So What is the Deal with Kale???

Everywhere I read ,there it is...kale this, kale that.  So, what's the big deal about Kale?  Well, you know me, I had to do some research.

Kale is a form cabbage.   Kale is very high in beta carotene, vitamin k, vitamin C, lutein, zeaxanthin, and reasonably rich in calcium.  Kale, as with broccoli contains sulforaphane (particularly when chopped or minced), a chemical with potent anti-cancer properties.  How awesome is that?!


Boiling decreases the level of sulforaphane; however, steaming or stir frying does not result in significant loss.  Fresh and organic is the best way to eat Kale.  Kale is also a source of indole-3-carbinol, a chemical which boosts DNA repair in cells and appears to block the growth of cancer cells.  (DID YOU READ THAT???!!!  Appears to BLOCK the growth of cancer cells!!!!  I'M IN!!!!!!)  Kale is also a good source of carotenoids.  And Kale is also an anti-inflammatory and does wonders for your skin.


Tender kale greens can provide an intense addition to salads, particularly when combined with other strongly flavored ingredients such as dry-roasted peanuts, tamari-roasted almonds, red pepper flakes, or an Asian-style dressing.


Kale chips are something I first saw on Pinterest and I decided to give them a go.  Not bad.  I munch on a few throughout the day.

Baked Kale Chips
Organic Kale
Wash and dry kale
Remove the stems from the Kale, the stems do not bake well
Rip into chip sized pieces
Spray organic olive oil or organic coconut oil over the kale pieces
Sprinkle with sea salt or whatever seasonings you like
Bake at 300 degrees for 15 minutes
Remove from oven and enjoy.


I baked a small batch and eat a few pieces every day.  I figure I HAVE to figure out some way to get this super food into my diet!!


Another idea, Kale Smoothie.


If you are used to using organic spinach in your smoothie, keep in mind kale has a stronger flavor than spinach does, so use a little less kale.  This recipe had to pass the test, my 2 year old loved it!  :-)

Kale Smoothie
Kale (to your taste, I used 3 good sized pieces)
1/2-1 frozen banana
Hand full of frozen blueberries
1 tbsp organic flax seed oil
Protein powder of your choice (if using whey, make sure it is from organic grass fed cows)
Organic rice milk or organic soy milk
Depending on your taste buds you can add some honey, agave or dried apricot for a sweeter taste
Ice cubes if you are not using frozen fruits


I use a bullet blender and blend until smooth.  And honestly Kale, like spinach can be used in a 100 different smoothie recipes.  Just use your imagination and try different fruits and vegetables.  This is sometimes what I have for lunch.  Enjoy!!


If you have other recipes for smoothies or any food dish with spinach or kale please comment below so they can be shared with others.  As I continue doing my own research and trials in the kitchen with kale I will post as I find "post worthy" recipes.  :-)  We have to find ways to include this amazing food into our lives.  Thanks!


*Baked Kale recipe adapted from Delighted Momma blog.
*Smoothie idea from my beautiful friend Lynda Fassa.

Homemade Sweet Cinnamon Biscuits

This is a quick, Saturday morning breakfast treat.  It does not require yeast, so there is no waiting for your dough to rise.  Don't expect the same texture and flavor you get from a traditional cinnamon roll. But these are still the bomb!  And I got to sleep in and still made sweet biscuits for breakfast...win win! :-)


My boys love cinnamon rolls, but I will not buy Grands anymore, knowing what I know.  I don't want to give them anymore junk in their diet than I need to.  So, we occasionally buy the Immaculate Baking cinnamon rolls from Whole Foods, but they cost a bit.


So, I found this recipe in my 2 inch "A-L" binder and thought I would give it a try.  It was super easy to make.

Sweet Cinnamon Biscuits (or any filling you prefer)
2 cups sifted organic-all purpose flour (I love King Arthur)
1 tablespoon baking powder (always buy aluminum free and non-gmo if you can)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup organic canola oil
3/4 cup buttermilk (or buy the Organic Valley dry buttermilk blend, use 2.5 tbsp and 3/4 cup water.  LOVE this stuff!!!)
2-3 tablespoons organic butter (Meijer organics is great.  Softened.)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
(I have a bunch of Pampered chef sprinkles, Sweet mocha hazelnut sprinkle and sweet caramel sprinkle that I am using instead of the 3/4 cup granulated sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon.)


Icing
1 1/4 cup confectioners sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons organic milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (not artificial)


1.  Combine sifted flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl and mix well (I used my kitchenaid bowl).  Stir in organic canola oil.  Add buttermilk or buttermilk blend and water and stir just until blended.










2.  Place bread kneader attachment on your kitchenaid stand mixer and let place on 2nd speed.  Let the machine do the kneading for you.  Sprinkle a little bit of flour in the mixing bowl as the attachment is kneading, until you see the dough pull away from the sides, cleaning the bowl.  Dough should look smooth.  Remove dough and roll out on a lightly floured surface making a 15 x 8 inch rectangle.  (If you do not have a kitchenaid stand mixer knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth.  Then roll dough into a 15 x 8 inch rectangle.)  













3.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Spray a cast iron skillet or a 9 inch round baking pan lightly with organic olive oil.  (Aerosol Pam is bad.  You can buy a mister from Pampered Chef and make your own spray oil!)

4.  Spread softened butter over the dough with a pastry brush.  Combine granulated sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and mix well.  Sprinkle over butter.  Or sprinkle your Pampered Chef sprinkles over the butter. 


Roll up rectangle, jelly roll fashion, starting from one long side.  Pinch seam to seal.


5.  Cut the roll into 1 1/2 inch slices.  Arrange the slices in your prepared pan.  Bake until lightly browned, about 15-20 minutes.  Remove from the oven.  The recipe says you call pour milk over the top, never heard of this.  So, I made the icing above.  

They taste great and are quite beautiful!  I had mine with a glass of vanilla rice milk (I have almost given up dairy), sooo good!

Enjoy!

A Safe Way to Thaw Meat

I LOVE LOVE LOVE Cook's Illustrated magazine!  

I have watched America's Test Kitchen on PBS for a long time.....I LOVE this cooking show and have wanted a subscription to Cook's Illustrated magazine but did not want to spend the money.  


So, Cook's Illustrated finally sent me an offer that I could not resist.  And now I can't wait for each magazine to arrive in my mailbox.


Have you ever wondered if the way you thaw meat for dinner the next day is the best way to do it?  You are not alone.


Cook's Illustrated wrote the following "Kitchen Notes" that I want to share with you.


"A Hot (Water) Trick for Thawing Meat"
When meat is thawed overnight on the counter top harmful bacteria grows on the meat.  (So, if you have cooked dinner, had a stomach ache a few hours later, this might have been the culprit.)


There are 2 ways to thaw meat that will prevent the growth of harmful bacteria.


Method 1
If you are wanting to thaw a thick cut of meat (1 inch or greater) place the cut of meat in the refrigerator.  If it is a thinner cut of meat, place the meat on a heavy cast-iron or steel pan at room temperature.  The metal's rapid heat transfer will safely thaw the meat in about 1 hour.


Method 2 (the better one  :-)  )
Place the cut of meat you are wanting to thaw (chicken, steaks, chops, cutlets or fish fillets) in a glass bowl or dish.  Bring 4-5 cups of water to a boil in a tea kettle or on top of the stove (more depending on what size of a water pan you are using).  Use a stainless steel soup pan or dutch oven, pour the boiling water in the soup pan or dutch even.  Then place the glass bowl or dish in to the boiling water.  Cover with lid.  I think it took these 2 pretty thick chicken breasts about 20 minutes to completely thaw, which was a little too long as the chicken slightly started to cook.

Note:  Large roasts or whole birds are not suitable for hot thawing because in the time it would take them to thaw bacteria would begin to grow.


Information from Cook's Illustrated magazine January/February 2012 pg 30.

Clothes Line in your House

So, I have never been a "hang your clothes out on the clothes line because they come back in smelling oh so good" girl.  Nope.  My grandparents always did.  I hated how stiff my clothes felt (we never threw the clothes back in the dryer to soften them, don't know why).  I would cringe would my grandmother would bring the clothes in the house, knowing how much I as going to dislike that feeling of super stiff clothes.


Me personally, now that I am and adult, I don't want a bird pooping on them.  I just washed them, I don't want to wash them again.  Plus, there is snow on the ground right now.  Not exactly the perfection situation for hanging clothes outside, right?  :-)


So, we came up with another idea.......

We found these at Wal-Mart.  We had to do "site-to-store" to get them.  We could not find them in the store.  I am giving you the link for 2 different ones.  They look different than mine, so I hope they are as durable as mine.  


1.  This one is 20 feet. Choice 1.
2.  This one is 40 feet Choice 2.

Just make sure you lock the rope in well, making it as tight as you can, otherwise you will hang your clothes and they will touch the floor instead of staying up in the air like they should.  


Initially we bought one clothes line.  After hanging it and using it I decided I needed a second one.  :-)  I LOVE my indoor clothes line.  It saves us money when it comes to time our clothes spend in the dryer and if you are like us and have a lot of clothes we like to air dry, this method eliminates the 20 pieces of clothing lying all over the house.


Note:  I have found that if I place my clothes in the dryer on 5 minutes dry and 5 minutes cool and then hang them on the line they are not stiff.  Or you can hang them straight from the washer and toss them in the dryer on air fluff if they are stiff. 


(Additional side note: now that I am making my own Homemade Laundry Detergent my clothes are not as stiff as they used to be in the first place.  I have read that most commercial laundry detergent and softener stay behind in your clothes deteriorating them and making them stiff.)


Happy clothes line and clothes hanging!  :-)

Turkey Breakfast Burrito from The Biggest Loser

I thought this recipe looked pretty good.  Let me know if you try it.  I'm planning on trying it for our Saturday morning breakfast.  

BREAKFAST BURRITO AND BEYOND

Makes: 8 servings 
Prep time: 10 minutes 
Total time: Under 30 minutes

Burrito Turkey Mix 

Ingredients: 
1-1/4 pounds extra lean ground turkey breast
1/2 cup wheat bran, if desired
1-1/2 cups canned black beans (Eden Organic brand if using canned or use dried beans....NO BPA this way.)
1/2 cup unsweetened organic apple sauce
1/2 cup organic green bell peppers, diced
1/2 cup organic red bell peppers, diced
1 egg + 1 egg white, free range and organic if you can
1 teaspoon chili powder
1-1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1-1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1-1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt, if desired
1/2 teaspoon black pepper 

*Optional Convenience Tip: Replace all spices with Annie's Eats Homemade Taco Seasoning Recipe (another great blog!) 

Directions:
Mix all seasonings really well into turkey breast. Then put in the egg, egg white, apple sauce and the wheat bran, and stir very well. Let it sit for half an hour or overnight covered in the refrigerator, minimum 15 minutes. Spray the pan, add the ground turkey mix, brown it and break it up into pieces with a wooden spatula while in the pan. Add chopped bell peppers and sauté with meat for about 5 minutes, continuously breaking up the turkey into smaller pieces. Drain the beans, and then add to the pan. Cook for another 2 - 3 minutes. 

Optional Add-ons:

• 1 ounce shredded light cheddar cheese (45 - 60 calories) (no Rbgh in the cheese)
• Fresh Salsa (Meijer makes a great organic salsa in glass)
• Guacamole
• Lime Juice
• Hot Sauce to taste

Next: 
Spray pan with cooking spray and scramble 2 egg whites. (34 calories, 7grams protein) 

Serve with one of the following:

• 2 organic corn tortillas or 1 large whole wheat tortilla (80 calories, 5 grams fiber)
• 1 piece whole grain toast (80 calories, 5 grams fiber)

Side: 
Add 1/2 cup fresh raspberries (32 calories, 4 grams fiber)


TOTAL for the entire dish (Burrito, side of egg whites, raspberries):
296 calories, 14 grams fiber, 29 grams protein 

Nutrition Label per 1 serving of burrito filling:

Versatility and Portability of this Recipe

• This turkey mix recipe is a protein-packed staple with great versatility and portability. Make a batch, use half for the breakfast burrito and save the rest for other quick and easy meals. Or cook half as burrito mix and make turkey patties with the rest. The possibilities are endless!
• Wrap a patty in tin foil, pair it with a fruit and you've got the perfect on-the-go snack solution. (Same thing people do with string cheese).
• Use the turkey patty as a healthy protein to add to a green salad for lunch.
• Pack some of the turkey mix in tupperware and also use it to top a salad for a quick and healthy lunch.
• Make patties in bulk in advance and freeze them, wrapping each one separately, so you have several quick prep on-the-go meals on hand. A few minutes in the microwave and they're ready to be eaten on your way out the door.
• Keep some leftovers for dinner. Add some brown rice and cooked vegetables, and you've got a perfectly balanced, healthy and delicious meal.

Adapted from The Biggest Loser NBC Website (My changes are use organic where you can.  And know where your meat comes from.)

Homemade Cheddar Cheese Soup

Ok, so I will have to admit it......I Kerri, have not gone 100% can free in my house. 


Whew, that feels better to get that off of my chest.  I have tried and failed.  I should not say fail, there are less cans in the house, but there still are cans.  So, yes I still have a few cans of things in my pantry.  And half of them are BPA free.  I found the line Eden Organic.  All of their cans are BPA free.  Pretty cool, huh'?  But after tonight, there will be one less of the bad cans, for sure.


So, I was planning to make this cheeseburger pasta dish that we all love.  I went to the pantry and I could not find a can of condensed cheddar cheese soup.  I panicked, crap, this was the plan, now what was I going to cook?  Then I remembered a recipe I had found a long time ago and had done nothing with it, except for file it away in my binder labeled Healthy Recipes.  I am laughing, I am not sure cheddar cheese soup is "healthy" but my goal in starting this binder was to find ways to replace the foods we were eating with ones that were healthier for us, here not buying this soup in a can was healthier to me.  


So, anyway, I dug out this recipe, made it in no time and it is delish!


Here it is....


Homemade Cheddar Cheese Soup
3 tbsp organic butter (Meijer makes organic butter that we love)
3 tbsp unbleached organic all purpose flour (King Arthur is my fav)
1 cup organic milk
1 cup organic or at least rBGH free shredded cheddar cheese


Melt butter in a stainless steel saucepan over medium-low heat; add flour and whisk until smooth and bubbly.  Remove form heat; gradually add milk, whisking to keep smooth.  Return to heat and bring to a gentle boil, whisking constantly until thickened.  Add cheese and stir until melted.  Add salt. Sooo easy and sooo much better than from the can.  Enjoy!!

Homemade Laundry Detergent (easy and $0.06 per load!)

Well I am starting to settle back in after the holidays, so now it's time to start blogging again.  


So, I ran out of my wowgreen laundry detergent and now it is time to give a homemade version a try.  ;-)  Today is my third time making this laundry detergent and I can tell you that I LOVE IT!  My clothes are super clean and super soft and when I think back to my days of using Tide and Downy, I cringe.  There are so many bad things in most commercially sold laundry detergent.  I always wondered why I had a rash on my arms where my shirt lays on my skin...when I stopped using detergent from the stores.....the rash went away.  And most commercially made detergents do not get rid of the dirt in your clothes, they simply cover your clothes in artificial fragrances.


So, if you have 5 minutes or less, you can make this detergent.   

You can see how it separates.  So shake well.

It will look cloudy.  That is normal.

I bought this shot glass/measuring cup at WalMart.  It has oz and tsp.

I leave my measuring cup in there so it is always clean and ready.

What you need......
Gallon jug/jar of some kind (if you use a milk jug, clean well with white vinegar, soap just does not kick the milk smell. I use a white vinegar plastic bottle and I love it.)
1 cup Dr. Bronners liquid castile soap (baby soap-no fragrance) (Target, Whole Foods and Amazon.com sell)
1 cup baking soda or washing soda (I use baking soda)
1/3 cup salt
2 cups of warm water
White vinegar- make sure you only buy vinegar made from corn, Target sells. the bottle will say what it is made from.  Non-gmo is the best if you can find it.  
5 minutes of your time


Whisk or stir with a fork the salt and baking soda into 1 cup of the water, making a roux.  Continue adding the remaining 1 cup of water, pouring while whisking or stirring until the baking soda and salt are dissolved (this will minimize any clumps).  Pour this warm water, salt and baking soda solution into your 1 gallon jar or jug.   Pour the 1 cup of Dr. Bronners into the gallon jar or jug.  And fill your jar with water.  


Shake your jar or jug like crazy before pouring detergent into your washer.  You will see how the ingredients separate.  Use 1/4-1/2 cup per load when you wash.  Depending on how dirty the load of clothes is.  Add a tablespoon or 2 of the white vinegar to your wash during the rinse cycle.  This works as an effective fabric softener and disinfectant.  


All of the amounts (detergent and white vinegar) will depend on the hardness of your water.  You may want to use less water when making your detergent to make it concentrate, or increase how much you use per load and the same with the white vinegar, increase or decrease depending on the hardness of your water.)


We have a water softener, a front load He washer and I am using 1/4 cup detergent and white vinegar every other load.  (I started just using the detergent and no white vinegar, I just wanted to see what the detergent would do on its own, and it did great.  I have had a few loads with static problems, in which I throw a Melaleuca fabric softener sheet in (used only in the winter months, Melaleuca still uses artificial fragrance in their fabric softener sheets, so I don't use unless our clothes snap crackle and pop when I take them out of the dryer.  :-) )


If you want a little fragrance to your clothes, add a cotton ball with drops of essential oils on it to your clothes in the dryer.  Lavender smells amazing.  But don't expect your clothes to smell like they did when you were using Downy fragranced softener.  :-)  The essential oils give a subtle, soft fragrance to your clothes.


I have no complaints and I have been using this recipe for homemade detergent for 2-3 months now.  Like I said earlier though.....SHAKE WELL before using. :-)


Notes:
-Do not add essential oils to your washing machine.  This could break down the fibers in your clothes, which would lead to holes.  Not a good thing.
-Reviews show that this recipe does not work well on cloth diapers.
-I have a friend that LOVES Charlies Soap.  Fyi.  Works awesome on cloth diapers too.

Pricing
Gallon jug/jar---Free. Recycle here.
8oz/1 cup Dr. Bronners liquid castile soap (baby soap-no fragrance) (Target, Whole Foods and Amazon.com sell)---Whole Foods $14.00 for 32 oz, Target $16.99 for 32 oz.  $0.44 per ounce----Total $3.50
8oz/1 cup baking soda or washing soda (Arm & Hammer 2 lbs $1.12).  2 cups in 1 pound---so 4 cups in 2 pound---$0.28 per cup.  Total $.28
1/3 cup or 2.66 ounces salt (Morton brand 26oz $.58).  $0.02 per ounce--- Total $0.05
2 cups of warm water
White vinegar--Target $3.99 for 1 gallon (128 fl oz.....2 tbsp = 1oz) $0.03 per oz.  You are using 1-2 tbsp per load of laundry $0.06
5 minutes of your time--priceless
Add it up $3.50+.28+.05+.06$=3.89 per gallon...I use 1/4 cup or (2 oz) per load that equals $0. 06 per load!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


$0.06 per load!!!!  Are you kidding me?!  AWESOME!! LOVE it!!!


Let me know what you think?



Information shared by my friend Jesicas from the blog Passionate Homemaking  An excellent blog!

Does Having a Cold Mean Sinus Problems to You?

Well, then do I have some wonderful news for you!  

Picture of an actual Netti Pot.

For many years I have heard people talk about the Neti Pot.  What's a neti pot?  Wikipedia describes a neti pot as a device that is used for irrigating the nasal passages.  They are used to flush out the nasal cavities by using gravity to draw the flow of saline.


I have always been intrigued about the neti pot and when I get a cold it usually goes into my sinuses.


So, months ago my father-in-law gave me a sinus rinse bottle.  It looks like this...

And since I have taught the kids to share so well (ha ha) my youngest has shared his wonderful little cold with me.  When I woke up the first morning with that head congested, sore throat, I am getting a cold feeling, for some reason the first thought that came into my head was the neti pot in the cubbard.  So, that is where I headed.


It came with little packets of sinus rinse.  The sinus rinse packets have 2 ingredients...
1.  Sodium chloride-common table salt
2.  Sodium bicarbonate-baking soda


You pour the package into the squeeze bottle and fill with bottled or filtered water to the fill line.  Shake well.  Stand over a sink with mouth open and gently squeeze the bottle into one nostril.  It is a weird feeling, that I can best describe as you think you are drowning, but once you learn to calm down and breath through your mouth you are fine.  You squeeze the bottle continuously until you use between 1/4-1/2 of the filled bottle.  The liquid comes out the opposite nostril you are squeezing the liquid into.  Then you blow your nose.  And repeat with the other nostril. 


I am NOT going to post pictures of this. Lol.  But I will tell you that it was amazing what came out when I did blow my nose (no more details than that lol).  And I felt amazing!!  The directions say to do this 2 times per day.  I did it 2 times per day when I felt really bad and now I am just doing it first thing when I wake in the morning.


I still have a tiny bit of a scratchy throat.  But hey I can handle that!!  At least I am not getting worse and I do not have the head congested sinus pressure that I usually get with a cold. 


So, in summary....I AM SOLD on this!!  I suggest buying the squeeze bottle type, is so easy to use.  Keep it in your bathroom so you are prepared when a cold/sinus problem hits.  


Plus keep pushing foods high in vitamin C in this weather!


Let me know what you think!




Note:  After using this for a few consecutive days, I did notice my nose was dried out and would bleed a little when I would blow my nose.  So, if you seem to have a sensitivity, every day use is not recommended.  Try every other day or every 2 days.


New note!!!!!  ONLY use filtered or RO water!!!!!!!  NEVER use tap water!!!  Please read this article.  People have died from using tap water in their neti pot!

Making My Own Vanilla

This is something I have wanted to try for a long time.  The time is finally here.  I just opened my last bottle of Pure Vanilla from Mexico.  I admit, I panicked a little.  Whatever you decide to do after reading this, just promise me one thing....YOU WILL NOT BUY IMITATION VANILLA!  Whether you make your own, buy your own, BUY Pure Vanilla, not imitation.  The imitation leaves a bitter aftertaste, is made from sapwood and coal extracts...yuck.  Stay with the pure, better for us stuff.  :-)  (Since this is a great opportunity, I will also add...try to stay away from artificial coloring and flavoring all together....bad bad bad....it is in so much stuff we eat.)

Ok, so do you have 5 minutes?  Let's make some homemade vanilla!


Picture of my new vanilla beans.

 









When deciding what vanilla bean to buy, there are 2 that stand out to me as the best...
1.  The Mexican Vanilla Bean-has a smooth, strong, rich fragrance and flavor.  But buy from a reputable supplier.  Some suppliers add coumarin which can damage your liver and kidneys.   
2.  Madagascar or Madagascar-bourbon vanilla bean-has a smooth, rich sweet flavor and are the thinnest of the vanilla beans.   

I bought 2 vanilla beans from Whole Foods and paid $11.99.  Then I went on Amazon.com and found out that I can buy 16 Madagascar-bourbon beans for $14.50 and 54 beans for $26.50.  Ouch!!!  Live and learn.

What you need....
3 vanilla beans (split in half lengthwise)
Vodka 80 proof or higher (buy the cheap stuff)
Glass bottle that closes tightly (recyle here and save money)












Split 3 beans lengthwise with a sharp knife on a cutting board, but stop 1 inch from each end so that bean stays together but the centers are split.  

Place in a glass bottle with a tight fitting lid.  Fill with 8 ounces of vodka.  Place in a cool, dark place for at least 6-8 weeks (mine will steep for 1 year, as I don't need any right now).  Shake at least once per week.

Mark your bottle with the date you are making your vanilla...cause....drum roll....for 1 year forward, when you run out just add more vodka.  Your beans will flavor your vodka for 1 year.  Pretty cool huh'?

At the end of the 2 months, it is ready to use.  Leave beans in the bottle.  And remember vanilla is a forever food.  It will not spoil.  Just make sure to store in a dark pantry.













Note:  -You will need 3 vanilla beans per 8 oz of vodka.
-Do not add pure vanilla to hot liquids, the alcohol will evaporate and so will some of the vanilla flavor.
-If you make homemade ice cream with vanilla beans, wash the split bean thoroughly after cooking the ice cream mixture.  Place the cleaned bean in a bowl and cover the bean with either 1-2 cups of granulate cane sugar (not beet!) or 1-2 cups of powdered sugar.  Cover with tight fitting lid and let it rest for 2 weeks.  Use this vanilla sugar in your recipes for an amazing flavor.  1 tbsp of vanilla sugar is equal to 1/4 tsp pure vanilla.  Recycle!!  :-)
-If you want a bolder flavor use spiced run or brandy instead of the vodka.
-Once your vanilla is finished you can pour it into cute bottles and give as Christmas presents with ribbon or bows or from the beginning give as a gift but put a note on the bottle that says "do not open for 2 months."
-I read from another blog that she has had her bottle going for 14 years, she just leaves the beans in there, adding 3 new beans every year and a cup of brandy.  She said its tastes fantastic. 

Happy vanilla making and money saving!  :-)  I will post more after my vanilla beans arrive and I make my first batch. :-)

**Changes/Updates:  I would highly recommend using Organic vodka.  With all of the gmo corn, organic is a smarter choice.

I thought I would show you some recent pictures.  The vanilla extract is beautiful.

The 2 on the left I started brewing November 2011.  The 2 on the right I just started.   Cool, huh'?

Simply beautiful.