Sponsored by The School of Natural Healing & Christopher Publications

For many of our readers summer is in full bloom and your garden is starting to produce a lot of produce.  This is especially true if you planted zucchini!  This week's article, by Master Herbalist Yvonne Salcido, teaches you how to make an outdoor food dehydrator so you can continue to reap the benefits of your garden into the winter.

Yvonne also shares two of her dehydrator recipes - fruit leather and zucchini chips.

For those waiting to hear the results of the dessert recipe contest we plan to have the winners announced by next Wednesday - we will begin showcasing the recipes on the site and in the newsletter soon.

Until next week - be healthy and happy-

-Dr. Christopher's Herbal Legacy Newsletter

ARTICLE: Gardening Dilemma

RECIPE: Zucchini Chips, Fruit Leather

A HEALTHIER YOU: In the News

If you're like most people who get interested in natural healing next on your journey comes an interest in gardening. Some start there first. However, if you have developed a green thumb there is a serious side effect, what I call the "Gardening Dilemma." In other words, "What am I going to do with all this fresh produce?" You can only eat so much! This is nature's way to help us prepare for the winter. Eating food in season and fresh is best, but what should you do with all of the extra food?

Based on The School of Natural Healing's teachings I'll give you a few ideas I have found helpful.

Drying food at low temperatures (90-105 degrees) is best.  Drying at low temperatures might take a little longer, but then it is like eating fresh produce. It is still rich in live enzymes, vitamins and minerals to keep you healthy all winter.

When I first started to dry foods I made a homemade dryer by nailing some 1 x 2's together that were four feet long. I then got some screen from the hardware store and used flat quilting pins to secure the screen to the boards. I put a screen on the top and the bottom to keep the bugs out. On the top I only secured one edge with push pins so I could open it up to put the food in. I then put the food in and lifted the screen back over to cover it. I placed each end of the dryer on the back of two chairs to keep it off the ground. I then placed it in the shade. Voila, you have a food dryer for less than five bucks.

My neighbor said that she just uses two window screens, one for the top and one for the bottom. That is absolutely cost FREE. It also helps her to remember to clean her windows and screens.

Later I found a great dryer at a garage sale with 12 trays. Now I have an Excalibur Dryer, which is also great to use as an oven for living meals because, guess what? YOU control the temperatures.

Printable Version: http://www.herballegacy.com/Gardening_Dilemma.pdf

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Zucchini Chips

I'm sure you've heard that "necessity is the mother of invention" and that is how most good recipes come about. A large harvest of zucchini inspired this recipe (like you probably don't have enough already). This is a great substitute for potato chips and it is a live food.

Slice zucchini 1/4" thick (wash first)

Soak in water with Nama Shoyu, celtic sea salt, or real salt overnight or four hours, or you can just sprinkle with any of the above to taste.

Dry until crisp

Fruit Leather

I rarely get the fruit leather out of the dryer without kids begging for some. It puts commercial fruit leather to shame. It is fruit packed with nutrition!

Fill blender with your choice of fresh fruit (wash and pit first)

Add 1 T. organic raw honey (a great natural preservative)

Blend

Pour in dryer, you will have to use plastic wrap if dryer doesn't come with solid sheets to make fruit leather.

Pull off plastic and turn to other side when almost dry.

Dry completely

Make sure you seal up the dried produce in ziploc bags or a food sealer. I roll my fruit leather in plastic wrap individually then drop in ziploc bags.  I use ziploc freezer bags because they are thicker plastic.

A HEALTHIER YOU: In the News

This past week's A Healthier You was titled "In the News" and discussed some recent newspaper articles, including cholesterol drugs for 8-year olds, a kidney transplant that was later found to be cancerous, and other items.  The second half of the show David and Fawn took phone calls.

You can listen for free at http://www.ahealthieryouradio.com/recent_show.html

Get a discounted membership to A Healthier You Radio.  You get unlimited access to the site and the archives of A Healthier You for just two dollars for two weeks!  If you choose to continue your membership after that you will pay just $5 a month.  To get this deal, you must visit:

http://www.ahyradio.com/amember/signup.php?price_group=-7

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