What to do with the Vanilla in Your Kitchen eBook – Members Only!
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There is so much holiday goodness in this post!! These Homemade Healthy Peppermint Patties are making Christmas magical at my house. The fact that not one but three of you can win 5-pounds of incredible, high quality chocolate makes me even happier!
What’s fabulous about these Peppermint Patties is that they act like a treat, but your body will appreciate them as nourishment. Ah, such a win-win. The peppermint truly fills your mouth with Christmas. Oh, and the chocolate. Well, the combination is basic perfection.
Let’s pause a moment to talk about the chocolate in this recipe. You can use any unsweetened cocoa powder you like. But the higher the quality, the better these will taste.
Olive Nation is one of my favorite online resources. I’ve bought my vanilla beans there for years! They recently sent me a huge box of a variety of cocoa powders to work with, and now I am spoiled rotten. Just when I thought chocolate couldn’t get any better, it got even better. These cocoa powders are super fine, super rich, and super flavorful. Not all chocolate is created equal. These cocoa powders rise above the rest. The stuff in a can at the store DOES NOT compare. Just look through all the varieties they offer!
Their prices are super reasonable for the quality. (Plus when you use the code home they give HeavenlyHomemakers readers a 20% discount, so that seals the deal!) Go grab your cocoa, and sign up to win some below too!
And now for the recipe. Stay tuned for the giveaway…
Olive Nation is giving THREE of you this amazing cocoa package:
by Laura 3 Comments
This Orange Glazed Poppyseed Quick Bread will shock you, especially when you see that it is made with whole wheat flour. How can something made with whole wheat be so moist? Ahh, let me tell you athe secrets.
First, I believe a huge factor in making this bread delicious while baking with whole grain is that I use freshly ground soft white wheat. There is a big difference in wheat flour ground from hard red berries (which makes heavy, dark whole wheat flour), wheat flour ground from hard white berries (which makes lighter whole wheat flour), and wheat flour ground from soft white berries (which becomes a light pastry flour – still whole wheat!).
Read more details about these varieties of wheat here. I use hard and soft white wheat berries, depending on what I’m baking. (Hard wheat must be used in recipes that call for yeast.) For recipes like this Orange Glazed Poppyseed Quick Bread, I use soft wheat berries. The pastry flour this makes is so light it seems like I’m using all-purpose white flour. But it’s whole grain – and full of nutrients!
Beyond the kind of flour used in this recipe, I believe the Orange Glaze is what gives this bread an extra measure of moistness! Mix a little orange juice with honey, add almond and vanilla extract, and this glaze is incredible!
And speaking of almond extract, I’m going to make this ingredient the MVP of this Poppyseed Bread recipe. Wow, does the almond extra take this bread from a one-star to a five! This, from a girl who loves vanilla extract. Sorry, vanilla. It’s almond that wins the prize this time. :)
I guess it’s clear that while this is a Poppyseed Quick Bread recipe, poppy seeds aren’t the ingredient that gets my attention. Those are important too, but whole wheat pastry flour, orange glaze, and almond extract are the key to making this recipe absolutely amazing!!
By the way, I love doubling this recipe and freezing extra loaves to pull out and serve another time. This bread doesn’t get dry in the freezer and thaws to be a perfect convenience food!
Some of these links are my affiliate links.
by Laura 7 Comments
Do you have stinky shoes at your house? If so, today I shall become your new best friend as I reveal my fabulous (but weird) secret to getting the stink out of shoes.
You can be very sure that my methods work as I am, most definitely, an expert on shoe stink. Is my profound wisdom on the matter a result of time spent doing extensive research on the subject? No. In fact, my expertise comes from living with five male, adult-sized athletes. We have four pairs of basketball shoes plus ten pairs of soccer shoes (because, of course, they all need both indoor and outdoor varieties).
The stink here is real, folks. Anyone who opens our front closet does so at their own risk, as the stench of 28 athletic shoes rises up inside in a thick, green cloud that makes a person wonder if a dead animal lies therein.
We tried airing the shoes outside, stuffing newspaper inside them to draw out the smell, and used multiple commercial products that promise great results.
And yet, the stink remained. The tears rolled down our faces. We thought we might have to move out of our house, but of course, the shoes would move with us, so then what would we do?
See? I told you we tried the “stuff newspapers inside” method.
It works. Sort of.
Not to worry. There’s a simple remedy for shoe stink and you are about to be amazed!
I should warn you that as excited as I am that my shoe stink removal methods work so fabulously, my grandma would likely shake her head in dismay were she alive to read this article. “Surely there is another way, Laura,” she might say. But I would say no. I’ve tried all the other ways and nothing else works as well as this.
So ladies and gentlemen, I’m afraid it’s time to buy some vodka. Yes, this is what it’s come down to.
Vodka just so happens to be a magic ingredient in Grandma’s baking vanilla extract, a fact of which I’m sure she was blissfully unaware. And, as my husband and I have recently discovered, it also works fabulously, mixed with tea tree oil, at immediately killing the stink in shoes.
This fabulous discovery became known to us on a day we had finally had enough. The shoe stink has somehow risen to a new level. There were no words.
My husband did a quick online search to find that simply spraying a mixture of vodka and tea tree oil into the offending shoes would immediately remove the stink. Could it be?
Well, I always have a bottle of vodka on hand so that I can make batches of Homemade Vanilla. So we quickly got out our vanilla-making vodka and poured it into a spray bottle. We added some tea tree oil from our collection of essential oils. We sprayed the mixture into a pair of shoes.
Miracle of miracles. The shoes immediately smelled fresh. I’m talking, you can put your face right down into the shoe, live to tell about it, and even come up smiling.
I double dog dare you to try this amazing concoction. Spray it into your most offensive shoes. Put your face into the shoe. Be filled with joy.
Now this spray is not a one-and-done stink removal remedy. We’ve found that we must spray our shoes down after every athletic event because while the DIY spray is powerful, so is fresh sweat. Good talk.
Vodka kills bacteria and Tea Tree Oil is both antibacterial and antifungal. The combination works magic. So now the only reason I make sure our closet door stays closed is because well, have you ever seen 28 shoes thrown haphazardly into one space? Someone give me a DIY remedy for that mess. :)
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by Laura 10 Comments
I’ve been making Homemade Vanilla since 2009. Why?
See, most vanilla extracts on the market have sugar added. I don’t want that, of course. Also, most have been watered down, so they aren’t as strong and flavorful as I’d like. But Homemade Vanilla is completely pure, extremely flavorful, easy to make, and makes awesome gifts! However…
In the past three years, the price of vanilla beans has gotten crazy high! Making Homemade Vanilla used to be super cost effective, saving oodles of money compared to buying it. Since there are so many other benefits to making it, it became a no-brainer to me!
But now there’s a major vanilla bean shortage, so the price has risen dramatically. (This stinks for those of us who want to make vanilla, but my research tells me that this is a much worse situation for farmers whose livelihood depends on good crops. We are simply inconvenienced; but these farmers are hurt deeply by this. With this news, suddenly my concern for my homemade vanilla price takes a back seat in the world of “what actually matters.”)
Having said all of this, I wanted to share that I recently crunched some numbers again to see if it even made sense to make a batch of homemade vanilla right now. I was pleasantly surprised, and want to share my findings with you!
The upfront cost still seems high, but read all the way through to discover how to get the most bang for your buck.
It is most cost-effective to make a gallon of Homemade Vanilla at once, instead of making a small batch. A gallon will last a very long time, or you can use it for gifts! (Homemade Vanilla is an awesome gift at Christmas for friends, family members, and teachers!!)
Price Break-Down to make a gallon of Homemade Vanilla
50 Vanilla Beans: $200 (use the code HOME to save 20%!)
3.5 liters of 35% alcohol Vodka: $30
Total Cost: $230
Price per ounce: $1.80
This makes an 8-ounce bottle cost $14.40.
Remember, the quality of vanilla is ultra strong, not watered down, with no added sugar.
Cost of High Quality Purchased Vanilla
Imitation Vanilla is made of nothing real, so I recommend avoiding it even though it’s cheap. The best pre-made “pure” Vanilla Extract I could find at Azure Standard costs $2.20/ounce.
This makes an 8-ounce bottle cost $17.60. This is more expensive than homemade, but more importantly —–>
Note the ingredient list of this purchased vanilla (listed in this order):
Not only is purchased vanilla extract more expensive, it is watered down, so not nearly as strong.
So Homemade Vanilla Extract wins the prize for being lower in cost and entirely pure.
Which leads me to my best advice and even better news about the cost:
Because the Homemade Vanilla Extract is so very potent, I recommend that you use half the amount called for in a recipe. Doing this will double how long an 8-ounce bottle will last!
Therefore, the $14.40 it costs to make 8-ounces of Homemade Vanilla will last you twice as long, giving you what store-bought 16-ounce bottle gives. In this way, you can think of your 8-ounces of homemade vanilla being broken into TWO 8-ounce bottles which cost only – drum roll please –
$7.20 each.
And with that, I absolutely recommend that we all still make Homemade Vanilla Extract!
Good grief. I can’t believe I wrote this entire post and forgot to figure in the fact that Olive Nation gives Heavenly Homemakers readers 20% off! Time to crunch new numbers! I’ve been working with them for many years now, and they are happy to give us a discount. (They’ve been keeping me up to date on vanilla bean shortages and prices too. I love working with them.)
Get the best quality vanilla beans at the best price here. Use the code home to get 20% off, a code made exclusively for Heavenly Homemakers readers! Get free shipping when your order is over $50.
Discounted cost for Homemade Vanilla Extract
50 Vanilla Beans $160.00
3.75 ounces Vodka $30.00
Total cost: $190.00 (woot!)
Per ounce breakdown: $1.48/ounce
Price for 8-ounces of Homemade Vanilla: $11.84
One last note! Most everyone loves receiving Homemade Vanilla Extract as a Christmas gift! Because it takes 4-6 months for vanilla beans to “extract” I recommend you start a batch right away to have it ready to give in December.
I think that about covers it. Any questions? (I’m actually at church camp right now so answers will probably be delayed!) I’m so glad I finally crunched the numbers instead of continuing to cringe over the bean prices!
If you are giving your Homemade Vanilla Extract as gifts, use these pretty labels on the bottles! They can be personalized, and there are several designs you can choose from! What fun!
by Laura 2 Comments
I used to make everything from scratch. Everything. Ketchup, graham crackers, and even mozzarella cheese. It’s great to have the skills and knowledge to do this. But at a certain point I had to ask:
Am I getting enough bang for my buck, here? As in, is the time I’m taking and the energy I’m extending to make all of this food really saving me money and therefore, is it worth it?
For the record, homemade mozzarella costs more than store-bought.
Now, sometimes it’s worth putting forth the effort or spending more to make food from scratch because of the health benefit and great flavor. I mean, I don’t even care how much it saves or doesn’t save to make Homemade Ranch Dressing because this recipe tastes thousands of times better than the bottled stuff and it only includes healthy ingredients. I don’t want high fructose corn syrup on my salad.
But as my schedule has gotten busier and as the quantity of food we plow through every day has increased, I’ve had to be more choosy about what I make, what I buy pre-made, and what I skip altogether.
For instance, I used to make all of our Whole Wheat Tortillas, without fail. These taste amazing and we miss them, but it takes triple the amount of tortillas to get us through a meal now, compared to the days my kids were little. It’s a rare occasion that I “go to the trouble” to make tortillas now, because it takes over an hour to get the job done. (Though when I do, there is much rejoicing.) We either skip tortillas now (often subbing corn chips), or I’ll buy a case from Azure Standard to keep in the freezer.
Having said all of that, today I thought I’d share some recipes I’ve stuck with for all these years, even with a busier schedule and a higher volume of food consumption. These recipes are worth my time, because the time investment is tiny. And they are cheaper than store-bought so they are a win-win! Also, homemade always tastes better, so score one more for that!
I make all of our Ranch Dressing Mix, Italian Dressing Mix, Onion Soup Mix, and Taco Seasoning Mix. These cost pennies to make, saving a significant amount. And since I make big batches, the time saved on these is great!
The price of beans has gone up, but it still saves money to make Homemade Vanilla Extract. It’s ridiculously easy to make, and well worth the effort because homemade vanilla is amazing!
Stir-and-Pour Whole Wheat Bread
We don’t eat as much bread as we used to at our house. I think it’s wholesome and filling and my family loves it, but I prefer to fill everyone with more nutrient-packed sides like fruits and veggies. So bread has taken a back seat at our house.
I do sometimes buy a loaf of 100% whole wheat sandwich bread for sandwiches when we need to pack them for a road trip. But for bread at home, when as do eat it with a meal, I make this Stir-and-Pour Whole Wheat Bread. It takes hardly any time or effort, and it doesn’t cost very much. And it tastes awesome!
I discovered this 5-Minute Granola Method and haven’t looked back. I add in whatever we have (dried fruit or chocolate chips) and we’ve got ourselves a great cereal for much less than store bought!
All of these Simple Meal Recipes
Check out this Spanish Rice Bowl and the long list of other Simple Real Food Recipes it includes. I keep coming up with more of these recipes and am amazed at how much time and money they are saving! I’ve cut down my kitchen time with these Simple Recipes so much that I feel like a cheater. Almost. ;)
This is ridiculously easy and so super yummy! Throw three ingredients in the blender and you’re set!
Special Coffee Drinks
It’s a rare thing for us to spend $$ at a coffee shop since we can make fun coffee drinks at home for much less! This Chocolate Frappe is awesome. Sometimes we put this Chocolate Whipped Cream in our coffee. We freeze coffee into ice cubes like this to make easy Iced Coffees. This Coffee Milkshake is awesome in the summertime. Sometimes I make a big batch of Chocolate Iced Coffee to offer several people at once. While all of these take a little time, it doesn’t feel like a lot of effort because it’s FUN to make drinks like this!
What are some of the foods you make from scratch that are easy and save money?
Remember that anyone who signs up to join our FREE Heavenly Homemaker’s Savings Club gets both of these freebies sent to them. Fun!!
Sign up here, confirm your subscription, and both booklets will be in your inbox very quickly! Then we can keep you informed of any other money saving tips and deals we come across!
Did I ever tell you about the first birthday my husband and I celebrated together as a married couple? He was used to birthdays being super low key, and I was used to birthdays being ALL ABOUT ME PLEASE AND THANK YOU.
So when I woke up on my birthday and Matt didn’t even mention it, I didn’t know what to do with that. (Yes I did. I cried.)
As the day went on and he still didn’t mention it, I went from sad to mad. At about 3:00 in the afternoon when he finally said something like, “I guess I should run to the store and get your something for your birthday.” I was like, “You’ve had 364 days to get me something for my birthday!!!!!”
Cake? There was no cake.
Ahh, fun newlywed memories.
Matt and I have learned a thousand-trillion or more lessons since those days. He is wonderful now about making days special for me, and I’m way more laid back about what I expect and want. So 22 years after my first married birthday, we’ve landed in our holiday happy place. Hopefully you have too.
I don’t know how you do holidays and special occasions at your house. But I thought you should know that as of today, there are 11 days to get ready for Mother’s Day. If ordering gifts is a thing your people do for you, I’ve done my part in making it easy. If making you food for the day is something they do, I’ve compiled a list.
Moms, look over this fantastic list. (I had help from a friend in putting it together. It is brilliant. My friend is brilliant.) Highlight your favorites, then forward this to all the people in your life who should act on this list.
1. Coupons for extra chores, such as help with spring cleaning, gardening, cleaning out the garage (or basement or attic), washing windows, etc.
2. Love Notes – i.e. List ten reasons why you love and appreciate her.
Swipe and download these FREE “Why I Love Mom” Notes to fill in!
3. Hand-Drawn pictures of you and Mom
4. Pictures of you and Mom together – could be framed if you like.
5. A copy of her favorite book and a coupon for her to have time to read it!!! (Check used bookstores and thrift stores for inexpensive copies of her favs.)
6. Donate to her favorite charity in her name
7. Package up her favorite candles, lotion, coffee, tea, or other guilty pleasure – like chocolate!
8. This Butterfly Suncatcher is so pretty!
9. On the more practical side: here’s a fantastic Stainless Steel Knife Set in a Wooden Block.
10. And another Stainless Steel Knife Set in an Acrylic Stand.
11. This Wood Picture Photo Frame for Wall Decor is so cute I can’t stand it.
12. Look how pretty this Aromatherapy Essential Oil Diffuser Necklace is!!
13. And even prettier – this Floating Living Memory Locket Pendant Necklace!
14. If you have little ones, this Thank you God for Mommy book makes me melt.
15. What a great idea: a Q&A 5-Year Journal for Moms
16. Or how about Mommy’s 5-Year Memory Book?
17. Or a What I Love About Mom fill-in-the-blank book!
18. I have two of these sets of Pyrex Bowls with Lids and use them approximately 40 times every day.
19. Has she said anything to you about making Homemade Vanilla? Vanilla beans are on the pricey side right now, but Olive Nation gives us a 20% discount and this might be a fun time to get her started on this. Get the details here.
20. This Cook N Home 12-Piece Stainless Steel Set is amazing. She will make you good food in this.
21. If you really, really want to knock her socks off, get her a BlendTec (and then help her put her socks back on). It will last forever and be invaluable to her.
Dear Family Members of All the Mothers: If you do nothing else for Mom this year, feed her. Don’t let her cook. Don’t let her wash the dishes. And don’t even think about saving any dirty dishes for her to do on Monday. I have spoken.
Here are some great food ideas that are easy to make and always a hit. Pick what Mom will love the most!
26. Hot Vanilla Milk
27. Breakfast Pizza
28. Easy Ham and Egg Breakfast Bowls
29. Salmon Patties
30. Simple Garlic Butter Shrimp
33. Low Sugar Strawberry Cheesecake Parfaits (my favorite in the world!)
34. Low Sugar Chocolate Cheesecake Parfaits
35. Low Sugar Chocolate Whipped Cream
37. Pineapple Cream Dessert (naturally dairy and gluten free!)
39. Chocolate Frappe
40. Coffee Milkshake
42. If she doesn’t have this already, get her a Simple Meals subscription. This will save her hours every week!! There’s a $10 off coupon code here.
If you still need more ideas, I’ve got some listed here.
Moms, leave a comment here to share: What is your favorite way to be spoiled on Mother’s Day?
Some of these links are my affiliate links.