Paleo Veggie Chips!

It's official! I received my first birthday present for 2012. While my 27th birthday isn't for another 27 days (ironic?), I was thrilled to come back from a work trip and unwrap this exciting gift. Thanks to Ryan, I am now a proud owner of an Excalibur 2400 Food Dehydrator (yes, every little girl's dream). It sort of looks like a hardcore VCR/8-track from the 80s, but in reality, it is a magic machine that will now allow me to make my own dried mango, grass-fed jerky, veggie chips, and more! I was dying to try it out, so for the first recipe, I tried some simple zucchini and summer squash "chips". They took less than 10 minutes to prep, and when I came back from crossfit and peaked inside the machine, I couldn't stop laughing because the chips were TINY. The pictures at the bottom show the size of the chips, and that plate of chips is a small salad plate and has the entire batch that was created from a whole zucchini and squash (excluding any I may have tasted along the way...). These tiny little midget chips were adorable and delicious, and now I will almost certainly need to buy a mandolin. I am known to be quite clumsy, so mandolins scare me (a lot), but I think it is essential for becoming a dehydrating queen. By the way, if you think calling myself a dehydrating queen is lame, you are probably right, but it isn't going to stop me!

 Ingredients:
- 1 zucchini
- 1 summer squash
- splash of olive oil
- Sea salt, pepper, garlic powder, & dried herbs of choice

Instructions:
1. Wash veggies, and slice with food processor or (carefully) with a mandolin
2. Put veggies in a ziploc bag or a bowl to mix, and add olive oil and spices
3. Mix thoroughly and then arrange on the dehydration trays
4. Cook at 130 degrees for 4-6 hours depending on thickness
5. Eat them all! Note: this step doesn't last long since the chips belong in a miniature dollhouse...

  

  

P.S. That zucchini ring is not a wannabe wedding ring; it is just strategically placed to see the size/scale of the chips! However, this does make me wonder about making a new line of jewelry to be sold at farmers markets across the country...