military branch and service member’s rank.

The MilitaryChildCare.com resource is a DOD website providing information on military-operated and military-approved childcare programs worldwide. This may provide insight into programs available before a move or a child’s birth.

Military One Source has a free online database to find hourly, flexible, and on-demand childcare. To utilize this resource, sign into your Military One Source account, and you will be given a unique member code to use on the child care service page.

What have been your findings if you have used any of the child care programs to find child care in your area?

Major Recruiting Source Waning: Military Families Discourage Children from Service

By Heather Walsh 3 Comments

The family legacy of military service was common. With the drafts of World War I and II, children of these draftees in the 1980s were joining with several generations of service behind them. Perhaps some of that desire to serve was passed down. According to the Pew Research Center, 60% of veterans under 40 have an immediate family member who served, compared to 39% of civilians. Among new recruits, 21% have a parent in the military, whereas civilians reported that 9% of them had a child in the armed forces. Given that just 0.5% of the American population has served in the military in the last decade, this is quite the statistic. But will the military service legacy continue?

A separate poll was conducted among military families outside of the Pew Research Center. Among 50 military families polled, only two would encourage their children to join the service. None of the Marine Corps families polled would encourage their children to serve or would nudge them toward the Air Force. 

This directly reflects what two or more decades of service have done to Marine Corps families. Many surveyed stated toxic leaders, repeated deployments, and lack of consistent mental and physical health care led to the breakdown of their Marine Corps service members, leading to their lack of wanting their children to serve in that service branch. As one spouse put it, the Marine Corps gives lip service to family needs and tells the service member that she/he and their family should ‘buck up.’

A Gold Star spouse responded and stated that her children had seen the political fallout from military life after the loss of their father. The sacrifice and loss of their father seem to have been for nothing after the end of the Afghanistan war. She stated, “So many people in this country do not live a life worthy of their dad dying for them, and nor do they care [about the loss].” Further, the military seemed to abandon them after their required notification. She did say that the people they met through his military career were amazing, and it is not a reflection of the people. However, the bureaucracy and the government does not care about the individual, and she doesn’t want her children going into that.

Will there be a difference in career military families and those who have served less than ten years? All but one who responded had over 15 years of service and planned for a career in military service or had retired from military service. The person who responded with less than ten years of service chose to resign their commission to pursue other interests but shared that they would not recommend military service to their children for longer than a short period. Why? “It’s not worth it.” 

The Department of Defense’s pursuit is of the higher mission, and service members are either cogs in the wheel or an integral capability to accomplish this mission. The more cog-like the service, the less rewarding it is for the whole family. Each service branch differs in support opportunities for military service members and their families. The housing crisis and lack of affordable housing within a reasonable commute for many families is wearing down the service member and the family. There isn’t enough housing on military bases to account for the number of service members assigned to bases. The move to privatized housing for the military has not been without its troubles, as evidenced by lawsuits against Lincoln Military Housing (now Liberty Military Housing). Another high cost to military families is the drastic changes in car and rental insurance based on the area the military member is serving – sometimes leading to a jump in insurance of three times the previous cost – but this higher insurance cost isn’t reflected in pay for the service member. The lack of accessible medical care for service members and families is a big issue. Consolidating the Defense Health Agency (DHA) has led to less care for military families on military bases pushing even those with Tricare Prime out into already oversubscribed civilian healthcare. As healthcare recovers from the pandemic, civilian providers often have 6+ month long wait lists, and that’s just for primary care, as specialists can be longer based on the area. The support opportunities for military families with a working on-base pool, open and working movie theaters with cheap or free movies, art studios, and youth centers have waned in funding and, on some bases, have shut down. Add these civilian providers’ wait times to frequent moves and families are increasingly forced to forego care or pay out of pocket.

The Pew Research Center has yet to study if this shift is seen in a larger population. Wall Street Journal is reporting on this shift, stating specifically that veterans do not want their children to join, creating a military recruiting crisis. This is reflected in the lowered recruiting numbers. The services are expected to fall short of their recruitment goals, the Army by 15,000, the Navy by 10,000, and the Air Force by 3,000. The Marine Corps reported they met their recruiting goal in 2022 and expect to meet it in 2023.

What this will mean for the military will not be seen for several more years. Active duty and veteran children may not be of age for several more years. However, if the families remain adamant about not serving, this could mean a significant impact in the long term for the military service branches.

Saving Money with Back-to-School Shopping

By Heather Walsh Leave a Comment

Back-to-School season is here. Well, if you have been in any big box stores, it’s been back-to-school time since June. But alas, it is actually upon us. Whether armed with your school supply list or not, you can prep for school and save a little money with these tips.

Tax-Free Holidays

Some states offer tax-free holiday periods just before school starts. This means no sales tax is charged on certain items, differing per state, during that period. There are usually caps on the cost per item. Some states include items like clothing, footwear, and diapers. There is no need to apply; if you shop for those items during that time period, no sales tax will be charged. Here is a list of states with upcoming dates and what is included.

If the time period for your state has passed, check to see if you are driving through a state that hasn’t passed yet while on a PCS. You can utilize it! Even without a school supply list for your next school,  you can still gather basic supplies and clothing for the kids and save that tax money!

Connecticut: August 20 – 26, 2023

  • Clothing and footwear (up to $100 per item)

Maryland: August 13 – 19, 2023

  • Clothing, diapers, & footwear (up to $100 per item), backpacks & book bags (up to $40)

Mississippi: July 28 – 29, 2023

  • Clothing, footwear, and school supplies (up to $100 per item)

New Jersey: August 26 – September 4, 2023

  • Certain computers (up to $3,000), school art supplies, school computer supplies (up to $1,000), school instructional materials, school supplies, sport or recreational equipment

Texas: August 11 – 13, 2022

  • Clothing, backpacks, & school supplies (up to $100 per item)

States that offer tax-free time periods this year that have passed are Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Iowa, Missouri, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia. States can opt in or out at any time; check your state’s tax page for more information on upcoming dates or if participation is set for the upcoming year. Some states also do more than one tax-free period throughout the year, so maybe more dates are coming!

Teacher Discount at Target

This year, Target is offering a teacher discount to not just teachers at brick and mortar schools, but also homeschool teachers. The Target Circle Teacher Appreciation Event is running from July 16 to August 26, and verified teachers can get a one-time discount of 20% on an entire shopping trip. Verification of ID is done through SheerID, just like military verification. If there is an issue with the verification, contact Customer Service at Sheer ID.

Local Giveaways

Sometimes in preparation for the new school year, organizations like Blue Star Families, the USO, or even churches local to military bases will organize backpack giveaways. These giveaways often come with basic school supplies and may in fact come with information about the area. Getting information on local resources is key for military families who just PCS’d to a new area and may benefit from information on the local tutoring, clubs or events in the area. Check out local base pages, and social media pages for the local chapters of Blue Star Families or USO.

Use Coupon Applications

Applications like Ibotta may offer discounts or deals on school supplies. In years past, Ibotta and Wal-Mart offered free school supplies but there is not an ad for participation in 2023. A coupon is still savings though!

Store Ads

Big box stores like Costco often add coupons to their school supply items – sometimes even printer paper. Check out the ads for Staples and Office Depot for buy-one-get-one-free items that may help offset the school supply budget.

Buying school supplies, especially if occurring after an expensive PCS, can be another large expense for military families. Utilizing tax-free holidays, coupons, discounts and giveaways saves some, and every little bit helps with the budget!

Meals That Are Easy to Make in the TLF

By Heather Walsh 1 Comment

Ah PCS season. The season of living out of suitcases, hotel hopping and lots of fast food. But if you are able to get a TLF, or temporary living facility, on a base, chances are you have a kitchen, not just a kitchenette. This means a full oven, stovetop and microwave along with some pots and pans. If you bring your favorite appliances, and you can make some great meals that are tasty, budget-friendly and better yet – aren’t fast food.

Tacos – Many Ways

Get more meat or beans than you usually use, so you have leftovers and are able to make multiple meals from it. Taco seasoning packets are convenient, but there is also a larger container of taco seasoning that will last for many meals and usually has a better unit price.

Taco soup on the stovetop, combining all your favorite taco toppings in a tomato-broth base and topped with tortilla chips, cheese, and plain yogurt or sour cream.

Straight-up tacos – soft or hard shell.

Nachos – a great way to reuse taco toppings the next day for lunch or dinner without getting many new ingredients.   

Use the ingredients to make quesadillas or burritos another day. Tacos are a great way to let everyone in the family add what they prefer onto their taco, individualizing the meal.

Beyond Sandwiches

Sandwiches are great mobile food, perfect for house hunting, checking out local museums or going on school tours like living in the TLF. Don’t forget about the beautiful thing that is grilled cheeses.

If you have an extra pan to press the sandwich down on the stove, you can also make paninis.

Looking for a breadless sandwich? Consider chopping up your favorite sandwich ingredients and adding them to a bed of lettuce or mixed greens.

Rice Bowls

Rice bowls are a great way to add in any veggie or meat your family enjoys. All you need is a stovetop to prep the rice. In a separate pan, cook the meat and veggies. Top with soy sauce and a little honey for a sweet and tangy meal. You can mix up veggies with frozen or fresh, change the meat up for different days, and have rice bowls for several days.

Baked Potato

Like tacos, potatoes can be individualized for each family member. Bake the potatoes in the oven and have toppings ready – cooked veggies, cheese sauce, bacon bits, shredded cheese and sour cream. These toppings are similar to tacos so you can do taco night one night and use the taco meat for the baked potato bar one evening. Utilize fresh veggies and cook them on the stovetop or get frozen veg and prep it in the microwave. There are even frozen veggie bags made just for potato toppings!

Salads

The beauty of a TLF is a full-size fridge! Load it up with fresh veggies and fruit and have a salad night. Strawberries, spinach, and pecans is a great summer salad. Go classic with mixed greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, and carrots. Add another fruit to the salad mix with watermelon, greens, feta, cucumbers, and mint.  If your TLF doesn’t have a cutting board or you don’t have one with you, consider precut fruit and veggies – while it is more expensive, it is still cheaper than fast food.

Breakfast for Dinner

Omelets are a great meal – protein-packed, and again – can be topped with just about anything, including leftovers. If you are looking for a great way to use up the last of those ingredients before moving out of TLF, or before another grocery trip, omelets are it!

Don’t Forget Your Favorite Appliances

If you are moving CONUS and can bring a kitchen box, consider bringing appliances that your family uses often. Make sure to check the rules at the TLF to ensure there aren’t issues with bringing along appliances. Most TLFs don’t allow outdoor grills.

Bring the blender if your family is a big fan of smoothies or soups. While some TLFs provide a blender, others do not, and not all units are identical.

Bring along the air fryer. Warming up potatoes or even leftovers can move quickly with the air fryer.

The crock pot can be a workhorse and is a great tool for meal planning in the TLF. Many recipes can be prepped in the morning and then ready when you return after a day full of house hunting or exploring the area.

Don’t forget storage containers. Most TLFs do not have storage containers, and you don’t want good food to go to waste!

Powering your body through good food will help manage PCS stress. Prepping these delicious meals for your family can be done when living in a hotel with a kitchen.

Blue Star Museums Offers Free Admission for Military Families

By Heather Walsh 6 Comments

Blue Star Families and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) have partnered together for Blue Star Museums. The program offers free admission to military families during the summer months by participating museums. When you read this, you may think it is just museums – but the program includes museums of all types – children’s, art, history, and science – along with nature centers and zoos! The Blue Star Museums program runs until Labor Day in September – so make sure to plan some free fun for your family with this amazing program. Make sure to check the website before venturing out for up-to-date hours and closures. This is not a comprehensive list, but highlights some categories and options to explore.

History and Science Museums

Have a kid who is a fan of history and archaeology?  Check out the San Diego Archeological Center in Escondido, California.

Check out the West’s history in a way you did not see in the old Western movies at the Autry Museum of the American West in Los Angeles.

Have a Disney fan in the family? San Francisco plays host to The Walt Disney Family Museum sharing the history and insight of the man behind the mouse.

The Denver Museum of Nature and Science is a large museum with special and permanent exhibitions in addition to a planetarium with various shows. It is an engaging way to spend a day.

Maybe trains are more geared toward your family’s interest. The Colorado Railroad Museum sharing the history of the railway along with rides in historic trains will be an outing to remember.

The Peterson Air and Space Museum on Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado is host to an indoor museum and a large static display of planes throughout the ages.

Hartford, Connecticut, is known for its long history, but did you know it is also home to the Mark Twain House and Museum? The museum does a lot of outreach to the local community and shares the history of the famous author.

The Kona Historical Society highlights the history of Hawaii and is a unique museum and a spot to put on the to-do list in Hawaii.

The Chicago History Museum reviews the history of the city, including the 1871 Chicago Fire.

The Stafford Air and Space Museum in Weatherford, Oklahoma, is worth the stop with an expansive history on the NASA space program and beyond, and see the personal effects of General Thomas P. Stafford.

Children’s Museums

The New Children’s Museum in San Diego is a highlight for children ages 1-10, with interactive exhibits, climbing structures, and activities throughout the day.

The Lutz Children’s Museum in Lutz, Connecticut, was once a schoolhouse and is now converted into a museum that kids will be sure to love.

The KidsPlay Children’s Museum in Torrington, Connecticut, is modeled after the city itself but made for kids to explore. The Art & Innovation zones are sure to entertain even older children.

Naples, Florida, has the Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples. Check out their website for activities and events outside of their regular schedule for an even more memorable outing.

Illinois is home to several children’s museums. The Children’s Discovery Museum in Normal, the Children’s Museum in Oak Lawn, the Wonder Works Children’s Museum, and the Peoria Playhouse Children’s Museum are all participating in Blue Star Museums.

Presidential Libraries and Museums

The Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum showcases the history of Eisenhower from his birth in Kansas, through his career in World War II, the presidency and his life after the presidency. His boyhood home is available for tours, weather dependent. The library is also host to many rotating exhibits, with the current one on the history of the Vote for Women. It is an amazing visit for all ages and free for military families with the Blue Star Museums program during the program run.

The Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum in Missouri is another spot to learn about the history of the presidency, America during World War II and post-World War, and Truman’s presidency.

The Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum in Southern California shares a glimpse into his childhood and dives into the history of this infamous presidency. His childhood home is on the campus as well as the President’s helicopter tour.

The McKinley Presidential Library and Museum in Ohio share the history of America’s 25th president along with the history of the time period. There are also planetarium shows that are sure to entertain everyone in the family.

The Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum shares the life and times of the president and his wife and their impact on shaping American history. This is a great spot to check out in Atlanta.

Zoos and Aquariums

Headed to Florida? The Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society is participating this year’s program. Feed Lorikeets, learn about the impact and need for conservation, and use their free printable field guide to check out all the zoo has to offer.

Santa Monica, California’s Heal the Bay Aquarium, showcases local sealife and discusses the impact of human life on the sea in a way that children understand.

If you have nature lovers in your home and will be near Coral Springs, Florida, this summer, check out the Sawgrass Nature Center and Wildlife Hospital for an up-close look at local wildlife.

The Chehaw Zoo in Georgia is home to 73 different species of animals and has a splash pad to cool off in that is included in the zoo admission.

The Flint Riverquarium highlights the local wildlife in Albany, Georgia.

Gardens

The Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library in Winterthur, Delaware, is an expansive garden complete with conservatories and has grown to include stunning art in the museum. It can take a day to see everything on the 1,000-acre ground so be sure to plan plenty of time for the visit.

Key West is known for its beauty, and the Key West Garden with its 15.2 acres of native garden and forest highlights the area’s natural beauty.

After checking out the children’s museum in the area, wander the Naples Botanical Garden for a full day of free fun for the family.

The Vizcaya Museum and Gardens in Miami will transport you back to a time of mansions and innovation and development in our young country.

The Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Illinois, is an expansive garden with a goal of education to impact locally and globally.

What Blue Star Museum will you check out this season?

Last Minute DIY Summer Activities With Items You Have On Hand

By Heather Walsh Leave a Comment

We’re on to the latter half of summer vacation– as heralded by the full rows of school supplies showing up in stores and back-to-school ads in all the various media forms. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun with those last few weeks of summer! For many military families, funds are not aplenty, but the kids still need things to do. These ideas will solve one problem, without creating another. End of summer fun at home. The best part – you probably have these items already. No shopping involved, just fun!

Slip and Slide

No need to purchase the fancy slip and slide.  If you have plastic sheeting (or several shower curtains – you know, from when you had a house that required them, but now you live in a home with shower doors), landscape anchors, dish soap, and a hose – you are set.

Lay out the plastic sheeting across a flat space or going downhill. Once the sheeting is laid out, push the landscape anchors through the sheeting. Make sure to push the anchors down flat to no arms or legs are injured on the slide. Get the hose wet with dish soap or baby soap and spray with water – viola! If you don’t have plastic sheeting or shower curtains, plastic bags work but won’t hold up to anchoring, so be prepared to lay them out multiple times. But it will be fun to slide down!

Sidewalk Chalk Paint

If you have a muffin tin, paintbrushes or sponges, cornstarch, and food coloring, then you are all set. Mix equal parts cornstarch and water and whisk to combine. Divide this mixture into the muffin tin so you can separate it by color. Add the desired color to the mixture in the muffin tin. Give the kids sponges or paintbrushes and go to town on the sidewalk or driveway. All that is needed for paint removal is a hose. It is that simple.

Go for it- create art for the neighborhood!

Cloud Dough

Another simple DIY with two ingredients at home – corn starch and scented conditioner. You can use any conditioner you have on hand. Perhaps that conditioner you got with a coupon is just sitting there because no one is going to use it – this is your chance. Combine 2 cups of cornstarch with 1 cup of conditioner. Mix together the mixture – this will require using your hands and getting a little messy. Once the dough is together, add it to a sealable plastic bag so you can knead it, and it will be less messy. If you want to add coloring, add food coloring into the plastic bag and knead it through. This is a fun way to play, and you can make as many colors as you want!

Popsicle Puzzle

Have popsicles or craft sticks? This one is perfect! Collect a few popsicle sticks and line them up together, forming a square or rectangle. Once lined up, draw a design on them. Perhaps a scene from your favorite summer outing or a funny joke. Once the drawing is complete, mix up the sticks and put them together like a puzzle!

Make it a group challenge by passing up the mixed up sticks to the family member or friend to your right. Once they complete the puzzle, they mix it up and pass it to the person on their right and so on.

The summer season may be going by quickly, so take advantage of those long summer nights to enjoy some fun utilizing things you have at home.

New Reimbursement of Marine Corps Families PCSing with Pets

By Heather Walsh Leave a Comment

The year was 2011, and we were preparing to move overseas with our pet. We received orders to move overseas in April – with a timeline of arrival by the end of June. That did not happen, because overseas screening takes that amount of time to complete. While the orders report date was extended, there were still not spots on the military contract flight out of Seattle for us, or for our pet. We were given commercial tickets, and now we had two options – find someone in the states to take our pet, or pay for her spot ourselves. I made probably dozens of phone calls to the airlines to confirm pet space, and cost – including to all the connecting flights to make sure we knew total cost.

We were not alone. Many military families struggled with this debate. For those moving in the summer, there were restrictions on when pets could fly due to the outdoor temperatures. With the height of PCS in the season coinciding with the height of temperatures in the summer, many families had to leave their beloved pets with family members to send along later, alone. Or hire a service to fly with their pet overseas. This cost many families upwards of $5,000 for that one way trip. And that isn’t including a mandatory quarantine that is often required by countries that are rabies-free.

The Marine Corps has an answer to these soaring costs for military families. In MARADMIN 301/23, it expanded on the FY 2023 NDAA provision for pets. It stated that the new pet relocation reimbursement noted in the FY 2023 NDAA would not be in effect for the peak season of moving this summer of 2023, and was not expecting the Pet Transportation entitlement to go into effect until 1 January 2024.

Per section 624 of the bill, military members PCSing within the continental United States (CONUS) could receive up to $550 in reimbursement to cover costs for relocations. It further stated that for those military families moving OCONUS, outside the continental United States, could be reimbursed up to $4,000. These costs are included in the cost for the total budget for the DOD. The FY 2023 NDAA was signed into law in December by President Biden. There was no specific date listed within the bill for enacting the reimbursement. It is expected that more details and requirements will be released when the entitlement is available and may be service branch dependent.

The US Army stated in December that the pet reimbursement should take place in 180 days from signing, providing up to $2,000 for pet relocation. However, no updated publication was found at this writing detailing the reimbursement process.

Will this affect your family in the 2024 year? What have been your pet costs for shipping and moving with the military?

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