Help me with Ideas for the Boxes the troops

[corarose]

I have asked everyone at my Culinary College about what would hold up and no one knows.
I want to get these boxes done even If I have to do them myself at the College.
I have been told that I can use their ovens but I will have to bring my own ingredients in which I don't mind.

Please guys help me find out what will keep and I will get the boxes off and running.

I might need some help with the postage if it's real high.

God Bless everyone!

[Skittles]

1. what kind of food?

jerky, aluminum packed tuna, anything in cans/tins although they are pricier to mail. They love reading material. Nuts are good. I sent some dried fruit. Fairly hard cookies - like animal cracker. I've mailed seven packages so far with no complaints. You have to send priority mail.

[jcc]

7. Actually, you do not have to send it priority.

My post office tried to pull this one on me too. There is no rule that says you have to send a package priority to an APO address. None. Some times the computer does not register the availability of Parcel Post, but there is no reason for this. I called the post offices 800 number after it happened to me the first time to complain, they told me that it should not have happened and it has never happened since. I have only sent 2 out of the 20+ packages I have sent to my boyfriend via Priority Mail, one during this experience and one by choice. The rest have all gone Standard Post. If they try to pull this shit, have them call their manager, and I don't mean the one in the building, I mean the one at their headquarters. Don't let the post office step on the happiness of our military friends. They get stepped on enough by our government.

[Skittles]

18. well

I send it priority because I do want to speed it up - especially if it's food

[trogdor]

15. Oh yes, reading material.

Hint hint.

[Skittles]

19. PORK AND PORN ARE DISCOURAGED

get yo' head out of the gutter, Why. :7

[7th_Sephiroth]

17. water

send them water, they need water, its more important that animal crackers, i have a friend in iraq right now, i got to talk to her, she says they arent doing too good with water

[Maddy McCall]

2. Cheese straws...

Homemade cheese straws...delicious! And they will hold up in transport. Make em spicey...bet these would be most appreciated!

Sunscreen and chapstick as far as nonfood items are also appreciated. Would be great if you could go to a local department store and ask them to donate a case of each. A small tube of chapstick in the box wouldn't take up any room. I sent some to my guy in Iraq, and he profusely thanked me for it. Said that chapstick and wetwipes are coveted items.

[corarose]

3. Thanks guys!

I was thinking it was about 50 or more boxes. I can make Cheese Straws and Rosemary Crackers.

[greatauntoftriplets]

4. Ask SoCalDem

or do a long-term search on her. She has posted this info lots of times.

[Don_G]

5. Good Idea

She's recognoized the problem from day one and has a better idea of most of what they need and want.

I can cook to the point where they would recognize my steak and potatoes and meat-loaf as MRE's.

Do you think they would appreciate my contribution toward the war effort if I paid for a few "Thanksgiving" packages and elimated the Dysentary?

[corarose]

6. So I am going to poison them now Don??

I did pass my Sanitation Class and I am clean.

[Don_G]

10. No

If I cook, they will appreciate their MRE's all the more and I pssed the same class.

Just check with SoCalDem; it's a different war and maybe Asskrap views Chocolate Chip Cookies the same way he looks at repoters.

After all, can you claim to lose an election to a corpse and be re-whanged to the position of Attorney-General and "not excorizse an opinion?"

[MI Cherie]

8. What about pre-paid phone cards?

Somewhere I heard they are charged $1 per minute to phone home — which is awful!

[Don_G]

11. Through MCI?

More like three to ten bucks a minuet....

Strictly opinion of course, but since Faux is the only news source, I pay attention to the LTTE in the "Stars & Stripes."

Espically since they've altered "their" policy from once "whenever" to every day several months ago.

Link: http://www.estripes.com/section.asp?section=125

[SoCalDem]

12. google.. free+ phone cards+ soldiers

there are organizations that donate them..

[Don_G]

13. MCI Dosen't Honor Prior Business Arrangements

My Grandmother and I have different standards though and somehow, we'll work through this problem.

[dmr]

16. VFW Foundation will send free phone cards

Found this: Operation Uplink

Cards can only be sent to hospitalized veterans or active duty military personnel deployed away from home. We can only honor one card request per service member in any 60 day time period. Phone cards will only be sent to the following types of addresses: 1) military address 2) hospital or nursing home.

Because of the tremendous demand for the Operation Uplink phone cards, we are behind in mailing these to individuals. Rest assured that a card will be mailed, but it may take 4 to 6 weeks. We apologize, but want you to know that we will fulfill your request.

https://www.operationuplink.org/request.cfm

[grasswire]

9. how's that kitty?

I've been thinking about your poor cat.

[corarose]

21. My Sister has taken her over

She said that Ramona is her Cat and she is not going to put her to sleep.

The cat vomited last night and it smelt like it came out of the other end of her.
She is so skinny but she eats everything in sight. She keeps falling over and Little AL & Valentino have tried to kill her.

[RebelOne]

14. How about including some energy bars?

I'm sure all those guys could use some extra boost of energy.

[toddzilla]

20. i recently sent out a 46 pound package

mostly wetwipes, books and some candy/gum. cost 26 bucks to send it parcel post, as priority would have been 47 bucks..

how long does it take to get there once it reaches NY?

[Eloriel]

22. How to help things hold up - and some questions

If you're baking things for them, minimize moisture (no gooey stuff) so it doesn't mold. Cookies can be placed in tins (such as some candy comes in at Christmas), with layers separated by waxed paper and bubble wrap. Wad up some bubble wrap or waxed paper or saran wrap to tuck in and take up extra space. If they aren't packed somewhat tightly so they don't have room to move, they'll arrive in crumbs. If you don't have any tins, use smaller cardboard boxes.

One of the things I have on hand that I'd love to send unless they're totally impractical is books on CD. Hubbie listens once, and then we're through with them. Do the troops typically have CD players, does anyone know?

Eloriel

[dmr]

23. I'm wondering too, because I thought about sending batteries

anyone know about the sand? I've read that the sand messed up quite a bit of stuff - or maybe that was during the sandstorms last spring.

My son and I are making about 100 or so Santa gift bags filled with lollipops and candy canes tonight to add to our box.

[SoCalDem]

25. Some do have cd players and the first group of soldiers

we adopetd had even gotten their hands on a dvd player..

Batteries are welcomed.. also disposable cameras..

a good idea is to pack things inside ziploc baggies.. they can re-use the baggies afterwards..

instead of bubble wrap, you can always use "editorial pages" as "filler".. they lack for real news over there. and it's not our fault if the editorials just happen to say that Bush is a chump :evilgrin:

[corarose]

24. God I am so stupid I thought that you had to send individual boxes

Can I put them all in individual boxes and then put them down in one big box. That way the guys and gals receive a gift each.

We all know most of them are not from wealthy families and they could use a few extra gifts.