I discovered about a couple of years ago that the most popular brand of vanilla, McCormick's Pure Vanilla Extract contains corn syrup. The ingredients listed are vanilla bean extractives in water, alcohol (35%), and corn syrup.
I was actually surprised to find that pure vanilla extract contained water and corn syrup.
I am on a mailing list for the cookbook Nourishing Traditions, and last year they were talking about making one's own vanilla.
So last year, on January 20th to be exact, I started my first bottle of vanilla. We are just getting down to the last few ounces and I started a new bottle yesterday.
Here's how I do it.
Buy a bottle of vodka. I buy the cheapest one I can find. I found a 750ml bottle on sale for $5.99. 750ml converts to 3 cups. I ordered my vanilla beans from eBay. I still have a bunch left from last year. I'm trying to find my order so I can see how much they cost so I can figure out how much it costs to make 3 cups of vanilla. I'm thinking $10 and I used about 1/6th to make vanilla last year.
The bottle on the right is last year's bottle, the bottle on the left is my new bottle. It takes about one month to turn into vanilla.
Now I'm going outside to help build the new maternity ward.
Until next time.
Saturday, February 02, 2008
Make Your Own Vanilla
Labels: Nourishing Traditions
Saturday, January 26, 2008
SORRY for all the Auto Maintenance Posts!!
Labels: auto maintenance
I am way behind on posting these and they are all for my own personal record to keep things straight.
We've had to do a lot of maintenance lately and I don't want to forget.
Thank goodness dh has done all of the work lately, as a few months ago we had that $1000 set back when we spent hundreds in labor to a shop.
I started out interspersing the posts when they should have been posted, but then I felt like that would mess up my 500 posts count (who cares?).
Until next time.
Auto Maintenance PF 9-18-07
Labels: auto maintenance
Rack and pinion $399.99
Labor $150.00
Caliper front right $89.99
Rotor brake front $29.99
Pads brake front $27.99
Labor $150.00
Spark plugs $11.94
Distributor Cap $29.99
Rotor ignition $12.99
Labor $90.00
$979.57 Total OUCH
Auto Maintenance PF 10-12-07
Labels: auto maintenance
Monroe shocks. $93.58
[Update 1-26-08: These were not top of the line and ended up bottoming out and needing to be changed by January 26, 2008.]
Auto Maintenance PF 11-29-07
Labels: auto maintenance
Replaced half axle drive axle shaft, driver's side front.
Auto Maintenance PF 12-17-07
Labels: auto maintenance
Changed the u-joints to the front short drive shaft.
Auto Maintenance PF 12-27-07
Labels: auto maintenance
Inner and outer bearings on the front passenger side of the Pathfinder.
Auto Maintenance 1-26-07 241878
Labels: auto maintenance
Changed oil, but not the oil filter. $10.78
Changed air filter. $8.64
Changed plugs, putting in Bosch Premium Spark Plugs. $38.85
Last weekend:
Changed transmission fluid, but not the filter. $19.44
Replaced shocks with "advanced technology". $176.03
Our mileage had dropped to 17 mph from 18/19mph. The shocks purchased in October 2006 were bottoming out already, they were the cheapest ones.
The Day I Became a Moron
Labels: Aggravation
Dh and I went to the grocery store yesterday morning. Years ago, a visit to the grocery store was preceded by careful studying of the weekly ads, writing everything down carefully with the cost beside it. I no longer have any control over the amount of money spent in this household, so there's no point for my even trying to keep us to a budget. I'm not sure how to do it, without becoming a shrew.
At any rate we got to the store and it seems they are having this bizarre buy nine items get $9 off sale. First off, I thought you had to buy nine to get one free. So, ten for the price of nine. But I was wrong on that.
All over the store, there are ads like this:
Your Final Cost When You Buy 9... Buy 9, Save $9.
While looking at these crackers, we realize we can't use nine boxes in a year, so we don't get any.
At this point I called my boss and asked her if I should buy some for work. She asked me to pick up 18 bottles.
Here I'm wondering who in their right mind would buy nine super size bags of potato chips unless they were having a giant party?
At no time did I stop to read the fine print, which said, "Buy 9, Save $9 Instantly When You Buy Any Combination of Nine (9) Participating Products." DUH. Ding, I just turned into an idiot.
Apparently the limit of 2 credits, meant two per receipt!!
I'm entering the purchases into Quicken today, and realize they only gave us TWO CREDITS. I'm thinking, they cheated us out of FOUR credits! The 18 bottles of salad dressing was worth two all by itself.
So I call the store, and customer service explains we're only allowed two credits per receipt. I'm aghast and completely in shock by this statement. Thinking it can't be true. I laughed, and said, "Thanks, can I speak with a manager?"
Here's some more great customer service, as someone answers the phone:
"Hi, can I help you?"
Me: I was waiting to speak to a manager.
"You've got her, how can I help you?"
Me: Can I have your name, please?
"Rosemary."
Me: Okay, Rosemary, your customer service person is trying to tell me there was a limit of 18 items and all over the store and in the ad it says I have to buy NINE of one item in order to get the sale price.
She goes on to argue with me that it's in the ad, they have been handing out flyers at the door and telling people that is how the deal works AND they instructed the cashiers to tell people as they are checking out, how it works.
I was still aghast. I told her my cashier didn't say one word to me, and I even commented to him on how they must have brought in five truckloads in order for people to have to buy multiples of nine of everything. I think I even mentioned wondering how someone could use nine super size bags of potato chips. He didn't say a word to me. And there weren't many people in the store, so it's not like he was so busy and stressed out that he would have forgotten.
So finally she tells me they aren't restricting the number of items you buy, you just have to get separate receipts.
I'm still aghast.
Finally she sighs and says if I bring in my receipt they'll fix it for me.
Okay, here's how I would have handled that situation, as a manager.
"Hi, this is Rosemary, how can I help you?"
Me: Fuss, grumble, gripe, complain
"I'm sorry ma'am, we've had several complaints on this. We've been trying to bring this to our shoppers' attention by handing out flyers and our cashiers were instructed to mention it as well. I'm sorry if you weren't told about it, but if you bring your receipt in we'll be happy to fix it for you."
See how easy that could have been? Twenty-five years ago that's what would have happened, too.
I saw many other people with baskets loaded up with nine items of many things. I bet some people didn't even look at their receipt, just assumed they got the sale prices.
Dang it. Now we have to stop by the store after church tomorrow so they can fix the problem.
One Happy Water Pump
Labels: Just Stuff
I've mentioned before on my blog that we haul our own water from the community well and chronicled the task in this series here:
High Hopes Part 1 of 3
We Jes' Call That Bein' Neighborly Part 2 of 3
Loading the Water Tank Part 3 of 3
Kev took over the responsibility of keeping our tank filled with water. He's mentioned the woes and trials of getting water recently in these posts:
When Getting Water Isn't Easy
When Getting Water Isn't Easy - Again
Last year, when our temperatures dropped down to 8°F, our pipes froze and our pump broke. We were without water for several days. MIL and her hubby showed up to rescue us and replace the pump.
Last year, dh was away from home for several months, but thank goodness he's home with us now, and he took the initiative to cover the pump and give it its own warming lamp. It's one happy pump! :-)
Until next time.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
My Pooch is Okay, Whew!
Labels: LJ
Poor boy, he does not like car rides. When I get the leash out, he loves the idea of it; but once we're on the road for a couple of miles, he's trembling like a leaf and trying real hard to get in the front seat onto a lap, someone's lap, anyone's lap!
When I was the main driver, my dear husband half-heartedly tried to keep him out of the front seat, and LJ knew all he had to do was push real hard and he'd get his way.
It was less of an issue when I was driving, since dh doesn't mind having a one hundred and four pound dog sitting on his lap, and can keep LJ from lurching into my lap when his anxiety level rises.
But since I'm not the one driving, and I can't tolerate a one hundred and four pound dog sitting on my lap for fifty miles, he stays in the back. He was trying to get up with us to the front seat with all his might, and he packs a lot of might behind those one hundred and four pounds of solid muscle, lemme tell you.
So we got to work early this morning, when no one was there yet (as usual). I walked him around a bit so he would know where he was at, then we went back to my office and I shut the door to keep him in with me. He did really well when my door was closed. I had to leave my office without him a number of times, and my absence caused him a great deal of anxiety to where he was whining and trying to get my attention but I ignored him until he laid down. A couple of times I corrected him with a "tsss" ala Dog Whisperer. He met a LOT of new people today. Probably thirty or more. He did so wonderfully and everyone loved him. One of my coworkers threw her arms around his body and hugged him, she said he was so lovable. I am truly blessed to have a wonderful pooch like this guy.
He is not 100% comfortable with meeting strangers, as most people like to go patting the top of his head, which Cesar Millan (The Dog Whisperer) says you shouldn't even do to a dog you are meeting for the first time. You should act aloof, like you are part of the popular crowd and let the dog approach you, rather than advance toward the dog. But LJ did wonderfully with all the attention.
Here are a few pictures of him being a good boy. We even worked in my boss's office for about an hour, and he'd laid down quietly and waited for me to be done. He is just incredible.
My mother-in-law had hoped to meet up with us today, to get a child-sized picnic table that dh had built for his niece/mil's granddaughter. She came with us into the appointment at the vet's office. I will definitely thank her for that as she was a wonderful distraction. I have not been in vet's office many times, and at least half of those few times have been very stressful.
Like when LJ was sick with parvo. He had one set of vaccinations, when he was neutered. I learned that sometimes dogs can contract parvo, when they receive vaccinations.
He was neutered at the vet's office where we went today, when he was 10 weeks old. The vet says he weighed 20 pounds at that time, and asked us if we'd like to weigh him on the scale, as he was pretty sure he'd gained some weight since then, hardy-har-har. No kidding, doc. ;-)
He weighed in at 104.2 pounds. Our electricity meter reader calls him, "...a pitbull on steroids."
The doc says he has what is called a histiocytoma. He gave us several options, and told us doing nothing was perfectly fine. We are going to wait a couple of weeks and see how it goes. He told us we could have the tumor biopsied, which would cost a couple hundred dollars, shoot some cortisone into the tumor to see if we could get it to shrink, put over the counter Cort-Aid onto it, have surgery to remove it, which would cost $300 to $400, or do nothing. He did say the thing could go away on its own.
Alternative Medicine for Pets
Gross Picture but this site says these growths will go away within about three months
About.com
I asked the vet if he looked in good condition and the vet says he looks like an athlete, very muscular. One of my coworkers was saying he was fat because you should be able to feel his ribcage slightly. Well, I don't know about this boy being fat. He's pretty active.
Off to bed. I'm one very happy lady, thrilled that my pooch is okay. Whew. He loves sleeping under the covers, snuggled along the length of my body. He's so warm. I love him so much. You know I haven't loved a dog this hard since I was ten years old. In fact I didn't think I'd ever love a dog this much ever again. But this boy just stole my heart. And I'm doubly blessed that my dh loves this boy as much as I do.
Until next time.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
"Just Because" Flowers
Labels: LJ
I had a rough day today.
I worked with my boss first thing this morning and we were talking and I told her my dog has a growth that was a little bump like a mosquito bump and within a couple of weeks it has grown to the size of a dime and about 1/3" tall. I told her I didn't know what to do about it.
She said, matter of factly, that I needed to have it checked out. She said, quite logically, that it might be benign and easily removable right now, but if we wait too long it might turn into something worse. I agreed with her and said she was right. She shared with me about her brother's two dogs that he had lost to cancer. We continued to work together for another half hour or so, and I was feeling a deep sense of unease inside. When I finally got back to my office, I closed the door, sat at my desk and cried. For you see, this dog of mine means a lot to me. He is the first dog I've loved this hard since I was ten years old (34 years). I am truly one of "those people" that I used to think were off their rockers loving their dogs so much. I don't know what it is about him, but he is just so lovable, and to top it all off, he's an American Pitbull Terrier, the one breed of dog I swore I'd never own. We fostered him from the age of 3 weeks, and he will turn two on Valentine's Day. He is hands down, the BEST dog I've ever had the pleasure of owning. He's intelligent, good natured, happy, loving. He's a wonderful dog.
I called my friend who gave him to us to foster. Well, actually I emailed her first, and she was very kind and soothing to me. She gave me her favorite vet's number and encouraged me to have the lump checked out. So I made an appointment for Thursday.
The upside to this is I get to bring my dog to work for the day! My boss was very impressed when she met him about nine or ten months ago. I brought him in and I sat down, and he laid down right at my feet and went to sleep. She said he was very mellow and a good (and huge!) dog. She said most people who come to her house with dogs, the dog runs all over sniffing everything, but not my LJ. He just laid down at my feet (because I asked him to) and went to sleep.
I asked if I could bring him in for the day, and my boss asked me what else had I planned to do with him? Later in the day I thanked her for her words of encouragement, and she said she couldn't let anything happen to that big lug of a dog.
About 2:30, my boss called me up to the front desk. I got up there, and this beautiful bouquet of flowers had been delivered for me. From my sweet hubby. And the card said, "Just because".
I hope my pooch will be okay, and my husband is a keeper.
Until next time.
Heath Ledger - Dead at 28
Labels: Just Stuff
I was just talking about Heath Ledger yesterday. One of my favorite ever movies is A Knight's Tale. I watched that movie dozens of times, I've always like hearing different accents, especially the Australian accent.
Yesterday, I discovered that Heath Ledger portrayed one of the gay cowboys in Brokeback Mountain. I was shocked to learn that. Just shocked.
And just a few minutes ago we saw on the news that Heath Ledger is dead. Barely 28 years old.
Sad.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Hey, A Word I Finally Recognize!
Labels: Just Stuff
I have Dictionary.com's Word of the Day on my site and the words are almost always new to me.
I know this word because at my job we use it to describe a person who has lost vision later in life, rather than someone born without vision.
For example, a person in an accident who loses their sight, but up until that time had vision.
Until next time.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
The Sneezing - It Comes From Out of Nowhere
Labels: kefir
I woke up sneezing this morning. It's not like someone was dusting at 5:30am, it's much too cold for leaving windows open for dust to come in. My nose has been running and I've been sneezing throughout the day. Intermittently I have some relief and it stops as suddenly as it started.
I was first made aware of my problem with allergies when I was in the eighth grade. I was taking wood shop class and my teacher asked me if I had allergies. I told him I thought I had a cold, but I wasn't sure. He told me when his allergies acted up, they affected him like they were affecting me.
Now when my nose acts up it's almost always allergies. Every so often I'll catch a cold, but not very often. The way I can tell best if it's a cold is if my nose begins "running like a faucet". You know, drip, drip, drip when I don't know it's going to drip.
Apparently allergic reactions exacerbate asthma. I didn't have asthma until I had pneumonia in 2002. Neither did ds1. But the doctors are fond of claiming one condition has nothing at all to do with the other. Funny how I never had trouble breathing without medication until AFTER the month long bout with pneumonia.
Fortunately I have mild asthma. Mine is controlled pretty good with the lowest dosage of Flovent used once every 24 hours. I sometimes have to use Albuterol in conjunction with the Flovent if I'm wheezing.
I notice my asthma bothers me less when I am faithful to drink my kefir regularly.
I wonder when I'll remember how important it is to stay on my kefir? I got out of the habit of drinking my kefir for several weeks and had several symptoms return. I keep forgetting that I have to keep drinking my kefir. In another post I included this information I'd gotten from a list I'm on, "Your immune system is based in your gut in large part, and dependent upon a healthy gut flora, so it makes sense that a constant flow of the friendly microbes from kefir would help your asthma."
Until next time.
Friday, January 18, 2008
Pretty Good Day
Labels: Just Stuff
I got to stay home today while dh and ds2 went to work.
I got the kitchen cleaned up including sweeping and mopping the floor. It wasn't too bad, ds2 has been keeping it cleaned up pretty good.
I made a pork roast with potatoes and onions in the crock pot. For dinner, I strained the broth, made it into gravy, heated frozen green beans and warmed up some rolls.
Oh, I finished the vest I was knitting. Pictures soon.
I'm going to wash the dishes from dinner and tidy up the kitchen again!
Until next time.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Old School
Labels: Memory Lane
I served on a board for two years and resigned this past December. I was supposed to serve three years, but I just couldn't do it any longer. One of the women I served with wanted to take me out to lunch as a thank you.
It's always fun to discover another Arizona native! We're close in age, she's three years older than me. She's tall, slender and beautiful. Especially the slender part... as we were returning to my job I told her I'd felt intimidated by her, but didn't any longer. She asked why and I said, "Well, I was a little worried about going to lunch with you, because I thought you'd eat, like, a walnut or something." She laughed and said, "Like a bird. Well, you saw that was wrong!" Then I laughed and said, "That's when I started to hate you, because obviously you have a fast metabolism!"
Lunch wasn't so hot. Literally not hot. The waitress brought our plates with these huge oven mitts on her hands, and the food was lukewarm. The plates weren't even hot. I don't think my friend ever got her iced tea and it took forever to get our food and we never got our tab. We had to go up to the front and ask for it. My friend told me a neat little piece of trivia that she said probably not many people know about anymore. She said she had waitressed for many years and if you really like the service you received, leave your tip and one penny. She said it meant you felt your service was exceptional. And if you left only a penny, then that said something altogether different. Isn't that neat?
Whenever I meet an Arizona native, I always ask them if they can remember what the old Thomas Mall looked like. It's such a mind twister to go back in my head and visualize it, because now it looks totally different.
We talked about the various neighborhoods we lived in, and we lived within a few miles of each other in some places, but in different years. It was fun to compare notes. We talked a little about our childhoods, and how we'd made the choice to not follow in our parent's footsteps.
I had a really nice time. We had to go to the bank to get her name on the account as a signer, and take my name off. Since I'd lost my driver's license, they couldn't do anything for us, unless I had a state identification card. I felt really bad about it, but she was so cool about it and was even happy because she said we could go to lunch again. She said she never gets to go out to lunch and really enjoyed my company.
Here are some historical links to Thomas Mall:
Malls of America - Thomas Mall
Malls of America - Monkey Cages in Thomas Mall
Mall Hall of Fame - Thomas Mall
Historical Gallery of Phoenix, Arizona 1960s - Thomas Mall
Until next time.
