Dehydrator Trial Run

My dehydrator is here!

I decided to do a test run by making some kale chips. For the first go, I was mostly interested in keeping an eye on the time and temperature and seeing how the machine works. So I used this recipe because it looked basic. 

I dehydrated the kale for four hours at 135 degrees F. I thought it would take longer, but they were definitely crispy at that point, and I didn't want to risk burning them.

The verdict? Well, I didn't care for this particular recipe so much. The flavor was good, but the 1/4 cup of oil was way too much. If you've ever eaten super greasy potato chips, the kind you can't eat without a napkin on hand for wiping your fingers constantly, you know what I mean. It seems like a small amount of oil would allow the seasoning spices to stick to the kale.

The dehydrator was a piece of cake to use. Just plug it in, set the temp, and wait. Well, I did rotate the trays halfway through, as recommended in the instruction booklet. Next time I'll use a more appealing recipe, like Averie's. Or send me your favorite kale chip recipe, if you have one. No more paying $8 for a little tiny bag of kale chips at the store! I am happy about that.  I think I will get a lot of use out of my new "toy." Next, I want to make fruit roll-ups and flax crackers.

Because I'm a Foodbuzz Featured Publisher, I was sent a package of these new Newtons Fruit Thins cookies to sample. The flavor was Blueberry Brown Sugar.

They're not really cookies, more like digestive biscuits if you're familiar with those. They have a hard, crunchy texture, with little pieces of chewy dried blueberries here and there. Jackson and Olivia both loved them, and I thought they were tasty, too. They would make a good snack if you're wanting something that's a little sweet, but not super decadent or anything. They also make a great on-the-go snack for little ones because they are easy for small hands to hold, and they don't fall apart and leave crumbs everywhere. They're also fairly healthy - vegan, no high fructose corn syrup, whole grain, and the sugar content isn't terrible (8 grams per 3 cookie serving).

This week has flown by!  I don't have big plans for the weekend. Going for a swim sounds nice right now. I got the first disc of the HBO series Treme from Netflix, and I have a couple of new books on my Kindle -- The Help and If Sons, Then Heirs.  I've been reading so much more since I got my Kindle because I can use it on the treadmill. I always found it hard to hold a book and turn its pages while walking or running. With the Kindle, I can set it on the treadmill and just tap it lightly to turn the "page."  It's helping me to run more, since I don't get bored while running.  I ran 3x this past week and got up to 1.5 miles. Not awesome, but I haven't run in months, so I'm happy about it. I also went to yoga twice. I hope to keep up this combination of yoga and running. Doing one or the other doesn't quite meet all of my exercise goals. When I do both, I notice a difference in how I feel.

 Let me know if you have any other book recommendations that I should add to my queue. I always like to hear what others are reading/watching/listening to, and I know y'all have good taste. Have a great weekend!