National Apricot Day - January 9th

Apricots are a healthy fruit and a great source of beta carotene (an anti-oxidant), vitamin C, iron, potassium, and fiber. Just three apricots can provide 30% of the daily recommended amount of beta carotene. After eaten, an apricot's beta carotene is converted to Vitamin A . Vitamin A helps protect our eyes and keeps skin, hair, gums and various glands healthy. Further, studies have shown that Vitamin A helps fight infections by helping maintain strong immune systems.

Enjoy apricots raw or dry them for later enjoyment or use in recipes. Apricots are an easy fruit to dehydrate in a food dehydrator. Simply halve or quarter the fruit, remove the pit and place on the drying racks. Apricots are also an excellent fruit to use when making fruit leather. Celebrate National Apricot Day. Eat more apricots.

December 21 Is Kiwi Fruit Day - Dry Kiwis In A Food Dehydrator

How to dry kiwis in a food dehydrator:

• Peel the kiwis and cut them crosswise into slices about 1/4 inch thick.
• To prevent the kiwis from browning, during the drying process, dip the sliced kiwis in lemon or lime juice or ascorbic acid.
• Place the kiwis on the food dehydrator's drying racks and dry for 8 to 10 hours at 130 degrees Fahrenheit.
• When done, the slices should feel dry and leathery.

Kiwi is a great nutritional fruit. Kiwi is low in calories, high in energy and an excellent source of antioxidants. A kiwi can deliver:

• Vitamin C, Each serving of kiwi has nearly two and a half times the recommended daily allowance of vitamin C.
• Practically no fat, kiwi has only .4 grams of fat per fruit serving.
• Fiber, two kiwi contain more fiber than a bowl of bran cereal.
• Potassium, a serving of kiwi has more potassium than a banana.
• Antioxidants, kiwi is an excellent source of antioxidants.

National Cocoa Day - December 12

December 12th is National Cocoa day. Cocoa is the dried seed of the cacao tree and is a main ingredient in chocolate. Chocolate is made by roasting cocoa seeds and then grinding and mixing the cocoa seed's insides with butter and sugar.

Cocoa and chocolate, especially dark chocolate, contain high levels of flavonoids which have been shown to have beneficial cardiovascular effects. In particular, some studies have found links between dark chocolate consumption and benefits in LDL cholesterol levels.

Celebrate National Cocoa day by making chocolate banana fruit leather in a food dehydrator:

- Puree 4 bananas, 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder and 1 tablespoon of sugar.
- Spread the pureed mixture on a fruit leather sheet, or on parchment paper, on a dehydrator's drying rack until it is about 1/4 inch thick throughout.
- Dry at 130 degrees Fahrenheit for up to 10 hours.
- Dry until no moisture is evident. You can flip the fruit leather over three quarters of the way through the drying process.