Mom, the laundry room is insanely cold again… can you make more apple chips? This seemingly disjointed request actually makes sense in our ‘under-construction’ home. With tons of DIY remodeling, we have had to cut heaters here and lights there, put up tarps and dust yet another layer off all furniture.

A casualty of remodeling is a very cold laundry/bathroom. No heat reaches this room, and we keep the door closed to trap heat in our main living space. So when we trek down our stairs in the still-dark morning hours to shower, our laundry room is reminiscent of a root cellar.

I accidentally happened upon a solution: dried apples. The story goes: I bought a food dehydrator this past fall. I excitedly plugged it in [right in my kitchen] to dry a batch of apple slices. Everyone complained about the noise. It made a little motor whir, an added white noise to our already noisy lives. My new little pet project---dehydrating fruits and vegetables around the clock---was about to be terminated.

But I was determined to keep preserving slices of apples, cherries, herbs and everything from onions to winter greens. My family agreed to let me keep the noisy little appliance if I moved it out of sight and earshot.

Midwinter, I started drying a batch of sugar cinnamon apple slices ---in the laundry room. Nobody minded. And the next morning, when we once again aimed to brave the chilly room in order to take a hot shower: we were greeted with a warm room and scents of cinnamon. Chalk if up to yet another of life’s little pleasures.

Besides warming us on chilly mornings and offering yummy scents to our noses, apple chips are my favorite go-to snack. They give me the crunch I crave, a smidgen of sweetness and concentrated nutritive value.

How to make Dried Apple Chips:

1. slice up 4-5 apples.
2. toss with some lemon juice
3. sprinkle with a little sugar, cinnamon (or go hog wild and choose your own spices: ginger, allspice, etc.)
4. lay in single layer on [dehydrator] trays
5. dry for 2-3 days