How to make Home made Beef Jerky

                Here is something the whole family will like to eat. Beef Jerky!  This is another way you can save a lot of money.  Homemade beef jerky is easy to make. Like I said in previous Blog Posts I use my dehydrator at least 3 to 4 days a week. This time of the year I am canning, freezing, and dehydrating non-stop.  It is time to stock up on canned, frozen and dehydrated food for the winter months. Beef jerky in the store can be over 8 dollars a pound, that’s way too expensive for me. In this Blog, I will show you step by step how I make homemade beef jerky and the recipe I use for the sauce. I take two 2 pounds of roasts and I am lucky if the beef jerky makes it two days before my family devours it.

Step 1: I like to take a frozen beef roast because it is easier to cut into thin slices this way. Take a good sharp knife and cut thin slices. Trim of as much fat as possible. Trying to cut a roast when it is not frozen will make it harder to get thin slices. Any type of roast will do fine. I have used an arm roast or a tip roast when I make my beef jerky.

Step 2: Next place your thin slices of meat in a zip locked bag or a bowl with a tight seal. I use a bowl with a tight lid so I can shake it up easier with my sauce.  But a ziplock bag will work just fine also.

Step 3: The sauce recipe I use is: 

Two 2# Roasts thinly sliced and fat cut off

¾ cup Worcestershire sauce                          ½ teaspoon garlic salt or regular salt

¾ cup Soy sauce                                               ½ teaspoon pepper or more if you like it really hot

¾ cup ketchup                                                  1 Tablespoon Liquid smoke

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and pour over your meat in a bag or bowl and seal. Next shake the sauce around and over your meat. Let the meat soak for at least 2 hours shaking the sauce around and over the meat every 15 to 30 minutes.

Step 4: Place your soaked meat on your trays and do not overlap them. Make sure you have a tray on bottom, that can soak up the excess juices. I like to use one of my fruit roll-up trays for this purpose.  Set your temperature for meat according to your dehydrators directions.  Depending on how done you want your beef jerky it can take up to 4 to 6 hour to dehydrate.  About half way through I like to flip all my meat and switch the bottom tray around with the top trays. This helps the meat cook more evenly.

Step 5:  Take the beef jerky off the trays and place in an air- tight bag or a bowl with a tight cover. This should keep for over a week if you can keep the family out of it that long. My beef jerky barely makes it past two days and it is all gone.

Making my own beef jerky is fun and easy, plus it saves me a lot of money.  I know what goes into my beef jerky, so it is much healthier and taste much better than store beef jerky. Have fun making your own beef jerky from Suzie Homemaker.

How to Make Homemade Cleaners

                Here are some easy homemade cleaners I make at home. To save money I make my own homemade cleaners. They are cheap and easy to make from ingredients you probably have at home already. Cleaners from the store are very expensive and can be very harsh on the skin and eyes.

1.       All -purpose Cleaner: Take ½ cup Borax and dissolve in 1 gallon of hot water. Pour into a spray bottle and spray on surface, Wipe clean.

2.       Toilet Bowl Cleaner: Take ½ cup of Borax and add ¼ cup of vinegar to remove stains. Watch it fizz in your toilet.

3.       Unclog Drains: Pour ½ cup baking soda or washing soda down the drain. Gradually add ½ cup white vinegar. Let fizz. Carefully pour boiling hot water down the drain. Wait 30 minutes and repeat if necessary.

4.       Glass Cleaner: Take 1 Tablespoon lemon juice or ¼ cup white vinegar. Add 3 to 4 drops of liquid soap, Mix with 2 cups water and put into a spray bottle.

5.       Fume –Free Oven Cleaner: Mix 1 cup baking soda with ¼ to ½ cup washing soda. Add 1 Tablespoon liquid soap and a few drops of white vinegar. Mix in just enough hot water to make a paste. With a cold oven, coat the oven surfaces and let sit overnight. Wipe off the next day with warm water.

6.       Soft Scrub: Take 1 cup of baking soda and add 2 to 3 drops of liquid soap. Mix just enough warm water to make a paste.

Just think how much money you can save by making these easy cleaners yourself. I like to find ways to save money on all kind of things around the house. In future Blog Posts I will give you more saving ideas. Have fun cleaning from Suzie Homemaker.

Inexpensive Ideas for Wrapping Presents

Here are some simple easy and inexpensive ways to decorate gifts. When I was growing up my parents did not have a lot of money to spend on wrapping paper for every occasion. So we made our own wrapping paper out of things we had around the house. As a kid, it was always fun to run around the house to find something unique and different to wrap a present with. Wrapping paper, ribbons, bows, and labels are expensive. If you still want to buy paper and all the fixings at least wait till they are on clearance and stock up for the next year. Here are some cheap and inexpensive ways to save on wrapping paper and labels.

Wraps and bags:

.reuse and save little to medium size boxes to wrap your presents.

.save wrapping paper and tissue paper from your presents and reuse them.

.use the Sunday comics for great kids wrapping paper.

.reuse specialty bags from stores for wrapping paper.

.use some left over material or bandanas for wrapping paper.

.use paper bags and have the kids decorate them.

.wrap your food items in dish towels.

.take leftover tote bags and baskets and use for gifts.

This is a fun and inexpensive way to wrap presents.The kids will have fun making their own wrapping paper and putting their own special design on them.

Gift Cards & Labels

.Make your own cards and labels out of heavy paper or cardboard.

.Try using markers, rubber stamps, or clippings from magazines, postcards and calendars to make cards and labels.

.Use personalized business cards folded in half.

.use leftover paper and fold in half.

.Take Holiday cards and turn them into gift tags.

There are so many things you can use to make your own gift cards and labels at little to no cost if you just look around your house.

Ribbons and Ties

.save your ribbons, ties and bows from all your presents and reuse them.

.use some leftover yarn or heavy string or cord to decorate and tie your presents.

Making your own wrapping paper and tags and labels is a great project to do with your kids and it is fun. There are so many things you can use and find at home. I hope you enjoyed another helpful tips and ideas from Suzie Homemaker.

How to Make Quick Easy Mixes

                Today I would like to talk to you about making mixes. When I was growing up my mother always had mixes on hand to make quick easy recipes. These mixes were handed down from my Grandmother. Today I still use these mixes and I would like to share a couple of them with you plus some recipes. Making your own mixes save you time and money.

                Why buy from the store when you can make these mixes yourself at less than half the cost.  All you will need are a few basic items like flour, sugar and shortening. Stock up on these items when they are on sale. Stores advertise these mixes as being convenient and time-savers rather than money-savers. Depending on what you buy for mixes they can vary in price. Mixes can get very expensive, why not save time and money and make them yourself.

                Mixes are much more nutritious and healthy for you. If you want to reduce preservatives and additives in your diet this is one way to start.  Have you ever checked the labels on those box mixes from the store, some of them have been on the shelves for over a year. Reading the ingredients on the boxes can be scary; I like to know what is in the food I am eating. When you make your own mixes the food is fresher and tastes much better.

                Today I would like to start you off with 2 mixes and some recipes. In future blogs, I will give you different mixes and more recipes. These mixes need to be put in an airtight container in a cool dry place. They have a shelf life of 10 to 12 weeks. If you find that the mixes are too large just cut them in half. Make as little or as much as you will need or want to have on hand.

                Quick Mix No.1

                8 ½ cups all- purpose flour                    1 teaspoon baking soda

                3 Tablespoons baking powder              1½ cups instant dry milk

                1 Tablespoon salt                                    2 ¼ cups vegetable shortening

                2 teaspoons cream of tartar

                In a large bowl sift all dry ingredients together. With a pastry blender cut in shortening. Mix will.The dough will look like cornmeal. Put in an airtight container  label and date. Use within 10 to 12 weeks. This recipe makes 13 cups of mix.

               

               

               

                Recipe No. 1               Sugar Cookies

                3 cups Quick Mix                                               1 egg beaten

                1 cup sugar                                                         1 teaspoon vanilla

                ½ cup milk’

                In a bowl mix Quick mix and sugar. Add milk, egg and vanilla. Mix well.  Drop by teaspoonful’s onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. This recipe makes 30 to 36 cookies.

                Recipe No. 2        Molasses Cookies

                2 cups Quick Mix                                                        ¼ teaspoon cloves

                ¼ cup sugar                                                                  1 egg yolk

                ½ teaspoon cinnamon                                               ½ cup molasses

                ½ teaspoon ginger

                I a bowl combine Quick mix and all dry ingredients. Add egg yolk and molasses to mixture.. Blend well. Refrigerate dough for 1 hour. Shape into 1 ½ inch balls and roll in sugar. Flatten down with the bottom of a cup. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. This recipe makes about 30 cookies.

                Recipe No. 3           Cinnamon Thin (this one my kids love)

                3 cups Quick Mix                                                       1 egg beaten

                3 Tablespoons sugar                                                 1 1/3 cups sugar

                ¼ cups melted butter                                               3 Tablespoons cinnamon

                ½ cup milk

                In a bowl combine Quick mix and 3 tablespoons of sugar. Combine melted butter, milk and eggs to dry ingredients. On a lightly floured surface knead dough for 8 to 10 times. Form into 40 1 inch balls. Roll in cinnamon mixture (1 1/3 cup sugar and 3 Tablespoons of cinnamon). Place each ball inside two  pieces of wax paper. Roll with a rolling pin turning dough over several times until paper thin. Bake at 450 degrees for 4 to 5 minutes.

               

               

                Basic Cookie Mix

                8 cups all-purpose flour                                            4 teaspoons salt

                2 ½ cups sugar                                                            1 ½ teaspoons baking soda

                2 cups brown sugar                                                    3 cups vegetable shortening

                                                

                In a large bowl combine all dry ingredients. Cut in shortening. Put in large airtight container label and date. Use within 10 to 12 weeks. This recipe makes 16 cups of mix.

                Recipe No. 1           Very Vanilla Cookies

                3 cups Cookie Mix                                                       3 Tablespoons milk

                1 ½ teaspoons vanilla                                                   1 egg beaten

                                             

                In a bowl combine Cookie Mix, vanilla, milk and egg. Mix well. Drop by teaspoonful’s onto a greased cookie sheet. Sprinkle with sugar if desired. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. This recipe makes about 24 cookies.

                Recipe No. 2       Snickerdoodles

                2 ½ cups Cookie Mix                                                  1 egg beaten

                ¼ teaspoon baking soda                                           2 Tablespoon sugar

                1 teaspoon cream of tartar                                      1 teaspoon cinnamon

                In a bowl combine Cookie Mix, baking soda, cream of tartar and egg. Mix well. In a small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon. Shape into 1 ½ inch balls. Roll in cinnamon and sugar mixture. Place on greased cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Flatten slightly. Bake at 400 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. This recipe makes about 24 cookies.

                Recipe No. 3    Peanut Butter Cookies

                3 cups cookie mix                                                    2 eggs beaten

                ¼ cup brown sugar                                                  ½ cup creamy or chunky peanut butter

                1 teaspoon vanilla

                In a bowl combine all ingredients. Blend well. Shape into 1 inch balls and flatten with a fork. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. This recipe makes 30 to 36 cookies.

                Variation: Peanut butter and jelly cookies. Do not flatten cookie. Press thumb into the center of your balls. Fill with your favorite jam or jelly then bake.

               

How to Can Carrots

                Welcome back to another Suzie Homemakers helpful tips and ideas. Today I would like to show you how to can carrots. This time of year my canners are going non-stop so I can have fresh produce all winter long. I dug up my carrots a couple of days before I started processing them. I ended up with over two 5 gallon pails full. To make things easier, I pulled off all the tops and cleaned off as much dirt as I possibly could. Now it’s time for my hands to turn orange and to process my carrots.

Step#1

                Put your carrots in the sink and wash off any remaining dirt. Cut off the ends and any bad parts of the carrots. Next you can start peeling and cutting the carrots into thin or thick pieces. Some carrots I froze and some I left just for eating raw.

Step#2

                Wash your jars with hot soapy water and rinse well. Always check your jars for any cracks or chips by running your finger around the tops. Never use jars that are chipped or cracked because they will not seal correctly.  Put your cut up carrots in a big kettle and boil them for 5 minutes. While the carrots are boiling take another kettle and boil some water for pouring over your carrots in your jars.

Step#3

                Take a funnel to put into your jars this makes it easier for filling. I like to pack my carrots tight so I push them down inside the jars. Leave a good half inch from the top of your jars for space. Once you know how many jars you have to can boil your lids. Next I add ¼ tsp. of canning salt to each jar, depending on how much salt you want in your carrots you can always add more. Pour your boiling water into your jars to about a ¼ inch from the top to cover your carrots. Take a knife down the sides of the jars to release the air bubbles and add more boiling water as needed. Take your lids that have been boiling, put on your jars and screw on the covers tightly.

Step#4

                Take your sealed jars and place them in your canners very carefully. Check your canner's directions to see how much water is needed for processing your vegetables.  In my Mirror canners, I put enough water in so it comes to about half way up my jars. Again check your canning directions for Pressure temperature and time needed for canning carrots. My pressure temperature was 10 pounds for 25 minutes.

Step#5

                When your canner is done push off the burner and let stand for 1 hour before opening. Never open your canner until it is completely cooled down and the pressure is down. How I check if my canner is ready to be opened is by pulling up the pressure gage slowly to release the steam. Take off the canner cover facing away from you because the steam will be very hot. Use a can lifter to remove the jars and place on some pot holders to cool.  As the jars cool you will hear some popping this will tell you your jars are sealing. Let your jars cool for 24 hours before your take off the covers then press down on your jars to make sure they have sealed correctly.  Take your canned goods and put in a cool dry place to be eaten whenever you want.  To me, canning is fun and a nice way to save money.  This is just one of many vegetables that I can over the summer and early fall. This was one way I have my children help and learn all about canning and how to save money. Have fun canning from Suzie Homemaker.

How to Make Clothes Pin Bags

Today I would like to show you how to make 3 different kinds of clothespin bags. Why would you buy these in the store when you can make them out of things you probably have at home. You can make these clothespin bags at home for little to no money. If you have a sewing machine or can borrow one this is what you will need, some scrap material, old towels and an old shirt.

The first clothespin bag I would like to show you how to make is made out of scrap material. First lay out the material that you will need to make your clothespin bag.  Draw around the top of your hanger to cut out the pattern. Metal hangers are the best to use to hold all the clothespins. Next cut a hole in the middle of the material for your opening. I like to reinforce my seams by sewing them twice. By sewing the seams twice, this makes the clothespin bag stronger. Inside out your clothespin bag and insert the metal hanger, now your first bag is done. This clothespin bag took me about 30 minutes to make. In my pictures, I will show you step by step how to make this clothespin bag.

                The second clothespin bag is very easy to make. All you will need is an old tank top with a low neckline. Sew up the bottom of the shirt and insert your metal hanger to hold your clothespins. This clothespin bag only took me 5 minutes to make.

The third clothespin bag is made out of old towels. Take your bath towel and cut it in half and use the other half for your pockets. Make a seam down the middle to make two pockets. I like this idea because this helps keep the clothespins in. Next make two strips to make ties and sew them onto your apron. This clothespin bag is nice to use because all you have to do is take the clothespins from your pockets and hang up your clothes. This clothespin bag took me about 20 minutes to make. Here are some pictures to show you how I made this bag. Have fun making these easy and inexpensive clothespin bags from Suzie Homemaker.  

How to Buy Cheap Clothes and Shoes

                When I was growing up with two older sisters and a younger brother, money was tight. I was taught from a very young age to save and to look for bargains wherever you could find them. Since I had the two older sisters I received a lot of handed down clothes, some I could not wait to grow into. Every summer I could not wait for the rummage and yard sales to begin. This is where you can find new to slightly used clothes at the fraction of the cost. For all the new moms out there, this is where you can save a lot of money on baby clothes. The only time my babies received new clothes was from the relatives. My children were brought up on rummage and yard sale clothes. Since I had two girls this was double the savings because everything was handed down to the second child. Another great place to look for adult and kids clothes is thrift shops and your local Good Will store.

            If you do not want to do the thrift shops or rummage sales try this out. Go to your favorite stores at the end of the season and shop the clearance sales. What I like to do is watch for certain items and wait until almost all of my size is gone then I buy. Some stores keep lowering the price until they are almost all gone this is when you get your best deals. Just be patient and watch then buy those items at a very low price. Another great way to save is to watch for stores to have their 80% to 90% off sales and they give you a store coupon which gives you and extra discount. I have walked out of stores with more than 10 items for under 50 dollars. I buy next year’s clothes at the end of the seasons and save a bundle of money.

            Buying shoes is a little harder but not impossible. End of season is another good time to buy but also watch for sales. Again be patient, some stores keep lowering their prices just to reduce stock. Buy when you think the price will not go any lower. Watch for some shoe stores to have buy one pair get the second pair half off. This is where you can sometimes even use sale items and still get the second pair at half price. My last two pairs of shoes cost me under 20 dollars. I have even bought tennis shoes recently for $3 dollars a pair so I bought two pairs right away so when the first pair wears out I have another pair available.

            To this day, I have never bought anything unless it was on clearance or 80 to 90% off. To pay full price for something is a waste of money. I pride myself on getting the best deal I can possibly get. This is like a game to me to see how much I can save on kids to adult clothes and also shoes. Be a smart shopper and save money in the process. Check out more saving ideas from Suzie Home Maker coming soon.