Our Newest, Grandest News :-)

EXTRA!!! EXTRA!!! READ ALL ABOUT IT!!!

Today I wanted to tell you about our latest news... our newest, grandest news. Exiting as this news is, I'm also a little trepidatious. Let me explain why...

Francis Nichol

In 2005, my husband and I found out we were expecting our first baby. We were overwhelmed with joy and gratitude to God! We were going to have a baby!!!

When our baby was eight weeks, five days old, we had a miscarriage... our first. It was devastating.  So many people tried to help by saying things like, "You can always have another one", "Well, at least you were only 2 months along instead of 8 months", and "Think of all the people who can't have children... You're lucky that you can get pregnant!"

They WERE trying to help... but it didn't help. My heart was broken, my hopes were dashed, and my uterus, which had been carrying a baby... our baby... was empty.

What I really needed was time... time with God, time with my husband, time alone... time to heal. I needed to quit hearing people talk about my baby... my baby... as an IT. My baby was a living person... a very real, living person, not an IT. I needed to be loved, but I needed people to quit reminding me about my loss.

Yes, I know there are people... many people... who suffer from infertility. I know there are people whose arms ache to hold a precious bundle of joy of their own. I knew that then too, but knowing that didn't help me at the time.

Sierra Rennai

We soon got pregnant again, and Sierra was born March 6, 2006... healthy and screaming her lungs out.

Manasseh Ephraim 

A little over a year later we got pregnant again, and that baby is also awaiting us in Heaven. By this time, we had dealt with the first miscarriage. We had learned to rest in God. We had come to realize that in allowing us to lose our baby, God had opened a very special doorway through which we are able to help others who have gone, or are going, through a similar experience.

After we lost him/ her, we named the baby Manasseh Ephraim, which basically means "Let go, and let God". The night we lost the baby, we went to the revival service that was going on at our church, and the preacher preached on how God brings tough times into our lives, but that He always brings us through them and how, on the other side of the valley, we find ourselves closer to God. Isn't it just like God to lay the very message on your heart that you need to hear?! He had based his text in Genesis in the verse where God tells us about Manasseh and Ephraim, thus the name.

Hannah Marie

Soon after, we got pregnant again. After many attempt to come early and forcing Mommy onto bed-rest for 2 months, Hannah came on July 7, 2008 at 10 pounds and an ounce.

Rebekka Ruthann

When we got pregnant a fifth time, I just KNEW we were going to lose this baby too. After all, that was the pattern: lose a baby, have a baby, lose a baby, have a baby... Surly this would be another loss... but we didn't lose the baby! Rebekka was born on July 14, 2011 after an uneventful pregnancy!

Introducing Peanut! :-)

Well, you guessed it... We're pregnant again! Normally, I wouldn't tell people this early, but I've decided to give it to God. What good will worrying do anyway? Prayer, however, is the key. If it's God's will that this baby make it, we'll have another bundle of joy... or two (My oldest has been praying for twin brothers for about a year and a half now... and we all know how God likes to answer the prayers of children! LOL) around Mother's Day. As of right now, I'm due May 13, 2013, but my due date always change to an earlier date, and my babies almost always come late. :-)...

Introducing a New Series!

I wanted to give you that wonderful news, and I also wanted to inform you that I'm going to host a series on infertility on the blog. I'm not sure when the posts will be up. There are a few ladies who are writing about their personal experiences with infertility specifically for this blog, and I'll post them as soon as I receive them! I'm excited about this series, because, although it's a hard topic, it's a problem many women face. We that have children can't really grasp the things they go through or the pain they endure... I'm hoping this series will open our eyes a little more, allowing us to see into the heart of the ladies around us who suffer from this painful condition, so we might know how better to pray for them.

Also, please keep me and the newest Peanut in your prayers as we trudge this wonderful journey again.

If you have any comments you'd like to add, please do. If you are someone who struggles with infertility and would like to write a blog post on the topic, please inbox me on my facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/ChristHonoringBooksByNishoniHarvey.

Thank you all for your prayers, and God Bless!

Homeschool Series #4: Extra-Curricular Activities

During the homeschooling years, extra-curricular activities add to your child's schooling. Some states require certain extra-curricular activities, like foreign language and P.E., so be sure to check the laws for your state before deciding what to and what not to do. These laws, listed by state, can be found at about.com or the Homeschool Legal Defense, which is the site I prefer.

Foreign Language 

Many states require all high school students to have at least one year of foreign language study. There are many possibilities for pursuing a foreign language. Rosetta Stone seems to be very good, although it is expensive. There are websites online, like Live Mocha, that offer free classes. Other websites, like Digital Dialects, offer tools and games to add to whatever curriculum you are using.

Art

Arts and crafts add fun and excitement to any school day. There are many ideas for crafts online at Life Tips, A to Z Home's Cool Homeschooling, and ABC Teach. Art is normally done once a week. Have fun with it!

P.E.

Some states require students to have a certain amount of physical education per week. You can check the law for your state on the Homeschool Legal Defense page. Even if your state does not require it, it is still fun and fulfilling. You can create your own P.E. plan (There are many ideas for physical education listed HERE.), or enroll your children in gymnastics, karate, or any other number of programs. P.E. is usually done once or twice a week.

Music

Music is not usually a necessary requirement to graduate, but it is beneficial. Learning music helps build the brain. "Music" can be accomplished through piano lessons (or learning any other instrument), enrolling them in the children's choir at your church, or giving lessons yourself on the mechanics of music.

I know there are other extra-curricular activities out there, and I am sure you can think of a few :). these are the ones we include in our school days. For are learning Spanish on Mondays and Wednesdays. We do Art on Tuesdays, Karate (which is our P.E.) on Thursdays, and piano lessons on Fridays.

Do not go crazy with your extra-curricular activities, but do have at least a few! The idea is to add fun to the school day with something that will be beneficial in life. Be careful not to over-do it, or your school day will be so full of extra activities that you may not be able to complete your school work for the day!

What kind of extra-curricular activities do you do for your children?

Homeschooling, part 2: When Do I Start?

Many people have asked the question, "When should I start homeschooling my child?" That is a very good question... one that does not have a right or wrong answer. You can start at any age, as long as you start your child by the age they would be required to start Kindergarten. This is usually the school year that has your child turning five years old. Some states do not require a child to start school until their seventh birthday. Different states have different laws, so please check the laws for your state to know for sure. You can check these on the Home School Legal Defense Website. If you have an older child that has been in Public or Christian School, you can start homeschooling them at any age that you feel this is God's will for your family. Just as a reminder: Remember that homeschooling is not God's will for every family and that you and your husband should seek God on the matter of your child's schooling to see what He would have you to do.

Birth to 1 Years Old

The Bible teaches us to train our children, and I believe this starts at birth. You do not have a scheduled or structured schooling at this age. Children this age learn best through play. There are many opportunities that present themselves during the day, if you pay close attention, that you can "grab" and use as a learning time.

As a baby or toddler, naming the parts of their body as you tickle them, using the words "up" and "down" in connection with the action, and singing your favorite "learning" songs to them can go a long way. With toddlers, you can name specific colors as you play. For instance, "Mommy is going to pour some tea from my purple teapot!... Oh! Look at my pretty pink cup!" Using descriptive words in this way will help your child learn their colors.

Sierra was potty trained by the time she was 19 months old. Our incentive for going on the potty was a treat of three M&Ms for each potty she made. Before she could get her M&Ms, she had to count them and tell me what color each one was. This was a great learning tool. Something similar might work for your children.

2 Years Old

By age two, children have not really changed a whole lot in the way they learn new material. Repetition is always the key. Children this age tend to resist a sit down and learn approach even more, as they are in that get-up-and-go and Terrible Two stage of life. Helping them to learn through things THEY like to do is the best approach with children this age. They tend have an uncanny ability to be able to block out and ignore anything that is not THEIR idea of fun. Grab those teaching moments while they are playing, and really capitalize on making those moments FUN! 

3 Years Old

This is the age that some parents really start to consider schooling for their child. Children at this age are just beginning to get to that point where they can sit and focus for a short amount of time. If you are contemplating starting your child at 3, but are not sure if that is what you want to do, try it out for a few weeks to see how it goes, and make your decision from there.

Hannah at 3

Three year olds have the attention span of... well a 3 year old. They do not yet have the ability to focus very well, so if you do decide to start schooling at this age, short, 10-15 minute bursts of schooling are best. If you try to sit for much longer at a time, you may frustrate your child and completely waste your own time. Remember!!! SHORT 10-15 minute bursts of structured learning broken up by LONG periods of play. ...And, Mom, yes, 3 year olds STILL LOVE to learn through play :).

4 Years Old

Take advantage of learning moments!

This is what is considered Pre-School age. Many parents send their children to K-4 at this age. Some children, however, are not yet ready for structured learning by this age. Remember that each child is different. Children mature in different areas at different paces.

I have been doing structured learning with my oldest, Sierra, since she was 3, but my 4 year old, Hannah, is still at the point where I am not quite sure if she is ready for that yet. We are planning to give it a try this year, although we are planning to use an easier, play-based approach this year as we are using a K-3 curriculum for her. We will see how it goes.

Children at this age are usually ready for about half a day of learning, provided you break it up. For instance, you might have 20-30 minutes of class, followed by a 5-10 minute break. Four year olds also learn well through play, so any time you can reinforce a learned principle through acting it out, playing, or any type of movement, the better it will stick!

5 Years Old

KINDERGARTEN!!! AHHHH! LOL Many states require children to start school by age 5. Some states do not. Again, check the laws for your state. Some children are still not ready for schooling by this age. Only you, as the parent, can be the judge of that.

Five year olds are usually ready to start doing a half to full day of school work, depending on their ability to sit still, listen, and focus. You should be able to gauge the ability of your child and figure out what approach will work best for your child. It is still wise to break the school day up into 20-30 minute increments with small breaks in between for two reasons: at 5, children still lose their focus easily and are able to stay focused better if they can have small breaks to refresh themselves; and, because of the growing their little body is enduring, it can be physically painful for them to sit still for long periods of time.

Learning about sled dogs!

It is still a smart move to reinforce learning through movement at this age. Any time you can provide ways for children to use as many senses as possible in learning, the better they will learn and the longer they will retain it. For instance, if they are learning about leaves (hearing), you might take a walk through the woods (to expend energy :)), pick up some leaves (looking), and make a pretty picture by gluing them to paper (touch). You might have a snack of "leaves"/ salad :) (taste),  and talk about the different smells of leaves throughout the different seasons of the year.

It's Up to You!

Whatever age you and your husband decide to start your children's structured schooling, know that they are at an optimal age to learn! Their training is in your hands, and their best interest is in your heart, so just pray about it and do what you think is best for your child! There is no right or wrong answer for what age you should start school at, so go with your gut, and trust your instinct!

An Introduction to Homeschooling

Seven days and counting! We start school again this coming Monday! I LOVE homeschooling my children, and would not have it any other way, but every home is different. Homeschooling is not for everyone, and that is fine. I understand that, but it is “for us”. You might be a homeschooling veteran needing inspiration, a homeschool newbie, be thinking about homeschooling, or be wondering why anyone would want to homeschool. READ ON!

WHAT IS HOMESCHOOLING?

Homeschooling is defined in its name. It is “schooling at home”. It is legal to homeschool in every state of the U. S. and in some foreign countries. Homeschooling can be done for any child, Preschool through Graduation.

WHO IS HOMESCHOOLING FOR?

Like I said earlier, homeschooling is not for everyone. God mandates in Scripture that we, as the parents, are responsible for training our children. We do, however, have the choice of delegating that responsibility to someone else. Each family needs to sit down and discuss the idea of homeschooling before you decide one way or the other.

There are many things to consider when making this decision:

1.  Work schedules—If you are not going to be home for a sufficient amount of time every day to school your children, homeschooling may not be for you. Some families have a single parent home, others require two incomes. Situations like this make it difficult to homeschool. If you spend eight hours a day at work, then pick your children up from the babysitter and only have three or four hours with them each evening before bed, it may not be wise for you to spend that time cramming in eight hours’ worth of school work. If this is the case, homeschooling may not be for you.

2. Your education—In some states, you must have completed at least two grade levels above the grade level at which you are planning to homeschool your child. This will not be a problem for most parents. Contact your the Homeschool Legal Defense to learn the homeschooling laws in your state.

3. Your health—Some parents may not have the ability to homeschool due to health issues. If you have severe health problems that will keep you away from home a lot due to multiple doctor visits or hospital stays, homeschooling may not be for you.

4. Your stick-to-it-ive-ness—If you do not have the ability to stick to a task through completion, homeschooling may not be for you. This can be remedied! You can choose to fix your inability bad habit to stick to tasks! You can choose to stick to it!

5. Your preference—Some families choose to send their children to school instead of keeping them home. There is nothing wrong with this. Whether or not to homeschool is between the parents of each family and God. Make your decision, and do not let anyone shame you into changing your mind, especially if you have prayed about it!

WHY HOMESCHOOL?

People homeschool for many reasons, but the reason you will hear the most is, “I don’t want my kids in public school”. The public school system is anti-God and anti-Bible. They promote “safe sex”, homosexuality, Evolution, and more. Children do not just get pressured into putting a frog into the teacher’s desk drawer or letting someone else cheat off their paper anymore. Now they face standing up to the pressure from friends, to smoke, do drugs, and have sex. With the increase in shootings, bombings, bullying, and violence many parents worry about their children’s safety in these schools. Others site the fact that a public school education is too close to not being an education at all.

The biggest reason we choose to homeschool is because we firmly believe that is what God wants our family to do. We homeschool because I can better train our daughters to love God and serve him and train them to be a good wife, homemaker, and mother if I spend that eight hour a day window with my children instead of outsourcing it to someone else. My children are only awake twelve hours out of every day. If I allow someone else the blessing of training my children for eight hours of that, and then they come home and spend an hour or two doing homework, time eating and doing chores, and an hour playing, what does that leave me to work with? Nothing… “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart form it” (Proverbs 22:6). We want our children to grow up to love and serve God, and we believe the best way for us to do that is through homeschooling. No other reasons compare.

If you are trying to decide whether to homeschool or not, think about these things other reasons:

• Parents know their children’s strengths and weaknesses and can provide a learning environment that will better serve their child.

• Homeschooling prevents most negative peer pressure until the child is old enough and established enough in God’s Word to appropriately deal with it.

• Homeschooled children can mature at their own rates without pressure to be or do what they are not ready for.

• It provides positive an appropriate socialization with people of all ages, making homeschooled children comfortable interacting with people of all ages.

• In homeschooling, the parents are a large part of their child’s world and natural partners in learning.

• Your family’s values and beliefs are taught and are not contradicted eight hours a day by an outside source.

• Your family is free to schedule their day however they need.

• Homeschooling creates stronger bond between siblings.

• You can provide extra learning opportunities to advance your children in their interests and talents.

• When homeschooling, there is a high student/ teacher ratio.

• Homeschooled children become good at studying, independent in their thinking, and secure in their own convictions.

Like I said, homeschooling is not for everyone. Homeschooling is not the only way, but it is the best way for my family, and it may be the best way for yours. Talk about it, research it, pray about it, and decide!

Are you homeschooling this year? What are the reasons you homeschool? What are the reasons you do not?

**Further Homeschooling Helps! :)

Freely Educate

Homeschool Mosaics
Homeschool Creations
The Homeschool Village
Holy Spirit-led Homeschooling
The Encouraging Home

The Newest Method in Preserving Food

WHAT VACUUM SEALING IS

I like to learn new things, but I hate to change. Can anyone else relate? I was exited to learn about the newest method in preserving food--vacuum sealing--and enthralled to discover that I DO NOT HAVE TO CHANGE ANYTHING TO USE IT! Vacuum sealing is the process of removing all of the oxygen from a package to aid in food preservation and can be used in conjunction with any other method of food preservation, thus making the other methods better! As you can see, with the use of this method, I am simply bettering my techniques--not necessarily changing them!

WHAT VACUUM SEALING IS NOT

Arriving home from a shopping trip late one night, I did a quick search of my grocery bags for the cold items. I needed to get all of the freezer and refrigerator items where they belonged before I laid down  for the long task of nursing my screaming baby. Satisfied I had gotten it all, I retired to my bedroom where I fed Rebekka and, almost immediately, fell asleep. 

The next morning,  much to my chagrin, I found that I had left a package of Polish Sausage setting in an unexplored bag of pantry items. Would it be okay to keep it? Would it still be safe to eat? After all, it was vacuum sealed... That has to count for something... Right? Wrong! I did a Google search, which is my fall-back for everything. I quickly learned what vacuum sealing is not.

Vacuum sealing is not a preservation technique in and of itself. Any food that is vacuum sealed must be dried or pickled beforehand or frozen or refrigerated afterwards. Vacuum sealing does keep the oxygen out, which kills the bacteria responsible for making food appear slimy and smell spoiled, but it does not kill the bacteria responsible for deadly food poisoning! In fact, this bacteria grows faster in vacuum-sealed foods that are not stored properly since it does not have to fight with other bacteria to thrive. Since this food can be harboring food poisoning, yet smell and appear to be "good", vacuum-sealed foods can be dangerous to someone who is ignorant about how to properly store them!

Just to recap: If a food needs to be refrigerated before it is vacuum sealed, a food must be kept refrigerated after it is vacuum sealed--maybe even more so. Due to the rapid growth of bacteria that causes food poisoning, vacuum-sealed food should not be left out for any longer than a total time of two hours!

WHAT CAN I VACUUM SEAL?

You can vacuum seal just about anything, making the shelf life of any food three to five times longer! Vacuum sealing food before freezing it prevents freezer burn by keeping the freezer's dry air from touching the meat or produce you are freezing. Dehydrated foods last longer when they are vacuum sealed, since they cannot absorb moisture from the air. Vacuum sealing foods you are planning to refrigerate keeps the moisture in and the bacteria that causes rancid tastes and smells out!

Steaks or roasts, which can normally be frozen for up to six months, have a (freezer) shelf life of two to three years! Softer berries will normally last in the refrigerator for one to three days, but, if they are vacuum sealed, they will last one week, and firm berries will last two weeks! When vacuum sealed, cookies and crackers will last three to six weeks, flour, sugar, and rice will last one to two years, and nuts will last two years!

HOW DO I VACUUM SEAL?

**As with the use of any equipment, follow the instructions carefully for your particular product and brand!

Before beginning, thoroughly wash your hands and all surfaces that will be used. If you are vacuum sealing a powdered food, place it in another bag and place that bag inside the bag to be vacuum sealed so your powdered food does not get sucked out of the bag along with the air. For foods with sharp edges, it is best to wrap them in a paper towel before vacuum sealing them to keep the sharp edges from puncturing the sides of the bag. Pre-freeze liquids, meats, and prepared food before vacuum sealing them.

You can vacuum seal food without a vacuum sealer, although the bags used would not be as thick or sturdy. There is a quick and easy method for vacuum sealing ziplock bags on this website. This can be done easily and quickly. Place the food in a ziplock bag, and close it until there is only a small opening. Place this ziplock inside a larger ziplock, and close it around a small vacuum cleaner hose atatchment or cheap Handheld Vacuum Sealer. When all the air is sucked out, press the seal of the inside bag shut, and *voila!* You have vacuum-sealed food!

When using a vacuum sealer, measure and cut the bag (bags for a vacuum sealer are actually one long bag). Seal one end of the bag, and place the food to be vacuum sealed inside. Place the open end of the bag back into the vacuum sealer, shut the machine, and turn it on! The machine does all the work! Simple!

There are also Vacuum-Sealing Food-Storage Containers that you can purchased to be used with your sealer. It is possible to use a vacuum sealer to seal glass jars as well. These are more beneficial for storing crushable items, such as potato chips or crackers in. See your manual for information of these.

**REMEMBER TO STORE YOUR VACUUM-SEALED FOOD APPROPRIATELY!

For the Love of Vacuum Sealing,

Nishoni Harvey,

Author of "The Fanatics"

The Ancient Way of Food Preservation: Dehydration

Miss Ingrid had bought a "new" Kirby from a yard sale and needed to learn how to use it and its attachments. I wanted to learn how to dehydrate foods, but I needed a food dehydrator. My husband had sold Kirbys for a while and knew all the information Miss Ingrid needed, and Miss Ingrid had a five-tray food dehydrator she was not using since she had bought a bigger model. The swap was quickly made, and thus started my love-affair with dehydrating foods.

Dehydrating preserves food by exposing the food to heat and air, which forces the moisture out of the food and carries the vapors emitted during the drying process away from it. Bacteria and mold needs water to survive, so drying produce or meat, whether by using the sun, wind, an electric dehydrator, or the oven, is a safe, effective way of preserving food! It can be used in conjunction with most other methods of food preservation that we have studied as well!

THE HISTORY

Dehydrating food as a means of preservation has been used for centuries. Fishing settlements used the open air to dry fish. The Chinese dried tea leaves, and the Egyptians dried out their grains for storing, as in Joseph's day. The Native Americans dried fruit, meats, and vegetables by means of the wind and sun. The French dehydrated their food and are credited with creating the the first food dehydrator. People from all around the globe have used this means of food preservation since ancient times and still use it today. The Italians still bring us sun-dried tomatoes. Our jerky is dehydrated meat. We have sun-dried raisins from California, and the list goes on. Dehydrating always has been, and still is, beneficial, since it removes the water for storing, but leaves all the flavor and nutrients behind for our enjoyment.

                                      SUN AND WIND

You can set certain fruits and vegetables out in direct sunlight on windy day to dehydrate, providing the temperature outside is 85 degrees or higher and the humidity level is low, but to insure proper dehydration when using this method, I would recommend building a solar dehydrator. There are two  that I found blueprints for. One is a quick and easy and would take a few hours and about $10 to build. It is made with cardboard and plastic wrap and can be found here. The other is a more hard core dehydrator, which will take more time and effort to build, but will last longer. Blueprints for this one can be found here.

OVEN DRYING

Although I do not recommend this method, it is possible to use your oven to dry foods. Ovens do provide a moisture-free, warm area to dehydrate in, but since they take more energy to heat due to their size, and since they take longer to dehydrate food since they do not have a fan to move the air, it is not a very economical way to dry food. It is also an unsafe method if you have small children or pets.

If you decide to use this method, set your oven to 140 degrees, prop the door open about two to six inches, and set a fan at the open oven door to aid in circulation. Place the food you intend to dehydrate in a single layer on a cookie sheet or tray that is smaller, both by length and width, than the oven racks and place them inside. The drying times will vary depending on the food you are drying and the thickness of each piece.

HOMEMADE DEHYDRATOR

Yes, I said a homemade dehydrator. I personally would not use one of these. I would be so worried about burning my house down or it not working correctly that all I would get done is worrying! However, if you are adventurous or if you want to do a REALLY COOL SCIENCE EXPERIMENT, this might be fun to make. It seems simple enough. They can be made from cardboard boxes, aluminum foil, a light bulb, a light socket, and an electrical chord. For step by step instructions on how to build one , visit this website. This particular dehydrator is made with 2X2s, plywood, and nails, so it is a little bit more durable, but I am still iffy on the safety of it.

ELECTRIC DEHYDRATOR

NOW, WE ARE TALKING MY LANGUAGE! There are many different brands and sizes of dehydrators out there to fit any number of needs. I could not find the specific dehydrator I use, but one similar to mine is the Deni 7100 Food Dehydrator. I only require a small one, since most of my food gets preserved through canning and freezing. There are larger dehydrators, like the LEM Products 10 Tray Food Dehydrator. If you need to dehydrate more food at one time, I would recommend a larger dehydrator to make the job quicker and easier.



THE PROCESS



Any fruits, vegetables, and most meats can be dried. Select foods that are ripe, as those that have naturally ripened dry the best. You also want your produce to be in excellent condition. If they do happen to have any spots or bruising, remove those before you begin drying. Any meats, herbs, or flowers should also be of high quality to insure good results.

Clean your produce carefully. Use a vegetable brush and running water to be certain all the dirt and bacteria has been removed from the outside of the food. If any is remaining, it can be pushed down into the fruit or vegetable when you slice it.

You can peel the fruits if you wish, but it is not necessary. Leaving the skin on will add to the drying time, but the skin is a highly nutritious part of the fruit. To peel, or not to peel... that is the question. This can only be determined by your personal preference.

Be sure to cuts the foods in each batch all the same size so that you do not have some of them dry and crispy while some pieces are still raw. Slices should be about 1/4 of an inch thick for best results. Your foods can be sliced, shredded, or diced. I use a food processor for this step. After the food is cut, quickly place them on the trays to dry to keep spoilage or browning from occurring.

Some fruits and vegetables are best when they are pre-treated prior to being dried. This will help the vegetables retain their color. Blanching helps them retain their color and helps to break down the waxy skins of some fruits. Instead of being blanched, some fruits can be soaked in lemon, orange, lime, or pineapple juice for two minutes, then patted dry immediately before they are placed on the dehydrator trays. Syrup blanching, a process that helps some tree-grown fruits (apples, apricots, nectarines, figs, peaches, plums, and pears) to retain their color and also produces a sweeter tasting, candied fruit can also be used.

       **SYRUP BLANCHING**
       Mix 1 c of sugar, 1 c of white corn syrup, and 2 c of water in a heavy sauce pan. Add 1 1/2
       pounds of cut fruit. Bring to a boil, then remove it from the heat and let stand for 35 minutes.
       DO NOT STIR! Drain, and lightly rinse with water, then place on dehydrator trays.

When placing the food on the trays, do NOT let anything overlap, although they are fine to touch each other. Put all of your dehydrator's trays in place, whether they are being used or not, to utilize air flow, which is important to the drying process. Rotate the trays from top to bottom often while the food is dehydrating to insure even drying.

Drying foods, even the same foods, can take differing amounts of time. The time it takes varies depending on humidity levels, temperature, the number of trays used, what you are drying, and more. For ballpark figures on drying times, see your dehydrator manual.

Fruits will be pliable and leathery, but not hard and tough. When you tear a piece of dried fruit, no moisture should develop. If it does, your fruit is not yet dry enough.

Vegetables are hard and brittle with sharp edges when they are dry. Some foods, like tomatoes, will be more leathery. Beans, corn, and peas are hard and seed-like and will shatter when hit with a hammer. Leafy thin vegetables will be brittle, and larger chunks or slices of vegetables will be leathery when they are dehydrated.


STORAGE AND LABELING


Dehydrated food can be stored in ziplocks, vacuum-sealed, or placed in glass jars. They should be stored in a cool, dry, dark place. They can be frozen or refrigerated to increase shelf life. Do not forget to label the contents!

Most fruits, if properly dried and stored, have a shelf life of up to one year. Vegetables only last six months unless they are frozen as well. Jerked meats can be refrigerated for two to three months or frozen for up to a year. Dried fish can be refrigerated or frozen for up to three months.


A FEW RECIPES

STRAWBERRY LEATHER ROLL-UPS
Puree about 2 c of fresh strawberries. Strain through cheesecloth to remove some of the seeds. Pour onto the fruit roll tray. Spread 1/4" thick. Dry for 8-15 hours. (For variety, you can add apples to the strawberries or sprinkle cinnamon or coconut on the fruit puree after it is on the tray.)

DRIED SOUP MIX
Mix any combination of your favorite dehydrated vegetables with rice or noodles and your favorite meat bullion and place it in an airtight container.

JERKY
Slice your preferred meat into thin strips or slices, cutting across the grain (Cutting it while it is frozen may make it easier.). Mix together 3 c of soy sauce, 1 c of brown sugar, and 1 c of liquid smoke. Let stand for 5 minutes. Add 1-2 pounds of meat, cut into thin strips or slices, and let it marinate for 3 hours or overnight in an airtight container in the fridge. Drain and place on the dehydrator trays to dry. DO NOT OVERLAP! Dry i a dehydrator until it cracks when it is bent, about 8-15 hours. Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks... if it lasts that long...


Happy Drying... and Nibbling!
Nishoni Harvey
Author of The Fanatics