2/3 cup Worcestershire sauce 2/3 cup soy sauce 1 tablespoon honey 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper 2 teaspoons onion powder 1 teaspoon liquid smoke 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger 2 tablespoons crushed garlic Tabasco to taste I tablespoon tomato sauce   Slice 2 pounds of steak about 1/4 of an inch thick. Trim off as much of the fat as you can.Freezing steak partially first will help with slicing.I have also used a roast instead of steak.Place in marinade for about 6 hours. I prefer overnight.  Place in food dehydrator for about 12 hours or until no longer soft. The thinner you slice the steak the sooner it will be done. You can also dry in your oven if you set the temp at 200 and bake for about 2 hours.If you dry it in the oven make sure to keep an e... 10/30/2009

 This is great- Key lawmakers in the Senate have tentatively agreed to extend the existing $8,000 tax credit for first-time home buyers and also offer a new $6,500 credit for existing homeowners who have lived in their current residence for a consecutive five-year period in the past eight years. That's the grease for the wheel to get us thru winter!Home buyers must be under contract by April 30, 2010, and close before July 1. House Democrats have expressed concern about the cost of the tax credit for the government, get this someone claimed their 4 year old on tax credit, their is always someone to upset the apple cart- and  the allegations of abuse have resulted in an IRS probe of the program.   10/29/2009

 The housing industry insiders fear the tax credit's expiration will hurt the residential market's recovery. Analysts attribute close to 20 percent of home sales nationally this year to buyers eligible for the tax credit, and the National Association of Realtors claims first-time buyers account for 50 percent of all sales. Congress is moving toward extending, expanding or replacing the tax credit. The Senate is expected to vote soon on a bill co-sponsored by Georgia Republican Johnny Isakson that would extend the deadline five months to April 30, 2010, and make the credit available to all new home buyers, not just to first-timers. Time will tell how this winter will be for the real estate market in Mason county as well as kitsap! The new legislation would extend the $8,000 credit for fi... 10/29/2009

Parents you might be suprised this week when your child is cross dressing, hawkins middle school has -as part of fridays schedule ! We wonder why so many parents are home schooling, and loose confidence in the system! How sad to even hear that this is part of leadership?  10/28/2009

I remember the day when I was told , the Anderson's had their grandpa dig out the bog with a dozier, and that's how the lake was made! Both upscale and renters seem to find their way thru this place they call Lake land village, any of you locals remember the good old days at lakeland village? 10/28/2009

Scores of homeowners who thought they'd cut a deal with their banks to sell their houses for less than their unpaid mortgages are seeing those agreements fall apart months later, contributing to the mounting foreclosures that threaten the housing market's recovery. The sales of homes for less than the amount owed the bank, known as "short sales," have been widely viewed as an alternative that could help slow the foreclosure epidemic. In theory, delinquent homeowners escape a mortgage they cannot afford, and lenders, although taking a loss, avoid the even costlier process of completing a foreclosure. Instead, many homeowners are watching potential buyers walk away as months pass while they deal with lenders' lengthy delays, lost documents and unreturned calls, according to the National A... 10/28/2009

Cleaning and Sealing Your DeckIntroduction of Deck TreatmentWood left exposed to sun and moisture will quickly begin to degrade. Leave your deck untreated and you can expect it toturn grey with age. In addition, the decking boards are likely to cup, warp and split. Ignore the problem for too long and you'llhave to make major repairs - or even replace sections of deck.Deck sealing is a three-part process. Remove any old stains or coatings, clean the wood, and seal it against weatherdamage. If the deck has never been sealed before you won't have to strip it, but brand new wood has special pre-stainpreparation needs.If your deck has been sealed before, use the water test to see if it's time to seal it again. Drizzle some water onto theboards. If the water beads, the wood is still sealed an... 10/28/2009

For a little self improvement I enrolled in an English class. It is being taught by an individual that will not divulge her political opinion but tends to have plenty of them. She is a great lady, however I do not agree with most of her comments. It has been a real eye opener to know what they are saying in our schools from first hand experience. Today was typical. We were told of how our nation wanted to have Pearl Harbor attacked- just so we could join in WW2. We had advanced knowledge and we were drooling at the chance to be attacked just so we could join the bloody battle. As usual my blood began to boil and I was outraged that she would share this with the class as a fact not an opinion. So I whipped out my blackberry and posted to Facebook what was being said. I ended it with my o... 10/27/2009

I have yet to find the "fun" in short sales. I love being a Realtor and I enjoy the opportunities that arise everyday, with one exception...The Short Sale. Why is it so hard to give these companies offers. The one I am in the middle of right now keeps hanging up on me. I was so frustrated trying to find the right number I finally googled the question. You won't believe what I found...Active Rain. Yes, there was -Active Rain with a post including the exact number I needed from someone else who had needed it to. What a life saver. I love how we so freely share information here. There is always someone willing to help. I will have to look him up and make sure he knows what a help he was for me today! So , I have the number and I have faxed off the offer. Again and again and again. I now ha... 10/27/2009

There is a lot involved with running your own business. Some are more challenging than others. One business that is often considered is the little local grocery store. They can be a great avenue for those not particularly advanced in their business knowledge but are willing to put in the hard work it takes to get up and running. This can be a great family business. I stumbled upon an article that I thought pointed out some of the basics to look for when considering a grocery store purchase.The financial criteria used to evaluate a prospective purchase in this business should include the industry's standard cost factors. If the cost of goods, for example, is below 70% of the gross revenue figure, the store owner is either very smart about purchasing, is able to collect above-average mark... 10/27/2009

  I found these facts really interesting. Have you ever wondered why places were named what they were named? Sometimes we see the names stay the same and the meanings change. For instance King County was not named for Martin Luther King Jr. But now the County's seal bears his image. Where did you home town get it's name? Shelton was named for David Shelton, who homesteaded the area in 1853. A former fur trapper, Indian fighter, and gold prospector, Shelton was a member of the first territorial legislature and succeeded in having his home area organized as Sawamish County. At a later session he sponsored a bill to change the county name to Mason. Allyn was named for Judge Frank Allyn of Tacoma, who was involved in the formation of the town about 1889. Belfairwas originally called Clifton... 10/25/2009

I wanted to share with you an exciting program that is being offered by our local power company. If you are anything like me, my power bill last year after the snow storms was a bit of a shocker. How would you feel if you did not get a bill at all but recieved a credit instead? Senior Power Supply Analyst Matt Samuelson reported that there are seven customers participating in PUD 3's "net metering" program. Six of the customers are producing electricity with solar panels while another is experimenting with a small wind turbine. If these customers produce more electricity from their renewable energy systems than they consume in any given month, they are provided a credit toward future consumption. In addition, participants may benefit from the Washington State Renewable Energy System Cos... 10/21/2009

If you have scanned the headlines this morning you probably saw a story about 6 year old Zachery,a cub scout forced to be home schooled for 45 days because he brought his cub scout silverware to school. I know there are many sides to this story. Although I do not think that the school used their best judgment here. What message are they really sending to Zachery. Slip up even innocently and we gotcha... Then there is my daughters experience. It was her first year to sit in the back of the bus. It was one of those little things that said you are now in high school- congrats. On nearly the first day she started being bothered by a couple of boys on the bus. They said crude things to her and telling her she should kill herself and told her how to do it. I told her to stand up for herself. ... 10/12/2009

The debate over Health care today is not about health care. While many on both sides are able to paint a grim picture of the outcome if we do not fix the issue, one way or another. This is not the issue. We can all agree that things are not going the way that they should. That costs are out of control and that no one should be denied needed care. But this argument is as much about health care as the civil war was about slavery. Neither side is fighting for or against anyone to have or not have medical care. The battle is over rights. Just as it was during the civil war and if you think about it any war. The real decision or choice is how much power are you personally willing to hand over to the government for safe keeping? Do you trust them? Who are they? The Government that is frequent... 10/08/2009

As you can see the cloud hovering just above us at Rain Camp today was letting loose with a pretty big deluge. I have seldom in my career been as inspired as I was today. A group of us from Windermere Peninsula Properties attended this not to miss event. We came away in awe of all the possibilities when it came to enhancing our businesses. There are a ton of free tools just waiting to be used on the web. From photo enhancing, to web conferencing. The tech world has arrived to real estate and it is going to simplify and enhance our lives in dramatic ways. The tools of the future do not include personal websites, but they will utilize your phone for just about any task. Real Estate live will be just a click away and transactions will be a much more interactive responsive experience. I can... 10/07/2009

Waking up, I drug my sleepy feet to the window to search out my day. Clouds tend to require a little more coffee than blue skies do. As I peered out to the Victor hillside across the cold North Bay, the Sun began to pull itself slowly from its slumber into the dreaming sky. Purples and oranges lit my day on fire as the dark tree stood by stoically awaiting their breath of light. Why are these moments so unforgettable?  Is it the moon hanging heavy over the night waters amongst the strings of sparkling stars that makes the contrast so unreal. How can one beautiful moment lead so grandly to the next? 10/06/2009

LakeLand Village~Allyn~Homes for Sale and Sold~September 09 Real Estate Happenings~ Fall is here both on the calendar and in the air! As well as the upcoming end to the First Time Home-buyer tax Credit ... In order to be eligible for the credit, you must close the home by November 30, 2009!  That does not leave much time if you think about it, because a normal home sale transaction (lender dependent as well as various other factors), takes on the average 30-45 days to close. And if what I think will happen, happens - we will see an increase in the number of buyers writing offers on homes for sale in LakeLand Village as well as the surrounding areas; which also means the lenders will be busy -which could in turn delay your transaction!  So the sooner the better!    Don't delay! Get on ou... 10/03/2009

  Okay so it wasn't very silent!  But it was sure impressive!!!  Anacortes, WA 2009 Oyster Run   Oyster Run 2009 in Anacortes, WA! The entire main street blocked off with 4 rows of bikes parked the entire length.I counted 100 bikes coming in every ten minutes. And just when you think you've got the coolest bike...   I don't know what kind of a bike you would call it, but it was suuuuuurree pretty!   Not so sure it's for a long road trip! What do you think? An incredible day with incredible bikes, incredible weather, and incredible people!......   09/27/2009

I will admit it. I should have been studying for a test for a while now and I chose this morning to cram. I think I work best under a little pressure and I retain more if I have just reviewed the material. Unfortunately my 17 year old daughter thinks today would be a good time to talk. Forgetting of course that I have no time. I really want to be supermom and listen, but I have goals and she does to. I suggested that she get busy and study too. That is when she REALLY wanted to talk. The frustration reminded me of times recently when I was in a restaurant and the young waitress yelled behind my head to a co-worker while my husband and I were trying to talk. Or last night at a class I was taking where the guy behind me wanted to keep cracking jokes to impress the student next to him. Obl... 09/25/2009

The freedom to run and then stop. to smell the salt in the air, to feel the waves rock the float, to let the sun spill upon your shoulders and light your path. This is Allyn by the Bay. This is where you breath in a little deeper because the air is sweeter, the sky is true blue, and the waters melt away your worries. This is the life! Welcome to Allyn By The Bay..... 09/24/2009