dehydrate & be merry!

Okay, so even though I've professed my hatred of gadgets, I was pretty excited to get my sister-in-law's dehydrator as a Christmas present. She upgraded to a fancy dancy one, and I got her old one, and I was thrilled! Dehydrating is a great way to enjoy the bounty of summer & fall and save for winter months! Last week I went a little dehydrater happy and dehydrated my little heart out...

dried peppers

 

dried tomatoes, perfect for pizza!

 

dried bananas, soaked in OJ for about 5 minutes. these make a great snack & taste just like banana pudding! 

I also tried out a few new "raw" recipes with things are were not from Doug's farm.... 

Flax Crackers
 

Dehydrated Almonds with Garlic & Salt 

The recipe calls for just salt, but I added a T of garlic powder to the marinade! 

Everything turned out really yummy, and although I don't know where I stand on the whole "raw" food issue, I am experimenting more & more with it. I feel great when I eat raw, but I know that I can't do it 100% everyday. I still love my breads & pastas tooo much :) For farmers especially however, I think its a great way to really get the most out of your harvests!