Hello All!  Are you prepared for the holiday craziness that is about to ensue?  I have been cooking for, what feels like, 3 weeks straight… 24 hours a day.  My feet are killing me.  But, I can’t wait because our festivities begin tonight!

All of my mom’s side of the family is in town for Christmas this year for the first time in 4 years.  I think there will be about 50 of us at her house on Xmas Eve.  But tonight is the cousin party at my house.  Just adult cousins, no kids and I can’t wait.  We have had the date booked since June so to say I have been looking forward to it is a bit of an understatement.

Anyway… with all the preparing for the cousin party and Christmas day (also hosted at my house, yay)  I have been to at least 2 grocery stores every day for the last week.  Guess what, lots is on sale.  Including spices and alcohol.

If you bake often you may notice that the price of vanilla extract has skyrocketed over the last year or so.  I mean basically doubled; it’s ridiculous.  But, while I was strolling the isles at the local grocery store I saw that vanilla beans were on sale.  I love using vanilla beans but they are so expensive.  They were $5 off per bottle.  I bought every bottle they had.

If you will remember from a previous post I have made my own vanilla extract.  It is lovely but I am ready to move to a bigger container.  Well, not only were the vanilla beans on sale, so was vodka.  I got the big bottle.

If you need a refresher on how to get the most out of your vanilla bean, click here to see the steps.  If you were on the fence about doing it,  now is the time!

Not only am I making a giant batch of extract.  I’m using the leftover spice containers to make little vanilla sugars for people.  I don’t need all that vanilla sugar so I will randomly hand them out as they are created for an extra treat.

Wishing everyone a safe and Happy Holiday!