Happy Veteran's Day!

Applebee's for dinner tonight...yum! They were offering free entrees for soldiers, so J. and I met another couple there after work. Unfortunately, our waitress was very ignorant. She asked the guys if they were in the Army, but once the answer was yes from both, she said "but you guys aren't vets." A. told her that "Well, yes, actually we both have been to Iraq, so that would make us veterans." She actually had the gall to tell him again, that NO he was not a vet!

At this point, I was ready to walk out. J. and A's girlfriend were just kind of sitting there but A. and I are both pretty fiery. We were clearly offended. The longer the conversation went on, the more she put her foot in her mouth. It was just bad all around. Finally, she went to get our drink orders and stopped talking to us. She came back later and apologized if "we took her the wrong way."

While I understand what she was getting at, this kind of attitude is exactly what I was talking about in my last military post. These guys worked their butts off over there, and if we just shake them off like they don't matter, they are going to continue to suffer. We have to treat them like they really are veterans who are serving our country. They deserve that respect. It's a different kind of war, but they still deserve that respect.

Ok, enough ranting. I promise this isn't going to become a normal thing, it's just something about this week I think. This is something that I'm passionate about, but I know you guys don't come to my food blog for a bunch of one way rants about military stuff.

However, I am going to share a great recipe for all you military supporters out there! These are so easy to make and will make a soldier's week. I bet if you ask your pastor, he can tell you soldiers to send them to, or there are all kinds of organizations online who have units to mail care packages to. Try these soon!

Soldier Jar Cakes

1 Cake recipe (can be box mix or homemade)

1 pint ball jars and lids

Make cake batter as recipe calls for it. Pour batter into jars. Only fill to about 1/2 full, otherwise the jars will overflow and you won't be able to get the lids on. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until cake is completely cooked. Remove from oven and immediately screw lids on. BE VERY CAREFUL AS JARS WILL BE SUPER LAVA HOT!!! Leave on counter to cool, jars will seal on their own. Once completely cool, pack carefully in a shipping box with jarred frosting and plastic silverware.

An idea--if your soldier is having a birthday, pack candles and, party hats and noisemakers with the cake. It seems really silly and juvenile to a 20 year old male here at home, but trust me, the bored soldier in Iraq will LOVE it. J. turned 21 in Iraq, so I packed a 6 pack of root beer with his cakes, since he couldn't have real beer (alcohol is forbidden in Muslim countries).

Also, if you do have a soldier overseas, go to USPS.com, they have special care package kits for free for military families. They will send you packing materials for free. I STILL have rolls of packing tape from those kits. They will also send you flat rate boxes and customs papers. You will have to pay postage, but it cuts way back on shipping materials!