Homemade Beef Jerky

Last year for Christmas Matt bought me a dehydrator. We've dehydrated all sort of things, (Mango, Banana, Pineapple, Apples, Oranges, Kiwi) but our favorite is Homemade Beef Jerky. I make a double batch and it usually lasts 2 days... maybe. The best thing about making your own Jerky is the marinade can be adapted to your tastes. I got a vague recipe from a friend 10 years ago, that I had been making in my oven, and over the years I have tweaked it to our tastes and it's a great base recipe for anyone to start with.

If you want Teriyaki Jerky, use Teriyaki Sauce instead of the Soy Sauce, if you like a little heat add more Crushed Red Pepper flakes and a few dashes of Hot Sauce... the recipe is really adaptable. I expect this recipe could work with Deer or Elk meat as well, someone try it out and let me know!

I buy my meat at Costco, usually about 6 lbs of Top Round Steak, the Chuck Roast is hard for me to find lean enough for my tastes. It is really important that you heat the meat to above 165 degrees before lowering the heat to 130-140 degrees in your dehydrator, this ensures any bacteria present is destroyed before continuing to dehydrate. Start the New Year off right with a healthy protein source that you made all on your own!

I only have a quart sizebag left after the kids grabbed handfulls for lunch and my husband found a midnight snack. In fact my 7 year old told me at 9:30 last night he couldnt sleep because he wanted to eat jerky when it is done. HA!

Side note: for Christmas, my sister got me that knife in the first picture. I LOVE it! It's a victorinox knife, the same maker as Swiss army knives. Pretty sure I need a whole set now. Also, Jerky is not very pretty to take a picture of, but it sure is tasty to eat.

Homemade Beef Jerky

3 lbs Lean Chuck Roast or Top Round Steak
1 c. Water
1 c. Low Sodium Soy Sauce
1 1/2 Tbs. Liquid Smoke
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp. Fresh Ground Pepper
Dash of Red Pepper Flakes

Slice the roast or steak to about 1/4 to 1/8 inch thick and put in gallon size ziplock bag or plastic bowl. Mix all ingredients together for the marinade in a large liquid measuring cup. Pour over beef strips, cover and refrigerate to marinate for at least 2 hours, can be marinated over night.

Using a fork place beef strips on dehydrator trays. Set dehydrator to 165 degrees and keep it there for 2 hours then lower to 140-130 degrees for 4-6 more hours. We like ours a little soft, so we end up dehydrating ours for a total of approximately 6 hours. Check it after about 4 1/2 hours and decide what your preference is. We put our dehydrator in the garage, so our whole house doesn't smell like beef jerky.

It can be made in the oven, preheat the oven to lowest possible temperature, 170 is usually it. Place beef on cooling racks on top of cookie sheets and place in oven for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Check the beef frequently, the oven can dry out the meat very quickly.

Remove finished jerky from trays and store in an air tight bag or container and refrigerate for up to a week.

(Look at this, a printable version! Click the link below)
Homemade Beef Jerky

Give the recipe a try and let me know what you think.

Happy Wednesday!

Mickie

My Favorite Cleaning Product

When we bought our home it was trashed and filthy beyond reason. There were weeks of cleaning and I wondered what on earth the previous tenants could possibly do to get a house so.stinking.dirty. And I know what you're thinking, nope, no pets, it was human dirt, grime, filth, and trash.

One of the things that saved me from just burning the house down and starting over (believe me I thought it) was Bar Keepers Friend Soft Cleanser.

It works MIRACLES! It's gets rid of hard water on glass, (I cleaned all my windows with it!) makes those pots and pans look brand new (even all that perma-burned stuff on the bottom and sides), sinks, tubs, toilets, shine (good bye soap scum and hard water) and stainless steel gleam. I can't recommend it highly enough... seriously, just spend the $2.50!  I linked it to Target, but you can buy it at almost any grocery store. Oh, and it HAS to be Bar Keepers Friend. I have tried other brands and they are all totally weak compared to this one. 

Take for example my Cast Iron Sink, it's been through the ringer, so their are chips and dings, but really it gets so dirty from my pots and pans. 

It take minutes and a TEENSY bit of elbow grease to go from bleck to shiny and clean!

All you do is lightly dampen the area, squirt Bar Keepers Friend Soft Cleanser on, wait for a minute or two, grab a rag and do a bit of scrubbing, and rinse the area clean. All done.

(Read the back of the bottle to make sure the surface you want to use it on is okay, and as always, try a little spot first... the stuff is powerful!)

Lastly, if you have sensitive skin, wear gloves. I wash and lotion my hands about 100 times a day so I just go for it.

Give it a try and let me know if there is another miracle product that I need to try, i'm all ears.

Happy Friday.

Mickie

Great gifts for kids $15 or less

Christmas and Birthday's are always a tricky time for me when it comes to giving gift to my kids. I am a practical person I want to give socks and underwear, but of course no kid wants that! If I give a toy I want it to actually be played with, used more than once, and be fairly interesting or educational. I can't even think about dropping $50 on an action figure that only moves it's arms. Today I thought I would share with you a quick list of great gifts for kids (8 and under) that are $15 or less. We have a lot of toys and believe that these are TOTALLY worth it.

Melissa and Doug Stamps (seriously can't go wrong with anything this brand though)
Dinosaur Stamp Set
Sofia the First  Stamp Set

They LOVE to make cards and pictures. They stamp their hearts out. I am really specific about how they can use it to begin with so we haven't had any stamps on anything but paper. But if stamps find their way somewhere else, the ink is washable.

Magnet sets
Cinderella Magnetic Dress Up Set 
Cars Planes and Trains Magnets
Disney Frozen Magnetic Dress Up Set

We've had the Cinderella set for 3 years and it is played with near daily even still.

For the Dinosaur lover,
The Dinosaur Skull Dig  My Boy LOVED this, it was messy but kept him occupied for hours and now it's proudly on display in his room..

Instead of getting dolls or action figures for those movies your kids liked, I suggest buying them the soundtrack! We always have a soundtrack pumping in our car driving around town. Just make sure it's something you like too, because it will be on REPEAT.
Moana Soundtrack
Trolls Soundtrack 
Cinderella Soundtrack

The live action Cinderella movie is a favorite in our home. The Soundtrack is mostly classical my kids adore it still, and it's perfect when I want them to nap in the car.

For the tinker or building kid,
Starter Tool Kit
While this kit won't stand the test of time, it's great to teach your kids the basics of what the different screwdrivers are, how to use a measuring tape, and how to hammer in a nail. My boy LOVES having his own tools and uses them often.

Hope this list helps for those last minute Christmas gifts!

Happy Friday,

Mickie

A Christmas Reading Bucket List

I did it! I knocked off my top book on my Christmas Reading Bucket List. No need to wonder, I'll tell you, it was completely fantastic. For some reason I thought it was SUPER long so never knew i'd have time during the holidays to get through it. But guess what, it's only 116 pages, easy peasy. I actually listened to it, a wonderful audio version I found for free on the Mormon Channel App (if you don't have that app it's free too) But you can read it on-line for free HERE too.

A few other very short books I recommend to add to your Christmas Reading Bucket List are:
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson
Gathering Christmas by Larry R Laycock
The Christmas Box by Richard Paul Evans

Really though, with A Christmas Carol... read it or listen to it. Dickens is a master and it's no wonder so many movies have been made telling it's tale.

What are some short Christmas reads you enjoy each year? Please share. I'll add them to my personal list too.

Happy Wednesday,


Mickie

Wait, are you a hat person?

I recently discovered hats. Before I bought this one I had to stop and ask myself, "Wait, am I a hat person?" If you find yourself asking the same thing, I'd say, Yes! Yes! You are a hat person! I was nervous I wouldn't wear it much if I bought it. What kind of outfit does it go with? I don't want hat hair after I take it off either. I'll answer those two questions for you right now, it goes with everything (if you follow me on Insta you'll see I wear it all the time) and no, it doesn't give you hat hair. Wear it, take it off, it doesn't ruin your hair or scrunch it down like ball caps do. If you are feeling hesitant about it, I say go for it!

Here is what it has taken 30 years for me to discover, it doesn't matter if it's initially your thing or not, if you want it to be, then it is. You do you, whoever that is. You get to say who YOU are, if you are a hat person, wear it and rock it.

Every.single.time. I wear this hat I get compliments. It's actually quite functional too, you know, for those kinda greasy hair days (like day 6 or 7 and your dry shampoo just isn't cutting it anymore) Enter, felt hat! Or when your roots have grown out more than you'd like and your gray hairs are obvious (ahem maybe that is just me)? Enter, felt hat! It can be worn with your hair in a low pony, a braid or all the way down straight or curled. However you feel best.

Seriously, stop asking yourself if you are a hat person or not, just be you. You do you.

Are there any fashion styles you've been wanting to try out? Go for it, I'd love to hear how it works out.

Happy Wednesday!

Mickie

My Favorite Home Decor Touch

Recently, we moved into a new (to us) home. It was a dump when we bought it though! It had been trashed and took an entire semi truck sized dumpster to carry away all 40 yards of junk that the previous owners and their renters left behind. We've redone almost everything since moving in. I'll talk about our projects and changes in posts to come. We came in this having little to no experience and have really come a long way. If we can do it, I am convinced you can too! It's not so hard, just requires some elbow grease. 

Today I wanted to share my favorite home decor purchase thus far. Our area rug for our living room. We live in the beautiful pacific northwest on some property that is surrounded by humongous towering pine trees. We knew that carpet in our living room area wouldn't be an option with our kids running in and out all day long. We laid about 1400 sq ft of Hickory hardwood, including in the living room. However, we wanted something that was comfortable, soft, and fluffy for cuddling up and watching a movie or wrestling on the floor with the kids in the largest living space.

I did a lot of looking and research. Rugs can be terribly expensive and who wants to drop a ton of money on something that is cheap, thin and shows wear right away. We finally settled on this one. My sister has a rug from the same company and loves hers, so we took a closer look at the Safavieh brand. Every rug gets great reviews on Amazon. We have had it for 5 months now and we LOVE it! We get compliments from everyone that comes to visit. Especially friends and family with babies since it's thick, soft, and fluffy. The color is gray and ivory, but the gray is a varied color with some tan hues so it's quite a versatile neutral piece. I was worried I wouldn't be able to keep it clean (remember the previously mentioned kids). All I do is vacuum it with my trusty Hoover on the highest floor level and it cleans up easily. P.S. I could write a love letter to my vacuum, if

you are in the market for something more affordable than a Dyson, give this one a try. I can take it apart and put it back together in minutes to get any sort of clogs that happens in hoses. It's bagless and has a rinseable filter. The thing has been working overtime since we moved in and hasn't failed us yet. 

When we first got our rug it had a little bit of a "new" smell but after a day or two the smell was gone. It's the best purchase I have made thus far, and have no hesitations recommending it to all of you. 

Happy Monday!

Mickie  

Fast and Painless Wart Removal

How to get rid of warts once and for all. It is so easy and painless your kid can do it by themselves.

You need 3 things.

1. Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar with The Mother (It HAS to be the organic Apple Cider Vinegar with The Mother, not regular Apple Cider Vinegar)
2. Cotton balls
3. Band-aids or tape

The How To: Before bed, rip the cotton ball in half (save the other half for the following night). Dip a little of the cotton ball in the vinegar. You don’t need much on the cotton ball. Put the cotton ball on top of the wart, use tape or band-aid to secure cotton ball over the wart all night. (My son said it smelled so bad he couldn’t sleep so we also put a sock on his foot to cover up the smell too. The Apple Cider Vinegar has quite the aroma) When you wake up, take the cotton ball and band-aid off and discard. Wash the wart and surrounding area with soap and water. Do not pick at or try and put more vinegar on the wart, it needs to air out each day. Do this treatment for 7 nights in a row. By day 4 or 5 you may start to notice some black on the wart. This is your wart dying, do not try and pull the wart off. By day seven the entire wart is typically black, including the root. Again do not pick at it, it will fall out naturally. It’s fairly painless and easy. We’ve done it multiple times and it works every single time.

Give it a try and let me know how it goes, it hasn’t failed me yet.

(I am not a medical professional, just telling you from one mom to another. My friend shared this with me years ago and I thought I would share it with all of you too.)

Happy Friday!

Mickie