Okay, rest time is over!

Time to jump back on that homesteading train.  Onward we go to homemade goodness.

So here is the fun make-at-home project I mentioned yesterday.  It honestly could not be any easier.  I gifted these for Christmas this year and it was a hit!  At least, that's the front everyone put on.  I suppose they could have internally thought it was an ridiculously silly gift, but lucky for me, they were far too kind to say anything.  And that's what I love about my family.

It's inexpensive…it's simple…it's a necessity for all kitchens…it's….

Super Homemade Vanilla Extract

Disclaimer:  Please do not think I am a loser for how easy this is. 

Step One:  Find a bottle that has a cork (or other means of sealing itself).

Step Two:  Slice a vanilla bean lengthwise, right through it's belly.  Mountain Rose Herbs has a great price on vanilla beans here.  Don't do what I did and procrastinate, because then you must buy vanilla beans from the health food store and they are expensive.  As in like $2 a piece.  Yikes.  Do yourself a favor and order them in bulk from Mountain Rose Herbs – you will find a million uses for them once you have them.

Step Three:  Insert the vanilla bean into the bottle (I cut them in half) and top off with your choice of vodka.  That's right people, vodka. 

(Scrap all the goodness from the scissors into the bottle as well! 

We want all of it.  We're greedy like that.)

(This was hard!  Don't spill…that would just be tragic.

But you are probably more coordinated than I.)

Step Four:  Let the bottles sit for 8 weeks to cure.  You will notice the vodka slowly begins to turn a beautiful shade of brown.  Yum.

Step Five:  Try to keep yourself from smelling you hands all afternoon.  DELICIOUS.  As I have previously stated, I believe if God had a smell, he would smell like vanilla beans.

The great part is, too, that once the bottle is half empty, you can top it off again with more vodka.  That's a bottle and a half of vanilla extract from one vanilla bean!  Gotta love that.

Can you believe how easy that was?  I shouldn't have even posted instructions.  I could have just said “Put a vanilla bean in a bottle and fill it with vodka!”  However, I need to sound like I know what I'm doing or no one will visit my homestead.  Breaking the process into steps makes me sound smarter.  Don't ya think?  No?  Hmm…

I packaged my bottles with tissue paper, leftover yarn, and our tags (with instructions on the inside).  I think this would even make a cute birthday present (maybe paired with a tasty dessert cookbook or a bag of specialty flour?)  Oh, the delicious possibilities!  

Cool people everyone are cringing.

Cool or not, specialty flours and homemade vanilla extract make me giddy.

And that's cheap entertainment. 

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