Vanilla Extracting
Chocolate malteaser cupcake
Chocolate covered coffee beans
O is in his new green flannel pyjamas playing
Making cakes
Halloween match box swap arrives for E
I had a "light bulb" moment in the early hours of this morning. Maltitol. The main ingredient in some vitamin sweets I purchased a few weeks ago, primarily to supplement Big Small's fruitless diet in the winter months but which all of The Smalls have taken a fancy to.
****Body Fluids alert**** We have had "issues" with Maltitol before and I am certain it is the reason Middle Small has been missing the toilet so much lately because in large does it is a laxative and probably explains why he has been acting and feeling a bit frantic too.
Grandma and Grandie arrived shortly after 7am this morning, about the same time as the shopping delivery, the first time we have seen them in 3 weeks and everyone was very excited! Brilliant to have them back home. Dad and I moved the giant water tank at the allotment and the compost bin. We made home made pizza for lunch. The over worked Kitchen Aid has made some choc cupcakes and their buttercream icing too. Since noticing in the John Lewis Christmas catalogue that a new one is over £400 (more than twice the bill for ours 10 years ago) ours has even been treated to a clean. The Smalls have pressies from Oz - O has some PJS that he loves so much he has worn them almost all day, S has a butterfly top and E a turtle T-Shirt. Thank-You x x :-) The Daddy One and I have some chocolate covered coffee beans which we are rather partial too.
I am having a bash at making some home made vanilla extract for economic reasons you understand! 100ml of vanilla extract costs approximately £5 depending on where you buy it so, for £20 for a litre of vodka and £3 for 4 vanilla pods I am hoping to produce our own for about £2.30 per 100ml roughly half the price. My friend (& former midwife) first blogged about this some two years ago and I have been meaning to attempt it ever since. Will keep you posted.
In Other News
E showed off his magnets reading to Grandie. His matchbox swap landed on the mat and he promptly used the contents to make a great card.
I hope to finish the book review post of 'Unqualified Education' tonight.
8 comments:
it all sounds wonderful,
there's a chocolate shop in the south of France which sells the most divine chocolate covered coffee beans and almonds. If I get back there next year, I'll bring you some back x
It seems we have two default settings in our family - (a) Out all the time or (b) home all the time and cooking!!
I'm loving that vanilla extract idea! Fabulous. I've pretty much failed at baking today. I keep putting things in the own and then forgetting them!
Last Spring for the first time, we made our own vanilla with vanilla beans/pods and potato vodka. It's fabulous. Sorry about the bodily fluids aspect of this post!
just re-read this post and maltitol is used in Splenda and had a similar laxative effect when my mum and I tried using it (!) it also affects your blood sugar, made me feel quite odd. So we stick to the real stuff now :)
That's really interesting - I have been scratching my head as to why E hasn't been himself and has been really craving sugar too asking for ice cream at all hours so I am even more certain it is that now.
How long did your extract take Frank?
I wonder if I could post you a little bottle Lisa :) I think you meant oven was that a DYAC moment?
Normal service to be resumed shortly on the body fluids front!
I think it was supposed to take 6 weeks. We did it last Spring. It's very tasty now!
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