Sign up for my newsletter and get a copy of my "28 Ways to Slash Your Grocery Budget"

One Hundred Dollars a Month

I am your typical housewife living in high maintenance suburbia. I have a handsome husband, 2 kids and a flock of pet chickens. I try and feed my family with $100 a month. With the help of coupons, gardening and bartering I am able to squeeze the most out of our grocery budget and still manage to have a little fun along the way.

Mavis’ 24 Days of Christmas Giveaways – Day 4

The links in the post below may be affiliate links. Read the full disclosure
By on ·

mavis-butterfield-one-hundred-dollars-a-month

If there is one kitchen appliance I can’t do without it’s my food dehydrator. In the summer months when I have a huge bounty of fresh fruits and vegetables I like to dehydrate everything I can, and store it away for the winter months.

nesco food dehydrator

Dehydrated heirloom tomatoes, apple chips, dried herbs, you name it.  So for our next giveaway one lucky reader will win a Nesco FD-37A American Harvest Food Dehydrator. For your chance to win, leave a comment below and let me know what is the first thing you’d dehydrate if you won.

Just answer that one question and you’re entered to win. Life’s pretty complicated sometimes, so I like to keep things simple around here.

Rules

1 entry per person/ip address. If you cheat, you will totally be disqualified.

This giveaway ends Wednesday, December 4th, 2013 @6 pm PST and the winners will be announced in the Thursday, December 5th, 2013 edition of Mornings with Mavis. You will be notified via email and have 24 hours to claim your prize. If you do not claim your prize within 24 hours, the prize will be forfeited.

Due to shipping costs, this prize can only be shipped to an address in the USA.

Good Luck! I hope you win!

♥ Mavis

You can stay up to date on all this giveaway madness by following OneHundredDollarsAMonth on Facebook, Twitter and Google+!

This post may contain affiliate links. These affiliate links help support this site. For more information, please see my disclosure policy. Thank you for supporting One Hundred Dollars a Month.

Hang out with Mavis & Lucy right in your Inbox!

Comments

  1. The first thing that came to mind was mandarin oranges. YUM!!! Dehydrated mandarin orange segments and thin watermelon slices are incredibly delicious!

  11. My first adventure with the dehydrator would be to make venison jerky from our first hunt of the year. I love to make our own fresh healthy snacks, and have always wanted a dehydrator!

  13. I live in Apple country so it would definitely be Apple’s! they are so versatile fresh or dried!

  21. I’d try making fruit leather in it or the remaining carrots and rutabagas out of the garden for soups.

  23. Meat!!! Make some jerky! 🙂
    Or…hops…I wonder how my home brew hops would react to this and then into my beers…sorry I am a touch different from your other readers… 🙂

  26. Oh my word! My husband has been hankering for a dehydrator for a long time. This maybe his lucky day! Woohoo!!

  37. I was going to say apples, but then I saw someone said bananas, so now I’m thinking bananas.

  49. Hi Mavis!

    That dehydrator looks awesome! The first thing I would dry out would be all the left over fresh cranberries I have from Thanksgiving and use them in salads and side dishes throughout the rest of the year! Thanks!

  51. The first thing I would dehydrate is all sorts of fruit, bananas are a must! I would then promptly dip them in a good quality chocolate!

  53. It’s worth a shot trying although I never win giveaways. Lol

    This will be a cool gift for my friend.

  55. The first thing that came to mind was bananas. One day I’d like to get them right, jut like you buy in the store, not rubbery.

  64. Well, I was thinking apples, but after reading everyone else’s comments I’m thinking pineapple sounds awfully good.

  67. cranberries! we love dried cranberries but they usually sweeten them tooooo much for us.

  69. Jerky for my dogs. I think it would be great to be able to make safe treats for my dogs right in my own home. 🙂

  70. Oh my, so many things come to mind. I think top of the list would be mushrooms and tomatoes.

  73. Mavis – First off, I LOVE your blog! It is my favorite to read. 🙂
    Anyway, I would totally make some jerky if I won. My jerky won 2nd place at Fair last year, I wanna shoot for 1st this time around! 🙂

  75. I would dry apple slices, sprinkled with cinnamon. My dehydrator broke this summer so I could really used a new one.

  80. I’ve never dehydrated anything, I think I’d start with potatoes so I can keep them longer and make my own instant potatoes and slices.

  81. Well, since my current dehydrator was made in 1972 (and doesn’t really work), I think I’d pretend that I’ve never had one and start with something that everyone keeps typing: apples. Then I would slowly move through to the 21st century and do something CRAZY, like turkey jerky. CRAZY!!!

  82. What WOULDN’T I dehydrate? I’ve seen so many amazing recipes that I want to try. I think what I’d like to try most, though, are kale chips. I can’t get them to turn out in the oven, so maybe a dehydrator would do the trick.

  83. I would dehydrate kale. I made my first kale chips in the oven last week but would like to dehydrate them instead. Thank you for the opportunity.

  88. I have been coveting this ever snce I saw your posts this summer. I would do mangoes even though they are out of season!!!!

  89. Probably something simple like pineapple, one of my favorites. But I would live to make my own jerky.

  93. I’d dehydrate sweet potatoes to make my dog Yoda some healthy treats. And not sure what I’d try next…I hope I win-the last one given to me was fully of dehydrated foods that wouldn’t come off!

  96. I would first dehydrate herbs I grow: thyme, rosemary, sage, and some medicinal herbs: nettle leaf and a few more. I want to grow Tulsi/Holy Basil and it would be great to be able to dehydrate herbs and store them for the winter!

  99. Fruit leather for me. I can’t help remembering the Friends episode when Chandler has the psycho roommate who starts dehydrating everything.

  101. Shallots. Definitely shallots. Dried shallots can be pricey but they’re so delicious in sauces, dressings, and spice rubs.

  102. whatever is in my veggie bin. gotta start somewhere. (safe) then move on up to the good stuff. =]

  107. Oh my gosh blueberries and butternut chips! My toddler has an addiction to blueberries and I love squash.

  110. I know it’s not possible with a food dehydrator, but I would love to dehydrate yogurt and make those little melts!! My twins love them but the organic one are so expensive!! And maybe some green beans to season and make my own snaps!

  119. How fun! This is on my Amazon wish list no less. 🙂 I think I would start with apples and then try pineapple. Yum!

  122. I would dehydrate persimmons. Our tree is loaded with them and I need to find a way to preserve them.

  125. Not sure as I already have a big one, but I would gift it to someone in my family that is always wanting me to do the dehydrating for them! 🙂

  130. i would try apples, i am always envious when you post about making the apple chips. i tried to do it in my oven but it was a big mess. i would really like this dehydrator (and it is on my christmas list that i gave my HH)

  132. Fruit!! I would make fruit leathers and them or maybe at the same time banana and apple chips.

  138. Depends on the time of year. I have a strawberry patch and my parents have apple trees. Getting it in the winter, I guess it would have to be store bought, so prob bananas.

  145. The first thing I would dehydrate would be venison. Deer meat is one of my all time favorites to eat. it is stocked up in my freezer now and I am waiting for another deer.

  146. Apples. I have a ton in my basement just waiting to become chips or more pies. Chips would be better for my waistline! 🙂

  149. I love all the ideas, and I love the idea of doing dried tomatoes. Great giveaway. Thanks!

  154. I tried to grow a few veggies here in the desert, but got nothing for my efforts. However, we have a newly-opened dollar store that often has good produce. I would stock up and dehydrate when I hit good sales. Someday I hope to live in a garden climate. Sigh.

  155. At this time of year I love to dehydrate those wonderful pineapples that are in the stores, and bananas to go with them. 🙂

  156. Concentrated turkey stock to make my own bullion for the year. Mine is old and dries uneven if at all.

  158. Apples which are in season! I was planning to build my own solar powered food dehydrator in the spring (search youtube for examples) If I won this one though, it would tie me over for now and I could donate it to a friend later on if I do build one!

  168. First thing would be apples, but this would get a good workout when my fig tree is full of ripe figs!

  174. Apples -I have wanted one of these since reading how you use yours!
    This is fun to see your favorite things! Thanks Mavis

  176. I would make my mom’s famous beef jerky. When I was a kid she would dry it in the oven for hours, made the whole house smell wonderful.

  180. First would be apples because they’re in season, but next summer I’d have so many apricots to dry! And I LOVE dried apricots!

  188. Spaghetti Sauce. You just throw it into your pasta when cooking and it’s done. Perfect for camping!

  194. I think loquat leathers might be the best way to take advantage of the surplus of fruit our tree provides. Although the squirrels and parrots might be dissapointed if I don’t leave them as many this year.

  208. Apples, goose, deer, oranges, bananas, pineapple & whatever else crossed my path that could fit on a tray!!!

  209. I think I would have to make jerky first, since my husband is a butcher, and has always wanted to do that!

  217. Hi Mavis,
    the first thing I would dehydrate would be jerusalem artichokes! super yummy! have you ever tried them? They are super awesome in salads and stuff, I bet they would make yummy chips. They are kinda spendy in fancy grocery stores, but they grow so easily here in washington state. very thrifty, and delicious when you grow them at home. If you’ve never tried them, I highly recommend it. Love your blog!

  220. The first thing I’d do with the new dehydrator is make apple chips with a bit of cinnamon. Yum!

  224. I would definitely tackle dehydrating apples first, but eventually I would love to make my own fruit leather!

  230. I just watched an episode of Good Eats that focused on dehydrating fruits and have dehydrated pineapple on the brain, so that for sure. Probably also peaches, and bananas. I’m imagining a brown sugar-based chocolate chunk cookie with banana chips. And I have this zany idea about experimenting with blackberries, though I’ve never seen dehydrated blackberries available commercially and maybe there’s a reason for that.

  231. Almonds! I just bought some soaked and dehydrated lemon pepper almonds that were delicious and crispier than any roasted almond I’ve ever had. They were far out of my normal budget but since I had a little extra this month, I treated myself. Now I’m hooked! what ever to do?!?! I know….soak and dehydrate my own with this new dehydrator 🙂

  232. Grapes I make all our raisins and my old tired garage sale dehydrator struggles with grapes.

  235. Cranberries! One of the perks of living in New England is the abundance of my favorite tart jewels, cranberries! I love craisins but the store bought ones are often too sweet. I like the natural tarty bitterness of cranberries best.

  239. oh !!! it looks like my comment was entered twice above ….I didn’t mean to , sorry /thanks

  241. I would dehydrate my hot peppers that we grow in the backyard! Then I’d put them in a pepper mill and add to all sorts of dishes. Mmmm!

  247. I want!! I have wanted a dehydrator forever! I would definitely be using it for fruit! I LOVE dried fruit…apples, apricots, bananas…and homemade fruit rollups! YUM!

  256. I would dehydrate all the extra onions I have – almost 50 pounds – so I could make onion powder, dehydrated onions slices (for soups and meals in a jar), and onions flakes. Hopefully it will last me throughout the year!

  257. WOW! What a great give away!

    The first thing that came to mind was dehydrating breadfruit. Here in Hawaii (and throughout much of the Pacific islands), breadfruit is a staple crop for many families. It is a naturally gluten free source of carbohydrates, and a single tree can provide several hundred pounds of food a year. The problem with breadfruit is that it has a very short shelf life of maybe 3-5 days maximum before it spoils.

    I’ve been following the research of the Hawaii Breadfruit Institute, and they have actually found a way to turn the fruit into a flower, via dehydration and grinding. This ground breadfruit could be used to make pancakes, substitute for potatoes/mashed potatoes, made into a porridge, or mixed with flour to make a unique type of bread. The best part of it is that by dehydrating the breadfruit and grinding it into a powder, it extends the shelf life from 3-5 days to 8-10 years.

    Sorry for the long explanation, but I would love to give dehydrated breadfruit a try in the near future, and I think this contest would help me be on my way to making this idea a reality. Thanks for the opportunity!

  258. I first tried dehydrating last summer when we had a bounty of apples (more than 200#) given to me. I made apple everything! But the dried apples, dehydrated in my oven, were the absolute best. I could only make 4 trays at a time and the minute they were done my grandson would consume them leaving just a few for the maker. This is on my Christmas list!

  262. The first thing I would probably dehydrate is make some venison jerky for my husband – he’s been craving it the last two hunting seasons!

  264. Apples, but I want to try jerky and fruit leather and strawberries and pineapple and pears and bananas and herbs, etc.

  286. Banana Chips for sure! But any fruits would be amazing. And also hot peppers to make pepper flakes for pizza. Yum!

  288. Apples would be first on my list. I usually freeze them but I still have a 5 gallon bucket waiting for me and no more room in my freezer!

  291. Cilantro! It’s so expensive to waste so I would dry it so I could always have it on hand & not worry about losing it in the crisper!

    • It’s really easy to grow cilantro now. If you’re in a cold climate, try it indoors in a cooler room. If you’re in a warmer southern climate, just plant the seeds. Cilantro actually bolts when it gets warmer. It can be planted in a pot too. I’d recommend one about 12″ diameter and at least 6″ deep.

      and this is NOT an entry… it’s just sharing my love of gardening.

  293. Probably bananas……but I’d love to try kale!! Love those kale chips!! They are the bomb! And those green beans you buy at Whole Foods – oh my….who knew they could taste so good!

  295. Cranberries! Albertson’s had the fresh Northwest bags on Clearance yesterday for .99 Picked up a couple bags.

  302. I would love to make jerky! My sister has a dehydrator and I envy it – she makes the best dried fruits with it.

  303. I would love a dehydrator! I asked for one for christmas but a little elf told me I didn’t get it! Haha first thing I would do would be fruit leather my kids love to eat them!

  320. My grandma always had jars full of dried peaches and pears on her counter…that’s what I would try first.

  321. aaple chips! Dipped in jello gelatin powder – maybe strawberry!?!? Glazes right up like an apple chip! YUM!

  322. OMGosh, definitely apples. The commercially processed ones have a preservative I’m allergic to, so I’d love to make my own.

  327. Probably apples first, but I’ve always wanted a dehydrator and would take advantage when my blueberries are abundant.

  330. probably the mango slices that I’ve frozen but not sure I’m going to make cold smoothies in sub-zero weather! 🙂

    thanks for the giveaway!

  332. I would dehydrate all different kinds of fruit, especially bananas and apples. Thanks for such awesome giveaways!

  334. I have potatoes that I need to use before they go bad. I would love to use this to dehydrate them.

  335. I have always wanted one of these! The first thing I would try would be Apples and Bananas!

  341. The first thing would probably be bananas, because they are delicious and easy to get! Might try fuyu persimmons too – we’ve been getting bunches from friends, but they might get eaten fresh too quickly to ever make it into the dehydrator! 🙂

  348. That’s easy, I would dehydrate EVERYTHING!
    My mom got me one for my birthday last year and the %$#! thing melted. Yes, it melted. So once again, I am dehydrator-less. Unless…. <3

  350. Apple chips and banana chips! My kids love them but they can be so expensive at the store!

  357. I’d dehydrate some of the apples left from our tree so I can have a Ma Ingalls moment later this winter and make dried apple pie. 🙂

  360. Okay, trying chrome, maybe its IE not letting me comment. I would dehydrate all the extra orange peels we have laying around because we have so many!

  365. I was thinking all along I would dry apples this time of year but then I remembered how much my father in law loves dried pineapples. He supports his love with a proclamation on how good pineapple is for your digestion.

  370. Apples or bananas. I would just be excited to have one to follow the recipes you keep posting to use. 🙂

  379. I would try mushrooms! Did you know they are LOADED with Vitamin D? So good for those of us living in the Pacific NW!

  380. I’d dehydrate all the principe borghese tomatoes from my summer harvest! That would be SO yummy!!! Thank you again for the chance to win 🙂

  384. Elk! My boys have been begging me to make some jerky. When my HH went hunting he went and bought jerky… boy that stuff is spendy in the store.

  400. Beef jerky and chicken jerky for the dogs and that would take care of the trial and error of buying possibly tainted jerky that would kill my babies. After that, I would be into the seasonal fruits, so I could can with them year round.

  401. Carrots!!! I was just given 16 pounds of carrots from a store that was going to pitch them!:(. I walked up and asked if I could have them. Now we have a carrot overload here, so I need to get creative quick!:)

  403. Apples, I would make apple chips!!!
    I ALMOST bought one of these last weekend I want one so bad!

  404. Apples to make chips! I have tried a few times in the oven and I just can’t make it work. This would do the trick.

  412. Apples! My favorite kind are only available for a short time as they’re a softer apple so I would love to be able to stretch that out a bit!

  415. Store-bought Roma tomatoes. I’ve read that when you dehydrate them, their flavor intensifies and they’re delicious.

  422. Bananas! I keep borrowing my Mom’s dehydrator, so I’m sure she would be happy to get hers back!

  426. I’m allergic to almost all fresh fruit. The first fruit I became allergic to was apples.

    So if I was lucky enough to win a dehydrator, I would make myself some apple chips.

  434. tomatoes and cranberries. I’d make my own sun dried tomatoes and craisins! So expensive at the store. But cranberries are on sale this time of year and my garden is still producing tomatoes!

  435. Apples for sure!! But I can think of like a 100 more things. My family would be so stoked. Thank you!

  452. It would have to be oranges! I LOVE oranges and this is the time of year to dehydrate them!

  456. So many fruits .. no dehydrator..
    i’d try strawberries, apples, and bannanas is what i’d start with.

  460. Can you dehydrate pickles? Hmm. Sounds good to me since this baby is keeping me so sick!! But dried salty green beans sound good too!

  465. Mavis, I already have a great dehydrator, but I would love to give this to my daughter. I make jerky. I dehydrator frozen veggies to free up space in my deep freezer. Those dehydrated veggies go with me when I go out of town, which happens a lot, to beef up my cup of noodles. I’ve dehydrated mini marshmallows for use in my instant hot chocolate mix. I love having a dehydrator.

  467. since satsumas are in season i think i would try that. i know i would also do some kale and swiss chard and make a powder to add to smoothies.

  468. Does it make me weird that I might dehydrate cottage cheese first? 😀 Don’t care, it’ll be cottage cheese, then jerky, then fruit! I have this dehydrator on my Amazon wish list, so I would ♥ this. Hope I win!

  469. Sweet Potatoes! An excellent chew treat for our canine friends (and so spendy purchased in the stores).

  470. Apples! plain apples, cinnamon apples, apple fruit leather. It’s just not the same when made in my oven. I currently borrow a dehydrator whenever I can. Would LOVE to have my own.

  483. Pineapple! I have a can of pineapple rings in my pantry that are dying to be dehydrated, never realized you could do that until I read your article!

  485. Strawberries and apples and morel mushrooms. All from our property. Maybe huckleberries too 🙂
    I enjoy reading your blog everyday and Lucy is adorable.

  489. I would definately try to do your recipe for the canned pineapple. And any other fruit I could get my hands on!

  492. Sweet Potatoes. Have been looking at garage sales and Goodwill all year. Haven’t found one yet. Would LOVE this!

  499. Apples of course! We have a local Amish community that I love. They have a local store that’s open daily now instead of waiting for Saturday’s Farmers Market. They have tons of local apples right now. We have loads of applesauce but I’d love to dehydrate apples! My entire family loves them. Oh and bananas, we absolutely love bananas too 🙂 those would be my first go too’s!

  504. My homemade applesauce…what a wonderful snack of homemade goodness to send to school with my little ones!

  512. I would dehydrate my favorite fruits so they last longer – my husband and stepson don’t help me eat what I buy (that includes veggies). Would also like to make fruit leather. I developed food and chemical sensitivities as well as medical issues and cut back on processed foods.

  515. Pineapple!!!! I have one waiting on the countertop right now!!!! I would love one of these but I am on a fixed income and winning one would be such a wonderful Christmas Present not only for me but my whole family. I would love to see the look on my Grandson’s faces when they get to eat fruit leather and those chewy pineapple bites!!!!

  519. I’ve been wanting a dehydrator for a long time but haven’t had the money to buy one. The first thing I would dehydrate is Maringa leaves. It is one of the most health giving trees in the world. I am trying to go natural and this hydrator would be a great first step.

  525. I like to make fruit leather with a twist. After I spread the fruit puree
    I embed sliced fruit in it: such as
    sliced strawberries or banana slices. I have also embedded dried fruit pieces. It adds a little more surprise to the leather.

  533. Tomatoes for sure. I had an abundance of cherry and roma tomatoes this summer and tried to dehydrate in the oven. Took forever and who wants to have the oven on in the middle of the summer.

  539. I would dehydrate the last of my peppers from the garden that are still sitting in my refrigerator! I need to do this before they start to go bad! Please help!!!

  543. Kiwi, strawberries, then sweet potatoes. (I just borrowed my brither’s over Thanksgiving-have to return it at Christmas!)

  545. Bananas! My husbad loves them, and it would be great to take advantage of sales. There’s only so much banana bread one can eat!

  557. I love the dried mangos from Trader Joe’s, so I’d love to try my hand at it in my own home! Thanks for the chance.

  562. I would probably try pineapple first. What a blessing it would be! The kids and I would be drying different fruits and vegetables continuously. Thank you for the opportunity to win! Happy Holidays!

  567. Grapefruit. We have a bunch of grapefruit that we bought to support the local high school band.

  573. Pears. Definitely pears. But those dried cranberries soundx good, too. And i’ve got a LOT of blueberries in the freezer. What a wondeful dilemma that would be!

  578. I would start with apples, then more apples, and then persimmons! You have a fabulous site Mavis!

Mavis Butterfield Etsy