Homemade Fruit Rollups/Leather

On my journey toward healthier eating, I have become somewhat obsessed with reading labels.  I am especially upset each time I read the label to a product which claims to be "all natural" yet contains High Fructose Corn Syrup as one of the main ingredients.  Just because it is made from corn, doesn't make it good for you.  Now, I know, "sugar is sugar", but HFCS is in almost everything that is pre-packaged.  Here is an article that might be worth your time if you're not convinced: http://drhyman.com/blog/conditions/5-reasons-high-fructose-corn-syrup-will-kill-you/.  The title is a little dramatic, granted, but the information is interesting just the same. 

The point here is that sugar is the main ingredient in many, many foods.  I was reading a fruit snacks box which claimed to be all natural, but listed HFCS as one of the natural foods included.

Ingredients:
Fruit Juice from Concentrate (Apple, Grape), Corn Syrup, Sugar, Applesauce, Gelatin, Citric Acid, Natural Flavors, Acerola Extract, Mineral Oil (Adds a Trivial Amount of Fat), Carnauba Wax. Gluten free.

 

Makes me angry that they are marketing these products to families, moms like me trying to buy healthy snacks for their children.  This product actually has Corn Syrup and Sugar.  When you do find a product that doesn't contain added sugars, it can be very pricey.  So...I try to make my own fruit rollups or fruit leather with my dehydrator. 

First, I need to tell you that they have been field-tested extensively!  My own 7 kids and husband love them.  We have shared them with our friends, with rave reviews.  Some of our friends eat similarly to us and some eat a typical American, pre-packaged diet.  Regardless of their taste for snacks, they all really liked them.

Here is the process:
1. Purchase or make applesauce with little/no added sugar.  I also like to use applesauce with other fruits mixed in like strawberries or peaches (sometimes Aldi carries these specialty sauces).  These mixed applesauces require some blending because they are chunky.

2. My dehydrator came with special sheets that keep the applesauce from dripping through the tray.
 

 

3. Pour the applesauce of your choice onto the tray.

4. Spread it around as evenly as you can.  This will keep the thin parts from becoming too dry while you are trying to dehydrate the thicker parts.

5. Read your dehydrator settings for the temperature and duration for drying fruit.  *In my experience, the mixed sauces take longer to dehydrate as they tend to be thicker.  I have found that turning the sheet upside down part-way through the process (when no longer liquid) will help the sauce to dry out faster. 

6. After the fruit is done, peel it off of the sheet, cut into snack-size pieces and cover them.  I have tried to wrap them in plastic wrap to mimic the store-bought kind, but plastic wrap is not my friend!  I can never get it to work for me.  So, I have found that an airtight container (plastic or glass) keeps them fresh, though they tend to stick together a bit.  Putting wax or parchment paper between the layers of fruit helps with this.

7. My owner's manual for the dehydrator says to refrigerate them.  I have never done this for a couple of reasons.  One, they go fast at our house!  Two, I have found some that had gotten shoved back in the cabinet for a while that were just fine whether they were wrapped in plastic wrap or in a container.  Use your own judgement here.

Hope you enjoy these as much as we do.  Here's to making small, but important, steps to better health!

10 Things I Love About Summer

It may seem a little late for some, but as we head into Fall, I can't help reminiscing about how great our summer was.  So...I have compiled a list of the 10 Things I Love About Summer.

 

10. Staying at the cottage.  We are blessed to have inherited this beautiful place to spend the summer.  We love to be here and to share it with others.

9.  Our kids living in their swimsuits.  They even try to sleep in them!
8.  Having to remind the kids to put on shoes when we leave the cottage.  I have forgotten a few times myself!
7.  Sleeping on a screened-in porch every night.  The weather is perfect, even when it rains.  It's so peaceful to hear the rain as it hits the roof.
6.  Watching our children learn new skills on the water.  This summer they joined the local ski club and participated multiple ski shows.  4 out of 7 of them were in the club this summer.  Next year, we are hoping to add another daughter to the club.  The kids and I are lobbying for my husband to join as well!

5.  Watching our children cheer each other on when they are practicing on the water.  I especially love that our 5 year old (who doesn't ski yet) is giving the others directions!
4.  Seeing the kids get so excited to see that their parents can still ski and wakeboard.  Who says you can't pick it up again?  I have been pregnant or with a tiny baby for several summers.
3.  The doors are open to the cottage all day.  We have redone all the floors so they are waterproof and easy to clean.
2.  Laying on the hammocks.  We picked up 2 new ones this summer during our mission trip to Ecuador.  I love the beautiful colors and how the styles remind us of all our new friends.

(this is actually from last summer, but isn't she cute?!)

1. Sunday afternoon naps to the sounds of the lake.  I love listening to the boats flying by, tubes full of screaming children, birds chattering, ducks quacking, the sounds of swans wings beating against the lake, the tour boat captain as he relays the history of our lake, and the waves as they lap against the island.

As sad as it is to say goodbye to these wonderful experiences, I know we will be back next summer!

So, bring on the gold leaves, sweaters and bonfires!!