Buying Uniforms for COT and Christmas (before a big move)

Here are some things I picked up on while hubs and I were shopping for his uniforms last week. He begins Commissioned Officer Training (COT) soon and then he's off to JASOC. We've been in prep mode so there hasn't been much time to blog. I'm also including some gift ideas if you're looking to have some COT friendly gifts as part of your holiday, give a send-off gift, pack something in the suitcase as a nice surprise or mail a care package later on.

Our tree.

We live about 2 and a half hours from Maxwell and decided to make a day trip to buy uniforms before COT. The Exchange that has the uniforms is actually a block or two behind the main base exchange (the big one is a lot like a small Target and the smaller only has uniforms). There was also another store where items could be purchased but they were closed for the holiday. The store that was open had 95% of what he needed so there are only a few things left to pick up. He may even wait until the first day of COT. We were actually able to get almost everything from the COT uniform list but items like the flashlights need to be picked up at the other store. Yay!

We were told the PT uniforms sold at Maxwell and required for COT are different than the ones sold at most other bases. We thought we'd pick those up and anything else we could and pick up the rest at Dobbins or Robbins. We lucked out and got almost everything he needed.


Tips: 

What I learned: Green goes with green, blue goes with blue, BLACK GOES WITH EVERYTHING!

• The PT shirts are huge, so go down a size. They're also 85% polyester and I kept shocking myself so I'm sending hubs to COT with Static Guard.

• We were the only ones in the store when we got there and the associate went through the list with a fine tooth comb. She provided a lot of information. She was so amazing I'm going to send her a thank you card. Her name is Julie and if you're within driving distance of Maxwell it's totally worth a day trip (that you can write off your taxes in 2012 BTW.) We were there for almost three hours. She even knew how the shoes were supposed to fit. 

• They chalk your uniforms while you're there and they go straight to alterations along with the ABU shirts to have the velcro sewn on for the name tapes and such.

• We were told they don't give you a chance to try on if you buy the first day of COT. She said they just hand it to you based on what size you think you are. Oy! She said lots of people come back through to get a better size shoe.

• Julie said that good socks are key since they will spend so much time on their feet and marching is a lot harder than walking. Leave the Gold Toe or Calvin Klein socks at home and invest in the Under Armour and the Thorlo boot socks. If you're heel is slipping in the low quarter (black oxford shoes for the blues) you should get the thick socks they sell there and consider the gel inserts. We ended up spending close to $70 on socks. 

• Mess jackets run small in men's, not sure about women. We didn't get his mess jacket since he was between sizes and the woman who does the complicated alterations wasn't in. They advised us to come back after the holiday so she could be there to get him fitted.

• We grabbed an extra ABU uniform and extra PT uniform just so hubs wouldn't be on the same laundry schedule as everyone else/

• They'll keep your ABU shirts to sew velcro on them. They'll place orders for your blue name tags and name tapes for the ABUs. You aren't allowed to wear the JAG pin until you complete JASOC so you start with just your name and the Air Force tape on the front of the ABU. 

• If you're buying at a different base, make sure you tell them that you're a 1st LT and make sure they get the right rank. Most people starting off as officers are 2nd Lieutenants. They grabbed the wrong rank at first but as soon as I said he was a lawyer she knew he was a 1st Lieutenant and got us straightened out.

• I'm glad I took some time to read through parts of the AFI before going shopping. I started reading up when I was trying to shop for Christmas. With a 1,000 mile move I wanted to buy things that could be used at COT or JASOC (Read: I don't want to pack it while he's gone). We were also pretty good about buying smaller things this year. I wanted everything to fit inside a shoe box.

Here are a list of gifts that could be used at COT:

Last minute Christmas ideas or send off presents...

Remember: Green goes with green, blue goes with blue, BLACK GOES WITH EVERYTHING!


Black gloves (no logos). These can be worn with ABUs or the service blues. Grab a pair (or three) so he can wear them for PT as well. It actually gets cold in Maxwell in the winter, no snow, but cold enough to suck if you don't have gloves. Obviously, go with machine washable. He has a pair of Nike running gloves that he can use for PT but I'll have to kill the logo with a black sharpie.

Black watch cap. Like the black gloves these can be worn with any of their uniform combinations in cold weather. It's just the plain black knit hat that you can find for $2-$5 most anywhere. It appears as if polar fleece hats are also acceptable.

Ear muffs: Navy or black, over the head or behind the head. (Ross has the behind the head ones for $3.99). Again, blue can only go with the blue uniforms but black can go with anything.

Ipod or MP3: Yeah, I know you have one but unless it's black, dark blue or silver you'll need another one. My hubs had a bright blue iPod (I don't think they've ever released a dark blue one) that wasn't regulation according to the AFI. I opted for silver since much of their PT will happen in the early morning when it's still very dark. If he drops it at night it should be easy to find.

MP3 Player armbands have to be black too, no bedazzled armbands.

Watches:  Have to be black, silver or gold and trend neutral. I think it looks more professional to check your watch for the time instead of fishing out your cell phone. Hubs is definitely taking a watch. I'm not sure if they can even have cell phones with them during the day and while in class.

Thermal Underwear: Must be cream to wear under the ABU

T-shirts: Must be the sand color (for ABU) or white V-neck for the blues

Socks: Sage green boot socks for the boots and black for the low quarters. We went with a thicker black sock sold there but will look for a black hiking sock at REI. Invest in the good hiking socks that provide lots of support.

Shoe strings. The shoe strings for the black shoes and boots seemed a little on the thin side to me. I suspect a broken shoe string could spell extra stress so I'm going to look into picking up a spare set for the shoes and the boots. They don't take up much room and if you need them, you REALLY need them. Besides, he'll use them eventually.

Military IDs and prepping for COT

Last week the hubs took a long lunch and we drove to Dobbins to get his ID so we could get his uniforms before COT. I'm glad he was able to take a long lunch because the process took closer to two hours with the drive.

There were lots of retirees and people in uniform getting their new cards and several children in the waiting area.

Once our name was called it was a pretty quick process. We were only expecting to get his ID but she asked if I had two IDs and the marriage license. We did so I got one too!

My ID is red and I have no idea what access I am allowed with it. Hubs was listed as a reservist and I think they will issue a card of a different color after the start of COT. Not 100% sure.

(I'll post about buying his uniforms in my next blog.)

I've been picking up a few toiletry items each time I go to the store and I think I've got him stocked for the duration of COT and JASOC. He'll probably need to buy contact solution and deodorant before it's over but he won't need it for several weeks.  I like that he'll be able to focus on school and not worry about running to the store for a basic need item.

When he had his internship I bought him the LL Bean hanging toiletry bag. It will be perfect for COT and JASOC. It holds full size items so he'll be set for a while. We're also sending along his smaller toiletry bag since his class will be making a trip to DC and Florida and he'll need smaller travel sizes for those trips. I blogged about the LL Bean toiletry bag here.

I decided to send him with Tide PODs. It will be easier to take a few PODS to the laundry room instead of lugging around a bottle. I may scoop Oxyclean into ziplock snack bags but I suspect he's about to put his foot down before requiring the need of a pack mule to move in.

I'm also packing a snack box for him. The measurements for the approved seal-able container are the size of a shoe box and I was able to find him one at Target. I've read that meal times are pretty hectic and they sometimes only have 7 minutes to shovel food in their mouths and drink three glasses of water. I don't want him starving while he's trying to study so I'm sending along some healthy snacks with good calorie sources for his dorm room. In addition to granola bars I am sending along fruit leathers. I thought it would be nice to have something sweet available without sending straight up junk.

I got this kind from Trader Joe's and a few other flavors from Whole Foods. They only cost $ .55 each and there are a number of flavors available. They're also very small and are about 60 calories each.

Some other items going in the snack box:

Gatorade drink mix packets
Country Time lemonade drink packets
Beef Jerky
Various granola bars
Gu or other sports gel (in case he is able to squeeze in a long run on the weekends)
Chex Mix or other snack
Fruit cups

Vegetarian Corn Chowder

It was a cold and rainy election day. Since I voted last week I spent time cooking up a pot of a smokey vegetarian corn chowder. By adding smoked paprika and chipotle powder it adds a nice smokey flavor to replace the popular bacon.

Corn Chowder

1 T EVOO
1 T butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
1 can creamed corn
2 cans corn, drained*
1 can or box of Cream of Mushroom soup concentrate (I used Pacific Natural Foods organic)
5 Yukon Gold Potatoes, peeled and chopped**
1 box vegetable broth
1/2 cup half and half
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp ground rosemary
2 bay leaves
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp chipotle chili powder
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp pepper
1 pinch of celery seed
1 pinch of cayenne or to taste

Add EVOO and butter to a soup pot over medium heat, add onions, salt  and carrots and cook until onions are clear. Add corn, soup and broth and stir well to combine. Bring to boil. Add potatoes and spices and cook for 30 minutes. You can cook it longer but 30 minutes will get the potatoes cooked.

Remove the bay leaves.

Use a cup or ladle to move about half of the soup to a blender. Leave vent on blender top open to avoid steam build up and blend to chowderize. Pour the blended back into the pot of unblended soup. I used an immersion blender and ran it through the pot to blend about half of it. Add half and half and let heat through for another 5-10 minutes.

Serve with oyster crackers and a splash of your favorite hot sauce. I added Cholula because it adds even more smokey flavor. 

*This is a great way to use any frozen corn you have in the freezer. 

** I like to peel my potatoes for soups. I don't like the bite of the peel and there always seems to be bits of peel floating around. If you like peel or if you're in a big hurry, don't peel them. It's just my preference. You can also use frozen potatoes if you're in a pinch.

JAG, the Bar Exam, the Waiting Game and Mama Drama...

We found out a week ago Friday that hubs passed the Bar. That information was forwarded on to his AF contact along with his official results. Now, we wait.

I have no idea how long it takes them to decide on a base assignment.

I'm excited and anxious and frustrated. I'm ready to get this show on the road. Hubs leaves in two months. There's an awful lot of honey-do lists to knock out in two months. :) I can handle it alone but it's nice to have an extra set of hands when you're cleaning out storage rooms, de-junking and trying to sort what stays or goes to charity.

Oh, and it's not just one move...it's actually more like three moves.

Indulge me one long paragraph of back story and venting: One of the bases I'd like to avoid like the plague is the one closest (as in the same town) as my mother and many old friends. I went to high school there and have many close ties to the town. I just never want to live there again. My mom is in deteriorating health and really shouldn't live alone anymore. Before you call me a rotten daughter you must understand that my brother and I have planned for months to move my mother to New Jersey to live with him. My sister-in-law is an excellent care giver and doesn't get sucked into my mother's drama and manipulations as her children are prone to do. If there was even an inkling that I'd be moving near her she wouldn't move and would plant her co-dependent self in my guest bedroom and accuse me of not loving her when I had to leave for work or couldn't give her my undivided attention.

So back to moving. I have logistical issues to sort through with parental road blocks tossed in to make it interesting.

Before we move to parts unknown with our PCS I have to move some things from a storage building near our old house (3 1/2 hours away). I'm hoping I can give some of the furniture to a friend moving to the area and donate the rest. There are only two dressers and a bed frame that I want to bring home.

I also have some things at my mother's house (4 1/2 hours away) that I need to move back to our condo. She has two dressers that go in my guest bedroom and she won't have room for them in New Jersey. There are also some photos, oil paintings and miscellaneous items that will require a small truck to bring back.

The ideal situation would be getting one truck, loading it with anything to be donated from storage and dropping it off. After that, I would load the few things I'm bringing home, swing by my mother's and load the items from her house and then come home. It would make sense to only rent one truck and knock it all out.

My move will look nothing like this fake pretty family and neatly labeled boxes.

There's still the trick of moving my mother to New Jersey.

Oh, then there's Thanksgiving and Christmas and visiting family.

And then I have to move to who knows where. At least the heavy lifting is handled by Uncle Sam. I just have to get organized.

And I need to be supportive of my husband as he is finally starting a job that he has wanted badly for a long time.

 I think I'm going to find a beer and cry in it. Just because de-junking and mama drama give me a headache.

Yep, that's what I'll do.

I've graduated from to do lists to moving spreadsheets with timelines 

But getting our base assignment will make me happy. It will be nice to have an idea of the end-game. Maybe some things will fall into place. It will definitely be easier to plan. Somethings may just not be in my power to do before we leave and will get scratched off the list. I'm going to have to say no to some things this holiday season. There may be less time visiting friends as we focus on family time. Then again, they may move us an hour south and all this fretting is a total waste of time.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a beer and twelve to-do lists waiting for me.

Favorite Fall Foods + Bleu Cheese = Bestest Fall Foods

I love pumpkin pie and a good pumpkin cheese cake. I like pumpkin muffins and pumpkin cookies. I really really love a pumpkin black bean soup my friend Mel introduced me to. She found it on Rachel Ray's "30 Minute Meal" recipes on the Food Network site. 

Here it is. Until I made it I had never tried a savory pumpkin recipe. It has become a comfort food staple in my house. I encourage you to give it a go. I really like that it's fast and easy. Love that Rachel chick.

I tried something new with the recipe today. I'm so glad I did because it really cranks up the flavor.

I added a big teaspoonful of bleu cheese crumbles to the top of my soup and zapped it for a few seconds in the microwave. Oh...wow.

Let's back up.

Last year I was determined to like sweet potatoes. I decided I wouldn't turn down a single sample of sweet potatoes and I would try it prepared in as many ways as I could.

I hated all of them. 

Why do people add marshmallows to a vegetable? Bleck!

And maple syrup or brown sugar? 

It was just too sweet. 

And nasty.

So I started tossing some toppings on my sweet potatoes and I found that a little bit of butter, bleu cheese crumbles and salt and pepper work really well together. I also like the Morning Star faux bacon crumbled on top.

It seems I like my sweeter vegetables balanced out with more savory toppings.

I may start adding bleu cheese crumbles to everything.

I'll save the marshmallows for my hot cocoa. 

Oh, my poor car...

After seven days of traveling all over Georgia for work my car is a complete disaster area. I knew it was bad but realized I crossed a new threshold for messiness when I reached into my backseat to find my charger and couldn't fit my hand enough to reach the seat back pockets. 

By my calculations I was traveling with at least fifteen complete outfits, twelve pairs of shoes (boots, heels and athletic), three winter coats along with scarves and hats, two backpacks, two tote bags, makeup bags, hair supply bags and at least one cell phone charger that I haven't seen in weeks. I also suspect there are at least seven or eight water bottles and a couple of Tervis Tumblers. Oh, I think there are two coolers in there too. 

The car smells like gas from the seven gas cans I hauled in the trunk on Sunday night. Which also explains why everything is heaped into the back seat. 

I tried to get dressed yesterday and I realized all of my jeans were in the car. I couldn't find a sweater to wear and just finding my makeup will be a scavenger hunt. 

Until I can tackle the disaster which is the car I'll be rocking this lovely ensemble. 

Uggs and fuzzy pajamas pants.

No makeup.

And a Motley Crue concert t-shirt.

Please don't throw spare change in my coffee cup.

 

JAG and Military Life Questions...Your Comments and Wisdom are Appreciated

There is a tremendous amount of information on the internet about somethings and a lack of information about other things. I thought I'd toss these questions out there in case someone happened to know. Any advice you have can be left in the comments. Lay it on me!

Help me, Yoda...show me the force.

1. When do we move?  He won't get orders until November and we'll meet with the travel office after that. Just looking for educated guesses as I know it can vary. I'm just trying prepare myself. AF Jag used to have two weeks between COT and JASOC but it looks like hubs will finish COT on a Friday and report to JASOC on the following Monday in Feb. I know people have blogged about moving during this two week window. I've also heard of people moving before COT begins and others while the spouse was away. I would appreciate a ballpark idea as well as what your timeline experience was with this.

2. Do lots of people move while the spouse is away at COT and JASOC? I suspect it will be more difficult in some ways but easier in other ways. I'm pretty independent and self-sufficient so it will work out either way.

3. What did you find yourself lugging around that you wish you'd donated? Just wondering if it's on my "OMG...can't forget to pack that" list.

4. Will they let me pack my opened spices if I vacuum seal them and then store them in a seal-able container? I'm very attached.

5. If we find out we're staying CONUS I want an SUV with ample cargo room. Good plan? Will it make moving me and the dogs easier? We live in an area with minimal (less than 1 inch) of snowfall each year. All wheel drive is very appealing since there will be traveling done over the next several years. 

6. How much food should I send with him to COT? Any thing you or your spouse wish you had while there? How about supplies or comfort items?

7. Base housing? We think immersing ourselves in the culture will be a good experience. We'd like to do base housing. What was your timeline and experience getting into it.

8. We've been married for almost ten years. We've got stuff for days and a house full of furniture...and three chihuahuas. I'd like to hang on to a respectable amount and donate or sell the rest. From your experience in base housing, will a 0-2 with a wife and no kids get a two or three bedroom? Is there a long wait?

9. Did you inventory your house? Is there a good way to do it? It seems a lot like climbing Mt. Everest to me. (And I wouldn't climb Mt. Everest if it were made of chocolate and cash.)

10. I'm thinking about ditching the older mattresses and getting new once we move. No sense moving old mattresses around. The cost of moving the weight vs. the actual value of the mattress or taking something I'd rather have. We'll really have to reduce our household goods to get below the weight. Happy anniversary to me! (He'll be gone for our 10th anniversary. I want a nice present...something sparkly.) Good idea or am I over-thinking it (the mattress, not the present)?

Thank you for reading this and sharing your wisdom!

L

Smoked Salmon Scramble Recipe

Update: As of today I've lost 17.6 lbs on the Angry Wench Diet! Tomorrow it will be one month since I started the diet. I started it as a rush way to fit into a cocktail dress. I've tweaked it to be less radical but it's still annoying.

I've found the best way to stay on track with my diet is to avoid eating nasty and bland food. I try to liven it up with minimal calories and by adding good stuff with lots of flavor that works within my hair brained diet plan. 

For breakfast I will start with a 1/2 cup of Egg Beaters (I used the Publix brand today) and add a few fun things.

Busted...I am totally eating this off of a paper plate. Fancy, no?

Today's breakfast included:

Smoked Salmon Scramble

1/2 c Egg Beaters (or store brand...I really can't tell the difference)
1/2 tsp capers
1 tsp of diced sun dried tomato
1 tbsp of green onion
2 tbsp of chopped smoked salmon
Pinch of dill
Pinch of seasoning salt
A few good shakes of black pepper

Combine ingredients except for smoked salon, pour into pan sprayed with vegetable spray and cook over medium low heat until it's almost done. Add smoked salmon into egg mixture the last 1-2 minutes and stir to combine.

This recipe is less than 250 calories. I'm showing 170 on My Fitness Pal and I factored in 2oz of salmon.

The smoked salmon gives it a nice flavor. The combination is a lot like other breakfast dishes but without the English muffins, hollandaise and other badness that won't fly on the diet. Who doesn't love the combo of smoked salmon, capers and onion? 

 Penzey's has a seasoning called Northwoods and I added a few shakes to my eggs. Good stuff. If you get their catalog you'll spend an hour dog earring pages. Don't say you weren't warned. They have a store in Atlanta and hubs breaks into a cold sweat whenever I pull into the parking lot. Most of their spices start at about $4-5 dollars and I find 10-15 jars to buy almost every time. 

I'd also like to mention that Egg Beaters travels a lot easier than eggs. These ingredients are portable enough to stash in a cooler and take on getaways, stays with efficiency kitchens, etc. You can even premix everything and put it into baggies or storage containers. If you don't know the trick about making an omelet in a ziploc bag let me know and I'll explain the process. Because the salmon is smoked you don't have to fret as much over it as you would raw fish.

The Gym-free diet...sorta...

I've been dieting for the last few weeks. That means I'm cooking but my kitchen time is spent on providing nutrition within the boundaries of the diet and not going all willy nilly. I keep thinking about blogging my dieting adventures but it starts to get overwhelming when I think of the things I do each day. Please don't confuse that with me actually doing a lot. There are just several different components I've added into my diet and those seem to work for me.

I started my diet on 9/13. It's 10/6 and I've lost 16.3 lbs as of yesterday morning.

Here are some things I'm doing...

1. Avoid the gym and all exercise. Seriously!!! I had to get traction with my food intake and portion control. I'm bad about letting things slide because I can justify anything if I went to the gym that day. 
2. Once I can get my intake and portion control under control the numbers start moving down. Unless I can get the numbers moving by diet alone the rest is doomed. 
3. I weigh myself every day before I have breakfast (do it with minimal clothing) and I write down my weight and log it online. Screw what other people say. I weigh, I weigh often and I want to see those numbers going down. I have been known to weigh myself 3 times in one morning...removing everything to my skin to see how low the number will go.
4. I took pictures...I want to see the results as other people do. 
5. The first two weeks I did the Total Body Cleanse by Whole Foods. It's just a high fiber supplement taken in the evening...no crazy diet pills. I've found that at least a few pounds should have been "dropped" a long time ago and it's just weirdness clinging to my colon. Besides, I want all of the nutrients of the food I'm eating. 
6. After 3 weeks the numbers stopped sliding downward. They aren't going up, just hanging out. Not cool. I'm sticking to my dieting plan but I'll add in exercise to bump this plateau. Not crazy exercise...walking. I'll try to walk 2+ miles a few days this week.
7. Forget cheat days! I give myself one cheat meal a week. It's Saturday morning breakfast. Next week it will be Saturday morning breakfast and next month it will still be Saturday morning breakfast. If you want to hang out, grab a beer and eat chocolate with me...meet me for Saturday morning breakfast. If I let my cheat meal float I'll have 4 within 2 weeks and use every gathering as a justified cheat. I have turned down amazing meals these last few weeks. I'm bitter and cranky but I'd rather be a bitch than get those 16 lbs back. 
8. You gotta count calories. I keep mine under 1200. 
9. I only drink water (Not really--I don't like plain water so I only use it to take my vitamins), green tea (I make a gallon of iced green tea and take bottles with me everywhere), and coffee. 
10. No artificial sweeteners unless it's Stevia. That means no splenda or nutra-sweet and especially no diet colas.
11. No sugar...none! Not a single cookie or piece of candy. 
12. No carbs...no rice...bread...potatoes...nada.
13. No meat
14. You're scratching your head at those last two, eh?
15. I eat 1-2 servings of fish a day. Not fish breaded or covered in sauce...go for fish with dry rubs and a touch of EVOO or a light marinade that isn't loaded with juice and sugar. Most of my fish is usually baked or out of a can.
16. I eat vegetables...lots of vegetables that are low in carbs. Lots of green leafy stuff and nothing beany or white...except cauliflower. 
17. I make a big batch of vegetable soup and boil some cabbage on the weekends. I make many meals and sides with it or make huge salads with fun vegetables.
18. I carry a cooler almost everywhere that contains: Several water bottles full of iced green tea, Baby carrots, Hummus, Celery, Cubed cheese of a good quality and 1-2 String cheeses of questionable origin, 2 Snack bags: One with almonds and one with pistachios (these usually go in my handbag), Via coffee packets in cast I get a caffeine headache.
19. If there is any chance I'll be someplace that might not have diet approved items I pack an additional plastic container with a salad of some sort (tuna, straight up veggies or maybe a salad with some salmon on top). I'll sometimes add a half an avocado sliced with a teaspoon of Cesar dressing on top of it. These tuna wraps work well...just use a toothpick to keep them from unrolling.
20. I'm cranky and I glare at people who eat yummy food and openly bitch about my hate of diets. Then I eat my celery or nosh on my almonds.
21. I avoid restaurants
22. I eat lots of egg beaters in the mornings and have come up with some pretty yummy breakfast solutions that are about 100 calories each. This recipe is also handy.

I'll post more later including some meal plans and shopping lists.

Now I'm going to make myself a nice veggie burger topped with onions and bleu cheese along with a lovely side salad.

Powdering (or dicing or chopping) mushrooms...

A Moment of A-ha! Not the band...the mushroom!

As we've discussed, I'm adding the Cabbage Soup Diet into my low-carb eating plan for the next week. It's all in an attempt to help a cocktail dress fit a little better. That and it's kind of fun to embrace a fad diet for a few days. 

While I was making my soup/stew I had the most amazing kitchen epiphany. Why wait until the dehydrated mushrooms have re-hydrated in hot water before dicing them?

Let's back up...

I decided to add some mushrooms to the soup and opted to use the dehydrated mushrooms from my pantry.

I had two kinds. The trumpets are kind of big.

I tossed those in a bowl so I could add boiling water to re-hydrate them.

I reached in and started breaking them up with my fingers since I knew I'd be dicing them later. It was something to do until the kettle heated. 

And then I giggled...it was maniacal laugh. If I had a mustache I would have twirled it. 

I took my bowl of dehydrated mushrooms and dumped them in my mini chopper and pulsed them until they looked like this...

The ones on the bottom (it's hard to see in this picture) are super tiny.

You can pulse them as finely as you want. 

Heck, you can completely powder them and add it by the tablespoon into just about anything. 

I still wanted mushrooms that were chopped looking. You can also go for a dice or a mince depending on how much you process it.

I am never dicing mushrooms again for soup.

I'm guessing this will finally be the way I can sneak mushrooms into sauces without my husband looking for fungi invaders before he takes the first bite. I'm going to keep an eye out for other dehydrated foods that I use often and especially those that get a good dice before going into soups or casseroles. I'm also going to suggest this to my brother-in-law as he's always working to have his girls eat healthier foods. This is a great way to incorporate (ok, sneak or hide) vegetables. The smaller you make it the harder it will be for picky eaters to identify in a dish.

Fad Diets...Yes, Please.

There are a gazillion fad diets out there and another gazillion people telling you to make a lifestyle change instead.

Poppycock, I say! (And I say it often because it makes me laugh.)

I also say:

Serendipitous

Bajiggity

Snicklefritz

Tell me Snicklefritz isn't fun to say! And it's her fault I say it now.

I'm a huge fan of the fad diet. I'm a huge fan of anything that will make my ass look less huge in the next 7 days. I have an event next week that will require a cocktail dress. Shoot me now. I'm wearing a dress purchased before the Hub's last year of law school...when I gained 15 lbs. The fit is bajiggity and it's making me a snicklefritz.

So for the next 7 days, I'm going on not one fad diet, but two at the same time.

I'm already a vegetarian and I don't consider that a weight loss diet. It's too often confused with the pasta and chocolate diet and probably why my dress doesn't fit.

I am going on a vegetarian low-carb diet and part of that plan will integrate the cabbage soup diet. I haven't tried the recipe for the cabbage soup diet. I'm really just going to slightly tweek my stewed cabbage recipe and include it as meals within my low-carb diet.

I'm also staying below 1200 calories every day.

Perhaps we should call it what it is. "The Egg White, Spinach, Tuna and Cabbage Diet".

Oh, and I'm also doing the Whole Foods Complete Body Cleanse. It's good stuff and doesn't make my stomach get that flibbertigibbet feeling.

I'm not an idiot and I know I can't maintain this eating plan for long if I wanted to, which I don't. I also know that it will be all water weight and it will come back as soon as I'm finished.

However, seeing the number go down on the scale is good for morale. Seeing that number go back up ticks me off and keeps me motivated.

I'm not trying to drop 15lbs this week. I'd be happy if I could loose 5lbs and the dress fit a little better for this shin dig.

Update: I weighed on Wednesday evening after dinner and since then I've lost 10.1 lbs. It's Saturday. Granted I weighted after meals and stuff and I was clothed. Today I weighed before breakfast and was still in light sleepwear. But dude, it's so nice to see that number move. 

Jalapeno Tuna Pasta Salad with Corn

Oh Happy Day!

I found some jalapeno tuna in the grocery store and couldn't resist buying it. Tuna...with flavor...
Sign.
Me.
Up.

I took a taste right out of the can and WOW! Talk about a kick!

So I added a can of Mexicorn. Who doesn't have a can of Mexicorn for that recipe you can never remember?

And then I cooked up a little farfalle pasta (that's bow tie) ...

and combined it with a little mayo. 

I ended up with a great little pasta salad that only took 15 minutes to throw together with stuff I had in the pantry. 

(Yeah...I'm out of everything but I'm not going to the grocery store until this weekend when I have my muscle around to carry everything.)

I was just tossing things together and never bothered to take a picture. Sorry. Here's the recipe. Don't be scared if you think it's too hot. Just put your pasta salad and chill overnight and the flavors really mellow to become mild. I had some for lunch the next day and the flavors were very mellow and not as hot. If you like it with a kick, serve it straight up or just chill for a 20 minutes to let everything combine.

Jalapeno Tuna and Pasta Salad with Corn

1 Can on Jalapeno Tuna, drained
1 Can of Mexicorn, drained
1- 1 1/2 cup of bow tie or other small pasta
2 tbsp of Mayonnaise

Cook the pasta as directed in salted water, drain and rinse with cold water to stop cooking. While it's boiling... Pour tuna into a medium bowl and use a fork to break up large pieces. Add Mexicorn and mayonnaise and stir to combine. Add cooked pasta and stir to combine. Refrigerate.

The Un-Tan: Mad Scientist Edition...Skin Lightening Cream

I'm not a tanner. I don't bake in the sun or visit tanning beds.

Not in the last few years anyway.

I also stay pretty covered up when I go outside. I wear a baseball cap and try to stay out of direct sunlight. Sunscreen really only factors in when I'm trying to avoid getting a burn. I didn't really use it to avoid getting any tan at all.

Now I have an end of summer weird tan thing going on with my chest and arms. It bothers me in pictures so I'm doing something about it. I already use a tinted moisturizer with SPF 15 so my face doesn't have much color. Then again, SPF 15 is not a dark room so I'm probably a little darker on my face and chest than on my arms and stomach. 

I need to get rid of this farmer tan weirdness before fall kicks in so I've concocted a few treatments with what I had at the house. The Internet has a lot of weird skin bleaching creams and I don't want to go anywhere near those bad boys. 

The skin lightening cream isn't something I thought I'd try but I happened to have most of the ingredients handy. It actually called for lime juice and I have big plans for my limes so I wanted to use lemon juice. Since lemon juice is also a skin lightener I did some research into citric acid as a skin lightener and it turns out that the powdered lemonade mix will work and probably make the process less sticky. 

Just another thing you can use unsweetened lemonade drink mix for! They say you can scrub problem areas with lemon juice and salt. I'm thinking I'll make a solution with a little pinch of this leftover packet and see what happens. 

And I get to keep my lemons and limes for eating.

Yippy Skippy!

Skin Lightener Cream:

1/4 cup of Greek Yogurt
1 Tbsp Turmeric
1 tsp Unsweetened powdered lemonade mix (Kool Aid or generic)

Stir to combine and store in a wide mouth jar in your refrigerator. Make sure you label it! The mix is the same color as French's Yellow Mustard. 

Not mustard! I put it in a recycled (maybe Bruschetta) jar that was washed well and the label removed. I used a wide mouth so I can easily dip my fingers into it. Remember: it goes in the fridge! My yogurt was actually a day past the sell by date. So long as your yogurt still looks and smells like yogurt it's probably safe to use since you're only using it topically.

I tried a test area of this patch and left it on for about 30 minutes. Maybe 45. Who knows, I was cleaning bathtubs.

I actually saw a little results. I don't think I'd want to try this on my face. There was quite a tingle when I put it on my chest.

I just smeared some with my finger in a horizontal line across my chest.
It's not a big difference, especially with an iPhone photo, but I can see very mild lightening. 

Here are other uses for the lemonade powdered drink mix. I always keep it on hand for household chores and I can find the store brand for about $.15 a packet. 

JAG Base Assignments

The hubs received a email about Air Force JAG base assignments. In the past they would offer new officer candidates an option of two bases. The Air Force has stopped offering two base choices and now only gives you a take-it-or-leave-it base. While I am disappointed they have removed a choice, I do see their point of view. There just aren't that many openings available. I suspect it is also a way to find out which candidates are serious and eliminate some of the fence-sitters. Go big or go home, right?

I've been looking at this as a great adventure and I really don't care where we are assigned so long as the hubs enjoys his job. My sense of wanderlust is the stuff of legends. I'm not sure why the military lifestyle didn't appeal to me sooner. The idea of moving every 2-4 years is so perfectly aligned with my personality it's comical. I think it would be interesting to live in Alaska, the Pacific Northwest (or is it just the Pacific northwest?), the desert or anywhere overseas. I've never been to North Dakota. The weather is supposed to be dreadful but I think it can be as good or as bad as we make the situation. I'd love to live somewhere with mountains, four seasons and measurable snow fall.

I grew up near an Air Force base and it's the one base I have absolutely zero interest in ever seeing again. My avoidance of the area borders on hostile. I still have friends and family there and I try to visit occasionally. The visits usually involve a good sense of humor, patience, beer and less than 24 hours in town. There is also the part about avoiding all ex-boyfriends. "Anywhere but there" is the mantra I've been using every time we talk base assignments. Please keep your fingers crossed. Ugh! Been there, done that. It's just one base out of many so I'm hoping for the best since the odds are with us.

My family is smart and they can work email and buy plane tickets as easily as I can. We did pick bases close to my brothers because I'm a good sister and no fool when it comes to living near the kitchens of my sisters-in-law. (Awesomely good cooks!) Most of the choices on our dream sheet are places we've never lived and many places we've never seen. 

A few months ago I added all of our dream sheet bases to the weather app on my phone. It has been interesting to follow their weather and see the photos that people have posted about the weather. It has given me the chance to see how the weather differs from where we are now. I'm really jealous of the current conditions in quite a few places. Many places with notoriously bad weather aren't like that year round. Just looking at the high and low temps today helps ease the upcoming culture shock as I know about long springs, crisp falls and snow plows in their natural habitats. 

Housewife Approved: Must Have Products (Home Edition)

Over the years I've found some products that I can't live without. They do something that makes my life and my home run more smoothly. I'm adding some of my uses and some tips. I can clean my entire house without spending a ton on specialized cleaners. 

I am housewife...hear me roar!

You can also check out some Housewife Approved skin care items here.

1. Oxy Clean! 

I can't live without it. I've also discovered that the Kroger brand is also $3.99 for a 3.5lbs tub.

My Uses:

• Add 1/8-1/4 cup to each load of laundry with laundry detergent. I haven't purchased bleach since I started adding Oxy to each load. It's great about catching those sneaky little spills and stains that men don't think of mentioning and just toss the shirt with the stain in the laundry basket. It doesn't bleach out clothes so you can use it on colors or whites.
• Add 1/8 cup to the door of the dishwasher to give your dishwasher detergent a boost. I use it every load and hardly ever need to rewash.
• Add 1/4 cup to hot water in a mop bucket along with some Pine Sol or other smelly goodness to mop the floors.

Tip:

• Make sure you are using it it with warm or hot water. It doesn't work with cold water.
• Wear rubber gloves if you'll be washing something in the sink (curtains, delicates, etc.). It will dry your hands out faster than just about anything.
• If you find it on sale or get a coupon, buy multiples. 

2. Zout!

Back when I was a housewife in training wheels I washed and tumble dried a tube of red lipstick. Oh, the horror. It melted over my entire load of clothes that contained mostly work clothes. It was a new job and I had my new clothes on heavy rotation until the next few paychecks so my freak out was justified. I called a few friends in complete panic and one suggested Zout. She was a nurse and had done the same thing with a load of scrubs. Seems this household gem was once only sold to healthcare facilities for stain removal. Word got out and it's a secret weapon that belongs in everyone's laundry. Most recently I used it to amaze my friend after she took a bath in a very full glass of very red wine in her very cream dry clean only top.

Tip:

• Pre-treat if you can
• Spray it liberally and let it soak in and get working. Set it aside a have a glass of wine.
• You'll need to wash your hands and apply some good lotion. It will dry them out if you handle it. I try not to get my hands in it.
• There is no generic or substitute. It must be Zout. 

3. Ammonia

My step sister has a cleaning service and she taught me how to clean my whole house with clear ammonia and pine cleaner. You can save a mint on cleaning supplies. It's amazing. It's also crazy cheap. 

My Uses:

• Add 1/2 cup with a spash of pine cleaner to 1/2 gallon of hot water for mopping floors
• Add 1/2 cup with a splash of pine cleaner to 1/2 gallon for cleaning the microwave... or the wiping cabinets...or soaking grill grates...or cleaning grill tools...or just about anything.
• Add 3/4 cup of ammonia and 3/4 cup of baking soda to a load of towels to get rid of any musty smells.
• Any cleaning project I have starts with hot water in the sink, 1/2 cup of ammonia and a splash of pine cleaner. (By splash, in this instance I mean about 1/8 of a cup, adding more as necessary.)
• For particularly nasty baking dishes I will add a splash of it to the sink along with my dish soap to let things soak.

Tips:

• Only buy clear ammonia! Let me say (type) it again...ONLY BUY CLEAR (non-sudsing) AMMONIA.
• Sudsing ammonia is bad. Bad may be a strong word. It's suds up too much and leaves a residue and you can't add sudsing ammonia to the laundry. So, no sudsing stuff, ever.
• Yes, it smells ungodly. Deal. Stop sticking your nose in the bottle and inhaling. Geez.
• Used in moderation with Pine Sol or other scented all purpose cleaner the smell isn't overpowering.
• You can find it on the bottom shelf at most stores. They save those top shelves for the pricey stuff. It's often available in a store brand or other generic for about $2 for a half gallon. 
• Lemon scented is also available in the clear (non-sudsing) ammonia. 

4. Pine Sol

Shocking, I know.

Some people are Mr. Clean people. I'm a Pine Sol girl. I think my grandma used to clean with it. I love it because it reminds me of her house. 

I like Mr. Clean...I just like Pine Sol more. My friend Christopher loves Fabuloso. My aunt likes Spic N' Span. They probably all work as well but Pine Sol just smells cleaner to me. I also like the fragrance to stick around and it seems to stick around the longest. The original pine is my favorite followed by the Outdoor Fresh scent. Or is it Sparkling Wave? 

My Uses:

• I add about 1/8-1/4 cup to hot water and ammonia to clean just about everything
• Add 1/8 cup to my rug shampooer to make things smell like pine and not carpet shampoo. (I tested it first.)
• Add 1/2 cup to the laundry load when I'm washing dog beds, bath rugs, cleaning rags or kitchen towels.
• Pour some in a little warm water, get it all sudsy with your sprayer, dunk a rag, ring it, and wipe over counters, cabinets, doors, jams and other surfaces to make the house smell pretty. Let the water set in the sink for a while and it's like a sink full of air freshener. I've done this when I don't have time for a deep cleaning and have company coming over. 
• I'll pour a little of the blue in the toilet bowls just to make the bathrooms smell fresh between cleanings.

Tips:

• It's easy to find coupons online. 
• The Wal-Mart near my house sells gigantic bottles
• I sometimes add it to the laundry water when I'm washing gyms shoes or something else stinky. 

Kale Salad

Kale isn't just for adding to other dishes and roasting. It makes a great salad green. The leaves are really dense and it holds up to refrigeration very well. It won't wilt as quickly as other salad greens. The trick to making it work for you is adding and acid (like a lemon vinaigrette) and letting it sit in the fridge for a few hours. 


The leaves will become slighly more tender and turn the most amazing shade of green. 


I use it to top my sandwiches or just when I want something easy and green on the plate.


Here it is on a roasted fish summer sandwich...

Here's a picture of the kale salad after is sits overnight...

And here's a picture of my Greek Tuna Salad Sandwich...

Ready?


Kale Salad


1 Bunch of Kale, stems removed and chopped into 1" pieces
Juice of 1 Lemon
2-3 Tbsp Olive Oil
Pinch of Salt
Pinch of Pepper 


Combine the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour on top of the chopped kale and stir well to cover as much of the leaves as you can. After a few minutes you'll start to see the leaf texture change a bit. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or over night and use as a side or to top sandwiches.