Why I chose the Excalibur Dehydrator

I almost got another brand dehydrator but then realized after reading lots of reviews, that it wasn't a better choice. Excalibur has so few unhappy people about their product that it's almost nonexistent. I looked at the Cabela's commercial dehydrator, the Ronco, the generic round ones you can buy anywhere, the Sedona, the Cabela's brand counter top one, and after assessing all each had to offer,and reading so many negative reviews, I have chosen the EXCALIBUR.

They offer 10 year warranty, carry all the parts from their 30+ year old models, will walk you through a repair if something happens, have the greatest reviews all around, require no to very little rotating of the food's dehydrating for even drying, are dependable, and built to be used 24/7.

It came in this huge box very neatly packaged:

Video of me unpacking it:

 They let us pick if we wanted a free jerky seasoning bag, or a Teflon drying sheet and my husband picked the seasoning.

 A side view:

Everyone online recommends it, and mostly all YouTube videos on dehydrators are about praising the Excalibur.

An open front view of the 9 trays:

 My first attempt at fruit leather:

So I have chosen the Excalibur. I don't like the idea of the plastic trays, but they say it's a plastic that is food safe #5. Their choice of nonstick tray liners you can buy are silicone coated, which I'm comfortable with. Their other option is Teflon coated which I'm against. I'd rather pay the $95 or whatever it comes out to, to get the silicone ones. Call me odd if you want -I don't care.
I bought 5: (they are heavy duty and thick and work very well and clean easily)

 My dehydrator didn't come with a timer, but it has a very nice temperature guide right on the machine:

In all, I am very happy with my new dehydrator. It has so far worked exactly as I had imagined. I would recommend it to anyone.

Have fun eating raw!
Trisha

Raw Spaghetti

RAW SPAGHETTI

Well, almost raw. The canned sun dried tomatoes weren't.

Ingredients: raw tomatoes, raw bell pepper, raw garlic, dried-basil, oregano, black pepper, sea salt, and of course canned sun dried tomatoes. All served with homegrown squash "noodles". Recipe called for olive oil, but I left it out. the sun dried tomatoes had olive oil in them.

It actually tastes really wonderful! Better than I expected it to. It has that real taste. Very Delicious. Actually better than canned. And even weirder, I actually don't even miss the pasta! And I LOVE pasta!

I was skeptical that the bell peppers would taste good in there, but they do. And eating it cold, it's actually very refreshing.

Hope you give it a try!
Trisha

Day 22

I decided today was a day I would just eat and see what happened.

So Breakfast: Fruit. Way too much fruit. too acidic first thing in the morning. and  a little chocolate avocado pudding. there is celery in this picture, but I ate only 1 piece. That was enough. I guess I like salads better for breakfast!

Lunch: 2 cookies, some cheezits, baked potato, and rice pilaf.

Supper: chicken wild rice casserole. Some reason it didn't taste as good as I thought it would. I usually love it!

I feel too stuffed full today and am thinking I ate too much heavy foods. Maybe too much dairy. Either way, I feel really full.

I've decided that I am going to eat mostly raw as much as I can from now on, cause I havn't had a headache from it, my hormones seemed to have balanced out on their own, and I'm sleeping beter, and happier.

I will be taking a break from blogging for a few days. I have got to get my house in order so I can finally see it finished. I will start again maybe after the weekened, or sooner.

Day 21

Breakfast: radishes, strawberries, 2 wheat cheesecrisps, 2 bananas, vitamin, lime water.

Snack: some Mango
Lunch: roast beef and baked potato with butter, chocolate avocado pudding (not pictured)

Snack: Banana
Supper: Sonic's popcorn chicken with ranch, and tater tots, and a route 44 slushie which my husband helped me drink.

We went out to eat cause we were going somewhere and I had just gotten home from work.
Wierd how no headache yet. I really wonder what causes them! I'm not sure. But I'm enjoying it!

But, I'm regretting the fried foods with heartburn I havn't had in a while!!!

Day 20: Raw Vegetarian

Breakfast: red leaf, green leaf, and romaine lettuce, 4 radishes, grapefruit, banana, vitamin, water with lime in it.

Lunch: I forgot to take a picture, but I had 2 nectarines, grapes, 2 oranges, strawberries.

Supper: We were heading off to see fireworks, so I ate 2 1/2 cheesecrisps, and I ended up buying 2 vitamin waters at the store so I didn't dehydrate at the park.

Day 19: Very little

Today I ate very little. I'm not sure why.

Breakfast: mango, kiwi, banana, grapefruit, vitamin.

Lunch: 2 small bananas and an apple.
Supper: 2 pieces of pepperoni pizza, some deli meat and fake processed cheese.

That is all I ate today and I didn't even feel very hungry

Day 18

I woke up still partially bloated. Talk about a big bloat! It didn't last all day though thankfully!

Breakfast: 2 grapefruits, 3 radishes, red leaf, green leaf, and romaine lettuce, cucumber, vitamin, water.

Snack: 1/2 of each cute strawberry pictured here from my garden. they were so sweet!

Lunch: baked potato with butter(not pictured), 2 carrots, grapes, cauliflower, tomato, 2 oranges, strawberries. I had time to eat everthing but 1/2 the grapes, the tomato, and cauliflower. I felt full though.

Supper: 1 1/2 slices Pizza, leftover cauliflower, grapes and the tomato from my lunch.

My stomach is back down to it's normal size and I will be avoiding fried foods and certain lettuce for a while. I felt so wonderful after eating grapefruit this morning for some reason! It was so refreshing!

I felt satisfied all day even though I didn't eat any obvious protien!

Day 17:

I woke up so bloated it wasn't funny. I look like I'm 5 months pregnant. I'm not lying. I definately will not be eating fried foods for a while. It could have been the chicken, but I'm not sure as I've been eating lots lately. So I'm leaning towards the fried foods.

I'm going to try eat less today cause I feel so full still.

Breakfast: I'm bloated, and nothing sounds good, and there's not a shred of hunger in me.  so I forgot to eat.

Snack: I forced myself to eat 2 small wheat cheese crisps and a baby banana on the way to work so I wouldn't be hungry. I figured I got my protein for the day. and bloating from the cheese? what's a little more?

Lunch: big bowl mangoes, 2 nectarines, kiwi, and an apple and small banana.

Supper: vegan spagetti, and a bowl of strawberries.

I remained bloated all day, and uncomfortably the size of a 5 month pregnant lady. I'm not kidding! I really wish I knew what caused it!

Day 16:

I made the absolutely most delicious pasta sauce I have ever made from scratch! I was so excited, I had to make pasta right away and eat some! So that was my snack.

Breakfast: 2 leaves each: red, green, and romaine lettuce, celery, 2 grapefruits, tea, water, vitamin

Snack: Vegan Spagetti

Lunch: Large Fruit Salad, steak fries (not pictured). I ate the nuts in this picture for supper.

Supper: Crook neck squash, jicama, walnuts, sunflower seeds, lettuce and chow mein sticks, few pieces chicken (not pictured).

I think I ate too much today because I was so bloated in the evening. Maybe just too much for supper, maybe too much fried foods. Maybe just too much in total.

Day 15

I have figured out I am not going to be able to stay 100% raw if I keep too much cooked food around. I guess I'll be freezing leftovers for my husband, and then I won't have to eat them so they don't go bad. I don't like to waste food.

Breakfast:  3 leaves each: red, green, and romaine lettuce, some mango, peach, nectarine salad, and 1 grapefruit, vitamin, water

Snack: Chicken hotdish, and (4) cinnamon struesel biscuits. (They were good and I found the recipe and I HAD to try them out and....) It's hard to eat just 2 of them. Maybe we'll see if sugar gives me a headache now!

Lunch: 11/2 biscuits

Snack: 3 small baked potatoes with olive oil and salt (not pictured), leftover Chinese food

Supper: Still feeling full from my 3PM snack, I ate bowls of cantelope, watermelon, and jicama, and 1 1/2 biscuits. MMMMMMM

Not a raw day at all, but mostly. Now that the leftovers are gone, I can concentrate on raw.
I've noticed I have more energy when I eat raw than if I don't.

DAY 14: Father's day

Happy Father's day to all the Dads! Especially to mine!

Today since I won't be home for most of the day, I'll be taking a break from raw. I'll try pick the best choices, but being that I'm not home, I will not be making some of the choices. I plan on not starving. maybe I'll eat something that will give me a headache? We'll see. I plan on packing a bucket full of fruit cause I plan on not being backed up either.

I'll start again on Monday.

Day 13: definetely not raw

Breakfast: cantelope, cucumber, chicken hotdish. I wanted something to eat that would fill me up for longer cause my mom was coming to help me out in my garden.

Snack: Watermelon

Lunch: Chinese food, grapes. I was so starving, I ate lots, then had grapes.

Supper: Chinese Food: we we're at my husband's parents house, so we ate what they ate.

no headache, just bloated today, maybe rice?

Day 12

Woke up tired and stayed tired most of the day. I'm thinking meat is too hard to digest. I've also been noticing the last few days that the day(s) after eating meats, you stink when you sweat! Pew! Onion scented B.O. and I mean bad. now I know why I always stank! Pew! I guess I now know if I don't want to stink, I don't eat meat. But I'm so tired today and I can only assume it's from the meat! I just feel like sleeping the whole day!

Breakfast: 2 roma tomatoes, 1 orange, almonds, 2 bananas, vitamin, water

Snack: coconut water, grapefruit, water

Lunch: 2 different recipes chocolate cake in a mug- both equally gross- I won't be making them again, but they solved my chocolate craving. I felt sick after. (and think- 4 Tablespoons canola oil? Oh my. and I ate it all.....)
I'm thinking I'll just chew on cocoa powder next time... (Still feeling queasy an hour after)

Snack: Raw Popcorn (cauliflower, nutritional yeast, cayenne, salt), and peach/apricot salad. I was quite impressed with the popcorn!

Snack: A bowl of Watermelon (I forgot to take a picture- but it was good!)
Supper: a cup of pop, 3 small baked potatoes with extra virgin cold pressed olive oil and sea salt, and chicken casserole (I picked out the chicken and put it in my husband's bowl cause I don't want to be tired tomarrow like today from eating it last night!

In all, a day that started off un-energetic, but as the day went on and I ate more raw, I gained energy.

Still no headache. I give up, but I have learned I like eating mostly raw and vetetarian! It gives me so much energy, and I feel better when I stick to it! I also sleep better!

Day 11

I woke up at 3 in the mornig so thirsty from the pizza. either the breading, or the salt. But it sure tasted good, and no other side effect except the usual dairy ones. I'm wondering if there was sugar in it...

Tonight being family night at work, I have plans to eat the fancy meal they serve. unless it's gross... Because I have to clean the office after, and I have the next 4 days off.

No greens yesterday means:

Breakfast: tomato, coconut, cucumber, 2 green leaf, and 1 kale.

Snack: watermelon, cantelope, pineapple

Lunch: Baked potato with butter and salt, herb rice

Supper:2 small chicken breasts, seasoned fries, greenbean almondine

Snack: Bowl of pecan icecream, 1/2 glass pop.

Today, I was determined to figure out what is causing my headaches... No headache yet...

Day 10!

Holy gassiness!!! Cheese does not agree with me, so for sure, lactose intolerant, or I can't handle dairy at all.
After waking up with no headache, just "other" side effects, I decided to go right ahead and eat tacos being that they have cheese, and beef in them. Now I'll see if I get a headache. I'm hoping it won't take 24 hours for my headache to come from the cheese, because then I'll not know what it came from. I am getting excited to figure out which one is the trigger food and am not giving myself time between the testing times. So I'll have to learn patience and I'll try sugar on Friday.

I'm running out of choices in the produce department, so to the store I go this morning.

Breakfast: Beef Tacos, vitamin, water

 Shopping trip: FRUIT

 VEGETABLES AND ETC...

 The produce I left out on the counter- the rest I refridgerated.

SNACK: 2 grapefruits, orange, some cucumber, water

LUNCH: 2 bananas, tomato, almonds, grapes, carrot, there is an orange in the picture, but I ended up not eating it.

Supper: cheese pizza- I didn't take a picture of it, and we ate it cause we went to home depot last night and got back late and we both didn't eat yet.