Mmmm… gingerbread.   These are so good, and so good for you, that you can eat several without fear of blowing any diet.  They keep you regular.  They’re practically a supplement – loaded with omega 3 fatty acids, fiber, iron, and, with the addition of orange peel, vitamin C.

3 cups flax seeds

1/2 cup molasses

1/2 cup raw honey

2 tablespoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground ginger, or 1/2 inch chunk of fresh ginger, grated

1 teaspoon vanilla

rind of 1/2 organic orange, including the pith, grated

Soak the flax seeds in water for about 7 hours, then add the other ingredients.  I use my Vitamix to grind everything together, including the flax seeds, but you can easily mix it all by hand and leave the flax seeds whole.  Once it’s combined, spread it about 1/4 to 3/8 inch thick on teflex dehydrator sheets and dehydrate at 105 degrees.  Flip the squares onto mesh sheets when one side is dry enough that it doesn’t stick to the mesh (about 4 hours), and continue drying for about 4 more hours or until dry and leathery, but not crisp.  In my 9-tray Excalibur dehydrator, this recipe fills about 4 trays.  I cut each sheet of flax squares into 16 3″ squares.   Store in a sealed container in the pantry for up to 1 week, or refrigerate or freeze much longer.