One of my favourite machines in the kitchen is a dehydrator. It is so easy to use and the possibilities are endless! So what is a dehydrator and why should you use one? A dehydrator is a machine that removes the water out of foods at a very low temperature over a long period of time. The dehydration process removes moisture from the food so that bacteria, yeast and mold cannot grow. The added benefit of dehydrating food is that the process minimally effects the nutritional content of food.  In fact, when using an in-home dehydration unit, 3%-5% of the nutritional content is lost compared to the canning method which looses 60%-80% of the nutritional content.  Additionally, vitamins A and C, carbohydrates, fiber, potassium, magnesium, selenium and sodium are not altered or lost in the drying process. In the old days, food was dehydrated naturally in the sun to preserve it and it was than stored for long term use. The end result is a highly nutritious, essentially raw food that tastes great and can be stored long term.  Here is a quick demonstration of how kale chips are made using a dehydrator. 

Makes: 3.5 cups approx
Preparation: 10mns
Total: 10mns

Benefits:
Almond milk is a creamy, nutty-flavored beverage that has been consumed for hundreds of years. It has become a popular staple for those wishing to avoid dairy. I have personally started using it a couple of years ago as a substitute for cow's milk and I'm in love with it. Its full of goodness and lower in fat and calories when compared to Low-fat Cow's milk. 

Ingredients:

1. 3 cups (720 ml) water
2. 1 cup (140 g) raw almonds soaked overnight. You can use almonds with the skin on or off, but I personally find that the taste and consistency is better with the skin off, especially for kids. 
3. Dates or honey to taste (optional but I personally don't sweeten mine)
4. Vanilla bean (optional)

Directions:

1. Soak almonds for at least 12 hours in pure water. This is an important step as it breaks down the phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors and activates beneficial enzymes in the almonds. 
2. Rinse the almonds well and place into your Vitamix or other blender with fresh water.
   
3. Turn machine on and slowly increase speed to high.
   
4. Blend until desired consistency is reached.
5. If you would like to strain away the sediment, do it at this stage by placing a fine mesh sieve or filtration bag over a large bowl. Pour almond milk slowly into sieve and allow to filter through. I use a Vitamix machine which is an extremely powerful Blender designed to grind anything to a smooth pulp, so I don't need to strain.
6. Put the milk back in Blender and sweeten with dates or Honey if desired and flavour with Vanilla bean (optional)
7. Store in refrigerator. Shake well before using.

Tip: Almond milk is high in fiber only if it's not strained. However if you do strain it, save the pulp of the almonds, put on cookie sheet and dehydrate in oven on lowest heat until completely dry. Run through blender or food processor to make almond flour, which can be used in recipes in place of flour.