Today, I am launching a new category in my blog called “A Few of My Favorite Things” where I share my favorite personal cooking products  as well as new items I have tested in the grocery or unique finds for the kitchen, such as today’s post.

Just a little background on me, a few years ago, I started a part-time personal chef business called fresh flavors by frankie.  What started out as part-time hobby turned into a full-time venture and I quickly realized that I would rather focus more of my time doing what I love best…cooking and writing!  Now, I have the best of both worlds as I am a part-time personal chef/nanny for two days a week and a a newbie blogger…my perfect world!

My main focus in my cooking is to use the freshest flavors possible (duh)…hence the name, fresh flavors by frankie. 

In my quest, I constantly can fruits, vegetables, sauces, jellies, pickles..you name it…I can (or freeze) it!  But it wasn’t until my daughter, Ashleigh’s first garden went out of control this summer, did I realize that we needed another way to preserve.  Yes, we canned her vegetables as well as my own this summer, but what we realized we were missing out on is preserving our herbs.  And then came my new favorite thing….The Dehydrator!

Now, don’t be scared when you see this monstrous contraption, it is so easy to use and even better, they come in all different sizes and prices to fit your needs.  We got ours at Williams Sonoma because we had several gift cards but you can find great deals online through Amazon and other online sites.  You will be AMAZED at what you can do with a dehydrator!  (Note:  Kelli and Aaron Barnett – stay off these sites because you are getting one for Christmas!…I’m not spoiling the surprise because you already knew..ha, ha) 

Now, just like my blogging experience, I am definitely still a newbie at dehydration and so far, I have only done a few things but will branch out even more soon.  Here are just a few things Jeff and I have done so far:

Herbs/Spices:  You can’t imagine how fresh the flavor and aroma is compared to the dehydrated spices you buy at the grocery!

Fruits:  Our first fruit dehydration project was apple chips!  We did them plain using Granny Smith apples but there are endless ways to use various fruits and seasonings to create all kinds of culinary delights!

Bottom Line:  You will be so glad to add this product to your kitchen (or laundry room, where mine is…ha, ha).  Not only does it give our family wonderful summer flavors throughout the year, but it also saves us money when we can just dehydrate vegetables or fruits that we won’t use before they go bad!  If you currently, use a dehydrator, I would love you to share some of your recipes here for me to try.  If you don’t have one, this is a MUST for the food lover!  I am Chef Frankie and until next time…”Keep on Preserving”!