Home Made Vanilla Update

I started my vanilla 2 months ago.

There are various directions online but I chose to

use 4 beans to a quart-size jar.

Points to remember:

3 months = suggested minimum time

Longer time = darker/stronger the flavor

The least expensive vodka you can find

will work just fine.

I ran out of vanilla recently so, with this in the pantry,

I decided to use it even tho it's not quite finished.

It had already started to smell yummy and,

sure enough, it tasted great.

I used to get my vanilla from Mexico but I'm

now sold on this.  Simple, inexpensive, eco-friendly

(much less packaging, esp when you can continue to add

vodka to the beans for up to 1 1/2 years!)

and tastes so, so good.  Try it!

And put home made icecream at the

top of your "to try with my vanilla" list.

Spoiler Alert!

Local friends and family

should stop reading here.

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I said, STOP!

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Last fall I found this packaging idea from WhipperBerry. 

Home Made Vanilla Packaging

(you didn't stop, did you?  You know who you are!)

Isn't it just beautiful?  But the idea

of giving vanilla seemed a little "eh".

[*snort* & *rolling my eyes*  What did I know??].

That was before--now I'm a big believer!

You all know my passion for cooking with REAL

ingredients.  Why wouldn't I share this with others?

I'll be starting vanilla for lots of people's

Christmas gifts in the next month or so.

It should all be rich in flavor by the holidays!

(and I will be wonderfully DONE with so many gifts!  You can be too!)