Oh, the joys of fall!

Fall is my favorite season (sadly followed by my least favorite) and although it might be a little cliche, pumpkin everything makes me indescribably happy! So, today I embarked on a journey to make a truly homemade pumpkin pie, because in my opinion if you are capable of baking at all, at some point this should be on your to-do list!

I roughly followed this recipe from All Recipes, with some additions of course, because that's half the fun of making something from scratch.

Start with a pie pumpkin! (also known as a sugar pumpkin) They are smaller sweeter versions of your typical Jack-O-Lantern style pumpkin. Cut it in half with a serrated knife, and scoop out the seeds (which you can save for roasting.)

Bake the pumpkins face down on a baking sheet with about 1/8 c water at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes, until they are soft. Scoop out the insides and puree them.

Now on to the crust! Mix together:

1-1/3 C flour

1/2 tsp Salt

Cut in 1/2 C shortening

Add up to 1/4 C water 1 T at a time until dough sticks together.

Roll out on a floured surface to about 1/8 inch thick. Roll onto rolling pin and out over pie pan. 

For the pie, mix together: 

1-1/2 C Pumpkin puree (my whole pumpkin) 

2 eggs 

3/4 can evaporated milk

1/3 C brown sugar

cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, gloves, allspice to your liking

Mix well, add to crust and bake 30 minutes at 400 degrees, reduce to 350 and bake 20-30 more minutes.

Chill and enjoy thoroughly with whipped cream!!

Back In Action

It would appear that I inadvertently took the summer off! Things get busy, priorities get shuffled, and time somehow slips by without our noticing. I spent the part of the summer with Paul, which was wonderful. Throughout the summer I was at some point (in transit) in 15 states! As soon as I got back it was one short trip after another and I'm getting ready to head back to North Carolina for a week!

So with all this travel, I have (been forced to) dramatically improve my packing skills, and I can thank the Army for the help, or at least their clothing folding methods. My newest challenge is to pack for a two week trip with just carry-on luggage. I will be spending a week in North Carolina and then straight on to England for another week and my brother and beautiful soon to be sister-in-law's wedding!! I don't have checked luggage for the first leg of the trip so I won't have it for the second. 

I just finished packing and here is what I managed to fit:

4 dresses (including two formal ones for rehearsal and wedding) 

3 pairs of pants

3 pairs of shorts

12 shirts

Unmentionables!

5 pairs of socks

1 sweatshirt

1 jacket

1 swimsuit

4” heels

2 belts

2 pair tights

Accessories

Toiletries

Makeup pouch

You can't tell from the picture, but it zips easily, and I could probably sneak some more things in on top! My personal bag with hold my camera, computer, books, and anything else I may need.

I have to admit I am fairly impressed with the packing space this modified rolling method opens up!

How to: Life Hacker has an in depth tutorial on how to do it, but the easiest way is just to search for video like this one to explain it! Good Luck!

Finally Graduation

It has been a busy busy couple of weeks! For the last while I've been bumming around the eastern side of the country. I've been in or through Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Georgia. I was blessed to see family, some old friends, and Paul's graduation! It was incredible and I couldn't be more proud, plus, he has had the week off, which makes it all the sweeter. 

I'm making Georgia my home for about 5 weeks (through pass and Airborne.) All the while learning the ins and outs of southern culture. It's really a whole new ballgame. Thus far I've learned that I incorrectly pronounce "pecan," it's rude not to say hello to everyone, ever, and that sweat is a state not a action. But, people are definitely more friendly, and I went to my first "Thrift Mall."  I also had my first commissary experience. Let me just say, it was the coolest thing ever. Saving money is kind of like a drug for me, so shopping there was euphoria!  $2.50 Hebrew National Hotdogs? Yes please!  
Any hints, tips, or ideas on what to do while I'm here, please share!

Book Review

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Life as a Military Spouse by Lissa McGrath.

I have a certain skepticism regarding the "Complete Idiot's Guide" line, but I decided to put it aside in search of a truly useful book of tips and tricks for the military lifestyle. I'm glad I did! Aside from books specifically targeted toward the training of Special Forces soldier's this is the most useful book I've come across thus far. 

McGrath infuses copious amounts of information with light humor and useful tips to make the actual reading of this book enjoyable. The layout of the book into specifically labeled sections and chapters makes it easy to find the information that you are looking for and quickly. 

Chapter List
1. Marrying into the Military
2. Understanding Pay and Allowances
3. Benefits for Military Families
4. Military Family Support Services
5. You and Me Plus Baby Makes THree
6. Navigating the Childcare System
7.The Dreaded PCS Move
8. Your New Duty Station
9. Settling in and Getting Connected
10. Moving Overseas
11. Pre-Deployment Planning
12. During the Deployment
13. Post-Deployment
14. What If He's Injured in the Field?
15. What If He Doesn't Come Back?
16. Planning for Retirement...at 37.

The book includes information on gaining US citizenship when marrying into the Military (for those of foreign birth,) how to help children deal with deployment, and making the most of your move. 

Most useful to me though, was the information on the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP)- an investment option, and what occurs after the death of a soldier. Even though I have no desire to think about it, knowing the procedures and what is available to the grieving family is vital. For example...the Army will cover travel costs for immediate family, the soldier's parents, and your parents to attend the funeral.  

McGrath quickly (208 pages) covers many confusing aspects of being a military spouse, along with many of the questions that you either didn't want to or didn't know who to ask questions of. Even though the book is five years old and many of the payment/cost tables are no longer useful, the author does include the website information for more updated spread sheets. This one is definitely worth the time, especially for someone who is new at this! (like me)

Projects

At the crux of the life of a military wife is finding ways to continually challenge herself and grow in the face of uncertainty. Often times a career seems like a far off dream, and there are times were it isn't even a possibility. So what to do in the meantime? Since Paul left in March I've been working on gaining new skills so that I'm not left stagnant, simply waiting. 

Great things to learn:

• Dust off the foreign language you worked so hard at in high school, for me, Spanish. 
• Learn something fun and (kind of) useful! Pick a lock using a paperclip
• Make an adorable Fox Scarf from Pretty Prudent
• Take up boxing...or just hitting a bag at your gym. I have find the gloriously cathartic benefits of just hitting something. 
• Cook one new meal a week: Pad Thai from Brownies for Dinner
• Make something nice for the mom one of the 3,000 babies you see on your facebook news feed. Bibs from Purl Bee
• Take a FREE online course (or a not free one, but free is just wonderful) from Coursera.org
• Get involved with online with forums. They are a great source of information and support! Check out Army Family Information Center and Army Wives Forums

My most recent project, including the cat for your viewing pleasure: 

I finally got those collegey t-shirts out of the closet!

For a long time I've contemplated the blog world and joining it and my resistance came down to one thing: do I really have anything to write that would add value to someone else's life (aside from my friends and family) My answer until now has been no. Then the military happened. As I desperately tried to navigate this new life as an Army Wife, I realized that the information on the 18X program in particular was spread out and hard to find. So I write hoping that as I experience this life wives, girlfriends, mothers and friends of soldiers can get a little insight. Please feel free to add information that I'm lacking.