This summer my sister and her family moved away. 9 years ago she and her husband (Who happens to be my husband’s college roommate) moved to the town where I live with their 6 month old daughter. The night she moved was her 30th B-Day (December 22nd) and it was pouring rain…not much of a birthday, but I was super excited that they moved down here.
Our children were able to spend their early childhoods with their cousins and my oldest niece was like a sibling to my son before he finally got his true sibling when we adopted our daughter. My sister’s oldest is now 9 years old and this summer they decided as a family to embark on a great adventure…They are now living in the mountains near every type of activity they love (hiking, mountain biking, fishing, skiing, camping, etc.). I get amazing photos texted to me, but I still miss them tremendously.
I eat granola almost every day. The latest batch of granola (click here for the recipe I use) was made with raisins I made from the overflowing grape vines in the backyard of my sister’s old house. After my sister moved and before her new tenants moved in, I went over the her house and harvested buckets and buckets of grapes to bring home and make raisins with. Now whenever I eat the granola I made with “their” raisins I think of my sister, brother-in-law, 3 awesome nieces, and hilarious nephew.
Making raisins is so easy! Simply wash the grapes, remove them from the vine, place them on your dehydrator tray, turn it on, and wait until they are as dry as you’d like them to be. My raisins took about 24 hours to dehydrate.
I had so much fun making the raisins. My kids and I made raisins from many different kinds of grapes and all of them were good for different reasons…some were super sweet, some were sweet and sour, some were big, some were small. I am looking forward to trying to make my own dried cranberries as they come into season.
And remember, you don’t have to have a dehydrator to make raisins…all you need is good old sunshine or your oven turned as low as possible.