Commissary Connection April 2013

ISSUE 4

April 2013

VOLUME 4

DISCLAIMER Please note: The Defense Commissary Agency does not and cannot endorse any product mentioned in this newsletter; any product mentioned is for informational purposes only.

WHAT'S IN IT FOR ME Commissaries celebrate April: Month of Military Child April is the Month of the Military Child, and your commissary is celebrating with giveaways and savings for the whole family - pets included!

"Children in military households face unique challenges because of the demands of military life," said Joyce Chandler, DeCA's acting sales director.

"So, at the Defense Commissary Agency, we want to acknowledge them and do all we can to provide their families with great values on quality products they can depend upon."

DeCA's industry partners - vendors, suppliers and brokers - are collaborating with commissaries in April to offer discounts beyond everyday savings.

Overseas stores may have substitute events for certain promotional programs.

Customers are asked to check their local commissary for details on dates and times for the following promotions: Nestle Purina Pet Care Company is hosting "Purina: Your Pet, Our Passion" by offering commissary shoppers at participating stores a chance to win a battery-operated, motorized, children's tractor (retail value $200) along with savings on Purina Pet brands April 11-24. One

FROM THE NEWS DESK

Commissaries look to minimize effects of sequestration The Defense Commissary Agency is thoughtfully developing its plan to minimize the impact of sequestration on commissary patrons. If the Department of Defense implements furloughs, commissaries are likely to close one day per week, in addition to their current operating schedule. While there will be definite impacts to commissary patrons - and certainly to employees - if furloughs are implemented, the principles guiding DeCA's planning efforts are to lessen the impacts of sequestration wherever it can.

Because the agency's planning for sequestration is fluid and subject to change, commissary patrons can quickly find out about any changes to their local store's operating schedule by using www.commissaries.com. The "Locations" link and subsequent "Alphabetical Listing" leads them to their "Local Store Information" page.

Commissaries selected fruits, veggies champions The Defense Commissary Agency has been chosen by the Produce for Better Health Foundation as one of their retail fruits and veggies champions for 2012.

Every year, Produce for Better Health names

winner per store will be chosen the last week of April.

Eggo Waffles and Breyer's Ice Cream are teaming up for a recipe contest April 11-24. Details of "The Great Eggo Waffle Off Contest" are featured on packages of six-, eight- and 10-count waffles. The recipe contest is Facebook-driven and featured on both Eggo and Breyer's Facebook sites. Product demonstrations in stores will show shoppers how to make fun recipe creations, and there will be in-store coupons for $1 off the purchase of Eggo and Breyer's items.

S & K Sales Company is sponsoring the "Salute to Military Families" promotion March 21 to May 8. More than 650,000 promotional flyers will be distributed in stores worldwide. A portion of each name brand's sales will be donated to the National Military Family Association. Last year the promotion resulted in a $256,000 donation to the NMFA. Keebler's 14th Annual Hollow Tree promotion will feature in-store displays on certain discounted Keebler products April 11-24.

"Child Hunger Ends Here" is ConAgra Food's initiative supporting "Feeding America." The "Feeding America" network features more than 200 food banks across the country and supplies food to more than 37 million Americans each year - some 14 million children and 3 million seniors, including military families. Here's how it works: Shoppers who purchase specially marked Con Agra Food products can enter their product codes at www.ChildHungerEndsHere.com to activate meal donations. Customers can also donate meals to "Feeding America" by redeeming ConAgra Foods commissary coupons available in stores via tear pads on specially marked displays. For each coupon redeemed, there will be a donation of $1 to "Feeding America," and $10,000 equates to 80,000 meals.

"As we honor the Month of the Military Child, don't miss out on these opportunities to save even more," Chandler said. "For everyone in the family, the commissary is always worth the trip."

the top retailers that supported their "Fruits & Veggies - More Matters" national campaign. In 2012, DeCA was among 15 retailers chosen as leaders in the produce world.

"We take our military's health very seriously, and supporting this campaign to eat more fruits and vegetables is a great way to get our patrons interested," said Joseph H. Jeu, DeCA director and CEO. "It also speaks to the commissary's commitment to provide healthful options for military families."

To see the rest of the article visit Champions.

For the latest food-safety alerts and product recalls affecting military commissaries: visit http://www.commissaries.com and click on the "Food & Product Recalls" box on the front page. For general food safety information, visit the website, choose the "News & Info" tab and select "Food Safety" from the drop-down box.

BABY BYTES (These links will change each month.)

BetweenMoms.com Looking for even more savings? Check out your Commissary Rewards Card

BetweenMoms, http://www.betweenmoms.com/, was

The Commissary Rewards Card Program continues to grow as thousands of patrons pick up the cards at their commissaries and register them online. In the card's first three months of issuance, more than 350,000 cards were registered. Shoppers using their rewards cards receive name-brand, high-value digital coupons. This year, cardholders will see many new coupons available, plus the coupons will change every two weeks thereafter. For more information, go to www.commissaries.com/rewards

developed to help moms in several different ways. They do their best to offer true work-athome opportunities that are personally reviewed to ensure their legitimacy.

BetweenMoms brings you the most recent telecommuting positions available, along with parenting and work-at-home articles and great recipes, too. They also list many helpful parenting links, so whether you're a new mom or you're a few years into the fun of having a child, you may find something that could be helpful.

BABY BOUTIQUE Find new ways to explore with Hobby Central

Looking for the Guard/Reserve Sales Schedule Newsletter

There's not a commissary near you? The Guard/Reserve On-site Sales Program provides the commissary benefit to deserving Guard/Reserve members and their families that live in areas that are not close to an existing commissary store. These sales are not only for the Guard and Reserve ... they're for any authorized shopper.

Check out the Defense Commissary Agency's Guard/Reserve Sales Schedule newsletter to request email updates on DeCA's Guard/Reserve On-site Sales Program.

When you subscribe to this newsletter, you will receive the on-site sales schedule on a monthly basis, along with sale information, points of contact, program updates and more, straight to your inbox ... this newsletter will be a one-stop shop for on-site sale details!

This newsletter offers us the ability to send updates to customers if sale information changes; you just indicate the state in which you normally attend on-site sales when you subscribe to the newsletter. If the details change for a sale in your state after we've announced it, we'll alert you -- no worries! This feature affords our customers the peace of mind that comes with knowing they'll never have to miss a chance to save.

Click this link to sign up today and help us bring the commissary benefit to you!

SAVE EVEN MORE (These links will change monthly.)

Oral-B HEALTHeSMILES newsletter

Build memories with your child to last a lifetime. Start a hobby together, with help from Hobby Central, an Online Mall vendor at www.shopmyexchange.com. You'll find radiocontrolled vehicles, kites, model kits and more. Your MILITARY STAR(r) card is accepted, and military members receive a 5 percent discount on most items. Visit Hobby Central at www.shopmyexchange.com and start exploring a new hobby with your child today.

Johnson's special offers just for you Johnson's offers special discounts on some of your favorite products, because they believe your baby deserves the very best. Visit: http://www.johnsonsbaby.com/special-offersexpanded.jsp?CMP=BAC-LilHeroe

KAY'S KITCHEN Springtime veggies can be springtime treats Artichokes, asparagus and rhubarb are among the very first good-for-you produce items to come into season in early spring.

But, if you're like a lot of people, none of these are on your everyday list of vegetables to consume weekly. Overcome any hesitancy you might have with a little bit of know-how, and you're sure to become a devoted fan of these three springtime treats.

Fresh artichokes can be intimidating for the

Get exclusive offers when you sign up for the free monthly e-mail newsletter at http://www.oralb.com/en-US/offers/default.aspx.

Stonyfield Farm Sign up for newsletters, special offers, coupons and your very own insider community at MyStonyfield at http://www.stonyfield.com/register/.

V8 Get your coupon now at http://www.v8juice.com/promotions.aspx?pd=yes and save on any 46-ounce bottle of V8 V-Fusion juices. It's a great chance to try any of V8's juices, including Cranberry Blackberry, Strawberry Banana, Pomegranate Blueberry and many more.

THIS MONTH IN HISTORY In April 1951, commissaries run by the Panama Canal Commission began an experiment of accepting cash instead of coupons, which had been used for 45 years. American military families were part of this experiment, as they were eligible to shop at the PCC stores. The experiment ultimately proved successful, and coupon books were gradually phased out.

novice cook. After all, their appearance offers almost no clue as to how they should be cooked and eaten. Select artichokes that have tightly closed buds and feel heavy for their size. Store them in a perforated plastic vegetable bag in the refrigerator crisper.

When it's time to prepare them, follow the easy instructions in How to Cook and Eat an Artichoke and you'll be good to go. The instructions even include your choice of dips to enjoy them with.

Does your commissary carry both green and white asparagus? They're both the same vegetable, but the white spears have been grown deprived of sunlight which gives them a creamier, milder flavor. Select crisp stalks with tightly closed buds whose cut ends are not dry. At home, refrigerate the stalks, standing upright with cut ends down, in a glass or pitcher of water, bud ends loosely covered with a plastic bag. Cook within a day or two of purchasing. Asparagus can be boiled, steamed, micro-waved or grilled.

Thinner spears are better for the microwave, thicker spears are better suited for the grill.

Green asparagus is done when its color turns bright green, and it is tender with just a hint of crispness. White asparagus can't give you a clue with a color change, but generally takes longer to cook than green.

Just be careful not to overcook it.

If you've seen what looks like giant pink or red celery stalks in your commissary's produce department, that's rhubarb! The pink or pale red stalks are generally hothouse grown. They have a less tart flavor and are less stringy than field grown stalks, which are richer red with a richer flavor to match. Rhubarb is too tart to eat raw, but cooking it with sugar or honey tames its tang. And pairing it with a complementary fruit like strawberries, as in the StrawberryRhubarb Cobbler recipe, makes it simply marvelous.

Check out your commissary's springtime veggie selection now and get cooking.

Asparagus, Simply Dressed Rhubarb-Strawberry Cobbler Berry Rhubarb Fool

How to Cook and Eat an Artichoke Grilled Asparagus with Garlic Butter Roasted Asparagus with Olive Oil and Bacon Easy Rhubarb Crisp

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Question: Do commissaries accept special orders?

Answer: Yes. Every department or section in a commissary will accept special orders. If you need a special cut of meat, a custom-decorated cake, a party tray, or want to get a case of 24 cans of dog food instead of pulling 24 cans off the shelf, you can place a special order to get what you want.

Commissaries can fill some special orders almost instantly; other special orders require some advance notice. Thus, it's best to check a bit in advance of your need to find out how quickly a commissary can get what you want to order. It's also often possible for a commissary to special order items - usually in case lots only - that the commissary does not carry as part of everyday stockage. Such items might be available at another commissary located close by, or generally authorized for commissary stockage and available from a commissary's commercial supplier.

In overseas commissaries, special orders can come only from within the overseas stocking list. A personal, special order cannot be made from stateside (i.e. one case of something from America to a small Commissary in Europe). If you shop at a small commissary in Europe and desire a product which is carried at a larger commissary in Europe, that item may be delivered direct to your store.

To find out about special order availability and procedures at your commissary, contact commissary management during a commissary visit, or by email or phone.

For answers to more of your commissary questions, please visit www.commissaries.com/faq. If you have questions regarding commissary issues that haven't been resolved by your store's management, we encourage you to contact DeCA's Your Action Line program at any time using our online customer comments form at http://www.commissaries.com/YAL/customer_comments.cfm.

For questions regarding the Commissary Connection newsletter, please contact the editor through the customer comments from listed above.

DeCA, 1300 E Avenue, Fort Lee, VA 23801-1800, USA