Teething Biscuits

We go through teething biscuits quickly, mostly due to my 18 month old being addicted to them, but it adds up when the boxes range from $3-4.00. When I found out that I can make them myself, I decided to give them a try. The result, my kiddo loves them!

Banana Teething Biscuits
1 cup whole wheat rice cereal
1 cup whole wheat or all purpose flour
1 overly ripe banana
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

First combine the rice cereal and flour in a medium bowl, create a hole in the middle of mixture and set aside.  

In a second bowl, mash the banana with vanilla, olive oil and water. 

Pour the banana mix into the flour and stir together. If its too dry, add water as you mix. The dough should be sticky, but not "stick to your fingers" sticky. Keep adding a little water until it is at the consistency you want.

Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface until dough is 1/4" thick. Use a cookie cutter of any shape you want. Place on a cookie sheet and pop in the oven. 

Bake for 10-15 minutes, depending on size of cookie cutter used. I chose a small circle and baked for 10 minutes. 

Chicken and Broccoli Cream Over Rice

A favorite dish of my family never had a real title, we always called it Mom's Chicken and Broccoli goulash. Of course it's not real goulash because goulash is more of a soup made from beef, lamb, pork or veal. Whatever we call it, when we get asked what we want for special occasions we always ask for this. 

It is a really simple recipe and super fast to make. Not many ingredients either!

Chicken and Broccoli Cream
3 chicken breasts (or 3 cups), cooked and chopped
3 cans of cream of chicken (I prefer low sodium)
1 cup of low fat mayo
2 tbsp of lemon juice
3 tsp of curry powder
3 cups of broccoli, chopped and frozen
2-3 cups of white rice, depending on how many people are coming to dinner

In a medium pot, stir together cream of chicken, mayo, lemon juice and curry powder. Once this is thoroughly mixed, add in chicken and broccoli and let it simmer on low heat. Stir occasionally, letting the cream mix heat all around until broccoli is cooked and warm. 

Cook your rice according to the box/bag. 

Once the cream mix is hot and cooked through, serve it up! Some let to mix it right away, pouring it over their rice. Others like to mix as they take bites. Either way, its yummy! 

Also, it is really good with a side of french bread and a nice salad. 

Writers Block

I found myself with nothing to write about this weekend which made me sad, but fear not! I have a few projects planned. This week my hubby and I are working on creating a cat scratching post for our kitty. We purchased the wood today and we just need a few more things and we will be set.

Also I will be starting a new health project. I recently read the benefits of Evening Primrose capsules so tomorrow I am heading to a store to find them. I will document the benefits I experience with the pills. Supposedly Evening Primrose is good for the skin and PMS. As a woman, yay! Since having kids my hormones have been bonkers creating havoc on my skin. 

Speaking of the things that having kids can do to you, my hair is also on the chopping block. Literally. I think it may be time for a haircut. Not sure what to do yet, but oh boy is it needed! Before kids my hair was long, sleek, and straight. Now its frizzy and curly! I like to do hair treatments for it, my favorite is this-

1/2 cup of EVOO, warmed in the microwave

1/4 cup of honey

Get your hair wet first and brush out tangles. Mix honey into hot EVOO until honey is melted. Rub in the treatment onto scalp once it's cooled down enough to touch. Wrap in a shower cap or damp towel. Let it sit for 30 minutes then wash out with shampoo. Blow dry and style. 

Thats all, y'all! 

White Cake or Cupcakes

Feeling sick all week, my body was fighting off a cold that spread around my whole family so my motivation was really lacking. To make up to my girls for mommy's lethargic playing I decided to bake them a little cake. 

It's just a simple white cake topped with left over strawberry frosting. Here is the recipe:

White Cake

1 cup of white granulated sugar

1/2 cup of butter, softened

2 eggs, let come to room temperature

2 tsp of vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour

1 3/4 tsp of baking powder

1/2 cup of 2% milk

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9" round cake pan, 9"x9" pan or cupcake pan.

Blend sugar and butter until creamed together. Add in eggs, one at a time, then stir in vanilla extract. Next fold in flour and baking powder. Stir together until completely mixed then add in milk. Mix until completely smooth. 

Pour into your prepared dish and bake for 30-40 minutes. I baked for 35 minutes. 

I shaped my cake into a heart to make my girls smile. 

Money Saving Tip

One simple way I save money for our family is by pre-planning our meals. I like to make a list of meals we enjoy, making a note of if there will be left overs or not.

While I make my menu, I make my shopping list. I downloaded the perfect app on my phone; a simple shopping list app. The name of the app is actually Shopping List! Not sure what phones the app will work on, I have the Nokia Lumia 900. 

When it was just husband and I, I would plan out a month of meals. Buy all the grocerys and freeze as much as I could. Now that there are four of us I only do 2 weeks at a time. 

My typical shopping trip for every 2 weeks runs us about $100. Not bad huh! 

Nursing Cover

I wrote a little bit about breastfeeding before, but I didn't get around to writing about nursing covers. If you are like me then a little privacy is very much appreciated. I understand a lot of moms out there don't feel the need for nursing covers, but I definitely did  when out in public and around friends. Not only did my cover make me feel more comfortable, but our friends and family felt more at ease too. 

The problem I had was I didn't like the covers out there. I wanted something more personal and special since I was going to use it for a long time. A little research later and I found online steps on how to make your own nursing cover! Of course I didn't have a sewing machine then and knew nothing about sewing so I called in my mom to help me out. 

We used this website- http://www.blisstree.com/2010/06/03/sex-relationships/free-pattern-to-sew-your-own-nursing-cover . 

It was very simple to make and for the fraction of the price of buying a cover. We already had the fabric. Months before we had a family friend make my daughter's crib bedding and we had some extra fabric left over. In total the project cost me $4.00. 

Here is what you need:
1 yard of fabric
thread to match
2 D rings
1/2 of corset boning, 1/4" wide

The link I provided goes through each step with pictures to help. 

You can also add on a little square pocket for things you may need, such as a burp cloth or binky. 

Here is how my nursing cover came out- 

Monsters Be Gone

My 3 year old started early with the "monsters are in my closet" bit, I think it was because we moved into a new house and it was a little scary for her. Since then the monster theory comes and goes for her. When this began I looked for the best answer I could give her. We tried watching Monsters Inc., but she hated it and was even scared of Sully. Then I found an idea and put it to use; a Monster Be Gone Spray. Last night she had really bad dreams and tonight told us that the monsters were back so Mommy had to go spray the entire room and closet. 

The idea is so simple and yet glorious! You need a can of your favorite air freshener (I use febreeze lavender). Take a sheet of paper and measure it around the can. Then write and draw whatever you want to. I drew things that make my daughter happy like flowers and hearts and wrote "NO MONSTER SPRAY". Tape the sheet to the can and introduce it to your child. The first time we used it I had my daughter show me all the places she thought the monsters were and sprayed. 

My daughter loves this. Her bedroom smells good and she feels safe. I hope this helps some parents out there who are dealing with monsters under the bed or in the closet. 

And I hope one day my daughter will come to love Monsters Inc. because that is an awesome movie!

Pixieland

If you live in the east bay area, then maybe you have heard of Pixieland. If you have kids and you haven't been there then you really need to check it out. Inexpensive and safe, its a lovely little amusement park for little kids. 

The hours vary so check their website www.pixieland.com, and depending on the season they may not be open every day of the week. 

Admission and parking are free, which is nice. Tickets prices are the following: 

1 ticket- $1.50

10 tickets- $10.00

30 tickets- $28.00

50 tickets- $45.00

80 tickets- $70.00

Wristbands for unlimited rides (weekdays only)- $25.00

If you are in the military, bring some personnel ID and they will give you free tickets, depending on how many you purchase. 

There are seven rides in total. Pixieland Express train, Windy Grove Cars, Red Baron Airplane, Dragon Roller Coaster, Tea Cups, Frog Hopper and the Carousel. 

The website is a bit scatter for information on each ride so here is the break down.

The Carousel- 2 tickets/kid, 1 ticket/adult. 40" to ride alone, under 40" can ride with adults.

Pixieland Express Train- 3 tickets. 42" can ride alone, under 42" can ride with adults.

Windy Grove Cars- 1 ticket. 40" to ride alone, under 40" can ride with adults. 

Red Baron Airplane- 3 tickets. Must be 36" and over. No adults.

Dragon Roller Coaster-3 tickets. 48" to ride alone, 42" to ride with kids, 36" to ride with adult, under 36" can not ride.

Tea Cups- 2 tickets. 42" to ride alone, under 42" can ride with adults.

Frog Hopper- 2 tickets. 36" to ride, 1 adult per ride. 

The carousel is very cute. The horses are not painted to look like real horses. There was a batman horse, superman horse, rainbow brite horse, strawberry shortcake horse, and all sorts of others. Very cute! 

They sell food and drinks there too. It is typical amusement park food, everything from corn dogs to garlic fries to funnel cake. They do not allow outside food inside the park. They also have birthday parties there which I think the prices are not bad for what you get. 

The park has been around since 1970 and renovated in 1995. The park is run by a city partnership and lease agreement to continually make improvements in the park. 

Next to the park is a little pond filled with geese, ducks, turtles and other kinds of birds. In the surrounding area are ball parks and batting cages. 

Pixieland is located at 2740 East Olivera Rd, Concord, CA. 

Grooming Cats

Grooming your cat is never fun nor do you really look forward to it, but cats need to be groomed just as other pets need to. It is true that cats are equipped to self groom better than most other pets; their tongues are rough for the purpose of self grooming and eating. 

I have owned cats since I was two years old. I love my kitty cats! Recently we adopted a five year old long haired cat, our first real long hair. Most of my cats had medium length hair. She is a little bit more work, but always worth it! 

(Our newest family member, Meeko)

If you have a long haired cat make sure to have the proper brush for it. A cat with long fur needs a long bristled brush to get penetrate the double coat. Long fur sheds a lot and is much more noticeable than short hair. Long haired cats are also more prone to getting mats so a daily brush is needed or else you will need to shave off the mats and nothing is sadder looking than a shaved cat. Brushing them more often will also help eliminate fur balls. 

(This is an Oscar Frank Universal Standard Soft Slicker Brush)

Now if you want to bathe your kitty, good luck! If you have a kitten, great! Start bathing your cat once a month to get them used to it. However do not bathe them too often because when a cat is bathed it loses it's own scent and they get upset by this. Scared of sticking your cat into a tub of water and potentially getting claws into your face? There are waterless shampoos you can use, its more like a foam. 

Remember that a healthy cat coat comes from a healthy cat diet. Make sure your cat is eat good food. If their coat looks a little dull then you may want to increase their intake of fish oil. Cats also like to nibble on grass to help their little tummies so you can purchase some indoor grass for them. 

Kitty likes to bite while getting groomed? There are actual cat muzzles! If you are laughing at this, don't worry because when I saw the picture I gave a good chuckle too. Of course I instantly thought of a few cats I have known that could have used it. 

(Seriously, how funny is this!)

When it comes to trimming cat nails it is not that difficult. All you need is a pair of regular nail clippers. Take kitty's paw in one hand and lightly squeeze the pad so the claws stick out. Gently snip each little kitty claw a tiny bit off the top. If you have an aggressive cat who likes to use it's claws, but your are against getting your cat declawed (good on you!) then try out nail caps. They are little silicone caps that you glue (it's a safe glue) onto your cat's claw. 

(We had these on a little kitty we had a long time ago. In hot pink too!)

I have used one particular website to get of a lot of my pet items- www.petedge.com. They sell every thing from grooming supplies to pet clothing and toys. Most retailers buy bulk from them, but they do sell to regular folk. 

On a final note, please consider adopting your pets! And do not be afraid of adopting older pets. They seem to always be more grateful. When you stop by the animal shelter and see that 13 year old cat or 7 year old dog, think of how much joy you can add to their lives by giving them a loving home in their golden years. 

Teaching Children Independence

A little while back I read a list on Pinterest about things children should be able to do and by what age. It written by Merrilee Boyack for her book "Teach Your Children to Fly". I agreed with most of the list, but there were a few things I felt you can add and take away, so I changed the list a little bit. I felt most of the list was silly, but the most important were ages 3-5. 

Age 3
Dress self
Potty trained
Brush teeth
Clean up/ Put away toys in the correct bins
Wash walls, furniture
Personal vitals- age, name, birthday
Politeness- thank you, please, no thank you
Wash hands when dirty
Help sweep floors
Help groom pets- bathe and brush

Age 4
Help make the bed- I think this calls for a little help from parents
Clean glass windows
Floss teeth
Help set table/clear table
Help make meals
Pick out clothing
Dust furniture
Help swiffer/wet jet floor
Feed pet
Understand healthy habits of exercise and eating

Age 5
Keep room clean
Vacuum
Set table/clear table
Know phone numbers/address
Make lunch
Water plants
Pull weeds
Plant fruits, veggies. 
Have backpack ready for school
Clean up after pet
Give pet water
Pour drink for self

I do not feel like these things are asking too much of kids. I think children these days are too spoiled. I believe there are too many people in our country that have entitlement issues. Lets teach our children how to be responsible, encourage them to work hard, tell them that its okay to lose but to work harder next time to win because there are no 2nd place trophies in real life. 

Also with spring coming up I hope that you consider enrolling your child into a spring sport, like t-ball, pee wee baseball, dance, or swimming. 

White Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

Happy Valentine's Day, ya'll! To celebrate my girls and I decided to whip up some cupcakes. We chose chocolate cupcakes with white chocolate chips and strawberry frosting. Here is the recipe. 

Chocolate Cupcakes with White Chocolate Chips

10 tbsp of butter, softened
1 1/4 cups of white granulated sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
3/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp of baking powder
1/4 tsp of salt
3/4 cup of 2% milk
1 cup of white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin pans with cupcake liners.

Using a mixer, cream the butter and sugar together. Next mix in eggs and vanilla extract. 

In a separate bowl, mix flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt together. 

Slowly pour the flour mixture into the batter bowl, alternating with the milk. Mix until everything is completely stirred together. You might want to stop the mixer and scrap the sides and bottom of the bowl. Next pour in the white chocolate chips and stir to even out. 

Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full with batter and bake for 20-25 minutes. I baked mine for 22 minutes. Stick the center with a toothpick, the toothpick should come out with no cake. 

This recipe makes 16 cupcakes. I cut the recipe in half today, I certainly do not need 16 cupcakes sitting around my house! 

Frost with any kind of frosting you prefer. Since today is St. Valentines Day, we did strawberry frosting and red sprinkles. I think my three year old did a great job decorating! They taste like neapolitan ice cream! 

And now for a history lesson. There are a lot of ideas about how St. Valentine's Day came into being. The most popular is that Valentine was a priest who went against orders that marriages be halted during war time. He secretly helped couples get married, got caught, served time and was executed. That is the shortened version.

But a more interesting and probably truer version is that St. Valentine's Day is another adapted pagan holiday. As many historians have pointed out, almost all holidays are adapted from pagan holidays; it was done to try to convert pagans. Lupercalia was a pre-roman holiday that lasted from February 13th to February 15th. It was a holiday that was to get rid of evil spirits and cleanse the city, helping with fertility and better health. 

My Little Ponies

My Little Ponies. What little girl (and some boys) doesn't love MLP? My girls LOVE them! We watch the show, little movies, and play with the dolls with accessories. They have the regular ponies, the knockoff ponies, mini ponies, glitter ponies, the castle and car. So much stuff! 

Heck, lets face it. You know that when the kids are done watching the show, you still watch it. They even throw in little jokes for adults and lets not forget the fan favorite of adults, Derpy Hooves, the pony who stumbles around and knocks into things.

But if you have the ponies with doll hair, you know how annoying the hair can get. My three year old brushes her ponies all the time which has made their hair super frizzy and gets tangled even more. She hates tangles in the hair, just like mommy, and has me fix them. 

What you need:
1 tsp of conditioner
2 cups of water, split in 2
Pony brush
1 paper towel cut into strips
Pins, 2 per pony

(Really, so frizzy!)

(All of them!)

I decided to tackle the hair. First, I brushed the tangles out. Next I mixed 1 tsp of conditioner in a cup of water. I dipped the hair into the conditioner, swirled it around a little, then rinsed in clean water. 

I re-brushed the hair, making sure all tangles were finally out and smoothed the hair into place. 

When you first get a pony, their hair is totally styled and nice, but as soon as it gets brushed, its pretty much done for. So after wetting and brushing the hair, you might want to restyle it. 

Basically, I twisted the front mane and wrapped around a front leg, then wrapped a paper towel strip around the leg and secure with a safety pin. 

For the back tail, wrap around a back leg, secure with paper towel and pin. 

Next, I let them sit under a bright light to help speed up drying. My daughter was so excited for her ponies to be pretty again. 

After a while, I took the paper towel off, but left the hair wrapped around the leg to dry a bit more. 

After the hair dries, unwrap and voila! Perfect pony hair. I think Rarity would approve. 

Crock Pot Chicken & Dumplings

I haven't said it enough about how much I love my crock pot. I especially like using really simple recipes for it. Here is another super easy, 5 ingredient recipe. 

Chicken and Dumplings

4 boneless chicken breasts

2 cans of low sodium cream of chicken soup

2 tbsp of butter

water

1 can of biscuits

Toss the chicken, cream of chicken and butter into the crock pot and pour just enough water in to cover the ingredients. 

Cook on high for 5-6 hours. Half a hour before time is up use a fork and knife to shred the chicken then lay biscuits on top of soup, and cover. In 30 minutes the biscuits should be cooked, yet still doughy. 

Oreo Bars

I recently came across this recipe on pinterest and I just had to try it. Here is the link for the original blog with the recipe www.seamonkeytravels.blogspot.com/2013/01/oreo-bars.html. 

The recipe itself is quite simple. Only 3 ingredients! 

Oreo Bars
1 package of Oreos
4 tbs of butter
5 cups of large marshmallows

First prep yourself. I used an 8"x8" dish, lined with parchment paper. Don't use wax paper or foil because the bars will stick to it. 

Use a food processor or a blender to chop up the oreos into little crumbs. 

Melt the marshmallows and butter in a large microwavable bowl for 1:30 minutes or until completely melted. 

Stir in the oreo crumbs until well mixed, scoop out into the dish and using the back of your wooden spoon, push flat. This stuff is extra sticky so don't worry. 

Once the oreos are set, go ahead and cut up into bars or squares, which ever you prefer! 

Valentines Day

Nothing says romance like an invented holiday to sell chocolates, flowers, and jewelry. Women, we buy into the day so fast when we have partners and we hate the day when we don't. Of course what woman can really say she wouldn't love to get that special little blue box? 

(Yes please!!)

Of course, in today's economy not everyone can afford to spend big bucks on a fake holiday. However, there are things that men and women can do to celebrate without breaking the bank. Homemade gifts, at home dates, simple ways to say I love you. If you have kids, there are better ways to help them celebrate than buying Valentines day cards to hand out to friends and family. 

Kid Ideas. These are always fun! Whether it is baking or artwork, my kids love to create. You can always bake heart shaped cookies, frost/sprinkle with pink and red. Perhaps cut out different size and color hearts for kids to color in and write on. For my daughters, I had them  do hand prints in paint, then printed out a poem for their daddy. I chose the poem "Only A Daddy" by Edgar Albert Guest. 

Date Ideas. Get a babysitter! Go to a drive-in movie or a regular movie theater. Get your favorite food to go and drive somewhere secluded and romantic, watch the stars come out and snuggle. Wink, wink! Celebrate by going to a nice restaurant, but the day after V-day, to avoid crowds. Make each other a nice dinner, dinner by candlelight, drink some good wine, and watch a romantic movie together. Go on a daytime date to maybe an amusement park, picnic, hiking, or a nice long drive to anywhere (an adventure)! You don't need to do what everyone does, do something the two of you like to do. 

And guys, don't forget, the best way to make your lady happy, help her with the chores! Nothing sexier than a man washing his dishes, or putting away his own laundry! 

At Home Facials

Ever since I was a teenager I loved having facials done. My obsession began by my mom and I buying those small peel off masks and clay masks at the grocery store, then having a girls night. A little bit later I learned a few tricks to make my own facials and shared them with my friends at sleep overs. 

Years later I worked at a day spa and got so spoiled! There truly is nothing like being pampered at a spa and having a professional facial done. My skin always glowed afterwards. Now I am a SAHM on a budget and really miss those indulgent days so I have to improvise. Here are a few ways I like to spoil myself and experiment with different facials I find online and from word of mouth.

With all these facials I always clean my face first and avoid the area around your eyes and lips. Also, after each facials I rinse with cool water and spray with toner, then moisturize. By the way, I love my face cleanser! I have been using Ole Henriksen Aloe Vera Deep Cleanser. My skin feels so soft and smooth using this! 

Honey Lemon Mask

This one is super simple! I do it every morning after my shower.

1 lemon

3-4 drops of honey

First, wash your face and pat dry. Next slice open a lemon, rub honey onto lemon (slightly mixing in with lemon juice), and rub your face with the lemon. 

Let it sit for 5 minutes then rinse with cool water.

(Lemons are so good for your skin, they brighten and tighten!)

Honey Cinnamon Nutmeg Mask

My husband laughs every time I do this one, but oh boy, it feels and smells so good!

1 tsp raw honey

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground nutmeg

As always, wash your face and pat dry. In a small bowl mix honey, cinnamon, and nutmeg into a think paste. Use a small spoon (like a baby spoon) to spread onto your face. Let sit for 15-20 minutes. Rinse with cool water, rubbing a little to exfoliate your skin.

Sometimes I use this on my lips as well, then apply chapstick to moisturize.  

Egg and Lemon Juice Mask

This is a peel off mask if you prefer these.

1 egg white

3-4 drops of lemon juice

Start with a freshly clean face. Using a fork whip the egg white into a frothy foam and mix in the lemon juice. Use a small makeup brush to brush on your face. Let sit for 15 minutes or until completely dry, then peel off. 

This one will leave your face tight and shiny, if you have dry skin, make sure to use your moisturizer after. 

Egg White and Tissue Mask

Another eggy mask.

1 egg white

1 face tissue

Cleanse your face first. Whip the egg white to a frothy foam. Cut your tissue into small strips making it easier to place on your face. Using a makeup brush, apply egg white to your face. Next place tissue on top of the egg white, then brush egg white on again. I like to brush the egg white down from forehead to chin. 

After it dries, peel forehead down to chin, section by section. This works like a DIY Biore strip. I like how tight my pores feel after and how shiny my skin is. 

Bonus Beauty Tips

A few months back I had read that swishing a cap full of hydrogen peroxide in your mouth before brushing your teeth will whiten your smile. I checked into this with my dentist and what I was told is that it is okay to use peroxide in small doses, but using it too much will kill the good bacteria in your mouth leaving it open to harmful bacteria. So when a big event is coming up I like to do this for a week prior-

Using 1 Q-tip, dip into hydrogen peroxide and rub onto teeth, leave on for 30 seconds, then brush teeth. 

This really does whiten your smile! Its like using whitening strips every day. 

For tired eyes with dark circles (like me when I get no sleep, thank you kiddos) you can place used tea bags over your eyes, let sit for 20 minutes. If you don't have tea bags, place 2 spoons in the freezer. Once the spoons are frozen, place on your eyes until the spoons are no longer cold. 

If you have any tips you would like to share, please do so! 

Homemade Jerky

For years my husband kept asking and asking to get a smoker. Every time we went into a Home Depot, Lowes, or OSH he would stop by and check them out. So this past Christmas I decided to indulge him and bought him an electric smoker, cookbook, and wood chips to get him started. 

       (This is the one I bought him, its a Masterbuilt 30" electric smokehouse smoker)

Since then he has been having a blast using it! He made us smoked salmon and done a few different types of meat, but his biggest hit has been the jerky. Everyone who tries it, loves it! He makes a couple batches at a time so he can take some to work and have some at home. His work bag goes by pretty fast because every guy there wants some! 

Now my hubby is allowing me to share his recipe so here it goes!

John's Homemade Jerky
1 lb of top round, slice into 1" strips at a 45 degree angle
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp garlic powder
2 tsp cracker black pepper
1/2 cup of dark brown sugar
2/3 cup of soy sauce
1/4 cup of teriyaki sauce
1/4 cup of worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup of balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup of pineapple juice
2 tsp of Tabasco 
2-3 tsp of red pepper flakes (optional)

First mix the onion powder, garlic powder and pepper together in a small bowl and season the meat with half of the mixture. Keep the remaining mix in a small baggy for later use. 

In a medium saucepan, stir together the brown sugar, soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, pineapple juice, and tabasco. Heat until the brown sugar completely dissolves. Cool marinade in the fridge.

Next pour the cooled marinade into an large bowl with the meat and mix well. Refrigerate marinade for 24 hours in a large ziploc bag.  

            

After the meat has been marinading long enough, arrange slices on your smoker's racks and sprinkle with the powder mix from step one. Sprinkle red pepper flakes for an extra kick if you're into that sort of thing. Place in your smoker and cook at 150 degrees for 4 1/2 hours. Cooking time can vary between smokers, this is just my husband's cook time.  

                                                                                Voila!

        Keep your homemade jerky in an airtight ziploc bag and refrigerated for freshness. 

Root Beer Pulled Pork

Crock pots are one of the best inventions ever! I use mine for everything! Soups, meat, pasta, desserts! Such an easy way to cook. 

I like to make my pulled pork dish often because everyone seems to love it. There are only a couple ingredients and it comes out so juicy and tasty. 

Here it is:
2 lbs lean pork tenderloin 
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
2 cups of root beer (I like to use Barq's Root Beer, I love the flavor)
12 oz of BBQ sauce (Any kind you like, I prefer Sweet Baby Rays)



 


First chop the loin up into medium size chunks, then salt and pepper the pork.Heat a skillet with some EVOO and lightly brown the pork on all sides. 

Place the browned pork pieces into the crock pot and season with garlic powder. Next pour the root beer in and cover. Cook for 6-8 hours on low. 

After 6 hours the meat should be done. Drain the root beer and fat out of the crock pot, then shred the meat. Once all the meat is shredded, which should not take very long if the meat is fully cooked, add in the BBQ sauce and stir. 

Serve on your favorite buns! 

Bye Bye Binky

A while back I joined a Mommy and Me group on facebook and this afternoon they reminded me of a few things I went through with my oldest so I thought I could write a little. 

I never thought I would be a binky-giving parent, but when my husband gave our oldest daughter one and she went right to sleep I couldn't deny the power of the plug any longer. However, no one really talks about how to get rid of the binky, so here is how I did it with my first and how I will be helping my youngest get over the binky.

First off this took a total of 5 weeks to wean off the binks, but that is because I chose the gentle way to do it. 

Step one was to set up a calender, pick a date, and circle it. Get some stickers that your child will like, for us it was stars and rainbows. Talk to your child about what is going to happen, explain about bye bye binky, about how they get stickers, and being a big kid. 

Step two, no more binky during the day time and car rides. I hid the binkies next to her bed so she couldn't get them during day time. I gave this about a week to do. Give them a sticker at the end of each day for not needing the binky.

Step three, after your child gets used to no binky during the day (stops reaching for it or asking for it) then its time to take it away during nap time. I gave my daughter two weeks for this step. Give your child a two stickers- one for no day binky and no nap binky.

Step four is after your child is able to sleep during nap without the binky then its time to stop sleeping at night without it. Give yourself two weeks for this step. Sometimes at the beginning they will want it in the middle of the night and its tempting to cave. At first I didn't put my daughter to bed with it, but there are nights they might wake up and want it. Give your child three stickers- day, nap and night time binky. 

Step five, celebrate your child no longer needing to have the binky! We sang the elmo song- Bye Bye Binky and made cupcakes. 

Good luck ditching those binkies! And if your child isn't ready yet, it is okay! Sometimes they aren't ready yet because of teething or need the comfort, but if you are concerned about your child's speech and wanting them to talk more I really recommend losing the pacifier.