SPINACH, WALNUT SUN DRIED TOMATO PESTO SPREAD

 

 

 

I am all about zesty, flavorful food.  This pesto spread really delivers with bursts of sun dried tomatoes and lemon.  My mouth is watering just thinking about it!  It's Friday night so, let's do this!

 

 

SPINACH, WALNUT SUN DRIED TOMATO PESTO SPREAD

 

3/4 cup sun dried tomatoes

3/4 cup raw walnuts

1-1/2 cup spinach

1-2 cloves of garlic

Juice of 1/2 to 1 lemon

Pealed and sliced pieces persian cucumbers

Fresh basil for garnish

 

Put all the ingredients into a food processor and process until combined well.  I don't like to process it too much, leaving this mixture a little chunky.  Use your desired amount of garlic and lemon juice.  The more you use the zestier it will be, so I'll leave that up to you...  Placed a small scoup of the pesto mixture on top of pealed and sliced persian cucumbers and top with a piece of fresh basil.  It's so fresh and flavorful! 

 

Enjoy!

 

 

Join the discussion!

Do you have a favorite pesto recipe? We'd love to hear what if is.  Feel free to share it in the comments below.  Links are welcome!

 





WATERMELON POMENGRANATE SMOOTHIE

 



I drink a lot of green smoothies everyday.  Almost everyday... so sometimes I like to branch out and try something different.  I love the light pink color of this smoothie - so delicate and fresh.

WATERMELON POMEGRANATE SMOOTHIE

1 cup almond or coconut milk
1/2 - 1 frozen banana
1/2 cup frozen watermelon (the sweeter and more ripe the better)
3 tablespoons pomegranate seeds

Blend all the ingredients together in a high speed blender and enjoy.  I don't like my smoothies too sweet, but if you'd like to add some more sweetness to this, you can use Stevia, raw honey or raw agave.  The sweetness of your smoothie will depend on how sweet your watermelon is too.

Enjoy!

Join the discussion!
Do you have a favorite smoothie recipe? We'd love to hear what if is. . Feel free to share in the comments below. Links are welcome!

PICKLED JALEPENOS

 

 

 

Over here in Southern California, you will find Latin food a big part of our culture and the food scene.  It truly is a melting pot here and its one of the things I love about living in Los Angeles.  If you are looking for a certain ethnic food restaurant, you will find it.  Mexican food is a big part of our culture here too and my husband and I love the spiciness of it.  At my local Trader  Joes, they sell an 8oz pack of Jalepenos for $0.99 each.  Wow!  So, I thought I would try pickling my own.

I like this recipe because you don't cook the Jalepenos.  They came out nice, crisp and fresh tasting.  Here's the recipe...

PICKLED JALEPENOS

16 oz fresh jalepenos sliced
2 tablespoons maple syrup
8 bay leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons thyme
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 cups apple cider vinegar
6 cloves garlic chopped
2 tablespoons whole peppercorns
1/2 cup water

Mix all the ingredients in an airtight jar and let it marinate for 24 hours or longer.  The taste is firey but zesty!  We really love these!  Enjoy!





Check out the benefits of jalepenos from Nutritiona and You:

Chillies contain health benefiting alkaloid compound, capsaicin, which gives them strong spicy pungent character. Tolerance level of peppers including jalapeno peppers may have wide individual variations. Wherever feasible, they should be consumed in moderation to avoid any untoward experiences. Nonetheless, they packed with impressive list of phto-chemical compounds that are known to have disease preventing and health promoting properties.

Capsaicin has been found to have anti-bacterial, anti-carcinogenic, analgesic, and anti-diabetic properties, at least in some early laboratory studies on experimental mammals. It also found to reduce LDL cholesterol levels in obese individuals.

Fresh jalapeno peppers are rich source of vitamin-C. Ripe fruits have more of this vitamin than raw greens. 100 g provide about 118.6 mcg or about 198% of RDA. Vitamin C is a potent water-soluble antioxidant. It is required for the collagen synthesis in the body. Collagen is the main structural protein in the body required for maintaining the integrity of blood vessels, skin, organs, and bones. Regular consumption of foods rich in vitamin C helps body protect from scurvy; develop resistance against infectious agents (boosts immunity) and scavenge harmful, pro-inflammatory free radicals fro the body. helps remove harmful free radicals from the body.

Besides, they contain other valuable antioxidants such as vitamin A, and flvonoids like beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, and cryptoxanthins. These antioxidant substances in capsicum helps to protect body from injurious effects of free radicals generated during stress, diseases conditions.

Jalapeno chillies contain more pyridoxine, vitamin E, vitamin K than other variety of peppers. Vitamin K increases bone mass by promoting osteotrophic activity in the bones. It also has beneficial effect in Alzheimer's disease patients by limiting neuronal damage in their brain.

SIMPLE GREEN SMOOTHIES

 

 

 

 

SIMPLE GREEN SMOOTHIES

 

I am so excited for our friends over at Simple Green Smoothies!  These gals are amazing!! With thousands of followers on Instagram, they are now bringing the best smoothie recipes to you through their new website.  Click HERE to check out their new home which is www.simplegreensmoothies.com.  I can't wait to see what else they come up with!  Go Jadah & Jenn!!

 



 



RAW ENERGY BAR WITH DATES AND APRICOTS

 

 

I really wish these bars would last longer when I make them.  Seriously,  they seem to disappear so quickly and probably so because I love giving these to friends to try.  So far, my first energy bar post has been the most popular.  You can find that recipe HERE. 

 

What I love about this recipe is that you can literally use any of your favorite nuts, dried fruits or even oatmeal and switch the recipe up to keep it interesting.  And this recipe is what we like to call super simple.

 



 

Here's the recipe...

 

RAW ENERGY BARS WITH DATE AND APRICOTS

Ingredients:

 

16 oz pitted dates
1 cup dried apricots

3/4 cup pepitas

3/4 cup cashews

1/4 cup macadamia nuts - optional
3 table spoons chia seeds

 

Note: You can also add 1/2 cup dried shredded coconut, which I think I am going to do next time.

Blend the dates and the apricots in the food processor until blended. It will be very, very sticky. Transfer it into a blow and then mix in all the other ingredients. Wet your hands slightly and knead and fold the ingredients togehter by hand. It will be tough but if you knead and fold it will eventually all be mixed togeher.

Tip, don't put in too many dry ingredients, it will make it more difficult to fold, mold and stick together.

Press the ball of ingredients into a wax paper lined 9" x 13" baking pan. Chill for 1 hour in the freezer and then cut into bars. I like to store these in the refrigerator, it keeps them at a nice firm consistency.

Voila!  I know you will love these and make them as much as I do.

Join the discussion!

Do you have a favorite energy or granola bar recipe? We would love to hear what it is! Share it in the comments below. Links are welcome.

 



APPLE BUTTER

 

 

Who doesn't like a sweet treat at 3 o'clock in the afternoon?  I know I do especially when I am at work grinding away at the computer.  It's so easy to go to the store and pick up your favorite sweet spread too.  Trader Joes has a so many fabulous treats to try but why not try making your own.  This recipe is so easy you'll wonder why you never tried it before.  This came out so deliciously yummy, you have to try it.  I adapted my recipe from Oh She Glows... I love this recipe.

 

You can use tart or sweet apples or mix them together.  I used sweet.  Also, you can make small or big batches.  So here's what I did:

 

APPLE BUTTER

Ingredients and directions

 

Wash and core 5 apples and chop them up in big chucks.  Place into your slow cooker and cook on high for 4 hours.  You can add a little apple juice to it to help prevent it from sticking.  Stir it a few times throught the cooking time to prevent sticking as well.

 



 

After the 4 hours, turn off the slow cooker and mash the apples up with spatual or spoon with the peels on.  At this point they should be soft enough.  It will look like apple sauce.  Let it cool slightly and pour it into a high speed blender and blend until smooth.  You want to make sure you blend in the peels too until it is smooth, so you may have to do it in two batches depending on how much you are making.  It will look like really smooth apple sauce.

 

Blender

 

Back into the slow cooker...

 

There's one last step.  Put the mixture back into the slow cooker and cook on high for 45-75 minutes.  Turn off the heat and add in 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and juice from 1/2 a lemon.  Let it cool and store in the regrigerator in an airtight container.  The apple butter will thicken up a little in the frig over night.  Makes about 3 cups.

 



 

Put the apple butter in glass jars and they become great gifts for friends! 

 

Serving ideas:

I love pairing this up with almond butter and eating it with my favorite bread or even topping this on my favorite oatmeal.  Here I topped it on some oatmeal that I mixed with almonds and craberries.  Delicious!

 

 

Enjoy!

 

Join the discussion!

Do you have a favorite recipe apple butter?  How do you eat your apple butter? Share it in the comments below. Links are welcome.

 

 



RAW: DATE PASTE + A SNACK WITH APPLES & MACADAMIA NUTS

 

 

 

What I love about the recipes we share on A Simply Raw Life is that they are, for the most part, simple and easy to make.  We hope this makes it just that much easier for you to take that next step to adding more plant based and non processed foods into your diet.    If you are new to eating a plant based diet, raw foods, or even vegan, we hope that you enjoy these easy recipes.  Please feel free to email me or post a note as to what kind of recipes you would like to see on the blog and I will do my best to work those in.  What I have found is that I have not lost taste or satisfaction in the foods I eat after making this transition.  There are so many flavors and tastes to enjoy!

 

Here's a really quick basic recipe that can be an easy staple to keep in your refrigerator.   If you like my fig jam recipe, or you keep other sweet spreads in your refrigerator, this is a perfect natural addition.  If you are trying to eat more raw and unprocessed foods, why not make your own spread or sweet treat at home?  Spread it on fruit, toast, or crackers.   Here's how to make it and also a simple snack I made using it.

 

 

 

This recipe yields roughly 2 cups of Date Paste. If you think this may be too much then you can freeze half of the batch, or just make a half batch.

DATE PASTE

 

INGREDIENTS:

40 medjood dates, soaked in warm water until your dates are soft and tender.

2 table spoons of water.

Soak the dates in warm water until they are soft and tender and drain.  Remove the seeds by hand.  Put all the dates in a food processor with 2 table spoons of water and blend until smooth.  Depending on how large your food processor is, you may need to stop processing in intervals to scrape down the sides to remove it all  and process some more.  Don't be discouraged.  It's worth it.

Puree your Dates until they have become a thick whipped and creamy texture. Place your date paste in an air tight container and store in the fridge or freezer.

 

So easy!

I cut up some apples, spread on some of the date paste and sprinkled it with some chopped macadamia nuts.  Super delicious.



Bon Appetit!



 

Helpful Hint:

 

You can make your Date Paste in bulk. It will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer. Store your Date Paste in a ziplock baggy, laying it flat in your freezer. Freezing it flat will enable you to break off a small or large piece as you need it. This is a great way to get your kitchen raw food ready. The more advanced preparation and planning you do, the better you will eat.

Check out the health benefits from eating dates HERE.

 

Enjoy!!

 

 



RAW: CRANBERRY MAPLE GRANOLA

 

 

 

Who doesn't like home made granola?  My friend Britney makes a fabulous vegan version. So delicious!  She is fabulous at making desserts, snacks and smoothies!  But since I am trying to add as much raw cuisine into my diet as I can, I had to try Matthew Kenney's Cranberry Maple "Grawnola" from his Raw Food Real World cook book.  Let me just say that it's so good that did not last long at all in our house.  I need to make another batch right away. 

 



 

You can eat this as a stand alone snack, as a ceral or in your favorite yogurt. So delicious.  It does take a little preparation, but it's so worth the effort.  Here's the recipe...

 

CRANBERRY MAPLE GRANOLA

 

INGREDIENTS:

 

1 apple, cored and chopped

1-1/2 cups dates, soaked in warm water until soft and pitted

1/2 cup maple syrup

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons orange zest

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 cup sun flower seeds, soaked 2 hours or more

2 cups almonds, soaked 4 hours or more

3 cups pecans, soaked 2 hours or more

1 cup pumpkin seeds, soaked 2 hours or more

1-1/2 cups dried cranberries

 

In a food processor, place the apple, dates, maple syrup, lemon juice, orange zest, vanilla, cinnamon, salt and 1/4 cup of the sunflower seeds and process until completely smooth.  Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl.

 

Add the remaining 1/4 cup sunflower seeds, the almonds, pecans, and pumpkin seeds into the food processor (no need to rinse between uses).  Coarsely chop the nuts and seeds in a few quick pulses.  Add them to the bowl with the apple mixture, add the cranberries and combine well.

 

Spread the granola onto your lined dehydrator tray and dehydrate at 115 degrees for 6 to 8 hours.  Flip the granola over onto the dehydrator screen removing that lined tray and deydrate for another 8 to 12 hours or until the granola is crunchy.  Cool and store in an airtight container.  Storing it in the refrigerator will help maintain its freshness longer, for up to a few weeks.

 

Enjoy!

 

 



 

 

 

Here's my soaking pic from Instagram (I apologize for the quality - a little blurry but you get the idea)...

 

 

 

 

 

RAW: BLONDIE WITH MACADAMIA + DATES

 

 

I am always looking for a super easy natural desserts or snack recipes to make for my family.  I use to be really into Larabars.  So, if you like those, you will definitely like this - maybe even more.  I tested these out with my coworkers and friends and it was unanimous!  So gooey delicious!  It has a little richness from the macadamia nuts and the sweetness is mild, that's what I like about it. 

 

 

 

 

 

I adapted my recipe from Amber Shea Crawley of Almost Vegan Chef's 5 Minute Blondies... Her recipe was for an individual size portion. I recently saw  the full recipe on Health Blender Recipes.  It looked so easy and good that I had to try it.   Thank you both!  So delicious!  Here's my adaptation.  I took out the sugar and added more dates and a splash of maple syrup.

 

INGREDIENTS:

 

1 cup raw macadmia nuts

1 cup raw pecans

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 tablespoon mable syrup or agave

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup organic shredded coconut

15 dates, pitted

 

Combine the macadamia nuts, pecans in a food processor and pulse until the mixture is coursely ground.  Add the vanilla, maple syrup, salt and coconut and pulse several more times until combined.  Add the dates 5 at a time, pulsing between additions, until each date is well incorporated.  The mixture will be sticky.  Transfer the mixture into a 9x13 backing sheet lined with parchment paper.  Press the mixture into the pan with your fingers or a spatula to pack it down tightly.  Freeze the blondies for an hour.  Now its ready to cut and serve.  Store blondies in an airtight container in the refrigerator. 

 

Enjoy!

 



 

 

 

 



SIMPLE GRANOLA WITH PECANS

Simple Granola with Pecans

Written by contibutor Britney Manuel of Btanjerine and A Simply Raw Life.

 



Have you ever had homemade granola?  It is undeniably... amazing!  It’s one of those things that once you have it homemade, buying it is no longer an option.  When my mom first made it I was addicted, and started making it weekly often quadrupling the recipe.  I wanted to try to change some of the components to make it a tad bit healthier though, and much to my pleasure, it tastes...well... better.  I substituted coconut oil for vegetable oil, and i think it gave the granola a richer flavor, with the light hint of coconut.  Then I also used raw honey.  So here is the link to the original recipe from Everyday Foods Magazine.

The following is my rendition of this favorite of mine.

The Components

SIMPLE GRANOLA WITH PECANS

THE SUPPLIES

1/3 cup coconut oil

1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar

1/2 cup raw honey

1 tbsp pure vanilla extract

3/4 tspn ground cinnamon

1/2 tspn fine salt 

3 c. rolled oats (make sure not to use 1 min quick oats)

2 c. chopped pecans & walnuts (optional)

PROCESS

Preheat oven to 300 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  In a large bowl, combine coconut oil, sugar, honey, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt.  Add rolled oats, and chopped nuts; stir to combine.  Spoon mixture onto sheet.  Bake 15 minutes, and use a spatula to turn over the granola.  Bake another 15 minutes until mixture is golden brown. (Don’t cook it any longer if you like it chewy like I do, if not cook a few minutes more for a crispier texture).

You can add any dried fruits, coconut, or nuts that suit your fancy.  Cranberries, raisins, chocolate chips, coconut. (Store in an airtight container up to 3 weeks)

Makes about 3 pints

**NOTE: I usually make a big batch trippling it and sometimes quadrupling it.  I love to give it as gifts, and I don’t like to run out very fast.  It is also important to use fine salt.  I tried using a thicker salt and the salt was too pronounced.  I was also was researching brown sugar being vegan and came across this article. 

Ready to be baked

Fresh baked granola! I wish you could smell it!

And this granola makes a great gift

The perfect breakfast, Granola with Sliced Bananas and Banana Milk 

CRUNCH CRUNCH CRUNCH!!!

OVERNIGHT OATMEAL







 

 

 

I have been seeing a lot of mason jar recipes on Pinterest and on my favorite food blogs lately.  However, I really fell in love with this recipe and concept.  I try to eat mostly raw, but at times I crave something real breakfast-y if you know what I mean.  This is perfect because you don't cook the oatmeal.  I couldn't find raw oats (groats) so this time I just used organic rolled oaks.  This dish came out just perfect.  I had to pack our breakfast this past weekend and what a cute way to pack a meal.

 

 

My husband doesn't like walnuts, so I put raw sliced almonds and raspberries in his.

 

 

 

I tried raw walnuts and raspberries in mine.  Just delicious.  I added in a tablespoon of chia seeds that are packed with protein.  One tablespoon will give you 3 grams of protein, 6 grams of fiber, and 2.9 grams of omega-3 fatty acids.  

 

Oatmeal has great benefits as well.  Some of you may ask if eating uncooked oatmeal is healthy.  Check out the benefits of oatmeal cooked or uncooked HERE.  Whether cooked or uncooked, oats have high nutritional value and approximately 310 to 390 calories per 100 g serving. This serving size delivers 9 to 11 g of fiber and 13 to 17 g of protein. Oats are also a good source of polyunsaturated fat and monounsaturated fat, which are healthy for the heart. Although they don't pack a powerful punch in terms of vitamins, they are high in several minerals, including calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium and manganese. The soluble fiber in oats helps to eliminate cholesterol and lower blood pressure, and the insoluble fiber helps keep your digestive tract healthy and efficient. The beta-glucan in oatmeal can also help regulate blood sugar, and the lignans can protect the body against cancer.

 

 



 

I got these jars from Ikea.  These SLOM jars with lid are only $2.99.  What I also love about this recipe is that there are no set rules.  You can use any kind of milk you like, use your favorite berries, dried fruit or nuts.  Such a great little recipe! 

 

OVERNIGHT OATMEAL

 

1/2 cups oats

1 tablespoon chia seeds

3/4 cup almond or coconut milk

2 tablespoons dried cranberries

1 table spoon shredded coconut

1 tablespoon raw almonds or walnuts

fresh fruit

 

Mix the first five ingredients in the mason jar.  Cover and refrigerate overnight or at least 5 hours.  Top with the nuts and fruit in the morning and enjoy!

I have also done versions with figs, no dried fruit, with dates.  They have all been really good.  Just choose your favorite combination!

 

Bon appetit!

 

 

 

Oh, and here's my Instagram shot of eating this the other day on the run.  It was the perfect breakfast.

 

 

 

 

 



FIG JAM AND VEGAN FLAT BREAD

 

 

 

 

 

If you follow me on Instagram, you could probably tell I was on a fig roll yesterday morning.  I picked up these lovely babies at my local Trader Joe's and went crazy.  They were perfectly ripe when I bought them.  I was so excited!

 

 

I ate them a few different ways yesterday and I will include some instagram pics below.  But since they were already ripe, I didn't want the figs to go bad.  So, I made a fig jam with half of the basket.  And really, it was super easy because they were already so sweet. 

 

FIG JAM 

 

For this recipe, be sure that they are ripe so you don't have to add any sweetener to it.  Wash the figs thoroughly and cut off the stems.  Cut in half and put into the food processor and pulse thoroughly.  That's it!!   This is sooo good!

 

 

I also made a vegan flat bread which we have been eating with our salads and the jam.  Super easy to  make.  I used a little corn flour in this recipe so it tastes a little like corn bread and goes well with the jam.

 

FLAT BREAD

 

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 tablespoon brown sugar or agave

1 cup garbanzo bean flour

1 cup corn flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp salt

1/3 cup olive oil

1 cup water

 

In a mixing bowl blend together the dry ingredients.  Add the oil and 1 cup of water.  Knead by hand, adding more water as necessary to form a sticky ball.

 

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and continue to knead until the dough is soft and smooth.  Cover and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes.

 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Dust the dough lightly with flour and divide into two equal portions and roll or shape each portion into a free form round about 1/4" thick.  Place the rounds onto an ungreased baking sheet dusted with cornmeal.  Place baking sheet in the upper third of the oven and bake until crusty brown, about 15 minutes.

 

Cool, cut and serve.

 



 

Here are some of my Instagram pics from yesterday morning with figs.

 

Have a great Sunday!

 

 

 

Manna Bread with Almond Butter and Figs

 

Cultured Coconut Milk "Yogurt" with Figs

 

 

 



RAW: CHOCOLATE BANANA SHAKE

 

 

 

 

Hope everyone's morning is going well!  When I am craving some chocolately goodness, I LOVE making this chocolate shake.  It's simple, but sooo good.  I alway, always try to keep a stash of frozen bananas in the freezer.  When you use frozen bananas in a shake no one can fault it.  It makes any smoothie or shake rich and creamy.  You never know when you want to make some kind of creamy goodness.

 

This recipe serves 2 to 4

 

INGREDIENTS:

 

3 cups frozen bananas

2 cups almond milk or your favorite nut milk

1/4 cup agave nectar (or 2 packets of stevia)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 heaping tablespoons of organic raw cacao powder or carob powder

pinch of sea salt

 

In a blender puree all the ingredients until smooth and creamy.

 

Enjoy!!

 

 

 

 

 

FARM TO TABLE: SUMMER SALSA WITH PEACHES

This salsa was delicious!  My sister gave me some tomatoes and cucumber from her garden the other day.  I was thinking....what can I make with these.  Ah yes, a peach salsa to snack on!  Super easy and so yummy!   Here's a pic from my Instagram of the garden picked veggies from my sister.  She has become quite the gardener.

I really like this version because it's a bit different from the traditional salsa and the peaches add that slight sweetness to make it a fun summer snack.

INGREDIENTS:

3 tomatoes, chopped
1 green heirloom tomato, chopped
1 small cucumber, chopped (I used 1/2 of this one)
1/2 red onion chopped
1/2 bunch cilantro
2 peaches, pitted, peeled and chopped
2 limes, juice of
1 Jalapeno, diced - optional
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Mix all the vegetable and fruit ingredients together in a large bowl.  Squeeze in the lime juice.  Mix in  the olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.  Serve with your favorite chips or crackers and dig in!


Hope your summer is going well!

Enjoy!



Photo taken with iPhone4, plates from Ikea, paper from Michaels

CURRENTLY SNACKING ON... HOME MADE KALE CHIPS

These kale chips came out so good.  I am definitely going to make these again. And its super easy!  What a great healthy snack.   Here's what you need to do...

INGREDIENTS:

1 bunch kale, cut off the bottom stems, they are too chewy once dehydrated.

Olive Oil

Salt 

Cut the kale into chip large chip size pieces.  I just made a few cuts lengthwise.  They do shrink a little, so if you cut them too small, your chips will be small.  Put the pieces of kale in a large bowl and coat with the olive oil.  Try to make sure each piece is coated, but don't drown them.  Lay them out on the dehydrator trays then lightly salt.  Cook them in the dehyrator at 118 degrees for about 12 hours.  And voila!  You have home made kale chips!    Yum!

We all have heard that kale is really good for us.  Here's some nutritional facts I gleaned HERE.

If you are looking for a dehyrator and don't want to spend a lot of money, I got mine HERE.  And here's what it looks like.  To me it works perfectly fine and it's not too big, so I really like it.



I am going to make some beet chips again soon and will be posting pics and the recipe for that too.  Love beet chips!

Talk soon...

Enjoy!

Photo Taken by Felicia with iPhone 4, Kale Chips, Plate from Target, Paper from Michaels, dehyrator from Bed Bath and Beyond