Recipe of the Week: Sooo good!!

Mini Pizza Pockets

Print Recipe

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough (or regular refrigerated pizza dough)

1 1/4 cup pizza sauce

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

1 cup cooked chicken, shredded ( can also do crumbled sausage or a piece or two of pepperoni)

3 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

1 egg

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400.

Roll out pizza dough to a 1/4-inch thickness; cut into 3-inch rounds.

In a small bowl, mix together pizza sauce, mozzarella, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, chicken, and basil under combined.  Fill one side of the pizza rounds with chicken and cheese mixture.  Take the other half of round and fold over to close and press on sides to seal.  It should look like a mini calzone.  Continue with remaining rounds.

Whisk egg in a small bowl and brush on tops of sealed pizza pockets and evenly top with the remaining 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese.  Poke a small hole on each.  Place on pan and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown on tops.

Serve warm with pizza sauce.

Makes about 8 to 10 mini pizza pockets.

Happy Late Christmas to all My fellow Military Spouses

I borrowed this from a fellow blogger. Hope you enjoy it. :)

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house

Not a creature was stirring, except for a military spouse;

The stockings were hung by 550 cord, with care,

In hopes that skype would work and her husband could be there;

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,

While visions of their dad in camo, danced in their heads;

And me in his sweats, and Army crap,

Had just settled down with lots of presents to wrap,

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from the floor to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash,

Tore open the crappy mini blinds and hoped no Soldier did crash.

The moon on the grass that I was glad did not grow

Gave the lustre of mid-day to housing below,

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

But a miniature tank, and eight tiny rear-deer’s,

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,

I knew in a moment it must be Sgt. Nick.

More rapid than deployments, his coursers they came,

And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;

"Now, Alpha! now, Bravo! now, Charlie and Delta!

On, Headquarters! on Scouts! on, S-2 and S-3!

To the top of the main gate! to the top of the wall!

Now convoy away! convoy away! convoy away all!"

As sand during a sandstorm does manage to fly,

When they meet with a desert, mount to the sky,

So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,

With the tank full of toys, and Sgt. Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof

The stomping and clomping of each combat boot.

As I drew in my head, and was turning around,

Through the mail slot Sgt. Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in camo, from his head to his foot,

And his clothes were all pressed with fine spitshined black boots;

A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,

And he looked like a Soldier just opening his pack.

His eyes -- how they looked tired! his dimples were there,

But through it all, his sadness he did wear.

His strong mouth was quiet as he wondered how,

She managed to do it without sweat on her brow;

The single white envelope he held tight in his hand,

Was the first thing he set down, all covered with sand;

A single letter sent home, written straight from the heart,

Even if the military did keep them apart.

He was skinny and strong, silent and stealth,

No danger of stealing, as he was used to no wealth;

A wink of his eye and a nod of his head,

Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,

And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,

And turning and smiling, he straightened his clothes

And giving a salute, up the chimney he rose;

He sprang to his tank, to his convoy gave a yell,

And away they all flew like a bat out of hell.

But I heard him call cadence as he drove out of sight

Remember he loves you he’ll call you tonight.

Syncsta Sunday - Surprise Extra

Okay guys so this is Chris Green from Syncsta. His first single. Enjoy!

Syncsta Sunday

So here we go again. Video Number 3.

Enjoy

Truths For Mature Adults - Thanks Tammy!

1. I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.

2. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.

3. I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.

4. There is great need for a sarcasm font.

5. How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

6. Was learning cursive really necessary?

7. Map Quest really needs to start their directions on # 5. I'm pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood

8. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the  person died.

9. I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.

10. Bad decisions make good stories.

11. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment, when you know that you just aren't going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.

12. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I don't want to have to restart my collection...again.

13. I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page technical report that I swear I did not make any changes to.

14. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

15. I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lite than Kay.

16. I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option.

17. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

18. How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear or understand a word they said?

19. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers and sisters!

20. Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.

21. Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.

23. Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey - but I'd bet everyone can find and push the snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time, every time!

24. The first testicular guard, the "Cup," was used in Hockey in 1874 and the first helmet was used in 1974. That means it only took 100 years for men to realize that their brain is also important.

Ladies.....Quit Laughing.

Tasty Tuesday

Buckeye Bars

By: Tia Michelle Davis

(Sister in law's Sister)

1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup crunchy peanut butter
22 NILLA Wafers crushed. about 3/4 cup
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 of 8 oz tub cool whip (do not thaw)
3 squares Baker's semi sweet chocolate

Line 8 inch square pan with foil. Beat butter and peanut butter with mixer until blended. Add wafer crumbs: mix well. Gradually beat in sugar. Press into bottom of pan.

Microwave coolwhip and chocolate in microwaveable bowl until chocolate is melted. (Stir every minute till smooth) Spread onto peanut butter layer.

Refrigerate 2 hours. Cut into 25 bars.

Military Monday: Dear Future Military Spouse

Dear Future Military Spouse:

I read this article on The Thrifty Military Wife's Blog and she read it on The Hooyah Wife's Blog and thought I would share it with all of you. Its a great article that I am sure all Military Wives can relate to and understand. Enjoy and feel free to comment on it if you want.

Dear Future Military Spouse:

Congratulations! You found a good man and are actively pursuing a wedding. We’re so happy for you.
We regret to inform you that, as a future military wife, you will have to undergo a severe hazing. Unfortunately, by the time you're well immersed, it may be too late to change your mind. The military is not a bowl of peaches and cherries. As Erma Bombeck famously asked once, "If life is a bowl of cherries, what am I doing in the pits?" You will come to understand this in time.

Here, compiled by the wives, fiancées, and girlfriends at: http://www.militarysos.com (Military Significant Other Support website and forum) is a list of things that will not please you, and strong advice on how to deal. It is separated into sections: Military Life (general), Money, Deployment (and all that follows), and Family. It is both funny and serious, trivial and deep, every day and extreme, but most of all, it is Honest.

Military Life (In General)

1. We begin with Boot camp. Boot camp really does change almost everyone. This is not always a bad thing. Sometimes they come away with pride, integrity, and more love and appreciation for you than either of you knew he was capable of feeling. Sometimes he comes home haughty, rude, or distant. Hurt, happy, or simply looking different, these are changes that you can adapt to, or move on. We strongly suggest attempting adaptation. Find a good group of friends.
2. Troops don’t work 9-5, Monday to Friday only.
3. One day they could be working days, the next, nights.
4. Don’t bother planning a vacation. Leave-chits can and probably will be denied, depending on what kind of mood their superiors are in that day.
5. If you DO get leave approved and plan a vacation, you can rest assured that at the worst possible time, you and your husband will be pulled aside and checked in airport security, because his dress uniform (WITH metal belt buckle and nameplate) will set off the alarms. Supposedly they’re not supposed to be allowed to check military members in uniform. Someone tell them that.
6. The bathroom will now be referred to as “The Head”. Your kitchen will now be “Mess hall, or Chow.”
7. You will be dumped into a totally new town where the neighbors will be crazy, no one will know how to drive, the radio stations will suck, and you’ll spend a good part of your first month trying to figure out the cheapest place to buy food and a stiff drink.
8. His friends will not only be your friends, but if you get married and move him out of the barracks/dorms, you can probably expect one or 6 of his friends to move in too.
9. Inspections
10. Moving
11. Cleaning
12. Maintaining the yard to government standards.
13. Civilians. That's pretty much a letter in itself. They do not understand your plight, fears, or added burdens. All they know is that you're swimming in cash, toss diamonds around your living room, have no neighbor troubles at all, and that you get paid by the kid in the military. It is extremely probable that none of these will ever be true, unless by "cash" you mean debt, by "diamonds" you mean tantrums because you're on your 6th move in 7 years, by "no neighbor troubles" they mean I have my head so far up my a**.....moving on... 

Civilians p.2. "Civilians will never understand, but they love telling you that you knew what you were signing up for, and/or their blind, often ignorant views about your husband's job or the war that it entails."
14. “Civilians, take note. He DOES work when not on deployment. He doesn’t just sit around in my living room eating bon bons and watching soap operas. (Oh wait – or is that me because I’m a stay-at-home-mom?)
15. Stereotypes. People will assume he's cheating on you, he cusses, and he will have a tattoo. They might be right. There's a reason for the stereotypes. This is an issue that requires you TRUST him.
16. CLASSIFIED means SECRET, which means he is not ALLOWED to tell you. It's not a choice. This is another issue that requires your TRUST. It also means you need to KNOW the rules.
17. You will have to deal sometimes with higher ups who think their poop doesn't stink, and that your husband’s petty, trivial inconveniences (you know, his wife has severe depression and can't get a doctor's appointment) don't matter.
18. Also, wives who wear their husbands' rank (this is NOT always, or even often, in some cases, officers' wives. They are human too. Most of them are wonderful people. Some of them wear their husbands' ranks, but so do some enlisted wives).
19. Free medical care: Otherwise known as waiting to take care of it until you get to a base/post with a decent hospital/medical system that accepts Tricare, so you can go back and forth between the military clinic and/or Tricare over whether it’s covered or not, then go back for referrals, prescriptions, etc.
20. Just because a ship’s doc is called, “doc” doesn’t mean he’ll give the same attention and care as a doctor in the civilian world. Chances are, he won’t give much notice at all and will slap your hubby’s back and tell him to take some ibuprofen and let him know how it is in a week. Then, when your hubby goes back the week later, he’ll tell him it’s the same thing and give him more ibuprofen!
21. Another pseudo-perk: 24 hour maintenance doesn’t always mean 24 hours. Most of the time it’s, ‘Turn off the main valve for your water and we’ll have someone there between 8am and 4 pm tomorrow’, which could very well turn into next week.
22. Forget everything the recruiter told you. Their job is NOT to make happy marriages.
23. You will get screwed again and again…and again. It’s par for the course. Don’t worry, you’re not special. It’s like a code.
24. To that effect, do not be surprised if you get so stressed you begin to hear Mimes. In fact, you may just answer the questions going through THEIR heads.
Onward and upwards:

Money

1. The BX (Aka: PX, NEX) will probably rob you, price wise. We suggest the commissary for food and batteries and basic needs. The BX does, however, price match (to downtown stores, not the commissary), and you don't pay tax. Woot.
2. Be prepared to have your pay messed up or delayed for no reason at all.
3. If the military gives you too much money, it will be ripped out of his account faster and harder than a Brazilian wax in bikini season. If they underpay him, that money will slowly trickle into his account...sometime over the next six months to three years. And if you don't catch it, don't expect to ever see it again.
4. Companies may hesitate to hire you, because they know you’ll move.
5. Likewise, the military doesn’t care if you’re halfway through college and no credits transfer. He will move when they tell him to.
6. When you do move, most likely you’ll be in Podunkville USA and air travel will be twice as expensive, or you’ll be in Touristville USA and air travel will be twice as expensive. God help you if you want to see your stateside family while he’s stationed overseas.

That wasn’t so hard. Onto:

Deployment

1. To begin with: Your husband has signed up for a chance at death. I'm sorry. Some of us like to ignore this. Some like to be prepared. Some still haven't found a way to deal. See the aforementioned website and forum.
2. Six month deployments are rarely six months.
3. Acquaint yourself with your computer….fast. It may be your best friend.
4. If you hear a schedule more than a few days before it happens, most likely it will be: A.) Longer,
B.) Longer, or
C.) Longer than you anticipated.
5. If you don’t have kids, you will more than likely end up with a dog or cat.
6. Get a dog. They don’t talk back, and can’t drive for you, but they keep you warm at night, still make messes, require you to wake up at a decent hour in the morning and go to bed at a decent hour of the night. Plus you have to keep them fed and watered, so to sum it up, dogs keep you from going into the, “He’s gone; I don’t have a reason to live” fog.
7. Tylenol PM and a journal might become your best friends during deployment! Chances are a bottle of wine and a bubble bath will accompany them both. Don’t be surprised when you are doing normal things around the house and 15 minutes later you realize that you have not done them yet because you were stuck in a daydream about what it would be like if he were here right now.
8. You start missing little things like yelling at him for not taking the trash out, leaving his empty beer bottles in the living room for the dog to lick, or his socks on the stairs because he was so tired he just undressed walking up the stairs.
9. Dinner may just become pickles and dry cereal when he's not home, because you don't have to cook for anyone. Burger king (or the restaurants on post) will be one of the things you're happiest to see, but over time will become your greatest foe. You may even hiss a little when you pass them downtown, because you've spent so many lonely 8am's in the parking lot waiting for them to open, so you have someone to talk to.
10. When he comes home from a deployment, be prepared for both of you to look different. Your hair will most likely have a new style, length, and/or color, and you’ll pray that he likes it. He will have gained or lost weight, and have much shorter hair than your liking. He may come back with a new tattoo and/or scars. You may have either gained weight from nervous/bored eating, or lost weight because you had no appetite while he was gone. Despite all that, you’ll buy a fabulous new dress to greet him in, which you will only get to wear for no longer than the 30 minutes it takes to drive home.
11. Don’t be offended when he doesn’t notice the new blanket on the back of the couch, the new paint in the bedroom, the new shower curtain, dishes, table, desk, appliance. Or the new flowers, comforter, lamp… Basically, more than likely all he wants to look at are you, the tv, and the backs of his eyelids.
12. He might come home from deployment and not want to be "Daddy" right away. Or "Husband" He will be happy to be home, reveling in all that is "safe" and "normal". In the time he was gone you learned to do what you used to need him for. It might be hard giving those duties back to him. Don't be surprised if he doesn't want to take them back right away. Your best bet is to talk to him. Let him play with the kids, or not, for a few days. Remember, if he was gone one month or 15, you and the children may not be the exact people he remembered. Find wives on base who have been there.
13. Also, don’t be offended if your Troop asks for Macaroni and Cheese over the gourmet meal you have prepared. He’s been used to eating runny eggs, undercooked bacon, moldy charbroiled toast, and a meaty substance known as meatloaf that is .05% meat and 99.95% You Don’t Want to Know. Macaroni and cheese is simple, tastes good, and can get the job done. It’s also only 50 cents a box at the commissary and can get you through those months that you are missing $500 out of your check and only have $50 after bills to put gas in the car and get groceries.
14. Something to think about: When he is deployed, if it is possible, he will very likely relax by playing video games. They aren't real, and that means they can take him far, far away from real, and that's the most comforting thought he can get sometimes in a wartime situation. This may lead to an addiction. Our advice: try to help him keep it in moderation, but understand that this helps him. It's fun for him. It keeps him young. Take up a hobby, go out with friends, sit in the room and read while he plays. Try the game. You might like it.

And finally:

Family

1. You are not first in your marriage. As long as he's active duty, you never will be. The military does not care if it is your anniversary. If there is a terrorist attack, pending deployment, or they just plumb feel like calling him in to work, he will go. The other option is jail time. You pick.
2. Your husband will not keep every promise he ever made. In fact, between the military and his given gender, you'll be lucky if he keeps two. As long as he keeps the basic, "Promise to love, cherish, and be faithful" you're in good standing. The rest will have to be hashed out, fought over, and bitched about to girlfriends. Please see http://www.militarysos.com for further instructions (and a forum!)
3. This is one a lot of people don't understand, future spouse. As the spouse you become the person who gets the news. Most of the time, he will call you, write you, e-mail you first. God forbid he dies, because you will be the one to find out. This leaves you in a very poor situation, as someone (often, but definitely not always, his mother) will be jealous that they are not receiving every call made out of the war zone, school, or basic training (boot camp). This can lead to verbal/physical/mental feuds between you and his family. If you are lucky, most of his family (ESPECIALLY any prior military members) will understand and leave you alone.
4. In regards to this, it will also be your fault, should you marry him, if he does not call home.
5. Over time, the number of deployments you and your husband have been through will greatly outnumber the number of anniversaries you two have actually spent together in the same town, let alone state or country.
6. You will remember the year your son was born, but you’ll fight over what base you were at, in what state or country.
7. Never assume your husband is going to get his ten day TDY [or time off of work for ANYTHING]. You may just get stuck doing all the legwork finding a place to live yourself because you’re number 213 on the base housing list and they are not concerned with helping you find a place off post. When he’s promised his days and they never come, you’re steady out on your own running up the miles on your car in a town you know nothing about. But, as they say, when you assume, you make an ass out of “u”, and me.
8. You will NOT see your family as often as you want to. You will most likely not be stationed near home. Your siblings will suddenly possess time machines and constantly step too far into the future for your liking. Invest in a good phone plan, and webcam. It helps.
9. The most heartbreaking thing I've had so far - you will have to choose between your job (or lack of money) and your grandma's funeral. Or weddings. Or baptisms. Or family reunions. We are sincerely sorry. We can almost guarantee this will bring you to your knees more than once. On the same note, it is not extremely uncommon to hear of women who delivered, raised, and/or lost babies while their DHs were deployed/TDY.
10. Expect that during his career in the military, more often than not, you will be both Mommy and Daddy at home. You will take care of your kids, giving them all of the love you can and emphasizing the honorable role their Daddy. You wait (sometimes not so patiently) for him to come home and embrace him, giving him back his Daddy "role". This is especially prevalent if you have very small children for they will "know" Daddy but as you look forward to homecoming day, your children will be looking at you to wipe your eyes, stand up and brush it off and continue on being the amazing wife and mother the military sometimes forgets to acknowledge.

I'll tell you something though. I don't think there's a woman who contributed who didn't have fun thinking about it. It does get hard. It does get oppressive. The lady down the street who has 183 cats, 7 foot tall grass, and a car engine hanging from the tree starts to make sense. Some days hard liquor and a bottle of Zoloft sounds like a good combination, but there is something about it, a magic about it, that once you start to complain, and someone says, " OH MY GOD do I HEAR you! Let me tell you about how Jimbo got shot and they told him to pick up the guy next to him and carry him to the hospital if he wanted to go so bad!"

All of a sudden, it looks funny. And honestly, if this is how you feel, like it's starting to become real, then this thread has actually found the purpose I intended it for. And honestly, I don't know. You MIGHT very well print it out, read over it once a day, fear it, lose it, find it again in 6 months and laugh your A$$ off at how many things now are not only real, but ancient history. Like I said, some of this stuff I wish someone would have told me. All of it, actually. Now you know what you're up against. Don't let him go. Buy armor.

My biggest advice: Surround yourself with positive influences.

It's too easy in the military to drink underage, party, etc. It's also very easy to doubt your husband when he is away. This is harder for National Guard wives, who don't have a post nearby to run to. Still, find stories of marriages that did last. Through many deployments. Find people whose husbands broke up with them because they thought it would be too hard, and got back together. Be nice to veterans. If all goes as planned, you might be one of those someday. A lot of vets are still married to their high school sweethearts. Get to know their stories, if you can. You'll be amazed.

"While life apart is miserable, life alone is death."

The Wives' blogs that shared this article, their link is in the sidebar. --->

Syncsta Sunday

So every Sunday I have decided to share a Syncsta video. Now even tho they are no longer known as "Syncsta", their older videos are still out there and are too good not to share. They are too funny and always bring a smile to my face. My friend Heather, whom passed away in August, and I found these guys while passing the time away during a deployment and goofing around on YouTube. I hope you enjoy these videos as much as we did and that they bring a smile to your face as well. I will also be keeping you informed on the status of the guys whom say they are going to start writing songs. We shall see. 

Video of the Week

These guys are Hilarious! They used to do all kinds of videos and even had their own website. But sadly they went their seperate ways. This is in honor of them. Enjoy!

My Mother Taught Me

My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE -
"If you're going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning!"

My mother taught me RELIGION -
"You better pray that will come out of the carpet."

My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL -
"If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the middle of next week!"

My mother taught me LOGIC -
"Because I said so, that's why."

My Mother taught me more LOGIC -
"If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you're not going to the store with me."

My mother taught me FORESIGHT -
"Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you're in an accident."

My mother taught me IRONY -
"Keep crying and I'll give you something to cry about."

My mother taught me about the science of OSMOSIS -
"Shut your mouth and eat your supper!"

My mother taught me about CONTORTIONIST -
"Will you "look" at the dirt on the back of your neck!"

My mother taught me about STAMINA -
"You'll sit there 'till all that spinach is finished."

My mother taught me about WEATHER -
"It looks as if a tornado swept through your room."

My mother taught me how to solve PHYSICS PROBLEMS -
"If I yelled because I saw a meteor coming toward you; would you listen THEN?"

My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY -
"If I've told you once, I've told you a million times - Don't Exaggerate!!!"

My mother taught me THE CIRCLE OF LIFE -
"I brought you into this world, and I can take you out."

My mother taught me about BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION -
"Stop acting like your father!"

My mother taught me about ENVY -
"There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don't have wonderful parents like you do!"

My Mother taught me about ANTICIPATION -
"Just wait until we get home."

My Mother taught me about RECEIVING -
"You are going to get it when we get home!"

My Mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE -
"If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they are going to freeze that way."

My Mother taught me to THINK AHEAD -
"If you don't pass your spelling test, you'll never get a good job."

My Mother taught me ESP -
"Put your sweater on; don't you think I know when you're cold?"

My mother taught me HUMOR -
"When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me."

My mother taught me how to BECOME AN ADULT -
"If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up."

My Mother taught me about GENETICS -
"You're just like your father."

My Mother taught me about my ROOTS -
"Do you think you were born in a barn?"

My Mother taught me about WISDOM OF AGE -
"When you get to be my age, you will understand."

And my all time favorite... JUSTICE -
"One day you'll have kids ... and I hope they turn out just like you!"