Hells Canyon Weekender

The plan was simple: zip over the mountains and through farmland to the lower right corner of the state, drop down to Hells Canyon, exit out to Baker City, then roam back via the Umatilla National Forest to the Columbia River, up to Yakmia, and back to the comfort of our driveways. Full route details are here via Bing (http://binged.it/N6PAWO), and an embedded view via Spotwalla:


Green dots are the signal all is well, yellow dots means you can get an outstanding photo.
 

On the road in central Washington
On the road in central Washington

 

99 degress
Only 99 degrees

 

Field Springs State Park
Night 1 spent at Field Springs State Park

 

Field Springs State Park
Field Springs State Park

 

At the border of Field Springs State Park
At the border of Field Springs State Park

 

Route 129 southbound
Route 129 southbound: Washington in the foreground, Oregon in the background.

 

Road trip jerky

Whipped up a batch of jerky for a recent road trip. After sharing pieces with fellow travelers at the Hells Canyon lookout, a trauma surgeon drove back in his car to ask for the recipe. His wife wrote it down on scrap paper as I dictated:

  • ~3 pounds of steak, cut in slim strips. You can use flank, sirlion, London Broil, or whatever suits your preference. I used slim flank for this batch, and cut pieces into half inch wide strips.
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup Worchestershire sauce
  • 2 gloves of minced garlic
  • 4 tablespoons of Mesquite Liquid Smoke. (You could try hickory flavor as well)
  • 1/8 cup ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons Tabasco sauce. Add more if you like an additional punch.

Add marinade and beef in a mixing bowl, and mix thoroughly. Cover and let sit overnight.

Place individual pieces on your dehydrator trays and insert into the dehydrator. Dry approx 8 – 10 hours @ 155 degrees.

You can start eating them right away when done, no need to wait. Store in a plastic bag between snacking.

Enjoy!

Seattle Great Wheel

Seattle Great Wheel
Seattle Great Wheel

 

Aerial view of picnic umbrellas
Aerial view of picnic umbrellas

 

Alaskan Highway
Tilt image view of the Alaskan Highway

 

Looking north
Tilt image looking north on the Alaskan Highway

 

Mini people view from the ferris wheel
Mini people view from the ferris wheel

 

Cityscape from the Great Wheel
Cityscape from the Great Wheel

Homemade mustard

This is my first time making mustard – easier than I imagined, highly recommended. Better than store bought, and this recipe packs some punch. Perfect for me with pigs-in-a-blanket, pretzels, or a panini sandwich. More sensitive palates may need to adjust: bring down the spicy brown seed ratio and replace with similar yellow seed count for a recipe with a little less ‘zest’.

Homemade mustard
Homemade mustard
  • 1/4 cup brown mustard seeds
  • 1/4 cup yellow mustard seeds
  • 1/2 cup white wine – use sweet or dry according to your taste
  • 1/2 cup cold water
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt

Place seeds in medium sized bowl. Stir in cold water and wine. Cover and let stand overnight for a little fermenting.

Put mustard and salt into a food processer and puree until you reach the desired consistency. Transfer to airtight container and refrigerate for 24 hours before using.

Lasts a few months if kept in airtight container.