OK, I did do that pie thing, but since we didn't eat it all it was sort of a waste. It was also a pain in the neck to deal with.
Then I got the insane idea (from a dear friend) that dehydrated apples were the answer. Usually I make dried apples once a year when my parents apple trees are ready for picking. Together the three of us get all the apples prepped. My mom stores her apple slices in the freezer and mine go home with me and into the dehydrator.
Doing this alone and with no kitchen was a bit different.
Still, they did turn out rather well.
Here's how it went.
On Thursday promptly at 6 am the alarm went off. I had been mulling over this dried apple idea for a couple of days. I knew I couldn't do it all alone. So, I told my husband he needed to help me with a hair brained idea. He suggested that this was not the best way to ask for something.
In spite of how I asked, he did agree to help me out. The dehydrator was sitting neatly on the shelf in the garage. However, the worker men had decided that shelf was a really great place to lean sheets of wood siding and a window frame or two. There was no way I could move that stuff alone and get the bulky appliance off the shelf without damaging something. Gamely my husband trooped upstairs at way too early in the morning and helped me collect everything I needed. Off to work he went and off to work I went as well.
Currently my sewing room contains a long folding table along with my computer and other things that do not fit in the office during construction. I cleared off half the table and covered it with a beach towel. I placed another towel on the floor because I was not risking apple juice splatters on the carpet. I grabbed the handy apple peeler slicer gadget, cutting supplies, a bowl of pineapple juice for soaking and I was on my way.
It took a while to work my way through all those apples. Mostly I hoped that I would finish before either the contractor called me upstairs for a question (because I was rather sticky) or before the drywall man came in to patch a hole in my sewing room. I wasn't sure how I would explain my apple project.
At any rate. It was soon time for putting the slices on trays and sprinkling them with cinnamon sugar. This is really rather messy and I was only willing to risk so much in my sewing room. Into the bathroom for phase two.
Only one tray could be done at a time because this is it for counter space. So, as each tray was completed it was carried into the family room and loaded into the dehydrator which was stationed on the fireplace hearth.
About 6 hours later I had a gallon ziplock bag full of dried apple slices and it only took about a zillion dishes and three rooms to do it.
It will really be nice when making something to eat only involves one room.
- - marcella
You're welcome! :)