Rita,
I'm not too keen on sundried tomatoes myself, wish I did like them.
I have a Nesco cheapy from Walmart, bought years ago.
The only ones on Amazon that are similar seem a bit high for casual use, but
this one. is about $40 with shipping.
You might check around at Walmart, Target, etc., or even craigslist.
When the kids were young I made fruit leather out of applesauce.
I've also used it to finish drying beef/deer jerky after giving it a smoking.
I've dried apples, and bananas too.
The cheaper units have only one setting, and all put out some heat of course.
Good luck if you try one, and thanks for sharing your "secret ingredient" I promise not to tell!