Too good not to share.

Since I've been so lazy in posting, I'm going to buck the "Wordless Wednesday" trend and actually post something useful. 

Last year, Brett and I had a lot of fun making Christmas gifts from scratch: knitting (well, that was just me!), making ornaments, and brewing up our own versions of Limoncello and Bailey's liquors. This year, money will be significantly tighter- meaning that we will again be looking to make the majority of our gifts.

Bearing in mind that many homemade projects take some time, I was skimming the internet for ideas last week when I stumbled across an awesome idea: homemade vanilla extract! 

Now, those of us who bake know that *real* vanilla extract is expensive but irreplaceable in recipes. I learned, however, that making your own is both inexpensive and easy. Additionally, you can have fun mixing various liquors with many varieties of bean to create different flavors. The result? A Christmas gift perfect for the bakers in your family that beats the store-bought stuff and is relatively cheap to boot. The only drawback is that it requires preplanning- vanilla extract takes a minimum of 8 weeks to develop, with many recipes recommending upwards of 6 months! So if you want to get started, now's the time. 

I found lots of primers online, and a few different suggestions for how to brew the stuff. Essentially, you'll need 3 things:

1. Liquor- vodka is most often used, but bourbon and rum were also suggested. Basically it just needs to be at least 40 proof (80% alcohol) to be effective. I decided to try a dark rum. 
2. Vanilla beans- I found mine on Amazon, but look around to find a good deal. Most of the tutorials I found said you'd need roughly 3-4 beans per cup of liquor, but some people claim they made it successfully with fewer beans and a longer brew time. I filled two quart jars mostly full using 3 cups of liquor and 12 vanilla beans each- for a total of 6 cups of liquor and 24 beans (close to a 1/4 lb). Since vanilla beans are generally sold in 1/4 lb increments, this worked out perfected for me. 
3. Something to brew the extract in. I think mason jars are perfect! You can divide it up into smaller decorative containers and add cutesy decorative stickers when you're ready to give them.

The process:

1. Slit vanilla beans lengthwise. Some recipes recommended scooping the seeds out into the jars as well, but that would require further straining, and I'm lazy.
2. Place vanilla beans in jars or container you're using. 
3. Cover with the appropriate amount of liquor (you may need to cut the beans in half), cover, and put in a cool, dark spot.
4. Wait.

Miscellaneous notes:

- I made a jar for us as well, as we go through a LOT of vanilla around here. I actually read that you can keep the vanilla indefinitely, topping off with alcohol as it gets low and adding additional beans once in a while. 
- After the vanilla is ready, you can remove the beans if you wish and place them in sugar for a few days. Voila- vanilla sugar! 

Helpful links:
Joy the Baker
Beanilla
Naturally Knocked Up
Alexandra Cooks

If you decide to try it, be sure to let me know what combination of beans and liquor you used, and how it turned out.

We've been busy.

What have I been up to lately (aka why is my blog so behind)? 

....prepping veggies for storage (these are roasted poblanos).

....filling the freezer for winter.

....knitting up a storm. Isn't this a cute little wool sleep sack? Perfect for nighttime cloth diapering! Junie is partial to her honeybee hat. Just two of the many projects I've finished lately. 

....hunting eggs- the hens have been sneaky lately. 

....chasing after my kids (shown here with their cousin).

....taking our first long roadtrip to PA.

 ....gestating! (35 weeks here- but I'm technically 36 weeks today.) 

Wordless Wednesday.

Wordless Wednesday.

29 weeks.

Time does fly.

I was just thinking...man, I need to update the blog! I had thought it had only been about a week since I had written last- and was surprised to see it had actually been more than two. Story of my life!
Anyway, lots of changes and general busy-ness around here.
Pregnancy news:
- Just entered my third (and longest?!?!) trimester. 28 weeks today- wahoo!
- New fun symptom: carpal tunnel. Apparently it's one of those weird preggo things- but I'm sure lots of kitchen/garden work and knitting haven't helped things. I have a brace, but it's a PITA to wear, so I don't wear it as much as I should. Cue curled, numb fingers when I wake up in the morning and annoying burning sensation throughout the day. 

Household news: 

- Now on WIC and taking advantage of a fridge bursting with milk. Cue reminder for upcoming post on what I'm doing with it all, and healthy eating on a budget (not like there aren't a million other blogs about that or anything.)

- Garden is going gangbusters. Blueberries, green beans, and cucumbers are done, but not before I froze 12 quart bags of blueberries, 20+ of green beans, and untold numbers of quart jars of both sweet and dill pickles. Squash is still here, so I'm busy both sautéing for dinner almost nightly and dehydrating. Peppers are being diced, tray-frozen, and bagged for the freezer. Tomatoes, watermelon, and potatoes are staples as well. I had planned on dehydrating most of the tomatoes, but it's a bigger pain than I expected, so I'm freezing most at the moment. Discovered an amazing tomato/watermelon salad with a balsamic reduction that we've been really enjoying. Corn is tasseling, we have small ears, and should be enjoying it soon.

- Already planning both a second planting of some of the above, as well as the fall garden. Think kale, spinach, swiss chard, pumpkin, broccoli, etc.

- Going to check out chickens tomorrow- possibly picking up two more hens and a rooster.

- Trying to talk Brett into a dairy goat :-)

Lucy news: 

- Thank you, thank you, thank you to the person who mentioned a "pacifier box," aka a special place for a toddler to stow his/her pacifier during the day. I covered a small shoebox with construction paper, Lucy decorated it and lined it with tissue paper, and now the pacis all "live in the paci house" whenever Lucy's not sleeping. We've had it two days so far, and we've been paci-free during the day with absolutely minimal whining. Plan is to have it gone completely for her third birthday.

- Lucy is reliably potty-trained. Wahoo! Still wearing pull-ups at night, but she's dry consistently enough that we're going to ditch those soon, too. 

- Lucy is sleeping through the night in her toddler bed, in her room. Big girl!

(note: take and insert cute pic of Lucy here)

Junie news:

- Junie is talking up a storm- short sentences now. After having a speech-delayed kid first, we get such a kick out of hearing her little voice- especially "wuv you, mama!" She also frequently reminds Lucy to, "share, please!"

- Junie is now napping in her crib, in the girls' room. I try to move her there at night, too, but if I'm too tired, I don't bother. Trying to take it slow, but hoping to have her completely transitioned in a few weeks. 

- This crazy girl loves her baby dolls, all animals, and imitating everything I do. 

...and I think that about does it. 

Waste not, want not.

The past few months since I've left the military have been a real adventure. New home, new job, new circumstances. To put it bluntly, we are attempting to live on Brett's PhD assistantship alone. Yes, I am marketing for doula clients, but networking is hard work, and I'm not having a lot of luck so far. The birth community is a lot different here than in Florida (likely at least partially due to the crappy homebirth laws here).


What that means is that we are bringing in approximately 1/5th of the income we were a couple months ago. That's just gross income- doesn't include the loss of my commissary benefits, health insurance, etc. 


Now, we are very lucky in several ways. First, we don't have a house payment. Brett's parents decided to invest in a rental property, and that's where we're living now. After we move, it'll be rented out to college students here. If this wasn't the case, there's no way we could be making it right now- our income likely wouldn't even cover the rent on a house. Second, we own our vehicles and thus don't have car payments. We also don't have much in the way of student loans (Brett has none, and mine are very nearly paid off), and we don't carry credit card debt. Just wanted to explain these points, as I'm sure some people will argue that it would be impossible for most to live the way we are now. Given the average debt load that most families carry, they're probably right. 


I admit that although I am absolutely loving the stay-at-home-mom gig, I would be even more content if we made just a bit more money- you know, to pay for things like better health insurance and the occasional vacation. I grew up in a very, very modest home and am used to getting by- but it's a little harder for Brett. He's a bit spoiled :-) 


ANYWAY.


I've been making a game of finding little ways to save money and still enjoy the things we enjoy: time together, good, nourishing food...Those of you who know me in real life know I'm a Little Women freak, and probably romanticize the idea of being happy with the little things you have. So here are some of the things I've been working on:


1. Things I refuse to buy (as I make them myself):
   a. Yogurt and kefir
   b. Ricotta cheese (important, because pasta is cheap!)
   c. Bread (if you haven't already, PLEASE check out "Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day").  I also buy bulk flour and other essentials at Sam's. 
   d. Expensive clothes for the girls (sewing most of the cute dresses is fun and easy)
   e. Most processed foods in general (pasta and granola are the exceptions)
   f. Disposable wipes. I DID buy pull-ups for Lucy's potty-training and it killed me. Spending that money every week hurt, and reaffirmed my preference for cloth diapers. However, Lucy was big on the pull-ups and it really helped.
  
2. Other money-saving strategies:
  a. Getting the girls signed up for Peach Care (Ga's insurance for kids)
  b. WIC (hopefully taking care of this this week). Not ashamed to take advantage of it if we qualify. 
  c. The garden. This is huge. And time-consuming. And saves a CRAPTON of money. Also helps with forcing us to eat seasonally, preserve food for later, etc.
  d. Getting Brett used to the idea that the a/c doesn't need to run ALL the time. Luckily he is working all day, so I can get away with cranking the thermostat up.
  e. No cable. We do have Netflix and internet, though. 
  f. Home birth! My planned home birth cost a fraction of what a hospital birth would. Money wasn't the driving factor here, of course, but it's a very nice perk.
  g. Making a menu for the weekly, shopping once a week, and sticking to the plan! I used to be terrible about running out to the store for every little thing. Now, if we run out of something or I forget to buy it, we improvise. 

Watermelon!

I'm sure I'm forgetting lots of things...will try to edit as I think of them.


What does your family do to save money?

Can you tell I'm excited for tomatoes?