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Spouse Career Accelerator Pilot Announced

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The Military Spouse Career Accelerator Pilot program was announced in January 2023 by the Defense Department. The program is a 12-week paid fellowship program for spouses of currently serving members of the branches of the military including the US Army, US Navy, US Marine Corps, US Air Force and Space Forces in addition to National Guard components.

The pilot program will run for three years, with the first cohort beginning work through January 2023. After application, spouses are accepted into the program and placed with host companies to match with their location and work experience to provide a work opportunity and professional training and mentoring.  There is not a public list of host employers.

The goal of the program is to connect equipped spouses with companies who have partnered with the Hiring Our Heroes program. The 12-week fellowship program may lead to continued employment through a direct hire program, depending on the company. It does not guarantee continued employment.

Spouses can apply through the MySeco website. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Applications do require a DS Logon for identity verification. Not everyone is guaranteed a fellowship. For those who apply but are not matched with a fellowship, the resources on Hiring Our Heroes and SECO offer other fellowships or coaching.

Employers can apply to participate in the program on the Hiring Our Heroes website.

The program is a brand-new initiative, and since the first cohort just started, there is little information on the number of spouses within the program or how many fellowships lead to direct hiring. This program does not address one of the biggest barriers to military spouse employment – childcare. The program does not specifically note if positions are remote, but since the posting states that it provides “hands on professional training” to military spouses accepted in the program, positions could be in person or remote.

What the program does do is provide contacts to the professional world. It is a difficult step to “get a foot in the doorway” in some professions, so while it may not lead to continued employment with that company, perhaps the contacts made will lead to other meaningful work. Time will tell the success of this program.  If you or someone you know has been accepted into the program, please share the experience with others.

On-Base Child Care Rates Increase

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Childcare centers on the military installation will have increased rates in 2023, per a 2022 press release from the Defense Department. Military and DOD-affiliated parents utilize these child development centers and school-age care centers as a means to find reliable childcare at an affordable rate.

On-post childcare centers are an affordable option for childcare. With the cost of childcare increasing across the United States, with some people paying over $30/hour for a nanny or over $20/hour for a group setting care, on-base care may be the only place where the entire paycheck doesn’t seem to go missing.  On-base care prior to the cost raise was $7/hour and is now $8/hour.

The increase in cost to parents is in part, to cover the increase in costs of hiring qualified childcare providers. The DOD Child Development Program Fee policy states that a minimum of 50% of appropriated funds support the child care development programs, with revenue generated by parent fees for the other 50% of the operating budget.

The program Child Care Aware, a Community Provider Fee Assistance program, will continue. The prior cap of $1500/month per child will increase to $1700/month per child. The amount actually given for fee assistance depends on the service branch, location, and rank of the service member. If you are looking for off-base child care, look at Child Care Aware for fee assistance.

Prior to the rate raise, child development centers had several income categories to determine the cost of childcare. For instance, an E3 and an O1 would not pay the same amount. The childcare rate would be determined by income. These income categories continue with the pay increase, but there are now 14 categories instead of the previous 13. The categories vary by military branch and location, so check with the child development center or school-age care program on your military installation, or next one, to know what to expect for childcare costs on base.

Childcare is a concern for military families. Military members often work hours outside the typical 9-5, and finding safe, and quality childcare is a priority for military families. Affordable childcare is added bonus. The childcare centers on base often have hours of 6 am -6 pm, or even later, depending on the location of the center. Costs are typically flat rates, not specifically at the hourly rate, so it is one cost for utilizing all the centers’ hours or part of them. This helps when hours, or days, vary for the military member.

Your commissary offers nutritious choices, quick meal solutions, wellness resources to align with your fitness goals

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NEWS RELEASE

Defense Commissary Agency

Corporate Communications

1300 E Avenue, Fort Lee, VA 23801-1800

Tel:  (804) 734-8000, Ext. 8-6105  DSN: 687-8000, Ext. 8-6105 

FAX: (804) 734-8248  DSN: 687-8248

www.commissaries.com

Release Number:        05-23                                                                                                                        

Date:                              January 19, 2023

Media Contact:           Kevin L. Robinson, public affairs specialist

Tel.:                               (804) 734-8000, Ext. 4-8773

E-mail:                         kevin.robinson@deca.mil

Fit for 2023

Your commissary offers nutritious choices, quick meal solutions, wellness resources to align with your fitness goals

By Kathy Milley,

DeCA public affairs specialist

Facebook-friendly version: Feeling like you’re up to your chin in sugar cookies and extravagant holiday feasts? Ready to climb out of the snack wagon? Well January’s here and we suddenly start making impossible demands of ourselves. In order to stay true to our resolutions, say longer than a month, we need to keep it easy. Your commissary is the simple solution to help you recover from the holidays and stick with it until the next holiday season. To read the rest of the story on the DeCA website, click here. To download a DeCA graphic on DVIDS, click here. To download a USDA graphic, click here.

FORT LEE, Va. – Feeling like you’re up to your chin in sugar cookies and extravagant holiday feasts? Ready to climb out of the snack wagon? Well January’s here and we suddenly start making impossible demands of ourselves. In order to stay true to our resolutions, say longer than a month, we need to keep it easy.

Your commissary is the simple solution to help you recover from the holidays and stick with it until the next holiday season. That’s the message from Deborah Harris, the Defense Commissary Agency’s dietitian and health and wellness program manager. She holds a master of Public Health degree and is a registered dietitian and certified diabetes care and education specialist.

When committing to a healthier lifestyle and wellness goals, Harris says the commissary strives to keep patrons motivated by offering the following easily identifiable high-performance foods and easy-to-use, quick meal solutions and wellness resources:

  • Dietitian-Approved Thumb (DAT): The “Thumbs Up Dietitian-Approved” tags on shelves makes it easy for patrons to quickly identify high-nutrition, quality foods to incorporate into a healthy eating pattern. DAT uses unique software that analyzes and identifies products in most of the commissary food categories based on up to 86 of the FDA-defined health attributes. These attributes can drive better shopping selections throughout the store by calling out items with limited added sugar, sodium and unhealthy fat while offering whole grains, healthy fats, fiber or lean protein as well as identify items that qualify as USDA Organic. Once these products are identified, they are labeled on the commissary shelves with a “Thumbs Up Dietitian-Approved” tag.
  • “Thinking Outside the Box” recipes: Preparing nutritious food at home does not have to be difficult or expensive. With “Thinking Outside the Box” recipes, your commissary continually offers meal solutions that are quick, healthy and economical with ingredients typically offered at enhanced savings to our customers. The recipes are always accessible on commissaries.com under the “Healthy Living” tab. This library features quick and easy, dietitian-approved recipes for appetizers, entrees, salads, side dishes and even desserts.
  • Commissary CLICK2GO: Use Commissary CLICK2GO, the commissary’s online ordering service, to instantly add the ingredients of your favorite dietitian-approved recipe to your virtual grocery cart. When doing your Commissary CLICK2GO ordering on Commissaries.com, click on the Recipe link, select the recipe you would like to add to your meal plan for the week and simply click the “Add to Cart” button beside each of the ingredients you need to prepare the meal. Preparing nutritious food at home has never been easier.
  • Mobile App: Download DeCA’s new mobile app to access the commissary’s website programs like Commissary CLICK2GO online payment and curbside pickup, digital coupons, the sales flyer, dietitian-approved recipes, healthy living resources and much more. The mobile app is free for download through the Google Play and IOS app stores, offering our patrons more convenience and flexibility when using their commissary benefit – wherever they are.
  • Fueling stations: The Dietitian-Approved Fueling Stations, located near the front-end checkout aisles in over 170 commissaries, offer tasty, nutritious meals and snacks to give patrons the convenience they need without the high-calories or high-cost of a fast food restaurant meal. Customers can expect to see products that offer protein, healthy fat, complex carbohydrates and a low-calorie form of hydration like low-calorie flavored waters and sports drinks, deli sandwiches, single-serving hummus, ready-to-eat lean protein, fruits and cheese, no-added-sugar yogurts, low-sugar protein bars, or prepared sliced fruits and salads.
  • Quick home-cooked meals: Lack of time shouldn’t prevent patrons from preparing nutritious home-cooked meals. DeCA has prepared a list of no-fuss entrées chosen from the many dietitian-approved “Thinking Outside the Box” recipes featured on commissaries.com. The list is designed to minimize preparation time with quick and easy meal solutions featuring ingredients that will save money at the commissary. It features links to quick-prep recipes using a slow cooker, microwave or pressure cooker; make-ahead freezer meals; and one-skillet meals and entrees using prepared protein like rotisserie chicken and canned tuna.
  • Meal planning: To take the work out of meal planning, DeCA has created two dietitian-approved dinner menu plans including weekly shopping lists, each for an entire month of family meals. These monthly menu plans are available on commissaries.com at these links: Meal Plan #1 and Meal Plan #2. Choose your preferred plan and simply print off the shopping list for the week, add breakfast and lunch items and your shopping list is ready. You will have everything you need for the week. If you would like to create your own menu plan tailoring it to your family’s preferences, use our easy-to-follow planning aids, the Dietitian-Approved Menu Planner and the Weekly Meal Plan Worksheet.

“We offer our patrons easy solutions to maintain a nutritious diet,” said Bonita Moffett, DeCA’s sales director. “We work diligently to provide the right mix of products and resources to support their wellness objectives all while saving big at the checkout. Using these commissary resources will make their New Year’s resolutions something they can stick to.”

-DeCA-

Deployed Spouse? Disrupted Sleep? Try These Tips

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A unique side of military life is deployments. There is a lot of stress leading up to a deployment. Field exercises, floats, preparations, and separations. After that departure, back at home, a new journey begins. Sleep routines are interrupted. Especially if you are used to sleeping with your partner. If you are experiencing deployment and dealing with the emotions that are leading to disrupted sleep, try these solutions.

Create a new routine. Creating a new sleep routine does not replace or remove your partner; it creates a new predictable pattern. If you create a new routine in the hours before bed, eventually, your body and mind will be relaxed and prepared for sleep at the same time every night.

Anxiety

Anxiety is a repetitive emotion during deployment. Well-meaning family members send an article on every incident in the country or with any military ship, asking about the family member. It leads to being on edge and can disrupt sleep. The anxiety leads to restlessness. Take the focus off the anxiety by focusing on relaxing just prior to bed. Take a warm bath and avoid electronics two hours before bed. This allows for a shift in focus prior to bed. Add a weighted blanket and a sound machine at bedtime. These tools can combat anxiety preventing restful sleep.

Loneliness

When you are used to sleeping with someone else in the bed, and the loneliness makes it difficult to sleep, try adding a pillow to that person’s side of the bed or sleeping with a body pillow. Roll up a blanket on that side of the bed to add to the weight of the bed. Some military spouses shared that they put their spouse’s t-shirt on a pillow or a stuffed animal and slept with that to have the comforting smell of their spouse, all while being able to cuddle, allowing them to sleep.  If children are comforted by dolls with their parent’s pictures on them, it makes sense that adults are comforted by these things as well.

Restlessness

When feeling restless and unsettled, the Sleep Foundation recommends focusing on relaxing rather than sleep. This sleep method was utilized by military service members when deployed during World War II. First, work by relaxing the face and neck, and slowly focus on the body parts below – first the shoulders, arms, and hands, then the torso, legs, and feet. Visualizing a relaxing scene. If your relaxing scene is interrupted by worries or thoughts, don’t focus on them; instead, focus on repeating the phrase “don’t think,” and focusing on this helps to remain relaxed.

If you wake up in the middle of the night due to restlessness, try sipping on warm decaffeinated tea or milk. Do not turn on screens where blue light could signal your brain to turn on. Instead, focus on drinking the relaxing, warm liquid.

Fear

Coupled with anxiety, fear can rule the home and the mind during a deployment. The ideas of what could be happening “over there” and at home can prevent one from sleeping. To focus at home, consider a security camera or house alarm system to provide a sense of comfort and awareness. If you are on edge worrying about what could happen at home, setting an alarm allows for peace of mind.

Having a dog at home also eases the mind. It is a ready alarm and a friendly companion to combat fear.

Deployments are periods filled with anxiety, loneliness, restlessness, and fear. While these emotions are common and expected, they do not have to rule the sleep routine with the right tools and preparation.

Scholarships for Military Children

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Scholarships for Military Children. Apply at www.militaryscholar.org

The Scholarships for Military Children Program was created to recognize the contributions of military families to the readiness of the fighting force and to celebrate the role of the commissary in the military family community. Scholarships for Military Children Program is now open and accepting applications through February 15, 2023 for the 2023 school year.

For scholarship year 2023-24, Fisher House Foundation will award 500 scholarship grants of $2,000 each. The selection process will begin immediately following the application deadline of Feb. 15, at 11:59 p.m. PST

Funding for the program comes from commissary business partners and other contributions to Fisher House Foundation designated specifically for the scholarship programs.

“We thank the Defense Commissary Agency for partnering with us to provide scholarships to our youngest members of the military community,” said Ken Fisher, chairman and CEO of Fisher House Foundation. “We also appreciate the donors and supporters who value how important our military families are and support them through our scholarship program.”

Selection qualifications are straightforward. Requirements include completing the application; submission of the student’s official transcript indicating a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale for high school applicants, or college transcript indicating a cumulative minimum GPA of 2.5 or above on a 4.0 scale for students already enrolled in college; and a 500-word essay. The subject of this year’s essay is listed at the militaryscholar.org website under “Scholarships for Military Children.”

Eligibility for the program is determined using the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System database. Applicants should ensure that they, as well as their sponsor, are enrolled in the DEERS database and have a current military dependent ID card. The applicant must also be planning to attend or already be attending an accredited college or university, full time, in the fall of 2023 or be enrolled in a program of studies designed to transfer directly into a four-year program.

Applicants who are awarded a full scholarship to attend a college or university or receive an appointment to one of the service academies or affiliated preparatory schools are not eligible to receive funds from this program. A full scholarship is usually defined as one that provides for payment of tuition, books, lab fees and other expenses. Get more information on the program and apply here.

All rules and requirements for the Scholarships for Military Children program, as well as links to frequently asked questions are available at militaryscholar.org.

Fisher House Foundation also has a free, easy to use custom scholarship search engine tailored to military families called “Scholarships for Service.” It’s available for both mobile devices and desktop computers at militaryscholar.org.

-DeCA-

Spouse Careers That Don’t Require Childcare

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One of the positive things that came out of the COVID-19 Pandemic shutdown is the flexibility of working from home for many jobs. Many companies realized that positions could be maintained with work at home, freeing up their own workspace for other jobs. Some of these remote jobs are perfect for parents, especially military spouses. Childcare is a barrier for military spouses to find employment, especially considering that the active-duty military schedule is not always reliable.

Customer Service Representative

Many companies have these roles that can be completed at home and at varying hours. Administrative tasks or email responses can be made at any hour. These positions require an ability to have a quiet home office to answer phone calls and use and be familiar with software technology. Companies like Amazon, Target, and Disney often post positions. These entry-level jobs can be done remotely as long as there is an internet connection, a working computer, and a working phone.

Proofreader

For those who love reading, are strict grammar rule followers, and want to get paid for it – proofreading may be the perfect job. It can be done anywhere where an internet connection can reach. There is no re-writing involved, purely reading to ensure no errors, unlike a copy editor. Proofreaders sometimes have a bachelor’s degree in English, but if the proofreading being done is for a certain subject, a different degree or experience may be more useful. Before employment, a proofreading competency test is typically performed. Check out FlexJobs, Indeed, and LinkedIn for positions.

Website Designer

Those with knowledge in Squarespace, Wix, WordPress, and, or HTML can build a website quickly and effectively. Get certificates to build and develop webpages through the local community college to network and improve your skills. Google offers courses for free. The amount of time to build each page depends on the skill level, so practice and time will decrease the time needed. Upwork and LinkedIn are great places to look for work.

Freelance Writer

A freelance writer is responsible for brainstorming topics, researching, writing compelling content, editing, and pitching the articles to varying online and print magazines. Each online or print media has a different style and voice, so the writer has to be able to write to that brand’s style. These positions do not always offer a great amount of money, but by writing with more companies, more can be earned. Writing can be done at any hour. Network your friends to find writing opportunities and check on websites like LinkedIn, SmartBlogger, FlexJobs, and Upwork.  

Transcriptionist

Transcribe recorded dictations as a transcriptionist. Fast typing, concentration skills, and good hearing are required.  Those individuals with medical knowledge have a leg up on working as medical transcriptionists.  This does require the ability to listen to the transcription and type quickly and accurately. Thanks to headphones, this job can be done early in the morning, late at night, and during nap times with young children at home. Check out UpWork and LinkedIn for positions.

Virtual Assistant

This position comes in all shapes and sizes – part-time, full-time, and everything in between. A virtual assistant manages the calendar and day-to-day for their client, manages social media channels like Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and TikTok as well as reviewing email, maintaining records, and whatever the client requires. If the client is a blogger or writer, the job could include reviewing the website and editing pieces. The job can be done remotely and may allow for flexible hours as long as you have a high-speed internet connection. Check out LinkedIn and among military spouse groups, as there are several military spouses who run virtual assistant companies. Other companies that hire virtual assistants are VaVa Virtual Assistants, Profit Factory, and Boldly.

Online Teacher/Tutor

The burden of having to update teacher licensing for each state the military spouse moves to is time consuming. The teaching position does not continue remotely around the world. Online teaching and tutoring can be done remotely, from around the world. Tutor.com is a great spot to start. Teaching English to students worldwide with programs like VIPKID means teaching during the evening and early hours, but this also means no burden of childcare.

Health Coach

If health is your passion and fitness is a priority, being a health coach may be the right position. Provide workout classes in your neighborhood or area for a nominal fee, and smaller children can be involved or play at the nearby playground. Providing meal plans for a nominal fee allows for maintained health and nutrition at home, but also providing them to others and earning money as well.

Small Business Owner

This can be made to suit each person. Maybe you like to crochet or design stickers using your Cricut? Opening your own business and selling your product may be the right thing for you. It allows for the ultimate flexible job option as you are your own boss. Working at something you enjoy may not feel like work. It provides enjoyment and continued work. Once you have your shop up and running, consider adding it to the Spouse-ly Marketplace – a unique marketplace for goods and services for military and veteran-owned businesses.

These careers allow flexibility and mobility for military spouses, who provide consistency and support for their family while the military member is at work. The flexible and remote work market is increasing, with new job types and titles developing every day.

Do you have a remote job to share?

Winter Blues are Real …and Tips To Fend Them Off

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The shorter days, longer dark hours, and colder temperatures lead to “winter blues.” Per the American Academy of Family Practice, about 10-20% percent of people may have mild winter blues, about 10 million people by the numbers.

The winter blues by definition, is the feeling of depression or deep unhappiness associated with the season of winter. The National Institute for Health calls this more of a feeling than a diagnosis.

Tips

  1. Get More Light: Sit by a window throughout the day, so you are exposed to more daylight. If you are able, get out and walk as much as possible. If you have a long commute to work, consider taking a 20-minute walk during your lunch break to get some sunshine. This is especially important if you work in a building without windows. Light therapy is a treatment modality for more severe cases of winter blues called Seasonal Affective Disorder. The light is meant to replace the missed daytime hours experienced in the summer and fall days. While getting outside in the natural light will not replace all the missed sunlight hours, it will provide much-missed sunlight. Don’t forget your sunscreen when taking in your vitamin D.
  2. Eat Healthy: While your body will crave carbohydrates when having symptoms of the winter blues, eating healthy and balanced meals, including fruit, vegetables, and fish, can help combat those sad feelings. Meal plan with healthy meals to avoid snacking on sugary treats that are abundant at the holidays. Eating sugary carbohydrates can lead to sugar spikes and drops, which can increase feelings of sadness. This doesn’t mean you cannot indulge at all, with everything in moderation.
  3. Be active: Keeping up a regular activity schedule will help boost your energy and your mood through the mood-enhancing chemical of serotonin. The CDC recommends 30 minutes of exercise daily, for a total of 150 minutes a week. While this can feel like an overwhelming task with long work hours, a commute, and perhaps even parenting and the taxi cab life for activities. If breaking up the exercise into 15-minute increments in the morning and in the evening is more manageable, do it. Perhaps get in 15-20 minutes of cardio in the morning and 15-20 minutes of yoga in the evening to prepare for rest and relaxation before bed.
  4. Get Outside: Changing your surroundings can change your mood. Bonus that getting outside during the day exposes you to more light and provides an opportunity for exercise.
  5. Get Plenty of Sleep: Your circadian rhythm changes with the change in sunlight, but this doesn’t always equate to more sleep during the darker hours. Getting an appropriate amount of sleep improves mood lability and can combat the winter blues.

If your winter blues continue despite utilizing healthy eating, routine exercise, and getting plenty of sunshine, and the sadness begins to interfere with your activities of daily living; this may be Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD. Seasonal affective disorder is a medical diagnosis and may require medical interventions like medication. Someone experiencing SAD does not necessarily require daily medication but beginning medication and/or therapy can help manage symptoms. Contact your primary care provider, or reach out to a mental health professional if your winter blues are affecting your daily life.

Make the Most of MWR

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Morale, Welfare, and Recreation – it is what MWR stands for. But what does it mean? Just that – programming to boost morale and welfare and provide recreation programming. MWR is just that for the Army, Air Force, and Navy.  The Marine Corps has Marine Corps Community Services in lieu of MWR. These programs are on military bases to provide and deliver high-quality recreation.

Parks and Recreation

PARC or Outdoor Recreation, depending on the military branch and base, offers a variety of camping and outdoor equipment for rental prices. The offerings range from stand-up paddleboards to 6-person tents. Check out the equipment you may want to purchase one day at an affordable rate.

Tickets

Want to check out the local aquarium or a museum? Check out the MWR or Information Ticket and Travel for tickets. Local businesses provide tickets to military bases at discounted prices so that many more military families can appreciate and enjoy that experience.   Larger companies like Disney and Universal Studios also offer Salute and Military Freedom passes, respectively, at dramatically lower prices for a longer period of time. Take advantage of it! Going on an adventure with friends or as a family builds resilience in that devoted time together.

Travel

Want to travel more with a little less stress? MWR plans and offers tours for one cost, usually with transportation included for ease. Especially in overseas regions, MWR offices offer programming to see the area and beyond. In Okinawa, trips to mainland Japan, Thailand, and Hong Kong are offered, to name a few.  While living in Europe, travel from country to country without having to plan the route or tour. These tours include planned activities, meals, and transportation for one price and with less stress on you.

Movies

Do you check out the movie theater on your local military base? You should! The theaters receive current movies within two to three weeks of their release and sometimes even have early premieres. In 2022, Top Gun: Maverick and Devotion showed for free prior to the release dates to military families. Compare ticket prices, and you will likely find that the prices are much more affordable on post than off, and the food options are affordable and fun.

Lodging

MWR operates some recreational lodging, which provides an adorable getaway for military families. The options vary from military campgrounds to cottages on the beach to fancy hotels. All around the world, MWR operates lodging just for military and veterans and their families at affordable rates and amazing locations. Beyond the adorable lodging, there are other perks for checking out military lodging.

Fitness

Staying physically active and in shape are vital to military work and a healthy lifestyle. MWR Fitness centers have up-to-date equipment and are staffed with fitness experts to assist with creating the fitness program best for you. Aquatic, nutrition and intramural sports programs provide additional fitness programming. While the size of the gym and the numbers of them vary per base, check out your local fitness programs to see what is offered.

Make utilizing the MWR a priority this year, and it will be worth it.

5 Soup Recipes to Try This Cold Season

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Wintertime is the perfect time for making soups. Both the colder temperature outside, but also the increase in cold and flu season makes soup the perfect food to provide comfort. The hot broth helps soothe any irritation of the throat and nasal passages caused by colder temperatures but also provides comfort if there is any sneezing or runny nose. Add these five soups to your meal rotation this winter.

Chicken Noodle Soup

This classic soup can be made with just a few ingredients and is hearty and delicious. It is naturally dairy-free and can be easily modified to vegan by not adding chicken and opting for egg-free noodles.

Ingredients:

  • 1 TBL butter
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 3 stalks of celery, diced
  • 3 whole carrots, peeled and diced
  • 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
  • 1 TSP dried sage
  • 1 TSP dried rosemary
  • 4 cups of Broth – bone or regular, chicken or veggie
  • Chopped Cooked Chicken
  • Egg Noodles

Sauté the onion and celery in the butter in the pan until softened. Add the garlic and cook until aromatic. Add the chopped carrots, herbs and broth and bring to a boil. Salt and pepper to taste. Once the carrots have softened, add in the chopped chicken and heat until warm. Once thoroughly warmed through, add in half a bag of egg noodles and cook for 10 minutes until the noodles are softened. Add water if needed. Once heated through, your soup is ready to eat!

If you don’t have broth on hand, make ready-made broth with bullion cubes.

Sweet Potato-Black Bean Soup

Ingredients:

  • 1 TBL Olive Oil
  • 1 large Onion, chopped
  • 1 TBL fresh Ginger, chopped
  • 2  large Sweet Potatoes, cubed
  • Garlic
  • Black Beans, 10 oz
  • 3 cups of Veggie or Chicken Stock
  • Lime
  • 1 TSP Cumin
  • Salt – to taste
  • 2 TSP Paprika
  • 14 oz Diced Tomatoes (Any type, or a handful of fresh)
  • 15 oz Black Beans (dried and soaked or canned)

Heat oil in a dutch oven and add chopped onions, stirring until caramelized. Add in the garlic and ginger and cook until aromatic. Add in the paprika and cumin, stirring frequently for a minute. Then add in 2 cups of stock, the black beans, sweet potatoes, and tomatoes, and stir. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low to simmer until the sweet potatoes are soft. Check on the potatoes and add in stock as needed. The soup is ready when the sweet potatoes are soft. Add salt and pepper to taste. Once you have served the soup into individual bowls, squeeze a lime slice over to add zest to the soup.

Remember, if using dried black beans, soak them overnight prior to using them in the soup, or they will soak up all your liquid and not be cooked in time to eat.

3 Ingredient Cauliflower Soup

This one will surprise you. Kathleen Ashmore shared it on her blog, and it intrigued me. It is creamier than one would expect in a dairy-free soup and might get the cauliflower adverse to try it.

Ingredients:

  • 3 TBSP olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 head of cauliflower (about 1 ½ pounds), chopped
  • Kosher Salt
  • 5 ½ cups of water or low-sodium veggie stock
  • Fresh Cracked black pepper

Heat the olive oil and add the sliced onion, stirring frequently to avoid browning. Add the cauliflower, one teaspoon salt, and ½ cup of vegetable stock and heat on medium for about 15 minutes. Add the remaining stock or water and simmer for 20 minutes.

Puree the soup in a blender, or utilize a blender stick. Cook the creamy substance for another 20 minutes to thicken.

The originator of the recipe recommends serving with olive oil drizzles on top, cracked black pepper and garnished with roasted almonds.

French Onion Soup

If you haven’t tried making this soup at home before, it can take some work, but it is delicious. While onion may not be your favorite vegetable before this soup, it might just change after.

Ingredients

  • 5 TBL olive oil
  •  1 TBL butter
  •  8 cups of thinly sliced onions
  • 2 or 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • ½ tsp pepper
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 32 ounces beef broth
  • ½ cup red wine
  • 24 slices of French bread (thickly cut)

¾ cup shredded Gruyere cheese

Heat oil and butter in a dutch oven and stir in onions, cooking until soft reduce heat to medium until onions are golden brown.  Add minced garlic and cook until fragrant. Stir in the wine, and bring it to a boil. Once the liquid is reduced by half, add in the salt, pepper, and broth and return to boil. Once returned to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and stir occasionally for about one hour.

While the soup is preparing, toast French bread slices.

Once the soup is ready, add soup to an oven-safe bowl, then top with French bread and some cheese and place in broiler until cheese is brown and melted.

Talk about a heavenly vegetable.

Spicy Lentil and Veggie Soup

This one requires some morning prep work for dinner but is an easy soup that doesn’t require monitoring all day.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup of green beans, halved
  • 2 cups of cauliflower, chopped
  • 1 cup of dried lentil
  • 1 cup of baby carrots, halved
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • ¼ tsp pepper
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 can of diced tomatoes with pepper

Combine the ingredients, minus the tomatoes, and cook covered on low until the lentils and vegetables are tender about 6- 8 hours. Once the veggies are tender, pull out the bay leaves, and add the diced tomatoes and salt to the pepper to taste. Viola – dinner is served.

There are many more soups that could be added to this list, but these are some favorites using ingredients that are readily available in the winter months. What are your favorite soup recipes?

Congress To Change COVID Vaccine Mandate for Military

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The 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) outlines financial budget and adds regulations for the Department of Defense. This year’s NDAA includes a repeal of the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for the military. The 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) passed the House on December 8, 2022, and the Senate on December 15, 2022, and was signed by President Biden on December 23, 2022, just before the federal holiday. There was some speculation that President Biden would not sign the NDAA due to the inclusion of the specific COVID-19 vaccine legislation.

The COVID-19 vaccine mandate became policy in August of 2021, following the development of the vaccine for the COVID-19 pandemic. Since that time, there has been debate about the inclusion of this vaccine into mandatory vaccines. Military members are required to have vaccines, including the recommended vaccinations for adults, including but not limited to polio, chickenpox, pneumonia, influenza, and meningitis. They are also required to have Anthrax and Small Pox vaccinations due to the nature of their jobs. In fact, at boot camp, recruits are vaccinated for measles, mumps, diphtheria, rubella, and smallpox, depending on the service branch.

With the signing of the FY 2023 NDAA, the COVID-19 vaccine mandate must be repealed. Representative Adam Smith, a chairman on the Armed Services Committee, stated that while he did agree with the mandate for the vaccine in August of 2021, he wasn’t sure if it was still necessary. “But as we are here now, in December 2022, does that August 2021 policy still make sense? Is it still the right policy?” The COVID-19 vaccine has had few adjustments to include new variants after the Omicron variant, which Mr. Smith noted.

Thousands of military troops were discharged when they declined the COVID-19 vaccine. The NDAA does not provide a mechanism for those discharged troops to return to active service. Not that all of those discharged service members want to return to service. For those that are in the appeals process for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine, it is unclear what their fate will be. If an adverse determination is already in their file, they could still be discharged for different reasons.

Time will tell how this decision rollback will affect current military members and when the change will take effect for new recruits joining the military. Per the CDC data tracker, about 68% of the American adult population has been fully vaccinated per the age schedule. About one-third of American adults have had at least one vaccination.