photo courtesy of Flickr

Does that scare you? Yeah, me neither. Because this year is going to be different!

This year, we are going to get ready for the big season early. This year, just like good boy scouts, we are going to be prepared. I’m going to help you get started on that quest. Today I’m going to start you down the path of making awesome homemade gifts of goodness for your loved ones.

It is an easy 3-step process, well maybe a 4-step process if you don’t have a cabinet full of booze like I do… and you have to stop at a liquor store to buy the alcohol needed. Please take that into consideration when you map out your steps. Oh, and be sure to read to the bottom, bonus story there for everyone… here we go:

• Step 1: Go to Cost Plus World Market and purchase 3 packages of Madagascar vanilla beans (a package of two for $2.99) and 6 cute and decorative little bottles or jars to use for gift-giving, and 6 pretty dish towels for gift wrapping. Each bottle or jar should hold only about 3-ounces of liquid… like I said, cute and little.

• Step 2: Come home with your purchases and set those little bottles and dish towels aside, you won’t be needing them until Saturday, December 10th. This is what I’m talking about – being prepared! Now make the homemade vanilla extract as instructed below.

• Step 3: On Saturday, December 10th it is time to package your little gifts. Using a funnel, divide the homemade vanilla extract evenly between the 6 cute little bottles, and slip one of the soaked vanilla beans into each. Seal and wrap up in the pretty dish towel and tie up with a huge bow and place under your tree to give to the ones you love the most. Maybe include an awesome dessert recipe card that uses real vanilla extract and reminds the loved ones how much you love dessert and how you hope they will love you back by sharing with you.

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I believe I’ve mentioned this before – I love chai! My brain has been working overtime to come up with recipes to use the chai concentrate that I am totally addicted to. First up are poached pears in chai – these are delicious! The poaching liquid uses a fresh vanilla bean. Vanilla beans (and extract for that matter) are expensive, so be sure you’re getting a nice fresh one. The way to tell if it is fresh is to feel it. It should be soft and pliable, when you bend it, it should not break or crack. Costco sells gorgeous plump beans in a glass tube with a rubber stopper (the stopper helps keep them fresh longer once the package is opened). The glass tube is attached to a large piece of cardboard, look for it in the spice aisle. A good reason to purchase the beans at Costco is because of their high turnover. When purchasing vanilla beans at the grocery store, (where the turnover isn’t as quick) be sure to pull a bottle from the very back of the shelf and give it a good shake and listen to whether it sounds hard or soft. If you get it home and it is hard and breaking, be sure to return it, it is of no use in that state.

Once you remove the vanilla bean from the poaching liquid, allow it to dry on a counter for a couple of days, when it is completely dry, add it to your container of granulated sugar, the vanilla flavor will permeate the sugar and give you lovely vanilla scented sugar.

The best way to core the pears is with a melon-baller. It creates a perfectly round hole in the pear to fill. Tomorrow the other poached pear recipe – savory instead of sweet…
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