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 for my first batch was $75. That number will crash even lower on my second batch to like $15 because most of the cost was the vanilla beans, and those are re-usable.

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 and the link to the vanilla beans I got from AMAZON!

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.

SOME RETRO & PERSONALITY ADDED TO THE IKEA HÄRLANDA LOVESEAT

February 9, 2021

Rachel Schultz

I like buying chairs and sofas at ikea because WASHABLE SLIP COVERS of course. Some time ago I purchased the ikea harlanda loveseat. The harlanda caught my eye when I needed something for our living room because it has a really classic chesterfield sofa profile. I of course love chesterfields in leather, but this white linen version was fun too. Now, the harlanda’s back cushions are kind of weird. They are just like three big, unattached pillows. For looks, it’s not terrible ugly, but maybe a little bad 1990’s to me.

This replacement that I think adds a lot of personality, some color, and makes the loveseat feel really unique.

ALSO because of ikea and their piecemeal-y ways, I could return just the back cushions of the sofa and got like, $60 back, which mostly paid for my new pillows from amazon, a pleasant only $15 each.

These are the pretty velvet round navy pillows I found, and you heard that right, they were delightfully available on prime. They come in sets of two. I wanted five, so I ordered three packs and popped the extra one in the office. Navy goes everywhere.

They had a little tag on them that I carefully cut off and it isn’t noticeable.

They are nice and firm which is good for this back cushion application. Thank you $15 and quality round pillows with retro personality for my living room.

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. (But also I kept this one easy enough that I can grind it out myself on a weeknight). 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, 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.