Back to work

Sigh!

I am back from my wonderful vacation. After a relaxing Sunday of doing not a lot of anything, it is back to work tomorrow.

I had such a great time visiting my family that I cannot wait to go back and have decided I will NEVER wait 18 months to go back again. I am already planning to go back in the Spring. I am frugal, but it is just cheap to not go visit my family more often.

Having a wonderful time. Wish you were here.

I am having the most wonderfully, relaxing vacation! I have spent the time visiting with the family, eating Mom's delicious cooking and communing with nature. I wish you could all feel this relaxed.

Since my dad only has dial up internet, I have not gotten on-line until today. I forgot how slow dialup can be. We need to find him some high speed access!

I will post some pics soon!

Hope everyone is having a great week!

X-rayed and patted down

I am sitting at the airport at almost 6am. I was X-rayed and patted down for the first time ever. But it was not bad at all. And though the agent said she would be touching sensitive areas, not a single girly part was harrassed.

Off to board my plane!

Hitting the road....errr, air...

in 2 days. I am so excited! I am finally going to visit my family in Tennessee. Usually I go in the Spring, but just kept putting it off. Who knows why. I love going...I guess I just kept thinking I needed to get more work done. I finally figured out that it will never get done. So, it will just have to wait while I go have some fun with my family. And relax.....a lot.

I ordered more vanilla beans

After reading some more, I found that according to the FDA, "real" vanilla extract takes 6 beans per cup of alcohol. So, I ordered some more vanilla beans. I got 16 for $10.07 at Amazon. Here is the link for anyone that wants it:

16 Vanilla Beans

I will add them and some more vodka to what is brewing. After all, I do want REAL vanilla extract. (Though, vanilla flavored vodka wouldn't be too bad.)

Here is the link for what I bought before. 7 beans, but the price is now $7.76. That is still a good price.

7 Vanilla Beans

Making vanilla extract

I did it! I have my vanilla extract brewing. As promised to a couple of people, I thought I would share my making of it.

I started with 7 vanilla beans I bought off of Amazon for only $6, a pint of vodka and a quart size canning jar.

Then I cut each of the vanilla beans in half and split them most of the way. I did not scrape out the guts

Then I put the cut up vanilla beans in the jar.

I pretended to take a swig. I didn't want to gross anyone out by actually drinking from the bottle that I was going to pour into the vanilla beans.

I poured the vodka over the vanilla beans, put on the lid and shook it up.

Now it is living in a dark part of the pantry for the next couple of months. I will take it out and shake it up a few times a week.

I will update you on how it comes along.

No groceries for you!

That is what the Lord said to me today.

I went to Kroger to buy some groceries. Not a lot of stuff, as there were not any outstanding deals, but we needed some milk and produce and a few other items.  There were some black clouds in the area, but we had some yesterday and not a drop of rain at my house. Big fake rain clouds! I was hoping they would drop a little rain and hoped to dance through it after grocery shopping. Yes, it has been that long since we had rain that I was hoping to get wet.

As it always happens, when I get to the store, I find a few more items that I need. LOL! So, I had about a 1/2 cart load and moseyed up to the checkout. I got into the line with a guy who had just unloaded his not too full cart, so figured I would be out of there pretty quickly.

Not so fast, little lady! While the checker was scanning the man's items it started thundering and lightning. Then there was a loud crack! And the power went out!

No big deal. We all know stores get back on line pretty quick.

Well, not today. The staff was so great and came to each checkout letting everyone know that the managers were on the phones...I guess cell phones since the land lines weren't working....with Corporate trying to get everything back up.

Some people started leaving. I am pretty patient, so I waited....and waited...and waited......

45 minutes later, they still didn't know when the registers would be back up. So I came home.

No groceries for me today. Hubby will have to go to the store this week. He won't mind, so it is not so bad.

What do you want from the liquor store?

Isn't that the call that every woman wants to get at work? LOL! Hubby called me yesterday and asked that. No, we are not going on a drinking binge. He kindly offered to go to the liquor store to get some vodka for my new foray into making vanilla extract.

We may have to taste the vodka to make sure it is okay. :-)

I will be sure and take some pics and post my vanilla making.

I need to drink more...

or maybe bake more.

A few weeks ago, I used up the last of a large bottle of vanilla extract that I have had for several years. I was not too upset, as I had a second one. I don’t even remember where I found them, but I got 2 large bottles…we are talking a pint in a half I think. I am just guessing now. But they were large ones. I don’t remember where I got them, but I was somewhere and the store had some marked down merchandise. These bottles of pure vanilla extract were marked down I guess because the labels got wet. I didn’t care, They were still sealed, so I got them.

It was the best vanilla extract I have ever used, and I used it a lot.

So, last Sunday, I was making French Toast and opened the “new” bottle of vanilla. Mmmmm….it smelled so delicious! Then I stuck my finger in for a taste. Ugh! I told Hubby is had gone bad and threw it away. Fortunately, I had a tiny bottle of clear vanilla extract that I had bought for white frosting, so I used that in the French Toast batter.

I was now in need of vanilla. For a long time, I have wanted to make vanilla extract, just to see if I could, so I started researching for instructions. Imagine how lame I felt when I read that vanilla extract always tastes like alcohol. Duh!! I don’t guess I have tasted it straight in a long time.

I called Hubby to tell him how silly I had been to toss a perfectly good bottle of vanilla and he laughed and told me not to think anymore.

So, I am not going to.

Though I do plan to make some vanilla. I ordered vanilla beans today from Amazon.com. I have some GC credit from surveys, so it didn't cost me anything. I will head to the liquor store this weekend. (And try to only buy vodka.)