I received an email from one of my contact who is in the 9th month of deployment. She is in afghanistan and I sent it to her CSM.who in turn forwarded it to her. I have been slowing down on packages since I have been out of work. I put together a relatively inexpensive package that was well received and gone in minutes.  I got free magazines from my dentist. The receptionist saves them for me. A good variety of sports illustrated, people, time, car and driver, outdoor living, national geographic, Glamour. I found Large beef summer sausage at ALDI  for 2.99 and bought 2, A large box of crackers for less than 1.50 and cheese in a jar for 1.30, can of slim jims 1.50, Freezer pops for .79 cents for 24 and individual drink mix for 1.00. She cut up the sausage and spread out the crackers on a plate and said it was literally gone in minutes and the rest of the package lasted less than an hour. Just wanted to share in case others are looking to send a package that won't break the budget

Excellent idea for an inexpensive package.  I've been thinking about sending peanut butter and crackers and was wondering how the crackers would ship.  Good to know they made it.  The summer sausage is also an absolutely awesome idea.  Saw some on sale today at the grocery store.  Put a small dab of grape jelly on top of that piece of sausage and it is absolutely awesome.  Sounds gross, I know, but try it.  You might like it. 

mustard also tastes great with the summer sausage

In regard to sending crackers, we like to send the single-stack boxes Ritz or saltines, thinking that they would make the journey in better shape than larger packages.  Thanks for the tip about summer sausages and mustard.  Mr. Gran got a bargain price at a freight sales place on a whole case of restaurant packets of mustard.  Now we need to find the bargains on summer sausages and crackers.

Yes thanks for the tips. I will add mustard and Jelly next time. I know they try to change it up and get bored with the same thing all the time ( so do I)

With this thread in mind, I bought a summer sausage yesterday, not realizing it wouldn't fit in one of the military FRB boxes.  The darn thing is HUGE. So off to the post office for me to get a large FRB to pack that puppy up.  On the way home from the store, I almost panicked about the possibility of there being pork in that thing.  Nope -- all beef so I'm in good shape.  Gonna send Ritz crackers, grape jelly, p'butter and might throw in some mustard.  That just doesn't really sound good, but then neither did the jelly the first time I tried it.

If you think about it, we eat jellies with meat sometimes.  Think of cranberry sauce with chicken and dressing or lamb with mint jelly.  Here in the south, we eat either mild or hot pepper jelly with beans and peas and cornbread.

Gran - my eyes are watering as I read your post:).  Hot pepper jelly - YIKES!! 

My husband has a bag of hot peppers on the kitchen counter right now, fresh from the garden - ripening, changing color, getting hotter, I don't know.  A bit toooo hot for my taste. 

Anyway, I'm sure he will be glad to hear of another thing he can do with them besides drying them for the winter.  I just did a quick search and found a bunch of recipes for making hot pepper jelly - so, Thanks - for my hus band.  For me - I'll stick to the cranberry sauce and mint jelly:):).

Ann

PS There are also a couple of online sites that sell the stuff for anyone thinking of shipping it.  Sure would spice up an MRE:). And the Food Network has a bunch of entries for it.

Oh, jalapeno jelly is to die for.  Spread some on a piece of cornbread and your mouth thinks it's in heaven.  Especially with a pot of brown or red beans or veggie soup.  Yummm

Brown beans, corn bread and jalapeno jelly - my husband will be on cloud 9!  Guess I better get moving on those receipes. I'll stick to meat and potatoes tho:).

I had a contact write me that once he let his men have at a package I sent, and "it was like a group of seagulls fighting over one french fry". That note made my day! lol.

Ooohh...I could just pour Jalepneo jelly in a bowl and eat it, it is so good!! I think I will have to buy some this weekend.  Never thought to send it...Grand idea!

Heidi

 Jalapeno jelly is cool.

:-D

At Target, all the new Christmas and specialty items are in, Hickory Farms items, blocks of 3 different cheese, good size, summer sausage, mustards to go with them. Best part about the cheese, doesnt need to be refrigerated until opened, like the summer sausage.

Thanks for the ideas.  When I walk into a store not sure what I should buy, I freeze-up and roll over like a possum.  This will help me get a package on the way - hoepfully to arrive by Thanksgiving