Posts by Rachel Schultz

Easy Homemade Vanilla Extract (Enormous Money Saved)

February 15, 2021

Long on my to-do list was to start making my own vanilla extract because it pained me how expensive it was and I knew there would be savings if I could get my act together and do it. Let me warn you, IT IS EASY. So the delay wasn’t even necessary. It’s just vodka and vanilla beans and it’s much higher quality than many vanilla extracts and, as previously explained, much less expensive. Storebought from an average brand, this amount would be about $250 and this was $45.

I’m not really like, a canning type person if you know what I mean. This was a very low maintenance venture.

Also better flavor, better flavor. Below are pictures from day 1 and day 68! I like the vanilla beans at costco, but I linked to some on amazon as well.

HOMEMADE VANILLA EXTRACT
Makes about 60 ounces, or 1.75 liters

1.75 liters vodka
40 vanilla beans
Additional smaller bottles, if you’d like to bottle or give away your vanilla in smaller quantities

First I used a razor blade to scratch of the ugly vodka logo printing off the bottle. Then slice into your vanilla beans and gently open them, not cutting all the way through.

Place beans into vodka. I had to pour a little out because the volume got too full. Then just let it sit in a cool, dark place! Allegedly turning it daily or weekly helps, but I don’t know how important it was. Six weeks is the lower end, but eight weeks is even better. The longer you wait, the better the depth of flavor.

After the first batch is finished, you can remove vanilla beans and place them into a new bottle to make another batch. The vanilla can be kept in the big original vodka container or dispersed into smaller bottles.

EASY HOMEMADE VANILLA EXTRACT (ENORMOUS MONEY SAVED)

Author: Rachel Schultz

Ingredients

1.75 liters vodka
40 vanilla beans
Additional smaller bottles, if you'd like to bottle or give away your vanilla in smaller quantities

Instructions

First I used a razor blade to scratch of the ugly vodka logo printing off the bottle. Then slice into your vanilla beans and gently open them, not cutting all the way through.
Place beans into vodka. I had to pour a little out because the volume got too full. Then just let it sit in a cool, dark place! Allegedly turning it daily or weekly helps, but I don't know how important it was. Six weeks is the lower end, but eight weeks is even better. The longer you wait, the better the depth of flavor.
After the first batch is finished, you can remove vanilla beans and place them into a new bottle to make another batch. The vanilla can be kept in the big original vodka container or dispersed into smaller bottles.

A couple fun places to use your new vanilla is these blueberry muffins or these carrot cake pancakes with cream cheese syrup. And like, every other baked good ever.

Homemade Pasta (A Realistic Way)

December 30, 2020

Rachel Schultz

One thing I love about homemaking is there are so many disciplines or crafts to work through learning and whichever one you pick will bless your family. A while ago I chose homemade pasta and it has been really yummy and fun. I like foods my family can make as a group together for special occasions, like this or when we do homemade tortillas. For homemade pasta, I only ever do spaghetti or a rustic bow tie because they are fast to do by hand. Oh well and lasagna noodles too.

I have to keep it simple if I’m going to do this on a weeknight, and the way I do it at least, it’s really easy. 6 and 2/3 cup flour and 11 eggs. More flour if it seems sticky, another egg if it seems dry. Mix, roll out, make a shape. Boil for 2 minutes. From my experience anything beyond this is more complicated than it has to be but I guess it depends what your goals are!

Do what you want with it. We love it as goat cheese and red pepper pasta.

Homemade Pasta
Serves six to eight

6 and 2/3 cup flour
11 eggs

Mix together by hand or with a dough hook on a stand mixer. Roll out as thin as you can with a rolling pin. (I divide it into two batches or it’s too big to manage). Make shapes. I use a pizza cutter to do spaghetti. Or you can make rectangles and then do a simple twist and pinch for bow ties.

Boil in salted water for 2 minutes.

HOMEMADE PASTA (A REALISTIC WAY)

Author: Rachel Schultz

Ingredients

6 and ⅔ cup flour
11 eggs

Instructions

Mix together by hand or with a dough hook on a stand mixer. Roll out as thin as you can with a rolling pin. (I divide it into two batches or it's too big to manage).
Make shapes. I use a pizza cutter to do spaghetti. Or you can make rectangles and then do a simple twist and pinch for bow ties.
Boil in salted water for 2 minutes.

MARSHMALLOW SNOWFLAKES

December 4, 2020

Rachel Schultz

I have not yet but am intrigued by people who do things with pretty, perhaps artisan, homemade marshmallows. I have not dabbled in this so far, but I would like to. What I am sharing today is an option for wanting to have a cute marshmallow life that is also working for me now. There are several things I like about this marshmallow event. One is that it uses just normal, buyable inexpensively marshmallows and toothpicks to make a fun marshmallow and hot cocoa experience.

Two is that it achieves the beloved by children “snacktivity” session. An activity, and a snack. And I would say craft or art project too. For this idea all that is needed are marshmallows in the two standard sizes. One big one and 16 littles. And some tooth picks.

For garnishing our hot cocoa!

A related matter, I am also pursuing finding my favorite method of how to make actual hot chocolate and not just hot cocoa. Is it richer? Better? Worth extra effort or cost? The are the questions I am asking. I am going to create a nutella one.

Merry Christmas!