Homefront Magazine September 2015

HOMEFRONT

A Fort Hood Herald publication | September 30, 2015

Spouses’ club reboot P8 | New PX excitement P10 | Proud to belong P3

| Homefront

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

[ Inside this issue ] Letters from the Homefront: Club now includes all spouses

Page 3

Financial Fitness: Pros and cons of child care

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Financial Fitness: Put your money where your heart is

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Financial Fitness: Tips for homebuyers.

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Financial Fitness: Tips to find a trustworthy mechanic

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On the Homefront: Spouses’s club gets a reboot

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On the Homefront: New PX opens at Fort Hood

Page 10

What’s Happening: Upcoming area events

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At the Movies: Damon discusses role as ‘The Martian’

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Dining In: A healthy muffin you’ll love

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Dining In: French onion soup hits the grill

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Vol. 8, Issue 9 | September 30, 2015 Homefront is a Fort Hood Herald publication.

Contact Us Editor: Jacob Brooks | jbrooks@kdhnews.com | 254-501-7468 Reporter: JC J Jones | jcjones@kdhnews.com | 254-501-7464 Photographer: Eric J. Shelton | 254-501-7460 On the cover: Fort Hood Spouses Club members Becky Sisemore, from left, Deborah Liddell, Monica Bates and Stacy Clady are photographed near the Killeen Daily Herald on Sept. 23, 2015. Photo by Eric J. Shelton.

Find more news at forthoodherald.com.

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Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Proud to share military experiences with all spouses on post

L

akehurst Naval Air Engineering Station was a Navy base where the Hindenburg lighter-thanair-ship was once docked, and subsequently crashed. During the two and a half years we lived on that base, I somehow became president of the Lakehurst Naval Air Stations Officers’ Wives’ Club, as a young Army wife.

Shortly after I became the club president, I heard concerns and listened to suggestions about how to improve the club. Our base was very small, with few spouses to recruit to join our club. Several male spouses decidedly would not join because the club title made it appear as it were only for female membership. After a several months as president, I was able to work with the club members, and base leadership, to change the Wives’ Club to a Spouses’ Club.

This was not accomplished without a certain level of heavy discussion and drama. The necessary votes passed, and soon after we welcomed our first male spouse members. One of them

Letters from the Homefront Karin Markert

even stood up as the club treasurer.

As we lived on a very small base, we were physically close to all of the Navy and Army spouses who lived in the area. Our soldiers and sailors worked together, we saw each other at base functions, shopped at the same stores, and brought our children to the same schools. With such a small pool of spouses for club membership, we discussed the idea of opening our doors to all military spouses in the area, with

no contingency based on their service member’s rank.

I was not prepared for the drama that ensued after we began discussion about an open club. In short, I was told by the base commander’s spouse that in no uncertain terms would the spouse club be open to spouses of any ranking sailor. She told me that since my husband was in the Army, that I clearly did not understand Navy traditions, and that this one was not going to change.

Well, at least it wasn’t going to change at that time, while I was president of the club. I resigned shortly thereafter to take care of my newly diagnosed deaf child, and was quickly replaced with a Navy spouse.

Fast forward 15 years, and the Lakehurst Naval Air Station Officers’ Spouses’ Club has morphed into the Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Spouses’ Club. According to the club website, “Membership is open to any spouses of all ranks of active duty, Reserve, and retired service members, spouses of

missing or deceased service members and any civilian service member associated with JBMDL.” The organization is now essentially a community club.

I have always enjoyed military traditions, customs and courtesies. Our military experiences are quite different those found in my civilian family and friends’ lifestyles. I love the traditions that make our lives unique and special.

Opening up a club to more members allows us to share those experiences with more spouses than were included in the past.

I am proud to be a member of the Fort Hood Spouses Club, which for the first time in over 50 years, is open to all Fort Hood spouses, regardless of their soldier’s rank. As I get to know the club board, I am even more excited and motivated by their positive spirit and willingness to work together. This is going to be a great year, here at the Great Place.

Karin Markert is an Army spouse and Herald correspondent who lives at Fort Hood.

[ Financial Fitness ]

| Homefront

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

How to weigh pros and cons of your options for child care Courtesy of USAA

Prior to the baby’s arrival,

Determining the best care for your baby or toddler can seem overwhelming. Each option has positive and negative aspects, not to mention serious financial implications for your family.

Mikel Van Cleve, USAA’s director of personal finance advice, suggests considering the pros and cons of the four options faced by many parents to determine which one fits best for your family. You may find a combination of these options works best. Or you could start with one and change to another over time.

Prior to the baby’s arrival, consider a trial period where you adjust your lifestyle and expenses to account for child care cost or a reduction in income, as if the baby was already born. If one of you will be leaving a job and staying home, try living off one income and set aside the other in savings. If both of you plan to continue working while

consider a trial period where you adjust your lifestyle and expenses. the child attends daycare, factor that cost into your budget and set the money aside in savings.

Whatever you decide, your best bet is to evaluate your choices well before you need child care.

Stay At Home

Pros: No one knows your child better than you. Caring for your child allows for extra bonding time and allows you complete control of their schedule and development.

Cons: Giving up your career can impact your family financially. It may also leave a gap in your work history.

Stay-at-home parents also may feel a

loss of self-worth and isolation from friends and colleagues.

Nanny

Pros: You can opt for personalized attention from someone who cares for your child full or part time in your home. A nanny knows your child’s needs, yet allows you to set the rules for play, sleep and meals.

Cons: The costs are higher than other child care options, and you have to deal with reporting the nanny’s salary come tax time. Plus, unless you install a “nanny cam,” there may be a certain level of unease and worry about your child’s safety and care.

Day Care

Pros: Day care is the most popular choice when both parents work. It offers lots of social interaction and play with other children of a similar age.

Day care also instills a sense of routine and acceptable behaviors to children.

What’s more, preschoolers begin to learn letters, numbers and other basic skills they’ll need for school.

Cons: More children means more exposure to germs, so expect your kid to have a heightened risk of sniffles and other childhood maladies. Day care centers also have specific hours of operation. Working parents may have to adjust their schedules to fit pickup and drop-off times. And day care centers with high marks from parents often cost more and have long waiting lists.

Family or Friends

Pros: Having a trusted friend or family member care for your child means more flexible scheduling, a homey setting and little or no cost.

Cons: Friends and relatives who agree to take care of your child may do so out of obligation, which could turn into resentment. If things don’t work out as planned, it could damage your relationship.

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

[ Financial Fitness ]

Homefront |

Put your money where your heart is: Tips for cutting costs

By JJ Montanaro Courtesy of USAA

“Duh. Why didn’t I think of that?”

That was my reaction to a recent conversation I had with a colleague here at USAA. He was talking about the everyday tradeoffs we make without a second thought. You know, money spent on one thing that now can’t be used for something else.

In the same vein, a buddy told me his choice to drive a modest car (with a modest payment) freed up a few hundred dollars a month that help fund his family’s vacation. Pretty slick.

Those exchanges got me thinking about the importance of deploying money in accordance with what’s important. Not what’s important to me, your parents or your neighbors, but to you. With that value as a guide, would your decisions look different?

Let’s look at a few examples.

Car for vacation. Here’s the basic

So what tradeoffs are you making? Are they conscious decisions designed to improve your financial well-being or quality of life? Or are they just byproducts of life’s momentum, robbing you of the things you really value? Make thoughtful choices and put your money where it can produce the results you desire. math on how this could work. Instead of a luxury SUV with a $50,000 price tag, you could choose a no-bells-andwhistles version for $25,000. By my calculations, that chops your payment down by $460 a month. Over the course of a year, that’s more than $5,500 available for a family vacation.

That’s a pretty nice trip.

Less car for more house. Not to pick on cars, but think about the type of house you could squeeze into your budget with an extra $460 per month.

That would buy you about $115,000 more house. Now, granted, you may have additional maintenance expenses

and other factors, but the basic idea holds: Put your money where it really matters. And if you have two cars, the amount goes up even more.

Eating in for in-dependence. OK, I couldn’t leave this discussion without busting out the importance of investing for the future. So, what if you (or your kids) trimmed money spent on dining out by $25 weekly and invested the $100 per month you saved. With a hypothetical 7 percent annual return, you’d have more than $250,000 in 40 years. Visions of the freedom and flexibility that money could provide might make home cooking (or even frozen pizza) taste a lot better.

So what tradeoffs are you making?

Are they conscious decisions designed to improve your financial well-being or quality of life? Or are they just byproducts of life’s momentum, robbing you of the things you really value? Make thoughtful choices and put your money where it can produce the results you desire.

| Homefront

[ Financial Fitness ]

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Follow these tips to buy your next home the right way

By JJ Montanaro Courtesy of USAA

Your home should be your castle.

Don’t let it become your financial prison.

I stole those words from some folks down the hall at USAA, but imitation is the best form of flattery, right? In any case, the phrase highlights the need for finances to be at the forefront when you embark on what can be the very emotional journey of putting a roof over your head.

In this series, I’m exploring the idea that the right time to make a financial move hinges, in large part, on whether you can make it in a responsible way.

Here are a few checklist items that could indicate whether you’re ready to purchase your home the right way: Your ducks (the credit ones) are in a row. That means you have checked your credit score, eliminated as much debt as possible and avoided applying

If you’re looking to purchase your next home, make the decision in a way where the windows of your palace won’t feel like they’re covered with bars. for new credit for several months. You are now ready to take on what will likely be your biggest financial obligation.

You crunched the numbers, and the home fits in your budget. If you can cap your mortgage payment at 28 percent of your gross monthly income, you should be on track — although that number could fluctuate given your location and financial situation.

The total should include principal and interest plus property taxes and homeowners insurance. Beyond that,

you’ve got to budget for homeowners association dues, maintenance and the like. If you’re trying to keep your options open, spending less on the biggest line of your budget is not a bad thing.

You’re determined not to bite off more than you can chew. Just because someone will lend you money doesn’t mean you have to borrow it. Your lender should not tell you how much you can afford. Period.

You’re hunkered down for the long haul. At an absolute minimum, you’ve

got to be committed to homeownership for three years — and longer is better. Remember, it could cost 10 to 15 percent of your home’s value to buy and sell. That doesn’t mean you have to live in the home; you just need to be prepared to own it for an extended period. If a slow housing market or an unexpected PCS will make you a reluctant landlord, you may want to reconsider buying now.

You’re sitting on cash. Yes, you need cash to buy a home, even if you’re getting a VA loan with no down payment.

You could need money for closing costs, furnishings or maintenance.

Heck, I’ve had to fix my roof, replace broken appliances and repair the air conditioning — all in a relatively new house.

If you’re looking to purchase your next home, make the decision in a way where the windows of your palace won’t feel like they’re covered with bars.

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

[ Financial Fitness ]

Homefront |

How do I find an auto mechanic I can trust?

Courtesy of USAA

Many people consider their car their baby. And like a baby, it needs good care and proper handling.

So, how can you find a reliable, trustworthy mechanic worthy of your car?

Thirty years ago, it may not have been that hard to find a great mechanic who could open your hood and immediately diagnose the problem. But today’s cars have a lot of computerized components, and without expensive diagnostic equipment, it can be difficult to determine what ails a vehicle.

Melani Scamardo, director of auto advice with USAA, offers these pointers for choosing a mechanic who’s up to the task: Try the dealer’s service shop. Dealers often understand the common problems of your particular vehicle, have the parts on hand (or generally available) and have certified mechanics to perform the work.

But they also have high overhead, which means they can be expensive.

Listen to word-of-mouth. Ask around. People with similar makes and models can tell you about their mechanic experiences.

Ask online. Internet forums devoted to specialty cars

can be another good resource. For example, an online club for Corvette owners can steer you toward a local mechanic to work on your Stingray — and tell you whom to avoid.

Check with the Better Business Bureau. Your local BBB may be able to give you information about an auto repair shop, including how long it’s been in busi-

ness and what type of complaints it has received.

Scamardo also recommends these steps for helping ensure your repair experience is optimum: Shop around. See whose prices fit your budget. If you receive quotes that seem out of line, either at the high or low end, ask questions. An expensive quote could signal excessive repairs while a low quote could mean the mechanic only plans a short-term fix.

Get it in writing. Ask for a written estimate and check what’s covered. Ask about warranties and see if any recalls cover the work you need.

Look for certifications. Use mechanics certified by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (look for the ASE logo).

Check out the shop. Is it clean and organized? Are old, partially repaired cars hanging around for long periods? Does it present a professional image or feel to you?

Good communication with the shop you choose can make for a positive experience, Scamardo says.

“Communication between you and the mechanic is the basis of the repair relationship,” she says. “They should be able to show you the problem, explain how they plan to repair it and why. They should be able to answer all your questions.”

| Homefront

[ On the homefront ]

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

More inclusive spouses club ‘true reflection’ of Fort Hood

Buy this photo at KDHnews.com Eric J. Shelton | Homefront

Stacy Clady, left, and other members of the Fort Hood Spouses Club discuss the club at the Killeen Daily Herald on Sept. 23.

by jc jones Homefront Magazine

T

he Fort Hood Spouses Club is not what it used to be. With changing times and a changing Army, the group decided last spring to revise its constitution, allowing spouses of soldiers of any rank to join. In June, the club officially opened to all spouses, male and female, regardless of their husband’s or wife’s military rank.

Club leaders also decided to allow 20 percent of its members to include anyone who wants to support the community, including the girlfriends or fiancees of soldiers, as well as mothers, good neighbors and business members.

“Our membership now is a true reflection of what is on Fort Hood. Our membership goes all the way from a Pfc.’s spouse, all the way up to a lieutenant general’s spouse. We have activeduty spouses that are dual military. We have retired spouses. We have men. …

We really represent anybody that is at Fort Hood,” said Stacy Clady, Fort Hood Spouses Club president.

Members of the club said making membership open to a wider number of people contributes to one of the organization’s core purposes — giving back to the community.

Each year, the spouses club organizes three major fundraising events, a Wild West Night in March, a golf scramble in May and a holiday bazaar in November.

With all of its fundraising efforts combined, Clady said the club typically raises at least $50,000 a year for scholarships and different programs and organizations in the Fort Hood community.

“You get new connections when you have new spouses come in, and you have a bigger pool of volunteers to pull from. It’s not easy for everybody to volunteer at all of our functions. They’re pretty big, but when we have new volunteers to come in, it’s nice because then they make connections with those spouses across Fort Hood,” said club member Deborah Liddell.

Along with new faces, comes new excitement for the club.

“We’ve had a lot of folks who recently

[ On the homefront ]

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Buy these photos at KDHnews.com

Photos by KArin MArkert | HOmefront

ABOVE: The Fort Hood Spouses’ Club hosts a membership registration event at the Phantom Warrior Center at Fort Hood on Aug. 25. After existing as a club for only officers’ spouses for over 50 years, this is the first year that the club is open to spouses of all area military soldiers. AT RIGHT: Courtney Taylor, left, and Kaylynn Brown, holding her daughter Evelynn, 6 weeks, take a break from visiting vendor tables at the Fort Hood Spouses’ Club membership event.

joined who have never been part of a club like this before. We’re very excited to see new, fresh face,” said Vice President Becky Sisemore.

The spouses do participate in social gatherings, like monthly luncheons, as well as other activities, including cooking and quilting clubs.

The club’s second Vice President Monica Bates said before joining the organization, she was afraid it would be a “white glove,” formal setting, but has been pleasantly surprised.

“It’s not as traditional as it used to be. ... I’m glad there are no white gloves” she said.

With the merging of old and new, young and old, the spouses said many friendships are formed.

“There are some spouses that would never meet other spouses in any way, shape or form through the military in their daily lives, but this gives us connections as spouses,” Liddell said. jcjones@kdhnews.com | 254-501-7464

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10 | Homefront

[ On the homefront ]

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Excitement growing over new Fort Hood PX

Fort Hood’s newest post exchange, known as the Clear Creek Shopping Center, is seen under construction in early June.

Grand opening Oct. 1

By Jacob Brooks Homefront Magazine

T

HOMEFRONT | FILE

he online buzz is on.

Since posting an article about the official grand opening date of Fort Hood’s newest post exchange, online chatter about the new store has been buzzing, especially on the Facebook sites of the Fort Hood Herald and Killeen Daily Herald.

“I’ve never been more excited in my life,” Chris Egan posted.

Army and Air Force Exchange Service officials announced last week that the Clear Creek Shopping Center, located across the street from the Clear Creek Main Exchange on Clear Creek Boulevard, will open with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 9:30 a.m. Oct. 1, “ushering in a new era of shopping for the Fort Hood community.” The store had a soft opening on Monday.

“I’m excited!” posted Herald Facebook reader Ora Dawn. “After a few delays in opening I can’t wait to finally be at the new shop.”

The new opening date comes after construction concerns cancelled the Exchange’s previously announced opening date of Aug. 27. At that time, officials said the new PX would open sometime in September.

At close to 270,000 square feet, the new PX will be one of the biggest in the country.

The new post exchange is divided into three main parts: a main store, a food court and a mall that will contain more than 20 small stores, including MAC Cosmetics, GameStop, GNC, Truly Texas and baby store Giggle.

“Yes! They have Mac!” posted Mazda N Joshua Davis.

Other Herald Facebook readers, like Jocelyn McGary, said they’ll likely skip out of the grand opening.

“Everyone seems to crowd anything new for 2 months or so,” she wrote.

“I’ll wait until December but nope, that’s Christmas time. I’ll gladly drop in... in 2016.”

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

[ On the homefront ]

Homefront | 11

Buy this photo at kdhnews.com Gabe Wolf | Homefront

The new Clear Creek Shopping Center officially opens Oct. 1, but Fort Hood residents had the opportunity to shop Sept. 28 during the “soft opening.”

Others, like Erika Taylor, noted the timing of the opening.

“On pay day! Well played!!” she posted.

Chad Wilcox said on Facebook that he wasn’t sharing in the excitement.

“Not really, mostly because if you seen one, you have seen them all,”

he wrote. “It’s just another department store for soldiers and spouses to spend money. But I do like the idea the old place will go to new business

like the post thrift. It could use the space.” jbrooks@kdhnews.com | 254-501-7468

[ What’s happening ]

12 | Homefront

Best Bets The Central Texas Astronomical Society plans its next Bell County Star Party from 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday at Overlook Park, near Stillhouse Hollow Lake outside Belton. The event is free and open to the public, weather permitting. Go to www.centexastronomy.org.

Local Music Dirty Harry’s presents live music on Wednesdays at 9 p.m. For ages 21 and older, no cover. Dirty Harry’s is at 206 W. Veterans Memorial Blvd., Harker Heights (next to Kin Pin Tattoos). Call 254-680-6557.

Catch live jazz every Saturday from 9 to 11 p.m. at the Inn on the Creek in Salado.

Call 254-947-5554 or go to www. inncreek.com.

Stillhouse Wine Room, 403 E. Stan Schlueter Loop, Killeen, has live music from 8 p.m. to midnight every Friday and Saturday. Thursday is Trivia Night from 7:30 to 11 p.m. Categories range from company slogans, geography, science, music and movies. Every 10 questions, someone wins wine or a dessert. For more information, go to StillhouseWineRoom.com.

The Dead Fish Grill at 2207 Lake Road in Belton presents live music many evenings. Call 254-939-5771 or go to www. deadfishgrill.com.

Schoepf’s Bar-B-Que presents live music some nights. Schoepf’s is at 702 E. Central Ave., Belton. Go to www.schoepfsbbq.com.

from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Call Virginia at 254-423-5277.

The Copperas Cove Farmers Market, 1506 Veterans Ave., VFW parking lot, Copperas Cove, is open from 3 to 6 p.m. Wednesdays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Saturdays.

The Water Street Farmers Market in Belton is open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Saturday downtown on Water Street in front of The Gin. Local vendors will have a variety of vegetables, foods and crafts.

The Harker Heights Farmers Market is open from 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays at Seton Medical Center Harker Heights, 850 W. Central Texas Expressway.

The Killeen Green Avenue Farmers Market is open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Fridays in conjunction with Food Truck Fridays at Green Avenue Park, 717 N. Second St. Call Leslie Hinkle at 254-501-7847.

Arts & Theater The Killeen Arts & Activity Center will host “Dirty Laundry,” a stage play written by Kimberlyn Johnson, at 7 p.m.

Oct. 1 at the center, 801 N. Fourth St., Killeen. Cost: $25. Email Kimberlyn Johnson at Kmichelej@gmail.com, or go to www.dirtylaundrykilleen.eventbrite.com.

Ballet Magnificat will perform its original ballet, “Face to Face,” at 3 p.m. Oct. 3 at Mary Alice Marshall Auditorium, Temple College, 2600 S. 1st St., Temple. Tickets: $12. Contact Edward Fasolino at yeddie01@mac.com or 254-939-7345 or go to www.balletmagtemple.com.

Farmers Markets

Bars, Clubs

The Pioneer Farmers Market will be open in front of Tractor Supply Company on Central Texas Expressway in Killeen

Whiskey Business Bar & Grill presents karaoke on Friday nights and live music on Saturday nights. NO COVER for

either night. Whiskey Business is at 704 B. East Veterans Memorial Blvd., Killeen. (Next to Action Motors). Call 254-519-3764 or go to www.facebook. com/7WhiskeyBusiness7.

Catch live music and other events at The Gin, 219 S. East St. in Belton. Go to www.thegin.net or text GINEVENTS to 96362.

Planetarium Several films are now showing at the Mayborn Science Theater at Central Texas College. For show descriptions, full schedule and ticket prices, go to www.starsatnight.org or call 254-5261800.

Dancing In the Mood Ballroom, 13 S. Main St., Temple, offers dance classes throughout the week. Call 254-773-7088, email itmood@vvm.com or go to inthemoodballroom.com.

Family Fun Temple’s Railroad and Heritage Museum’s temporary exhibit, “Kings of the River: Steamboat Transportation in the American South” is on display through Oct. 31. The museum, at 315 W. Avenue B, in downtown Temple, is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Go to www.rrhm.org or call 254-298-5172.

For Children The Cultural Activities Center invites all preschoolers to Tot Spot, an art class for children ages 2-5 every third Monday from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Cost is $3 per child for CAC members and $5 per child

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

for nonmembers. Any siblings under 2 years are free. For more information on membership, go to cacarts.org/personal-membership or call 254-773-9926.

Clubs, Meetings The Killeen Civic Art Guild has open studio time from 5 to 8 p.m. Mondays and offers various workshops from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays at the Killeen Arts & Activities Center, 802 N. Second St., Suite D 100. Contact Jutta Mack at jmack1@hot.rr.com, call 254-466-4040 or go to www.killeencivicartguild.org.

Fundraisers, Events Salado Chamber of Commerce Ladies Auxiliary will have the Christmas in October fundraiser event from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 9 and 10 from at The Venue located at the corner of Royal and College streets. Local and area vendors will display a variety of unique Christmas decorations, jewelry, food, clothing and home decor items.

Also featured are the bake sale and a style show. Join the fun and get in the Christmas spirit early. Contact Salado Chamber of Commerce at 254-9475040. Cost: $3.

Fort Hood Area Rotary Club’s Annual Monster Dash 5K run/walk, 9 a.m. to noon Oct. 24 at Dana Peak Park, 3800 Comanche Gap Rd. Harker Heights.

Cost: $25.00. Contact Earl Williams at will46@hot.rr.com or go to https:// redemptionrp.formstack.com/forms/ 2015monsterdash5k_ All proceeds used by area Rotary Clubs for local youth oriented projects. Call 254-702-7426.

For more information on local events, go to KDHnews.com/living/local. Have upcoming events to include? Email events@ kdhnews.com. Items run as space is available.

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

[ at the movies ]

Homefront | 13

Damon: ‘The Martian’ is ‘a very positive thing to put out in the world’

By Colin Covert Star Tribune (Minneapolis)

It’s hard to arrange a ride back when you’ve broken down 40 miles from home. When it’s 40 million miles, that’s a challenge.

That’s exactly the predicament faced

by Matt Damon’s character in “The Martian.” Ridley Scott’s new film, based on the witty, technically accurate best-seller by Andy Weir, follows a botanist/astronaut left behind for dead by his partners on a NASA Mars mission.

Staying on the base with dwindling oxygen, scant food and no communication with Earth, Mark Watney must troubleshoot every challenge like a science superhero.

Talking by phone recently, Damon said he was thrilled to capture another futuristic role fresh off “Elysium,” “The Zero Theorem” and “Interstellar,” which also cast him as a marooned astronaut.

“I love science fiction, and I’d gone over a decade without getting offered a good science fiction movie. And then suddenly I got offered a few of them,” a delightful turn of events, he said, even though it was more coincidence than a career-shaping strategy of his own.

“The Martian” opens with one of those nighttime images of the starcrowded sky that make people think of their cosmic insignificance. But it moves ahead to a story of human triumph. The notion that we are more than helpless specks, and that we can even win a fight in outer space, was part of what drew Damon to the project.

“I loved that it’s a very uplifting movie, a very positive thing to put out in the world,” he said. When he met Weir at the beginning of shooting, the writer called it “a love letter to science.” The movie is the only scientifically straightforward story he has appeared in other than the pandemic thriller “Contagion.”

“That’s probably why it appealed to me on an intuitive level, because it really wasn’t like anything I’d done before,” Damon said.

While he shares screen time with an impressive cast including his “Interstellar” co-star Jessica Chastain, Jeff

Aidan Monaghan | 20th Century Fox

Matt Damon plays Mark Watney in “The Martian.”

Daniels, Kristen Wiig, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Donald Glover and Kate Mara, Damon’s isolated character is shown alone in all but a handful of shots. The novelty of putting on a one-man show was also part of the film’s attraction, he said.

“It’s something I thought was going to be a challenge and a little bit risky, as well. But that risk is mitigated when you’re working with a director like Ridley Scott. Once he signed on to do it, it was a very easy decision for me. It didn’t feel like I was on my own because Ridley was never more than 5 feet away.”

Damon said he was also attracted by the shape of the story, one of the few major studio releases in ages that has told an action adventure story without any villains or enemies.

“There aren’t a lot of movies being made like this these days, so hopefully it will attract an audience,” he said.

“Hopefully a lot of people will go see it so they continue making movies like this. It shows that there’s a lot of confidence in Ridley to handle a big-budget movie that’s not a superhero movie.

Everybody directs slightly differently, but he’s just incredibly unique.”

Scott shoots on four cameras at a time.

“I’ve never really seen anybody do something like that quite as effectively as he does,” Damon said. “He’s got so much experience and he shoots so fast because he’s cutting the film in the camera, essentially. The first day I walked into his tent I saw his four monitors and said, ‘Wow, Ridley, each one of those shots looks just perfect.’

He just glared up at me and said, ‘It’s been perfect for a long time!’ It just really was a joy to work with him.”

While Scott is considered a master of visual effects and editor of the highest order, Damon said he’s equally meticulous about performance. “He’ll print the first take if we get it, but he’ll take 30 if it’s necessary. He won’t move till he’s got what he needs.” While Scott’s recent work as a storyteller in “The Counselor,” “Exodus” and “Prometheus” has drawn criticism, Damon said he loved his latest film’s script “and the project just spoke to him. He’s just really got his teeth into a story he wanted to tell.”

Adapting Weir’s novel, which mixes pulse-pounding drama and laughs,

“was one of the challenges. How do we retain all this humor in the book but at the same time keep the stakes as high as possible and ramp up that feeling of danger and dread and terror? As a tonal issue that’s handled entirely by the director, and it just felt like he has a very good grasp of that all along.”

Damon hoped to fit the lead role like a flight suit, appearing high-tech capable without slipping into gung-ho conceit. He tends to draw “everyman roles,” he said, even when he’s maiming villains in Bourne blockbusters.

Here again he’s in an adventure that essentially amounts to one long crisis scene, playing a self-effacing character who connects with the ordinary man on the street. And, he said, he was very happy that the film has an international focus as people from all backgrounds team together to rescue Damon’s character.

“The book has that as well, as the whole world kind of gets on board to save Watney. Look, particularly with a presidential election coming up, everyone’s going to try and divide us.

It’s nice to put a unity message out for the world.”

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Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Apples and whole grains: A healthful muffin that doesn’t taste like one

By Ellie Krieger The Washington Post

If you are skeptical about trying a healthful muffin recipe, I don’t blame you. Most of the better-for-you muffins I’ve tried have been disappointing: either dry or rubbery, or some sad combination of both. That precedent makes this recipe all the more compelling, because it will change your mind about what a healthful muffin can be.

These have a tender crumb, the aroma of warm apple pie and just the right level of sweetness.

A couple of key ingredient swaps make them so. First, a combination of applesauce and canola oil replaces the butter often used; the recipe contains less fat overall, although the muffins have a moist, cakelike appeal. Second, whole-wheat pastry flour provides whole-grain nutrition without a coarse, dense “health-food” taste. Most of the major flour manufacturers offer a whole-wheat pastry option, so if your store is not carrying it yet, request it.

Alternatively, you would also get good results from using equal parts wholegrain and all-purpose flours.

My muffins are studded with soft chunks of apple and warm, sweet spices and are topped with a cinnamon-pecan crumb. You can feel good about enjoying them with your latte for breakfast ­— proof that you don’t have to choose between something that’s good for you and something that’s utterly scrumptious.

WHOLE-GRAIN APPLE CRUMB MUFFINS

Servings: 12 to 15 From nutritionist and cookbook author Ellie Krieger.

For the topping 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar 1/3 cup finely chopped pecans 2 tablespoons whole-wheat pastry flour 1 tablespoon canola oil ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon For the muffins 2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour 2 teaspoons baking powder ¼ teaspoon baking soda

Dixie D. Vereen | For The Washington Post

½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg ¾ cup packed light brown sugar ¼ cup canola oil 2 large eggs ¾ cup unsweetened plain applesauce 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ¾ cup low-fat buttermilk 1 medium Golden Delicious apple, cored and cut into ¼-inch chunks For the topping: Whisk together the brown sugar, pecans, whole-wheat pastry flour, oil and cinnamon in a bowl.

For the muffins: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 12-well muffin pan with cooking oil spray.

Whisk together the whole-wheat pastry flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a medium bowl.

Whisk together the brown sugar, oil and eggs in a large bowl until well combined, then whisk in the applesauce and vanilla extract. Stir in the flour mixture in two additions, alternating with the buttermilk, until just combined. Gently stir in the apple chunks.

Divide the batter evenly among the wells of the muffin pan, then sprinkle with

the topping mixture. (If you have batter left over, cover it and bake a second batch.) Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick or bamboo skewer inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Transfer the muffin pan to a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes, then run a roundedged knife around the muffins to loosen them and unmold. Cool them completely on the rack before serving or storing.

Nutrition Per serving (based on 15): 190 calories, 3 g protein, 28 g carbohydrates, 7 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 25 mg cholesterol, 200 mg sodium, 2 g dietary fiber, 14 g sugar

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Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Homefront | 15

This fall, get French onion soup off the stove, onto a grill

By ELIZABETH KARMEL The Associated Press

When a friend asked me if I could create a hearty fall soup that begins on the grill, at first I was stumped.

I love making grilled gazpacho; it’s a regular in my summer rotation. But a cold tomato soup hardly is fit for fall.

So I started thinking about my favorite soups, wondering which one would benefit from some time on the grill. All of the sudden, it came to me — French onion soup! French onion soup is my favorite meal in a bowl. It is the first thing I eat when I find myself in Paris and I order it whenever I see it on a restaurant menu.

But up until now, I never have been happy with the versions I made at home. With this new grilled recipe, all that has changed! I no longer need to cross the pond to have a great soup.

The soup is all about the broth, but I rarely have homemade beef stock on hand, so I needed to create a version that would compensate for using a boxed broth. I started by making one of my signature side dishes, “forgotten onions.” Forgotten onions are onions that are grilled (and forgotten) over indirect heat in their papery skins until they are deeply caramelized and almost collapse in on themselves.

This slow grill-roasting intensifies all the sweetness in the onions and eliminates the sharpness, making them something you will want to eat like a baked potato. To this, I decided to add roasted garlic to increase the depth of flavor of the broth.

Once the onions and the garlic are grilled, the soup comes together quickly. The peeled onions are sauteed in a little butter and “melt” into small pieces. The sweet roasted garlic mixes with the caramelized onions to create a rich base for the soup. Add the beef broth and full-bodied red wine and that’s almost all there is to it! But be forewarned, as simple as this soup is, the smell of it simmering on the stove will bring everyone running to the kitchen. It smells that good!

The key to this soup is to make it a day ahead to give the flavors time to truly meld. This soup also can be frozen

Matthew Mead | AP

and reheated, adding the bread and the cheese topping just before serving.

GRILLED FRENCH ONION SOUP Start to finish: 3 hours active (30 minutes active) Servings: 8

3 large heads of garlic Olive oil Kosher salt 4-pound bag sweet onions (7 to 8 large), not peeled 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 quart beef stock 2 cups red wine 1½ tablespoons packed brown sugar Generous pinch of white pepper, plus more to taste 8 thick slices of French bread, left out to get stale or dried in the oven 1 pound grated Gruyere or comte cheese Prepare a grill for medium heat, indirect cooking. For a charcoal grill, this means banking the hot coals to one side of the grill and cooking on the other side. For a gas grill, this means turning off one or

more burners to create a cooler side, then cooking on that side.

Remove the first layer of papery skin from each head of garlic. Slice off the top ½ inch from the top of each head. Set each head on a large square of foil, then drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt. Loosely wrap the foil up around the garlic, crimping it to seal. Set on the cooler side of the grill.

Add the onions to the same side of the grill. Cover the grill.

Cook the garlic for 40 to 60 minutes, or until the cloves are golden brown and soft. Grill the onions for 60 to 90 minutes, or until the skins are dark and the sugars have caramelized and blackened. When the garlic is cooked, remove from the grill and cool. Open the packets and squeeze the cloves from the skins and into a small bowl. When the onions are cooked, remove from the grill and set aside to cool for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a heavy 6-quart stock pot over medium heat, melt the butter.

Trim the ends off the onions, then peel and remove the outer skins. Chop each into large pieces, then add to the butter.

Saute for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the reserved roasted garlic and about

1 teaspoon of salt. Stir well to combine, then cook for an additional 3 minutes, or until well mixed. The onions will separate into small pieces and look almost melted.

Add the beef stock, red wine, brown sugar and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

Taste and adjust seasonings.

Let cool, then refrigerate. The next day, bring soup to a boil for 5 minutes before serving, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

Just before serving, heat the oven to broil.

Ladle the soup into oven-safe mugs or bowls about three-quarters of the way full. Place a piece of the stale bread on top of each serving, then top that with a generous handful of the cheese. Place the soup bowls on a baking sheet and place on the oven’s bottom shelf and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until brown and bubbly. Enjoy immediately.

Nutrition per serving: 820 calories; 250 calories from fat (30 percent of total calories); 28 g fat (14 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 75 mg cholesterol; 1460 mg sodium; 99 g carbohydrate; 5 g fiber; 22 g sugar; 36 g protein.

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Wednesday, September 30, 2015