Solar Food Dehydrator

I love this photograph.

I don't have much to say about this one. James and Marvel did all of the work. I just sat, watched, and made juice. 

Below are plans for a solar food dehydrator. It is definitely not a permanent fix for all your dehydrating needs, and it will definitely fall apart if you leave it out in the rain, BUT it is good practice for when you build the real thing from wood. 

I bought a window screen for the screen part of the design, and then James tailored the box to fit around the screen. It's the perfect size, slightly larger than a baking sheet, which you can use to put all the veggies/fruits on. You still need to purchase some teflex sheets if you want to make sticky bars or fruit leathers.

The plans are pretty straightfoward. It is all about creating air flow, and trapping heat in the main box with the screen in it. We didn't make a top for our box, instead we use clear wrap so that more sunlight is let in.

For a better look at the plans, and some more information follow this link: http://www.i4at.org/surv/soldehyd.htm

Latest Addition

This picture has nothing to do with what I am posting about. I just had to throw it up here because my cat looks puurrrfect.

I've started a new blog. Don't worry! I'm not going anywhere, just expanding. My days of being completely raw have slowly dwindled down to nada, zip, zero. I started eating raw for a campaign of which I am the coordinator. The campaign is a fun, effective fundraising tool used by the non-profit I work for, At The Crossroads. At The Crossroads is a homeless youth outreach organization. We meet people at their point of need, and work with them to help build healthy and fulfilling lives on their own terms. If you want to learn more about ATC, please take 15 minutes to watch our documentary at www.atthecrossroads.org. 

The idea behind the campaign is that it's like a walk-a-thon, but a bit more interesting. Instead of getting people to sponsor you for walking, you pick any goal you want, and get the people you know to sponsor you by donating to ATC. To learn more about the campaign, visit our website: www.atthecrossroads.org/campaign/ .

For my campaign I chose to consume only raw foods, and as a result this blog was born! While I am not wholly committed to eating only raw, vegan food, I am endlessly grateful for having the opportunity to explore raw veganism, and will continue to produce raw vegan dishes. I am super excited to incorporate what I've learned about living foods into my dietary practice. 

So! keep checking back here for more beautifully crafted raw vegan dishes. Oh, and I'll be posting plans for a solar food dehydrator soon. In the meantime, check out my new blog, Katie Sue's Kitchen at http://katiesueskitchen.blogspot.com .

Blessings!

Strawberry Banana Smoothie

Or is it juice? I am calling it a smoothie because (unfortunately!) I don't own a juicer. When I told my mom I was interested in raw foodism, she told me she had a juicer. I was stoked, and got my g-d father to ship it out to me. When I opened the box I was semi-shocked. My mom had sent me a Vita Mixer from what I thought was 1984, but turned out to be early nineties. I was still excited, and thought 'hey, I can work with this.' I have. And well I would say.

Strawberry Banana Smoothie

Approximately 2 servings

10-12 strawberries

2 bananas

1-2 c. orange juice

1/8 c. ground flax seeds

enough filtered water to cover

Blend until smooth. Cheers!