"Sun"-dried tomatoes!

For those who do not know, I started eating a raw food diet 3 weeks ago. Which means I don't eat anything cooked or processed. Fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, and grains are all part of my daily diet. I just don't cook them. (Cooked being anything above 105-115 degrees, depending on the raw source!) But, I am learning ways to prepare "placebo" food! Meaning I make mock meals that are super tasty but not cooked. Several of my favorite recipes call for sun-dried tomatoes. Can you see the price? That's right, $6.99 for 3 oz. Even if they don't tax food here, that's still outrageous. But, I buy them b/c I love them and need a change from salads every once in a while.

I noticed that they had a whole box of tomatoes at Hay Market for only $5. But I thought to myself, "even though that's a great deal, I didn't bring my canning supplies. What will I do with all those tomatoes?" So, I left. As I was purchasing the sun-dried tomatoes I had an epiphane,

"I do have a dehydrator, I'll make my own!"

So, I went right back to Hay Market, bought the box of tomatoes, and began my work!

While I was slicing, Lance helped me line the tomatoes on the trays.

(Funny side-note: I told Lance to pose for me, b/c he had already finished lining them up, so he did. After I snapped the picture he said, "mommy, did I do a good job pretending to line up the tomatoes?" Aahh, you've got to love kids! He's so cute!)

Then he salted . . .

And seasoned with Italian Seasoning . . .

Oops!

I opened the wrong hole for him. He shook out a whole pile! Don't worry, we scraped them off. :) All ready to go into the dehydrator! Thanks Lance!
9 full trays and I still have a quarter of the box left!

The remainders made 5 more trays and this is what I have to show for my box now!

So tell me, $7/3 oz. or $5 for this? I sure am glad I have the equipment to do stuff like this! These sure are tasty, and look how much more red they are than store bought!

Seriously, Lance HATES tomatoes! Did I say that loud enough? Even if we hide them in a meal, as soon as the food touches his tongue he spits out the disguised tomato. BUT, he LOVES these. He grabbed a huge handful today and ate them like raisens! What a boy. :) I'm glad that this healthy food tastes so yummy, and so are my kids!

His quote for the day:

"Mommy, I do like tomatoes!"