“Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.”
A.A. Milne

Thursday, February 20, 2014

How to make the Perfect Roast Beef in your Oven!

How to make the Perfect Roast Beef in the Oven

 

Ingredients

  • 1 3 to 4 pound roast
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons black pepper, crushed or ground
  • Worcestershire Sauce (optional)

Instructions

To prepare the meat remove from the refrigerator 60 minutes before cooking. This will give the roast a chance to reach room temperature. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. If the roast is very lean you may want to drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil or two over the roast. Drizzle Worcestershire Sauce over roast for a richer flavor. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the roast. Place the roast on a wire rack on a baking sheet or a glass pyrex dish. Bake the roast for approximately 25minutes for every pound of meat for a roast to be cooked to medium rare. Adjust accordingly for your preferred level of doneness. You should use a meat thermometer to determine when the roast is done.
Push the meat thermometer all of the way into the center of the roast. Pull the roast from the oven when the inside temperature of the roast is about 10 degrees less than your desired level of doneness. The temperature of the roast may rise while the roast is cooking. Let the roast rest for at least 15 minutes, tented in aluminum foil to keep warm, before carving to serve.
Rare : 120 - 130 degrees - bright purple red, tender, juicy
Medium Rare: 130-135 degrees - bright red, warm, tender very juicy
Medium: 135 -145 degrees - rich pink, slightly juicy
Medium well: 145 - 155 degrees - tan with slight pink, firm, slight juice
Well Done: 155 and above - tan to brown, very little juice, meat can become tough
So if you want a medium rare roast remove it from the oven when the internal temperature reaches 120, it will rest for 15 minutes. The internal temperature will rise while the meat is resting. It is always best to use a meat thermometer if you have one to ensure you cook the roast to your desired level of doneness.

Thursday, February 6, 2014

How to make your own dog food! Easier than you think!

Last year when my fur baby, Trixie, died of cancer, I started to look other options for feeding my remaining dogs.  Commercial dog foods are filled with preservatives, dyes, and fillers .  You can't tell me that those ingredients are good for our beloved pets.  For further information , watch this YouTube video.  While they are promoting their dog food (I am in no way endorsing this product or any other) the information is correct about commercially made dog food. 





I began to search the internet and YouTube for recipes to make my own dog food.  I tweaked the recipe to fit my lifestyle and my dog's needs.  So I'm sharing with you my own recipe.


Homemade Dog Food

1 large roaster crock pot
3 lbs ground meat, hamburger, turkey, chicken, or lamb (you decide or mix and match)
2 cups brown rice
8 oz green beans
8 oz carrots
8 oz peas

NO CORN OR WHITE RICE OR PASTAS WHITE POTATOES.  DOGS CANNOT DIGEST THIS WELL

You can add in fresh vegetables instead of frozen.  You can add apples to this also.  Do not add any seasonings at all. They are not good for dogs and this is what you are trying to avoid.

Add about 2/3 water to crockpot.




Then add all other ingredients.  Set on low and cook for about 5 -6 hours.  Mash with potato masher from time to time.  If it looks like it may burn, add more water.




After it is done, mash and stir well.  Let cool completely.  Divide into freezer bags.  This will last about 4 days in the refrigerator thawed and in the freezer for 3 - 6 months.  This batch will feed 2 30 lb dogs for about 5 - 7 days.  Tailor the amount you feed your dog to his activity level.  Here's a food chart to help calculate.  http://www.natureslogic.com/dogs-feeding-chart/

I feed my 45 lb Border Collie about 2 1/2 cups a day.  I feed my 25 lb mini Australian Shepherd about 1 1/2 cups a day.  I feed my Chihuahua about 2/3 cup a day. 

My dogs love this food and it has been working well for them. It costs me about $10 - $12 a week to feed them this--not really much more than commercial dog food.    I hope this helps those of you who love your fur babies find an alternative, healthy way of feeding them.  Happy feeding.


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