Dehydrator Apple Chips, Nut Soaking, and a Spaghetti Squash

I'm beyond excited...my brand new food dehydrator came from Amazon today. It cost a whopping $38.72 with tax. Love it (link to the dehydrator on Amazon). I'm so excited to see how this thing changes the way I eat. I feel like I just got a new sword in some RPG and I really want to go out and smash some goblins with it. Although in this case its something more along the lines of I really want to make jerky, fruit leathers, healthier nuts, kale chips...the list goes on. Tonight I'm starting small, simple, and sweet. Some Apple Chips with Cinnamon.

Apple Chips with Cinnamon (Dehydrator)

Ingredients:

-Organic Apples (I used two because that's what I had in my fridge.)

-Cinnamon (Optional -- I love cinnamon and it pairs beautifully with apples.)

You will be Apple Chips soon! Yes, yes you will! =).

Instructions:

1. Slice your apples into approx. 1/8in slices. Envision the apple chips =).

Slice 'em up.

2. Dust with some cinnamon. I feel a bit too fancy saying "dust". I gave the cinnamon shaker a soft tap with my free hand while moving it around the apples.

Cinnamon!

3. Load up your (in my case brand new, freshly washed) dehydrator.

First ever thing in my food dehydrator. Let's do this! Sooooo excited!

4. Turn it on (I would give you a specific temperature...but mine has two settings: On or off. Live simple.)

5. I'm letting mine run overnight. Approximately 5 hours. Probably not quite long enough but I *really* wanted to get something going in my new (health inducing, awesome) toy!

I'll update this post with the results asap.

Soaked and Dehydrated Almonds

Why?? Why would you put your delicious almonds in a jar filled with water and soak them? I've been doing some homework on my nuts and seeds. As it turns out, in a nut-shell... ;), nuts can be not-that-great for you. Certain types more than others. They have high levels of phytic acid and high levels of polyunsaturated fats. Both of these things can be really nasty. 

According to PaleoLeap.com, "Phytic acid is a strategy employed to prevent the nut or seed from sprouting before the ideal conditions are present. Phytic acid on our digestive system has the property of binding to minerals like calcium, iron and magnesium and preventing them from being absorbed. This also means that you won’t necessarily get high amounts of a mineral even if you eat a nut high in that mineral."

Soaking your nuts can help! Moderation helps as well. I'm just not quite ready to totally give up on nuts, and I want to use my new food dehydrator more =).

Just add some salt (about 1 tablespoon) to a jar filled with almonds and let it soak for 8-24 hours. Then dry it somehow. Oven on super low, door cracked; Food dehydrator; Sun. I'm going to use my food dehydrator for 12-24 hours of drying. I might even add some honey =). For now, I just got 'em soaking.

1 Tablespoon of Salt

Soaking some Almonds.

I did promise a Spaghetti Squash. It didn't fit in my crock pot. Doh! I'm trying anyway...it *almost* fits. Here goes nothing.

Go go Spaghetti Squash!

Comments? Questions? Suggestions? I want to hear from you!

-Perry (The Simple Paleo Cook)