People Don't Say That Too Often Anymore

A few weeks ago, Parker and I went to Walmart. Cool story, right? Seriously though, there was an older man in front of the store with a booth. There was a sign above him that read "Military Order of the Purple Heart". It's probably fairly obvious from my husband's career that I support our military. I dug out a dollar, handed it to the man, and prepared to go about my shopping trip. He thanked me for the donation, and I thanked him for his service. Then he said something that made me cringe:

"People don't say that too often anymore."

I found this so disappointing. I smiled and walked into the store, but his words stuck with me. Every person who joins the military writes a blank check payable to the United States of America for any amount including and up to his/her life, and we don't even say thank you anymore? Sometimes it is hard to remember to say thank you, and I get that. While we are sitting on the couch watching Netflix, brave men and women are in the line of fire in terrorist countries, and it's a hard truth to swallow. I think a lot of us know it's going on but don't want to think about it. It's not pleasant, so we stay in our own little bubble of happiness and put the cold truth out of our minds.

I don't always say thank you as I walk past veterans, and I imagine they think our generation is made up of a bunch of ungrateful, entitled kids. I would probably think that. From now on, I am going to make a conscious effort to thank those who have served our country. I get so excited and beam with pride every time someone pulls Parker aside and thanks him for serving our country. Sometimes people even thank me for just supporting Parker as he serves our country, which I never really like since I don't think I should get any of the credit for the sacrifices he makes. The point is, these guys deserve to be thanked.

This is a topic we don't like to talk about, but military suicide is a real thing. Maybe if we showed these soldiers and sailors and aviators just how much their service meant, they wouldn't feel so isolated and succumb to so many emotional and mental illnesses upon returning from deployment. I know these illnesses are real and not to be made light of, but let's do our part and make them feel loved and appreciated. Antonio Centeno is a former Marine who has made it his mission to stop military suicides. He is selling ties and donating $20,000 to Stop Soldier Suicide this Veteran's Day. Feel free to check out his website and see what you can do to help.

Next time you see a veteran on the street, please thank them. It will probably mean more than you know.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Coconut Bars

That title is a bit of a mouthful, but these bars were delicious. I love baking new sweet treats for us to munch on during the week, and these somehow made us feel less guilty than others. The consistency is heavy on the oats, so it feels more like a bar than a cookie, which I really liked. Parker and I took one bite and were instant fans. Try them!

Ingredients:
1 cup oats
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chocolate chips (I prefer semisweet)
1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line a 9 inch metal baking pan with foil and grease foil.
3. In a large bowl, stir together oats, flour, brown sugar, chocolate chips, coconut, baking powder, and salt.
4. In a separate bowl, mix together butter, egg, and vanilla and stir into the oat mixture until fully incorporated. Spoon batter into foiled, greased baking pan.
5. Bake about 23-25 minutes or until set in the middle.
6. Remove from pan by lifting up the foil when cooled. Cut into squares and enjoy.

Fact: Like most things, this recipe was best right out of the oven. We could have eaten the whole pan right then and there!

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