Category: Skills

It’s time we updated and refreshed our Nesco FD-61 food dehydrator review. Nesco keeps improving their product line.

If you’re looking for a good food dehydrator, stop here for a bit and read what we have to say.

Do you want to make some of your own beef jerky with no additives and maybe a bit cheaper than the stuff down at the corner grab-and-go?

Or, maybe you want to dehydrate some of that backyard bounty from your garden?

Our food dehydrator is a must-have modern-day home appliance to preserve food and make healthy homemade snacks for us and the puppy dogs.

Today, we’re talking about how to make beef jerky with a dehydrator at home and it’s going to be good.

If you have never made beef jerky with a dehydrator, then you have to check this out.

You’re going to need to make a bunch, because your family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, and the dogs are going to clean you out.

So let’s get started …

I just finished a book on beer tasting; –it told me what I should consider when drinking a beer, all good info!

So, what is my absolute favorite best beer?

What should I look for in a beer?

Wow, I can’t believe I have four craft beer merit badges already!

I even have another reason to add to our running list of reasons to experience the adventure of trying more craft beers. Check out my post on the top 10 reasons to drink more craft beer here.

Today I really wanted to try another grilled pizza. The one I made last week tasted really tasted awesome and I wanted to try another. Grilled pizza is one of those essential skills that I am always working to get better at.

But the 45 degree temps and the rainy drizzle did not make for prime grilling weather. But I went for it anyway!

I finally managed to get a decent grilled pizza, actually a really awesome smoky grilled pizza at that!

After three attempts at making my own grilled pizza crusts I have finally succeeded at getting something decent and downright tasty from my Kamado Joe.

In an earlier post, I had mentioned I was a photography 101, point-and-shoot camera guy, trying to capture those mostly short-lived photo opportunities. Getting a shot of that big fish, that eagle sitting on a tree branch, –you know the situations I am referring to.

My camera was set on full auto everything. Just turn it on and take the picture. The trouble is, those pictures were not all that good. Mostly, the images were just flat, washed out, and lacked detail. Occasionally I would get lucky and I would get an image that I liked.

Has this been your experience also?

I am a huge fan of cold refreshing beverages, especially those brewed locally. So I created my own top 10 reasons to drink more craft beer!

Yep, there are a lot of these lists around but I have my own reasons. Nothing against big beer as I still buy those mass produced beverages on occasion.

Over the last two weeks I have grilled out 9 of 14 days on my Kamado Joe. When the grill is going, there is always a frosty cold beverage close by.

I did manage to work in a quick overnighter camping and fishing trip. And we did cook over an open campfire. So I guess I really did cook out 10 of the 14 days, just one of the those days was not at the grill.

Okay, I have now earned my second craft beer merit badge for 2015.

It seems like it has been a while since I did my first craft beer post and earning that first merit badge for the year! As a reminder, you get one merit badge for every 5 craft beers that you try. Your list starts at zero on New Year’s.

We can make up the rules as we go along!