Grandkids and Vanilla Extract

Strange juxtaposition of topics, but I just have time for one post, and there are two pictures. Here are toys the kids left out. I ought to put the table back out on the merpeset (terrace.) It's already Wednesday. I babysat on Monday and I have to babysit again today. But the house still has signs of the Shabbat visit.



Ahh, vanilla. As you know, I've been mulling over the vanilla problem. My vanilla coffee is almost finished, and I haven't found anything here I want to use. The commercial vanilla extract is mostly brown food coloring. So people suggested that I make my own vanilla extract.

So, on Sunday, I bought some vanilla beans. I was surprised to discover that the "beans" don't look like "beans." But they do have the right smell. Then, yesterday morning I bought the vodka in our local grocery store. You couldn't imagine the amount of people who stopped me in the street as I walked home asking why I had vodka with me. I guess I'm not known as the drinking type.

A bit later, just before I went to Jerusalem, I split the beans and put them in the vodka bottle. Instructions are to leave them for at least a couple of weeks. I guess that by Chanuka, there should be some flavor. But I only bought two beans, so it may take much longer. Two was all they had in the store.

Now to go on with my day.