Thrifty Vanilla Bean Extract

Tiss the season for family, friends, baking and food. And Christmas would just not be the same without some home-made cookies. And cookies would just not be cookies without some good old vanilla! We are using vanilla constantly this time of year and with the price of vanilla as it is now days, I decided to take matters into my own hands.

Orange Juice Container

   As I was talking to my mother, we some how ventured onto the subject of making vanilla extract. What a genius idea! Doing some research into it, I found out how easy it was and how economical it was to make such an extravagant ingredient. Here is the recipe:

Split the Beans Down the Center

3 Vanilla Beans  (split down the center)
1 cup(8oz) Vodka (70-80 proof)

1 Glass Jar with Tight Lid

Add Vodka to Jars

Directions:

1 Use a sharp paring knife to cut lengthwise down each vanilla bean, splitting them in half, and leaving an inch at the end connected.
2 Put vanilla beans in a glass jar or bottle with a tight fitting lid (I used a cute little orange juice jar). Cover completely with the vodka.
3 Give the bottle a good shake every once in a while. Store in a dark, cool place for 2 months or longer.
This stuff will lasts for years.  As you use it, keep refilling with vodka every once in a while, just remember to give it a good shake.

Trader Joe's Vanilla Beans $2.49

   But wait there is more! If you have any left over vanilla beans, stick them into a jar of white granulated sugar. This is a great way to add an awesome vanilla flavor to your baking...a double whammy! 






I found the vanilla beans at Trader Joe's, they were super cheap. They were being sold 2 for $2.49. Since the recipe called for three beans I broke down the prices for everything. If you are unfortunate enough not to have a Trader Joe's in your neck of the woods, here is a website that has some beans for sale.

                                           $1.25(per bean) x 3 beans   = $3.74

    8oz Vodka = $3.38

    Total Price = $7.12

Great Gift Idea

I did a online comparison of prices and I found an 8oz Madagascar Bourbon vanilla extract for $12.99 + shipping! For just one bottle that is a savings of over $5.87! Plus you can keep topping off the bottle you made to keep the supply going! Who would have known that making delicious vanilla extract could be so easy and fun!

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So This is Christmas

"So this is Christmas and what have done?" Ok so maybe this is a song and not a great way to start a blog. But really, how has your Christmas been. For me it has gone very fast! I am still working at the garden center, and really love it. I promise I haven't forgotten about you all. I was, for a moment, going to delete my blog; but then I showed it to a friend and thought I should still keep it. The people who are there are so real and I love it! It has been a little slower than in the spring, but surprisingly busier. We have been making wreaths, baskets, and grave-blankets. I really enjoy making them, and am very good at it. Mine are usually the first ones to be sold. There are pictures of some of the ones that I made. Sam and I work together quite frequently. We work very well together, and have lots of fun acting silly and singing Christmas songs. Sam and I are planting bulbs for forcing (without our bosses knowledge.)...shhhh don't tell. I will post something on them when I get a chance.

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My New Career Adveture

I know that it has been a long time since I have updated the blog. This past quarter threw me for a loop! I am now just getting back on tract! But I did get all A's in my classes! Yay for me. This quarter is so much easier than last (anything would be easier in comparison.). Its a good thing too. Why, you may ask. Because, i got a new job. Not just any new job! A new job at a garden center. It is a really awesome place too. I kinda float around, either at the register or in the green house. I like it this way, because I can still experience life in the greenhouse with the plants, but also with the customers. A good medium for me. Plus I get a discount! I like the sound of that. They have me working a lot here, I don't mind though. Since school isn't so hard, it gives me a chance to get some extra cash so that I can pay for the next couple of quarters. I also get the chance to rescue plants that would end up in the trash, bring them back to life, and plant them in my yard! Fun. So that is where I stand. I am actually writing this at school (shows you how much extra time I have), and all I can think about is going outside to be in my yard...I need to get pics before all the tulips are done blooming.

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Valentine's Day 2010

Yesterday was Valentine's Day. A day of Love and Romance. Since there is no one special in my life. My sister and I decided to do something for my parents.

1. Make a Romantic dinner for two
2. and Leave the House!!!

Mom and Sister #3 went out shopping, just for some fun, so Sister #3 picked up a great olive baguette along with some really tasty olive spread. I forgot the name of the spread. For supper, it was just something really simple. Well it didn't turn out simple. Normally I would consider myself a good cook. Not as good as my mom, but better than most. Who would have guessed that this meal would have presented so many roadblocks. The menu was this...
Spaghetti Squash, with mushroom marinara, chocolate vanilla pudding with heart shaped raspberries, micro green salad, and the yummy baguette.

Normally I cook spaghetti squash in the oven, but Mom said that you could cook it in the pressure cooker. Let's just say that we served them spinach linguine instead. =) That was only the first problem. We wouldn't let them see anything, so they were downstairs watching a movie. I am sure they must have thought that I was destroying the kitchen. I kept dropping everything, I mean everything! The last problem that had to be overcome with cunning and sly personality, which was almost not enough, was the pudding.... *Doom and Gloom music plays in the Background* We thought it would be really fun to make the two different flavors in a swirling type look. You know, Alternating between vanilla and chocolate. The first bowl was a flop. The 2nd ... I got the brilliant idea that the puddings should be in icing bags. I would turn the bowl while sister#3 would squeeze the bags. It didn't work. Puddings was shot everywhere except the bowl. But, it was fun to lick off our fingers! We left shortly after plating.

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On cold days like these, when the snow is falling all around you, its nice to cuddle up in a chair with a book and a nice hot cup of tea! This past summer I had the wonderful opportunity to make my own tea blend. All the ingredients in this blend were grown by me. At the farm, we grew Chamomile, Calendula, Feverfew, Peppermint, and Clover. But we never used any of these blooms for anything. They were only used for looking at. Why, I have no idea! I decided, to make my own brew, and Mmmm Doggy, it's good. These are the pics of this wonderful tea, it is so good that I decided to plant most of these flowering herbs in my garden this year. You will see in my previous post, that they are indeed in the plans. If you so desire, you can do the same. All of these herbs are beautiful in your flowerbeds and landscape; but if you spray your flowerbeds, plant it with the veggies instead. I mean really, does anyone want all those chemicals in their tea, I don't think so. Then when your plants bloom just snip off the flowers. This is good for your plants and premoted them to produce more buds!

Here are the ingredients:

• 3 parts Calendula Blossoms
  
• 3 parts Red Clover Blossoms
• 2 parts Peppermint leaves
• 1 part Chamomile Blossoms
  
• 1 part Feverfew Blossoms

Hope you get the chance to try this. It's really tasty!

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Garden plan 2010

I don't know about you, but I am extremely excited about this new year of veggies and flowers. After my recent internship on the 150 acre organic farm, I have looked into being more adventurous and trying some not-so-common home veggies. Everyone grows and harvests the traditional mix of vegetables and herbs; such as tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, zucchini, basil and the like. I on the other hand want to reach out into the plethora of vegetables and herbs that most home gardeners never get the chance to do.

Here is a list of what I will be growing in 2010;
Basil, Beets, Carrots, Turnips, Zucchini, Yellow Squash, Acorn and Butternut Squash, Tomatoes, Peppers, Oca (not to be confused with Okra), Lettuce, Radishes, Turnips, Garlic, Celeriac, Leeks, Calendula, Chamomile, Fennel, Cucumbers, Nasturtium, Cauliflower, Cilantro, Parsley, Swiss Chard, Kale, and Sun Flowers.

I quickly made a outline of what the garden will look like and we will hope that I got it right. I will go out later and make sure that I have all the measurement correct.

Next post on: Oca (New Zealand Yam)

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Well my midterms are over!!! This is not a completely true statement, I actually have 5 midterms, 3 finals, an essay, and many, many, more quizzes. But on the bright side, my first 2 midterms are done and over with, so I can take a few seconds to breath and release the stress of school by looking into my garden of 2010!

I have been constanly thinking about my new garden for 2010. i am so excited, as I am sure you are. More excited about it. currently, than my new chickens. No I don't have the chickens yet but I know they are still mine!

I don't have the chickens yet, but I do have my memories of all the goodies that I grew last Spring, and boy are they tantalizing! Most of them I will be growing this year, some I won't. Not because I don't like them, but simply because I don't have any room! I expanded the garden more this year (I will post about that in the near future). It added a substantial amount of space, but definitely not enough! With gardening, enough just isn't enough! One of the veggies that will not be making an appearance this year, is Kohlrabi. While I really enjoy this vegetable, I know I will be able to always buy it at the Farmers' Markets. I sure, however, that next year it will be walking down the red carpet!

Last year, the Radishes that were grown at the house, did not turn out due to the ants eating them... I have no idea why our ants like them so, but if you have any suggestions, by all means post them below~ Though the ones at the farm, were beautiful, those radishes are the ones in the picture!

And will you look at the lettuce that we grew at the farm.... WOW, eye popping wow. Its was so green, tender, and crisp! mmmmmm

The Broccoli was really nice, and hardly any worms in it. I think it was because we got it planted so early, that the butterflies weren't out that soon.

I don't know about you, but here soon I will be starting my seeds... I am very excited about this. Last year, I started them in my room, but this year I will be starting them in the green house at the farm! They should turn out very nice, due to all the sunlight!

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