The Realest Kitchen

              Change and Loss in Military Life     It's happening again, and it stinks. This summer, a fellow military family we've grown close to is moving away on military orders. It always seems to happen that way, you meet these amazing, heaven-sent people that you enjoy doing life with, but you only get them for a year before they must move, or you move away. Losing these friends feels very much like losing family because they become extended family. For military families, the feeling of isolation and the grief of losing the people you build strong relationships with are a part of the lifestyle, but so is learning to cope and adapt. There is a saying, "no man is an island," because humanity's need for community is vital for our mental health, and it betters our chances of survival.  Before becoming a military wife, my friends consisted of people I had known since grade school, and my entire family lived within d...

Independence While Being a Dependent  It's been eight months since my husband's military job moved us to our new location. This was the shortest move we've ever made in the thirteen years of being a military spouse. I am not tired of moving; I've gotten used to it at this point. I am tired of all the red tape we must go through to get reimbursed for damaged furniture, but that's a running joke now. I always joke about being the worst type of military wife; maybe it's my California roots, which I'll never apologize for, but the military culture was something I had to learn to adjust to.  Becoming a military spouse or having any military affiliation was so far from anything I ever planned for my life. In high school, there was a Marine recruiting center right across the street. "How convenient or strategic," I remember thinking as I watched the boys in my senior class make their way over to talk to the recruiter during our lunch break. The recruitin...

  Easiest Tres Leches Recipe This easy Tres Leches recipe dessert is sure to be a hit at your holiday gathering. You don’t have to be a professional baker to make this famous Latin American dessert. I’ll make it easy as I share with you my baking hacks and family secret recipe to ensure people will be begging for you to make this again! What You Need to Get Started o    2 large mixing bowls o    Handheld mixer o    A 9x13 baking pan o    Betty Crocker Super Moist Yellow Cake Mix (Hack) o    1 ½ cup heavy whipping crème o    1 can sweetened condensed milk o    1 cup of regular vitamin D milk o    2 cans of evaporated milk o    1 cup of sugar o    1 teaspoon for vanilla extract o    1 cup of water o    1/3 cup of butter softened o    3 eggs LET’S Cook My hack for this recipe is that I use a boxed cake mix because why make ...