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4 Cool Desserts Your Family Will Melt Over

07/06/2015 By Julie Provost

Summer is here and if it hasn’t started getting hot where you are, it will soon. When I think of the summer heat I think of a lot of water play and frozen treats. Anything cool that will help keep the summer fun going.

Cool Desserts Your Family Will Melt Over

What could be better than a homemade popsicle?

There are a lot of different types of treats you and your family can make and enjoy.

You can create something just for a day at home or bring a dessert to a barbecue or pool party. We, at MilitaryShoppers, have a database of recipes submitted by you, our readers.

Here are 4 cool desserts your family will melt over.

Fast and Easy Juicy Popsicles

What could be better than a homemade popsicle? The easiest way to do this is to take an empty ice cube tray, pour in your favorite juice, add the popsicle sticks and freeze. You could have even more fun with it, add fruits or even candies depending on how healthy you wanted to make your popsicles.

Frozen Fantastic Banana Bites

4 bananas
10 ounces baking chocolate
1/4 cup peanut butter

This recipe is like making your own ice cream without all the calories. Start by slicing bananas into 1/2-inch rounds. Place in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet. Next, apply about a 1/2 teaspoon of peanut butter on each banana slice. Top one with another banana slice, making a small banana-peanut butter sandwich. Place in the freezer for about 1 hour. This firms up the bananas and allows for easy dipping.

Right before you remove the bananas from the freezer, melt your baking chocolate in the microwave. Microwave for 45 seconds on medium power and stir. Repeat this until your chocolate is fully melted and smooth in texture.

Remove bananas from the freezer and quickly dip each one in the melted chocolate. You need to move fast before the bananas start to defrost and become mushy. I used 2 forks to help dip the bananas. Place dipped bananas back onto the baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Return to the freezer and chill for another 2 hours or until chocolate is firm.

What cool dessert does your family devour on hot days?

No Bake Cookies

2 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup evaporated milk
5 tablespoons cocoa
1 1/2 sticks margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups oatmeal & 1/2 cup peanut butter; set aside in a separate bowl

This one would be great to bring to a picnic or neighborhood barbecue. A yummy dessert without having to bake anything.

Bring to boil the first 6 ingredients on high, stirring constantly. Boil for 1 minute from center. Add oatmeal and peanut butter, mix well. Spoon out on wax paper, let cool and harden.

Super Cool Summer Slushie

1 cup cold water
1/3 cup Kool-Aid Island Twists Ice Blue Raspberry Lemonade Flavor Sugar-Sweetened Soft Drink Mix
1 tray prepared Kool-Aid Soft Drink Cool Cubes

This would be a great treat to make during a day at home. The kids will love it. Pour water into blender container. Add drink mix and Kool-Aid Soft Drink Cool Cubes; cover. Blend until smooth. Serve immediately.

What cool dessert does your family devour on hot days? Share the recipe with MilitaryShoppers and you could win a $50 commissary shopping spree. One winner every month.

5 Simple Recipes for Your Summer Camping Trip

06/22/2015 By Rachel Tringali Marston

My husband and I love to camp. The smell of wood burning, sound of birds chirping and the most exciting part, the taste of campfire food!

5 Simple Recipes for Your Summer Camping Trip

What do you like to cook when camping?

As soon as the weather warms up, we plan at least one trip out to the woods a year. It’s also a great way to explore the area around your duty station!

ReserveAmerica is a great site to find the local campsites in your area. Most (all of the campsites I’ve visited), use that website to place reservations of the actual campsites too (I’ve camped in New York, Texas and Virginia).

I grew up a city gal and the closest thing to camping I’ve ever experienced was a tent in my backyard. We even brought out an extension cord to watch TV, which is completely cheating!

Now, I’ve found that the great outdoors is a great way for my husband and I to disconnect and enjoy each other’s company, uninterrupted by technology. For the duration of our time in the woods, we cook and prepare meals on the open fire. We wrangle together our mess kit, which includes a couple of travel pots, pans, dinnerware and utensils–as well as our camping gear for a fun and delicious camping adventure.

At first, cooking real food might be a little intimidating. But, with the right preparation beforehand, it can be easy to throw together hot and tasty meals for your family. For example, combine all dry ingredients and spices per recipe in a Ziploc bag. Also, chop and mince all appropriate veggies (like onions) and place them in Ziploc bags as well.

Cooking food when camping might be a little intimidating. But, with the right preparation beforehand, it can be easy to throw together hot and tasty meals for your family.

Here are my 5 absolute favorite and simple campfire recipes.

You can’t go wrong with chili! It’s great by itself or you can pour it on top of a hot dog that’s heated by the fire.

Black Bean Chili

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb ground turkey (I use beef)
3 (15-ounce) cans black beans, undrained
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried basil leaves
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Heat the oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat; cook onion and garlic until onions are translucent. Add turkey and cook, stirring, until meat is brown. Stir in beans, tomatoes, chili powder, oregano, basil and vinegar. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 60 minutes or more, until flavors are well blended.

To adjust the heat, I use oven mitts to move the grill gate close to or away from the fire. That’s the easiest way for me to manipulate the temperature. Or, you can scooch the pot away from the direct flame. It really depends on the type of grill your campsite provides. We typically bring another grill plate with handles, so it’s easy to lift the cooked food off the camp grill.

Grilling Potato Wedges

3 large russet potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1-inch thick wedges
1/3 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon of ancho or regular chili powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Mix together the dry ingredients. Then, brush the potatoes all over with olive oil and place over the hot side of the grill and cook until browned and crisp on both sides. Move the potatoes to the cooler side of the grill, cover and continue to grill until cooked through, about 5 to 10 minutes longer (test with a fork). Remove the potatoes from the grill to a large bowl and sprinkle with the spice mixture to taste and toss to coat.

BBQ Chicken Kabobs

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
6 cups assorted cut-up vegetables (bell peppers, mushrooms, onions and zucchini)
1 cup barbecue sauce

To prep at home, arrange chicken and vegetables alternately on 8 skewers. On the hot grill, place the kabobs to cook 10 to 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through (170°F), turning after 8 minutes and brushing frequently with the 1/2 cup of the barbecue sauce. Use the leftover barbecue sauce to serve.

Juicy Ranch Burgers

All you need is about a pound of ground beef and 1 or 2 packets of ranch seasoning mix (depending on your taste) to make this recipe. Before you leave, mix together the ranch seasoning and beef. Then, separate the beef into 4 patties and now it’s ready for the fire.

I also use onion soup mix as another flavor variety.

My favorite campfire recipe is PIZZA!

Yes, it’s pretty simple to make on the open fire. I grab a roll of refrigerated pizza dough (or you can make your own) and roll it out onto a cast iron grill or our removable camping grill (so it’s easy to take off the fire), but you put it directly on the grill rack if the dough is thick enough. Make sure the grill is hot before putting the dough on it though.

Pour on about ¼ cup of tomato sauce, as much mozzarella cheese you think is necessary and then your favorite pizza toppings. Cook until dough is done and cheese is melted through.

Don’t forget to include snacks to munch on while hiking. Piece together the perfect trail mix recipe or try out my favorite granola bar recipe too!

What’s your favorite food to make when camping? Share the recipe with MilitaryShoppers and you could win. One winner every month.

Tried & True Memorial Day Recipes You Should Try

05/18/2015 By Rachel Tringali Marston

As a military community, Memorial Day is a time for us to pause and celebrate the lives of our beloved fallen comrades. From coast to coast, Americans will rally together to honor those that have made the ultimate sacrifice. There will be special ceremonies or much-deserved recognition.

Because Memorial Day brings such a strong sense of community and not to mention a well-deserved day off for most of us, it has morphed into a time to gather together and enjoy each other’s company. In addition, the weather starts to warm-up, which makes it perfect for outdoor festivities. As a result, barbecues have become a popular way for family and friends to join together.

Are you thinking about throwing a barbecue or need inspiration for a delicious dish for a potluck?

Well, heat-up the grill and gear up for a roundup of mouth-watering barbecue ideas straight from MilitaryShoppers.com that will have your friends and family asking for more!

Start by preparing your own homemade barbecue sauce.

1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons prepared mustard
1 teaspoon paprika
1½ teaspoons olive oil
2 cloves crushed garlic

In a pan, cook garlic in olive oil until soft. Mix in remaining ingredients and let simmer for 20 to 25 minutes. Refrigerate afterward.

That sauce can be used for a number of other dishes. Slather your homemade barbecue sauce on top of hamburger patties for BBQ burgers or paint hot dogs with it for an extra kick. Another easy option for your homemade barbecue sauce is to spread it over this finger-licking Ribs recipe.

Tried & True Memorial Day Recipes You Should Try

What do you like to eat at a neighborhood barbecue?

Grab 2½ pounds of country style pork ribs and place it in a large pot with enough water to cover. Season with 1 tablespoon of garlic powder, 2 tablespoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of black pepper. Bring the water to a boil and cook ribs until they are tender. While this is happening, make sure your grill is at a temperature of 325 degrees. Place the boiled ribs in a foil baking dish and pour 1 cup of barbecue sauce on them. Cover with foil and cover for 1 to 1½ hours or until internal temperature of pork has reached 160 degrees.

My husband’s absolute favorite Memorial Day dish is pulled pork. He’s not big on pulling meat off ribs, so this perfect for him to get the taste of pork in a moist and tender way. You’ll need a handy-dandy slow cooker to prepare the pork.

This recipe also calls for a package of pork ribs. Cook the ribs in the slow cooker with one can of beef broth on high for 4 hours. After, take ribs out and shred meat in a foil dish and add barbecue sauce. Cover with foil and bake in grill for about 10 minutes.

Although my parents weren’t born in Texas, they have lived there long enough to have picked up on some of the delicious Lone Star State food like beef brisket. I love brisket so much that I had to take on this opportunity to share Memorial Day recipes, just so I can share with you what makes me so happy.

This recipe is pretty simple to follow, it actually takes a bit of tender love and care to follow through (AKA it takes some patience!). Are you up for the brisket challenge?

You can use your oven or grill, but make sure the temperature is around 350 degrees to cook. First mix together your dry ingredients in a small bowl: dash of salt, 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, 1 tablespoon onion powder, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon ground mustard, 1 tablespoon smoked paprika and 1 tablespoon pepper.

Rinse your 6-pound fresh beef brisket with water and pat dry. Puncture holes into the brisket on each side with a knife. We cut the meat in half to help with cooking and preparation. Rub all the dry ingredients all over your 2 pieces of meat and cover it and store in the refrigerator for the night. That process cures the meat.

When you’re ready to grill, place the cured meat in a deep foil pan. Mix together your wet ingredients: about 1½ cups of barbecue sauce, ½ cup of liquid smoke, ¼ cup of Worcestershire sauce. Pour the mixture on top of the meat and make sure it’s fully coated. Before covering with foil, make sure the fat side is facing up.

Cook for about 5 hours. Once the meat is fully cooked, spoon pan juices over top of the brisket. Let stand for about 10 minutes and cut across the grain. Enjoy!

Be sure to add some crowd favorite side dishes like coleslaw, corn on the cob and potato salad to the menu too.

What’s your tried-and-true side dish for neighborhood barbecues and potlucks? Share your recipe with MilitaryShoppers and you could win.

Share Your Favorite Mother’s Day Recipe to Win in May

05/06/2015 By Michelle Volkmann

Mother’s Day is right around the corner.

Share Your Favorite Mother's Day Recipe to Win in May

Submit your favorite Mother’s Day recipe to MilitaryShoppers today.

What are your plans for this Mother’s Day? Did you make reservations at a fancy restaurant? Are you hoping your husband will surprise you with breakfast in bed? (Here’s a little tip, if you want that surprise, be sure to tell him. Don’t drop hints. Tell him. Directly.)

Many people head out to eat on Mother’s Day, so that Mom doesn’t have to cook on her day of rest.

But for the rest of us, we’ll be enjoying our Mother’s Day at home with our families. We may celebrate with brunch or a special dinner.

Is that your plan? What’s on the menu? Have you browsed the recipes in the MilitaryShoppers database?

In honor of Mother’s Day, MilitaryShoppers is encouraging its readers to share their favorite Mother’s Day recipe in May. The recipe could be for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner. You can even submit your favorite dessert recipes.

What are you making for brunch this Mother’s Day?

Don’t wait until Sunday! Submit your favorite Mother’s Day recipe to MilitaryShoppers today.

Recipes for a Family-Friendly St. Patrick’s Day Dinner

03/13/2015 By Rachel Tringali Marston

Saint Patrick’s Day is one of my favorite days to celebrate! It usually coincides with the start of spring, warmer weather and the color green is everywhere (I love the color green). Now, I’m going to let you in on a little known fact about myself that also brings meaning to the holiday for me, which is…I’m part Irish.

Recipes for a Family Friendly St. Patrick's Day Dinner

Do you have a favorite Irish recipe?

Yes, it’s a shocking truth, even to my husband. How could someone with olive skin, black hair and brown eyes be part Irish? Well, my grandmother on my dad’s side holds the Irish decent. She happened to marry an Italian man that gave my father the more distinct Italian features and of course, the rest is history.

Anyway, flash forward to today, I’m proud of every heritage I hold and Irish is one of them. Let’s not forget the most important part of any holiday celebration and that’s the food.

This St. Paddy’s Day, your family (Irish or not) should try out one of these delicious family-friendly recipes from MilitaryShoppers.

My husband enjoys his meat and potatoes just like the best Irishmen. I blame the Bostonian in him. Our go-to beef recipe is a hearty Guinness Stew. Don’t let the beer ingredient chase you away. The alcohol cooks out when you’re preparing the dish (the longer a recipe with alcohol cooks, the more the alcohol cooks out). This stew simmers for hours. But, if you’re still concerned about the Guinness, substitute the beer for beef broth.

If your family is more adventurous, add Corned Beef and Cabbage to the menu. Make sure you purchase a corned beef brisket with a spice packet already included. That will provide more flavor to the meat while the brisket is cooking. Or you can have Easy Shepherd’s Pie instead, which is usually a hit for families. Feel free to include peas, carrots, or any other veggie to the meat mixture to make it a complete meal.

It’s not a full Irish meal without the Irish Soda Bread (bake this a day in advance, it tastes better). I would add a little bit of dried currants to make it more authentic. You can also bake Beer Bread (Guinness is my go-to beer to bake with, but any stout or ale or non-alcoholic equivalent would work too).

Every St. Paddy’s Day dinner should finish with something sweet! Here is a very festive dessert that is perfect for all ages:

Rainbow Jello “Cake”

2 packages Strawberry Jell-O
2 packages Lemon Jell-O
2 packages Lime Jell-O
2 packages Orange Jell-O
1 can evaporated milk (24 ounces)
9X13 baking dish or pan

Start by mixing one box per given directions and pour into a greased 9X13 baking dish or pan. Set the dish or pan inside the fridge to cool for awhile. Then use the same flavor, but mix it with the boiling water portion first and let it sit in the bowl for a moment and then add ¾ cup of evaporated milk and pour it on top of the first layer. Repeat these steps with every color and feel free to add any additional flavors until it makes a rainbow!

*Note: this recipe takes a lot (and I mean a lot) of patience, as do a lot of these Irish recipes, because of the time spent either waiting on the food to cook or in this case, the Jell-O to mold. Trust me though, it will be well worth it in the end!

Don’t have time (or the patience) to go through each rainbow layer? Whip up a delicious Chocolate Bread Pudding or bake mouth-watering Apple Cake instead.

Do you have a favorite Irish recipe? Share it with the MilitaryShoppers recipe contest.

Delicious Sweet Potatoes Recipes You’ll Want to Try

02/11/2015 By Kimber Green

February is National Sweet Potato Month. It’s a great time to introduce your family to this delicious and nutritious vegetable. If you have picky eaters, this might be one vegetable they’ll actually eat.

Sweet potatoes are very flavorful and sweet enough on their own that you won’t need to add other ingredients to get your family to eat them.

My son loves sweet potatoes. I still laugh at the memory of his face the first time he tried them at 7 months old; it was priceless. Two seconds later he decided he loved them. From that moment on he would cry when I ran out of sweet potatoes. It didn’t matter how much I made; he just loved them so much. He’s almost a year and a half now and he still loves them. I don’t need to hide them under cheese, like I do with broccoli, or anything else to get him to eat them either.

I love that sweet potatoes are packed with nutrients such as vitamin A and beta carotene. Vitamin A promotes eye and skin health and also protects against infections. Beta carotene has been shown to help in the prevention of specific types of cancer such as lung cancer. Sweet potatoes also have other important nutrients including vitamin C, potassium and fiber.

These health benefits are all great reasons to add sweet potatoes to your regular menu. Make sure when you’re shopping at the commissary to look for ones that are firm, deep orange and not discolored and when you get home, store them in a cool, dry and well-ventilated area. Also make sure that you choose the right kind of sweet potato for the recipe you plan to use.

Related: Use Food to Boost Your Mood

Did you know all sweet potatoes aren’t the same? In fact, sweet potatoes aren’t potatoes at all. They come from a completely different family of plants. While sweet potatoes and yams look similar, they too are not related. To make things more confusing, many grocery stores in America market sweet potatoes as yams. How can you tell the difference?

Yams have a cylindrical shape with blackish or brown, bark-like skin and white, purple or reddish flesh. Sweet potato skin color can range from white and yellow to red, purple and brown, while the flesh can be white, yellow, orange or even orange-red. These vegetables have an elongated shape with tapered ends.

There are 2 main types of sweet potatoes in America: Firm ones have golden skin and a paler flesh than soft sweet potatoes, which have copper skin and orange flesh. They cook differently as well. Firm sweet potatoes will remain firm after cooking and a bit waxy while soft sweet potatoes will become creamy, fluffy and moist. Soft sweet potatoes are often labeled as yams and they are the ones Americans typically use at holiday dinners for casseroles, baked sweet potatoes, sweet potato pies and more. Make sure you check with your recipe to see which type of sweet potato you need before you shop.

Need a sweet potato recipe? Celebrate National Sweet Potato Month throughout February with these delicious recipes.

Sweet potato fries make a great snack. Follow Amy Chow’s tips for easy fries.

Fluffy sweet potato biscuits are always a welcome sight. Try Paula Deen’s version. You can also try this sweet potato muffins recipe.

Mashed sweet potatoes are simple to make and are a delicious side dish to any meal. Follow this recipe and add a touch of cinnamon for a little something special.

Have leftover mashed sweet potatoes? Make sweet potato pancakes!

Of course you can always just poke some holes in a scrubbed sweet potato and pop it in the microwave on high for 8 to 10 minutes and enjoy the simplicity of the vegetable. That is how I usually serve them at home; no fancy recipe needed. If you really want to get your children excited about dinner, let them drizzle some maple syrup on their baked sweet potato or add a dash of cinnamon. Sweet potatoes reheat pretty well, so if they don’t love them tonight, add them to a new recipe and try again tomorrow.

Does your family love sweet potatoes? Share your favorite sweet potato recipes with MilitaryShoppers.

Feed Hungry Football Fans with These Super Bowl Party Favorites

01/23/2015 By Rachel Tringali Marston

Super Bowl Sunday is about a week away!

For Patriots and Seahawks fans, it’s a very exciting time to represent their teams and for the general public, the Super Bowl can be a way to celebrate this all-American sport and watch the two best teams of the football season play one another. If you’re not big on the Big Game, it’s still a great opportunity to get together and watch the commercials, but my absolute favorite part of Super Bowl Sunday is the tasty array of food that usually accompanies a party.

A delicious spread of finger foods and snacks are typically on the menu. Is it your turn to host the Super Bowl party in your neighborhood?

The commissary has some amazing deals going on in January, so don’t forget to stock up on dipable staples like Tostitos Tortilla Chips, Lay’s and Ruffles Potato Chips. Need something quick to use as a flavorful dip? You can grab some Tostitos Queso Dip and PACE Chunky Salsa or Picante Sauce.

Want to make your own queso and salsa? Check out this easy queso recipe that only requires two ingredients! And here’s a yummy salsa recipe that I’ve been serving in my house.

4 (14.4 ounce) cans of diced petite tomatoes
2 jalapeno, diced (keep some seeds if you like it spicy, otherwise deseed it)
1 small red onion, diced
½ bunch cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons lime juice

Mix all the ingredients and let it sit for at least an hour. I like to make it the night before and let it marinade in the fridge. If you like your salsa smooth, you can use a blender or food processor and slowly pulsate to your desired consistency.

My husband loves Buffalo Chicken Dip. It’s great to eat with any kind of chips, breads or even by itself! Instead of dip, you can make Buffalo Chicken Wings. This recipe will have you licking the sauce right off your fingers.

2 pounds chicken wings, cut-off wing tips and separate
3 tablespoons hot sauce
2 tablespoons cooking oil
½ cup ketchup
1 tablespoon white vinegar
2 tablespoons honey

Preheat oven to 425°F. Prepare a baking sheet that is at least 1 inch deep by lining the bottom with foil. Spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray. In a large bowl, mix hot sauce, oil, ketchup, vinegar and honey. Coat chicken and place on baking sheet. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes and turn the wings at least once.

Not interested in spicy wings? Give this Coca-Cola Chicken Wings recipe a try. Another great finger food that’s not as messy is Pigs in a Blanket.

Can’t end a party without something sweet! Here are some delicious bite-sized desserts that are easy to put together: Strawberry Yogurt Bites, Frozen Fantastic Banana Bites or Chocolate Brownie Cupcakes.

What finger food do you serve for Super Bowl Sunday? Share your favorite party recipes with MilitaryShoppers.

Warm Up with Super Soups for the Winter

12/31/2014 By Rachel Tringali Marston

As the weather drops, we look for ways to heat us up. Whether we bundle up in a cozy sweater or wrap ourselves with a soft scarf, there are tons of ways to keep warm in the winter. My absolute favorite way to warm up is from the inside with a tasty soup.

Soups are wonderful because they are so versatile. Every cuisine has different soups that are special from one another and offer a completely different taste. It’s also very easy to put together. The broth allows for all the ingredients to mix together and create an awesome flavor. The best part is you can add or take away anything that doesn’t appeal to you or your family.

A lot of soup recipes call for a mirepoix (aka the soup trifecta), which is sauteed onion, celery and carrots. Cooked together in butter, it releases a wonderful aroma. Traditional chicken noodle soup uses a mirepoix and so does my all-time go-to soup recipe. Instead of using plain noodles, I opt for cheese-filled tortellini.

Tortellini Soup

1 tablespoon butter
2 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 celery stalk, chopped
2 medium carrots
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 carton chicken broth (32 oz)
2 cups water
1 package dried cheese tortellini
salt/pepper to taste
grated Parmesan cheese

Heat large pot on medium-low heat. Add butter, garlic, onion, celery, carrots and cook for about 10 minutes. Add broth, water and dried parsley to boil, then reduce heat. Add tortellini and cover to simmer for about 10 minutes, until tortellini is cooked.

Serve in a bowl and top off with grated Parmesan cheese. I like to add a side of garlic bread. Jazz it up more by adding cooked chicken with the tortellini and cook for a couple of minutes more.

A more hearty soup is good ol’ Beef Stew. Cook through cubed beef in a couple tablespoons of cooking oil in a large pot. Mix together 4 cubes of beef bouillon, broken up and 4 cups of water in a separate container. After everything is dissolved, transfer it to the large pot. Then add, 1 teaspoon of dried rosemary, 1 teaspoon of dried parsley and ½ teaspoon of black pepper. Bring to a boil and simmer for an hour (allowing the meat to tenderize). Then, stir in 3 potatoes, 4 celery stalks, 4 carrots (all chopped to 1 inch pieces) and 1 large onion chopped. Separately, dissolve 2 teaspoons of cornstarch in 2 teaspoons of cold water and pour into stew. Cover and simmer for another hour.

For a more south-of-the-border flavor, Ground Beef Taco Soup would be ideal. It’s an easy recipe that requires you to throw a bunch of ingredients in a pot. First, you need to cook 1 pound of ground beef. Then, add 1 taco seasoning packet, 1 can kidney beans undrained, 1 can corn drained and 1 cup of water.

I like to add a can of diced tomatoes in my taco soup and make a cheese quesadilla to serve with it. Top off your soup with some cheese and dollop of sour cream. Yum!

I’m a huge fan of cheese too, so a tasty cheese soup is always on the menu for my family. Another great option for a cheesy soup is this adaptation of a baked potato soup.

If you’re looking for soup that’s a bit more zesty, try out this Minestrone recipe. You’ll need the soup trifecta again with a packet of Italian dressing mix, diced tomatoes and kidney beans.

This is only a very small sampling of soup recipes that are out there. MilitaryShoppers has a great inventory, so check it out for more ideas.

What’s your favorite soup recipe? Share it with MilitaryShoppers!

More than Turkey Sandwiches: 5 Recipes for Thanksgiving Leftovers

11/24/2014 By Rachel Tringali Marston

Hosting Thanksgiving is no easy feat. You spread days (maybe weeks!) of meal planning and preparing with the Thanksgiving turkey as your centerpiece. At the Tringali house, we’re notorious for baking a bird that’s way too big for our small family of three. My mother would receive a 15 (or more)-pound turkey from her employer as a gift. It was tradition for the company to give their employees a little something for Thanksgiving. Needless to say, we always had leftover turkey.

Lots of families opt make turkey sandwiches and there are so many different sandwich recipes out there too. But, how many turkey sandwiches can you eat before you get tired of it?

So, nix the sandwich and try something new!

Even after leaving my parent’s house, I had a habit of putting together large meals, which still meant tons of leftovers. I took it upon myself to create and adapt tasty recipes to use up our turkey and have a couple to share with you below.

Turkey Chili

I’m originally from Texas and Texans LOVE chili. Spice things up a bit with my turkey chili recipe that will also warm you up as the weather cools down.

2-3 cups of shredded and chopped up turkey
1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes with green chilies
1 can (15.5 oz) black beans, drained
1 can (15.5 oz) pinto beans, drained
1 can (15.5 oz) corn, drained
1 Tbsp. chili powder
½ Tbsp. cumin
½ Tbsp. cayenne pepper (more if you want it spicier)
Cheddar cheese (optional)
Sour cream (optional)

First, drizzle a little olive oil in a large sauce pot. Mix together all the ingredients except the turkey and simmer for 5-10 minutes or till it’s all heated through on medium heat. Then, add the turkey and turn to low for another 10 minutes or till it’s at the right temperature for you.

If desired, top with cheese and sour cream. I’m a huge fan of corn bread with my chili, so if you have any leftovers from Thanksgiving add it to this meal. Or try out this corn bread recipe.

Thanksgiving Pizza

Who doesn’t love pizza? I thought I was the only crazy person that thought this up, but go figure that there are actually some other recipes floating around. Take some creative liberties with this one depending on what you have available.

1 Tube of Refrigerated Pizza Dough like Pillsbury
Couple of cups of chopped up turkey
About a cup of stuffing
About a cup of cranberry sauce
Some turkey gravy
Some mashed potatoes
Cheddar cheese to top
And whatever else

Roll out the pizza dough on a greased baking sheet and cook a little less than half way through. Take out the baking sheet and now top with your desired ingredients to cook for the rest of the desired time or till the cheese melts through on the top.

Don’t forget to check out our arsenal of delicious recipes on MilitaryShoppers.com too. There are some great adaptable meals for your leftover turkey like Turkey Noodle Soup. Use this traditional Chicken Noodle Soup recipe and switch out the chicken for turkey.

It’s also easy to make Turkey Ala King. In a large pot, saute butter and green peppers for a couple of minutes then add flour and milk. When the mixture is a thick consistency, add turkey and other veggies. Serve this with warm buttermilk biscuits.

Turkey Casserole is a great one dish meal. All you need to do is mix turkey, macaroni, cream of chicken soup, cheese and milk in a large casserole dish and bake for an hour. Add curry powder for an extra kick.

How do you use your Thanksgiving leftovers? Share your recipe with the MilitaryShoppers recipe contest.

More Than a Sauce: Why You Should Eat Cranberries Daily

11/14/2014 By Kimber Green

When choosing cranberries, look for plump ones that are deep red and firm to the touch.

Many Americans consider cranberry sauce one of the key components to a fantastic Thanksgiving dinner. Whether you serve it whole berry or jellied, made from grandma’s secret recipe or simply opened from a can, it is sure to grace your table this holiday season.

For some, this is the only time of the year they eat cranberries. Why? This superfood doesn’t get the praise and attention that it should. It is more than just a delicious side dish. Cranberries are loaded with health-promoting antioxidants.

Numerous studies have shown the benefits of eating cranberries. These include protection against UTIs, anti-inflammatory benefits, immune support, cardiovascular benefits, antioxidant protection, anti-cancer benefits and digestive tract benefits. The key to getting as much nutrients as possible is eating the entire berry.

The most common reason Americans eat cranberries and drink cranberry juice is to fight and prevent urinary tract infections (UTIs), but did you know the anti-inflammatory properties of cranberries can help lower your risk of periodontal disease? If you are the type of person that hates going to the dentist then you might want to consider adding cranberries to your diet to help lower your risk of periodontal disease and those dreaded dental procedures.

The benefits of cranberries don’t stop there. Antioxidant components of cranberries also hold the key to cardiovascular benefits. This includes a decreased risk of high blood pressure and the lowering of LDL-cholesterol while increasing the levels of HDL-cholesterol.

The biggest studies in the last 10 years show cancer-preventive benefits of cranberries in breast, colon, lung and prostate cancer. It is the phytochemicals in the berries that inhibit the growth and proliferation of several types of tumors.

Fresh cranberries have the highest levels of nutrients. They are harvested in September and October and can mainly be found in grocery stores between October and December. This is perfect timing to add nutrients to holiday meals in a delicious fashion. November 23 is National Eat a Cranberry Day which gives you the perfect opportunity to try out new cranberry recipes before Thanksgiving.

Numerous studies have shown the benefits of eating cranberries.

For some great cranberry recipes including Cranberry Delight, Sherried Acorn Squash & Cranberries and Sweet and Salty Cranberry Clusters, visit MilitaryShoppers Recipes page. Or try this cranberry pound cake with orange glaze by jen miller here.

When choosing the perfect cranberries for these recipes, make sure to look for plump ones that are deep red and firm to the touch. These optimal berries are more highly concentrated with anthocyanin compounds which give you the most benefits. While many fresh fruits and vegetables have a short shelf life, cranberries can be stored in the refrigerator for around 3 weeks. If you want to try out a few more recipes before the big family dinner, the long shelf life will allow you to keep batches longer.

Cranberry season is very short so you may want to stock up and freeze them in groups. You can find dried and frozen cranberries year-round as well as cranberry juice. Remember that most benefits come from eating the whole berry so while drinking cranberry juice will provide nutrients, you won’t be getting all the benefits of this superfood.

Try a new cranberry recipe and leave the jelly in the can this year.

Try a new cranberry recipe and leave the jelly in the can this Thanksgiving.

Make the most of this season and eat fresh cranberries while they are at their peak. You can simply pop a few on top of your morning oatmeal or pack a small bag with your children’s lunch to add a few more into your diet. If you’ve always been the “open a can of cranberry sauce” kind of person, hopefully this information on cranberry health benefits will motivate you to try a new recipe or at least add a few more cranberries to your day.

The George Mateljan Foundation’s website says it best: adding cranberries to your diet can “help make every day throughout the year a holiday from disease.”

How do you plan on adding cranberries to your diet? Share your favorite recipes with MilitaryShoppers.

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