Marinated Antipasto Skewers

Camp Pendleton's spring training schedule means Ryan is gone two weekends a month. Pre-deployment workups have been ramping up. Ryan was gone Wednesday through Friday for a field exercise.

Caleb, 8, wants to be a firefighter still. Has not deviated. Hazel, 5, opinions about everything. Has Donna's directness without the diplomacy.

Crockpot pulled pork. Eight hours. Sandwiches for three days.

The freezer is the secret. The freezer was full this week.

I read the blog comments at the kitchen table with my coffee. A young spouse in Lejeune emailed me about deployment cooking. I wrote her back at length. I told her about the freezer. I told her about Donna. I told her she would survive. I sent her three of Donna's recipes.

Dad called. He has been gardening. He is sending zucchini updates again. The PTSD is managed. He talks more than he used to. He is becoming his own version of healed, which I did not think was possible at fourteen.

The kitchen counter has a chip in it from someone before us. Some military housing thing. I have stopped asking what. The chip is fine. The whole kitchen is provisional. We are renting from Uncle Sam.

The military spouses' Facebook group had a small drama this week. Two women fighting over the playgroup schedule. I muted notifications and cooked dinner. Some weeks the group is the lifeline. Some weeks it is the source of unnecessary stress. The skill is knowing which week you're in.

The kids' soccer game was Saturday morning. The other parents brought oranges and Capri Suns. I brought a thermos of coffee for myself and a folding chair I bought at Target three years ago that has been to four duty stations now. The chair is a more loyal companion than some of my friends.

I sat at the kitchen table Tuesday night writing in the journal. Volume 11 now. The handwriting has not gotten neater. The journals are a record of the life I am living, in the moment, in tiny script that I will look back on someday and not be able to read. That is okay. The writing was the thing.

Donna sent a recipe card in the mail this week. She has been doing this for years. The recipes go in the binder. The binder is full. The newest one is for a green bean casserole that uses fresh green beans and fried shallots and which I will absolutely make for the next holiday.

Hazel and I had a hard moment Tuesday at homework time. She is in a season of testing limits. We worked through it. We always do. She is mine.

Wednesday morning meal prep — Sunday afternoon, hours of containers. The freezer is full. The future-me thanks present-me. Donna taught me this routine. Donna's freezer was always full. Donna saved her sanity with quart bags labeled in Sharpie.

Ryan went to his counselor Wednesday. He always comes home calmer. I am calm too, just from him being calm. The man Torres was killed with — Ryan calls his wife twice a year on Torres's birthday and the anniversary. The military widows are their own community.

Ryan's friends came over Friday for a beer. I made wings and chips. They demolished both. Standard Marine appetite — they eat like they are still on rations. The kitchen looked like a battlefield by the end. They cleaned up. Marines clean up. Donna would have been impressed.

I went for a walk Sunday morning before the kids got up. Half an hour. The fog was burning off. I needed it. Some weeks I get the walk in. Some weeks I don't. The week tells me which.

Ryan’s friends showing up Friday reminded me that I need a few things in my rotation that aren’t the crockpot — something I can pull together fast while someone’s already cracking open a beer. The wings were great, but these marinated antipasto skewers are what I’ve been keeping in my back pocket lately: no cooking, minimal prep, and they disappear in about ten minutes flat when you’ve got a table full of Marines. Donna would say a good hostess always has something ready, and this is my version of that — done in the time it takes them to settle in.

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 0 minutes | Total Time: 15 minutes + 30 minutes marinating | Servings: 8

Ingredients

8 oz fresh mozzarella balls (ciliegine or bocconcini)
6 oz salami, sliced thick and folded
6 oz pepperoni, folded
1 cup marinated artichoke hearts, drained
1 cup pitted kalamata olives
1 cup roasted red peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces
8 oz sharp provolone, cubed
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Salt and black pepper to taste
Fresh basil leaves, for threading (optional)
12–16 wooden or reusable skewers

Instructions

Make the marinade. Whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper in a small bowl until combined.
Marinate the mozzarella. Place the mozzarella balls in a shallow bowl, pour half the marinade over them, and toss to coat. Let sit for at least 30 minutes at room temperature or up to 4 hours in the refrigerator.
Prep remaining ingredients. Drain the artichoke hearts and roasted red peppers. Fold the salami and pepperoni slices in half, then in half again to make compact pieces easy to thread.
Assemble the skewers. Thread each skewer in any order you like, alternating colors and textures — a piece of salami, a mozzarella ball, an olive, a chunk of provolone, a piece of roasted pepper, an artichoke heart, and a fold of pepperoni. Tuck in a basil leaf if using.
Dress and serve. Arrange the finished skewers on a platter and drizzle the remaining marinade over the top. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 hours before serving.

Nutrition (per serving)

Marinated Antipasto Skewers — When the Marines Show Up and You Need Something Fast