Vanilla Extract

We finally did it! We made vanilla extract. Well, okay, we are in the process of making vanilla extract as it takes four weeks to do its thing before it will be ready. Michelle and I got together yesterday and combined our purchases - vodka and vanilla beans.

Since I'm working on becoming Molly Mormon, it just wouldn't be proper for me to be seen at the liqueur store buying booze so I conned Michelle, a good little Catholic girl, a while back to do it for me. I felt rather guilty at first since she doesn't drink either and here I was acting like a high school kid trying to get someone of age to buy me booze. Only in this case, I didn't want to drink it.

You want to know the worst of it? I'm wanting more, lots more Vodka. I've discovered through the Internet you can make your own orange, lemon, and almond extracts too. All things I use frequently in my baking. So now I'm trying to figure out how I can sneakily get lots of Vodka to make my own extracts without appearing to have become the towns biggest Mormon alcoholic and further not having to be seen publicly at the liqueur store myself. LOL!!

I do want someone who does drink the stuff to tell me. Does it really taste as bad as it smells? I swear Vodka is the spitting image of rubbing alcoholic. How does someone get it past the nose to the lips? I hear it is a cheap booze, the booze of choice for alcoholics. Yes, even us Mormons hear things like that. Which leads me to the question of what's cheap? Because remember, I'm trying hard to be Molly Mormon and Molly doesn't parooze the liqueur section of the paper. Though I might be tempted to see if there is a sale on triple distilled Vodka. LOL!!! To lead my next victim to purchase.

When in a discussion with my daughter, a confirmed Molly Mormon imitator, I commented that I'd heard (rumor of course), that people have gotten desperate enough to drink rubbing alcohol. It must have been a Vodka drinker having gotten confused since the smell is the same. Our oldest daughter said she had a girl confess to being desperate enough to drink perfume because it is made of achohol. It broke my heart to think the poor girl was so controlled by a habit.

Of course I have to admit I have my own addictions. One of them being sugar and baking. That's one of the reasons I'm enjoying the grand kids. I get to bake more because it disappears faster.

Yet, right at this moment I'm feeling a bit of her pain of addiction for alcohol. Oh I've not fallen off the wagon and wanting Vodka for imbibing but the Do-It-Yourself urge has taken over and I want to make Orange extract, Lemon extract, Almond extract, and I've a mint plant that's just crying out to be made into Mint extract. I don't know what mint it is but I'll guarantee it wants to aspire to become an extract. My neighbor gave the plant to me and I about killed it. So I re- potted it, cut it way back and it's at the stage I can use it now. I really should break off a leaf and try it. Then I'd know what kind I have beyond the makings of a really good extract.

My favorite mint is winter mint. I even looked up where I could get a winter mint plant off the Internet to make extract. See what making vanilla did? Maybe it is a sickness. Do they have a Extract AAA meetings anywhere. I just may need to start my visits even though I've only made two kinds of vanilla so far.

You might think I've gone over the edge but I learned that vanilla extract is loaded with corn

syrup and who knows what all they haven't told us. And that the manufacturers aren't concerned with the quality of the vanilla bean they use. Not that that should surprise any of us. But when you factor in the price of real vanilla, it isn't hard to convince yourself that you really should be making your own. Besides, I'm sure the quality will be superior - no doubt.

Now to choose my next victim, they must be of legal age, and go to the liqueur store anyway. Someone whom I can trust not to blab all over town, even if they are teasing, that Molly Mormon has now become Jack Mormon.

Are you confused? Not about the vanilla but what is a Molly Mormon? It's a joke within the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints about the good little Mormon women who reads her scriptures, attends church, grows a garden, sews, etc. (you know the homey arts) and in general lives their religion. The joke being that none of us are perfect and Molly is perfect. Usually the more home artsy women get labeled Molly and so I'm using the term loosely when referring to myself since everyone knows I'm far from perfect. On the opposite scale is Jack Mormon which can be female or male and is someone who calls themselves a Mormon but doesn't live their religion. They usually drink, smoke and haven't seen the inside of a chapel in years and their mouth needs a good washing out with soap, but swear to everyone they are Mormon. And maybe inside they wish they were Molly but just can't seem to discipline themselves into acting like her. Even I wish I was Molly Mormon.



Oh my how the time has flown and I haven't even told you how we made vanilla. Or that there are lots of kinds of vanilla beans and the process I went through to choose which two to try. But now I've really got to mow the lawn, if I can get the lawn mower to start, the one that was at the fix it shop for four weeks, grrr... Then I've to pack. Our oldest daughter, the grand kids, and I are off to make the rounds of the grandparents over Labor Day weekend. My posts are scheduled through the normally scheduled days so though I won't be here they will go up. Friday's post is a cutey. I try to get the hubby to relay messages from you if you want to comment but I'm sure he'll see this weekend as a time to bury himself in his knife shop.




Have a wonderful holiday weekend and I'll be back to tell you all the news Monday. Besides, relaying how to make vanilla extract. Meanwhile, I'll be thinking who to con next. LOL