vanilla goodness.

2 posts in 2 days? Watch out blog-world. Actually, this post is coming sooner than expected. 1. My vanilla beans came in the mail today! 2. I am really looking for any excuse to use my new camera. (drool...)

If you're like me, you dread running out of vanilla extract. I haaate spending $7 on those teeeeny bottles. So when I came across a blog that had instructions for making your own vanilla extract, I felt like the heavens parted, and knew I had to try it!

After hunting through the spice aisles at Wal-Mart, Publix, and even Publix Greenwise, I decided to venture into Whole Foods where I finally found whole vanilla beans for a whopping $13.00.
For two.

Amazon to the rescue! The instructions call for 3 vanilla beans per cup of alcohol, and I was somehow able to find 7 beans for 6 bucks. (Including shipping!) The downside to this homemade vanilla extravaganza? It takes 2 months for the vanilla to be ready. Looks like I'll have to settle for store-bought for the next few batches of cookies or muffins.

Take a peek at the process. It was really easy to make, and aside from waiting a week for my vanilla beans to arrive, it only took me about 15 min. to make. (Leaving time for pictures, of course.)

spring? oh, spring?

Living in South Florida, I've come to realize that there are two seasons: hot and hotter. We usually get 3-4 weeks in January where the weather drops to *gasp* 45 degrees during the day, and somewhere in the high 30's at night. Now don't get me wrong, I love wearing sundresses and flip-flops 95% of the year. But there's just one thing that's missing....SPRING. While the northern states are finally finished shoveling themselves out of their driveways, they are beginning to see signs of spring. Flowers budding. Sun shining. Trees blooming. Not here...

Today it was 90 degrees. Ninety.....

So...I decided to fake a little spring today. Thanks to a link on a friend's blog, I was able to make this spring-tacular wreath. Take a peek here if you're interested in making one of your own. Just a hint, make sure you buy moss sheets, which I discovered after I bought the wrong stuff. I love the result. It's so fresh and simple.

Also, the puppies say hello blog world! :)

breakfast for dinner

We've all been there....
Staring at the refrigerator...waiting....waiting....waiting. As if we really think some delicious dish will appear if we keep staring.

My go-to "meal" when this happens is usually cereal. And believe me, I've gone through 1-2 boxes in a week when I find myself in a food rut.

Tonight, however, since I already had my bowl of cereal for a mid-afternoon snack, I decided to go for a quick upgrade to Aunt Jemima's instant pancakes. The result was scrumptious.

Whole Wheat Blueberry Pumpkin Pancakes
1 cup Aunt Jemima's whole wheat pancake mix
1 cup skim milk
1 egg
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
3/4 cup fresh blueberries
1/4 cup canned pumpkin
1 tbsp. ground flax seed
1 tbsp. sliced almonds (for garnish)
drizzle of raw honey for topping

1. Mix all ingredients. Allow 2-3 minutes for batter to thicken.
2. Pour batter by 1/4 cup onto skillet. Flip twice.
3. When pancakes are done, top with sliced almonds, and drizzle with honey.

sunday project: whole wheat blueberry scones

Step into my local Spanish market, and what will you encounter? Vibrant colored fresh fruits and veggies. Maneuvering through small crowded aisles. The feeling that you have stepped right into another country. Spanish music blaring through the speakers. The thrill I get from setting my heaping basket of produce on the counter and hearing the clerk say, "$12.77" for what surely would cost well over that amount at a traditional grocery store, makes me appreciate this local gem even more.

On the list of yummies from the market yesterday was organic blueberries. (For just $1.50, I might add...) I couldn't wait to pop some of those bad boys in my mouth for a sweet snack, so they were the first to be washed. Needless to say, I was disappointed when I tried them and they made my face turn Quasimodo from the sourness of them.

Solution? Bake with them, of course!

As I was perusing through the blog-o-sphere this wonderful Sunday morning, I stumbled across a perfect recipe for whole wheat blueberry scones. I don't know why, but I've always been intimidated to try making scones. They have always seemed so.....sophisticated. Either way, I decided to cross my fingers and hope for the best! Thankfully they were rather easy, and just as tasty!

Whole Wheat Blueberry Scones (adapted from this recipe)
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup skim milk
1 egg
2 tablespoons yogurt (I used french vanilla)
1 teaspoon high-quality vanilla extract
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1/2 cup rolled oats

 Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425ºF. Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray. You don't want any of this goodness being left behind. :)
 2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, brown sugar, and cinnamon.

 

3. Cut butter into your flour mixture using your fingers or two knives. (I found that your fingers work best! Give yourself a little workout.)
4.  In a small bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, yogurt, and the vanilla extract.

5. Add the liquid mixture to the flour-butter mixture, and stir until just combined. Stir in the blueberries.

6. Spread the oats over your work surface. (Reserve 1/4 cup of oats.)

7. Place your dough on top of the oats, forming a disk shape. Pat the dough out to about 1/2 inch thickness.

8. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of oats onto the top of the disk.

9. Grease a large knife with cooking spray. Cut the dough disk into 8 wedges and transfer to the prepared baking sheet.

10. Bake the scones for 12-15 minutes, or until they are light golden brown. Serve warm.

 See? Piece of cake! Or um.....scone. :)