Time for this week’s Thursday Things:
1. Vanilla Bean Sampler – 3 beans each from 9 countries = 27 beans for $44.95
-
- Madagascan
- Mexican
- Ugandan
- Indonesian
- Tongan
- Indian
- Bourbon (Papua New Guinea)
- Tahitian (Papua New Guinea)
- Tahitian (Tahiti)
High quality beans for less than $2 bucks each? Score.
I love vanilla in anything. From body spray to candles to….
2.
…Cookies!
Puffy Vanilla Peanut Butter Chip Cookies
3. These lamps from Pottery Barn – love the eggplant base and the rustic burlap shades
4. I heated some milk for a recipe I was working on, forgot about it, and a skin formed. Milk skin. Lovely.
But it going me thinking and I researched what milk skin actually is.
When milk is heated, the water the starts to evaporate and the other elements, namely protein and fat, become increasingly concentrated. The proteins – casein and whey – also have a tendency to coagulate once the milk reaches a temperature of about 150°F.
Stir more and the problem is solved. More than you ever wanted to know, but I like food trivia.
5. Congrats to the Top 100 Mom Food Blogs 2012
Many of friends are named in this list – nice going, ladies!
I didn’t make the list but Skylar still thinks I’m a Top Mom. She thanked me yesterday for making her hair look cute and told me I was the best mom ever. I melted.
6. I have tomato jam and chutney on the brain and need to make my own.
My inspirations include:
Spicy Tomato Peach Jam from Lindsay
Spicy Heirloom Tomato Jam from Brandon (a fellow San Diegan – I told him I’d buy it off him)
Tomato Chutney from Liz (also a fellow San Diegan – and I’d buy hers, too)
Clearly I need to make my own.
7. Would you like 2 boxes of the new Cascadian Farms Ancient Grains cereal?
Made with whole grain oats, crisp rice, a bit of brown sugar and cinnamon, a touch of quinoa, spelt and kamut khorasan® wheat, our Ancient Grains Granola is an excellent source of fiber while also packing in 35 grams of Whole Grains per serving and 5 grams of protein
Leave a comment on this post telling me at that you’d like to be entered in the giveaway and what your favorite cereal of all time is.
I’ll announce the winner in my next post.
8. I’ve been thinking about something gooey with caramel and chocolate all day and these came to mind.
Caramel and Chocolate Gooey Bars (GF with Vegan adaptation)
9. Enamel-dipped servers from Antrhro – $36 for the pair which I think is a great price.
They remind me of something Tiffany without Tiffany pricing and for Anthro, pretty darn cheap.
10. The winner of the Magimix by Robot-Coupe Food Processor & Juice Extractor Giveaway (1000+ entries later)
is…
Michele Sparrow July 5, 2012 at 11:23 pm
I think the first thing I would make in the food processor is a homemade salsa or some kind of coconut yogurt. That processor is AMAZING!!
Congrats, Michele!
What are your Thursday Things?
If you’ve made anything, done, seen, or bought anything fabulous, feel free to link it up in the comments.
Do you like vanilla or ever make your own vanilla extract?
Yes and yes.
Split open 3 or 4 vanilla beans, put them in a tall jar with 1 cup of vodka with a lid like a canning jar, let them sit for at least a month, probably 6 to 8 weeks, shaking the jar a couple times a week.
In two months, you have vanilla extract. You can strain out the seeds if you want before you use it, but don’t. They are little flavor bombs – keep them and your food will have flecks of real vanilla beans in it; so pretty.
Top off your jar with more vodka and keep the cycle going. Add more vanilla beans every now and then.
Voila, homemade vanilla extract for a fraction of the price of storebought.
You can also use rum (dark or light) or bourbon, but they are not as clean-tasting as vodka. Sometimes not clean is a good thing though.
Thanks for the Zoku Quick Pop Maker and Chocolate Station Giveaway entries
I love Honey Bunches of Oats. So addictive!!
I love those serving utensils.
I have been making chutney lately, several flavors. my Dad is from Hawaii, and when I was growing up Hawaii Grandpa made chutney all the time. He would send some over to us, and my Dad would open the package and immediately eat some with a spoon. So I’ve been making chutney for Dad lately :)
I bet your dad is just in love with what you’re making him, too!
Oh, that vanilla bean sampler looks amazing!
That homemade vanilla tip is GENIUS!
I love your Thursday Things posts. So many good information and tidbits around the interwebs that you put in one place! Those serving tongs? Gorgeous! I wouldn’t want to use them! Also, I love Cascadian Farms granola.. it’s the only one my store that I like and it’s great for “granola beginners” like myself who don’t know about all the versatility granola has to offer! The vanilla almond one is my favorite for putting in parfaits :) Happy Thursday, Averie!
I know – I wouldn’t want to use them either!
I love those lamps. Would love to try this cereal from Cascadian Farms. I don’t know if I have a favorite cereal anymore. I’ll eat anything as long as it tastes good…haha.
Those vanilla beans are gorgeous! I’ve never cooked with them before but would love to try sometime. And I enjoyed learning about the milk skin too ;)
I would say my favorite cereal is probably Honey Bunches of Oats. It’s like three cereals in one!
I need the spoons + those gorgeous lamps! Great finds Averie :)
If only we could have a shopping fairy come and grant us all our wishes, right! :)
favorite cereal of all time? does special k bars count? hehe :) yyuuummm… those lamps are gorgeous! oh and milk skin reminds me of my mom making pudding when i was younger! i would scrape it off! she knew i didn’t care for it so after she poured the heated pudding in my bowl she would top it with wax paper..this attaches to the skin and makes it easy to remove
I’ve recently become obsessed with cinnamon chex cereal! That granola sounds delicious though!
Vanilla bean sampler… want! How incredible. Just think of how those different high quality beans could take your recipes to the next level. I’ve never made my own extract!
Very interesting about the skim milk incident. You know I love food science and food trivia too Averie! And those puffy PB cookies… and gooey chocolate caramel bars…. mmm I love the looks of both! Have a great Thursday Averie! :)
Glad you like the milk info :)
I think Skylar is definitely lucky to have you as a top mom :) That serving set from Anthro is so cute!
Thanks,, Bianca :)
I love Cascadian Farms cereals but my guilty pleasure is probably Life Cereal… Dry right from the box. :)
Hi Avery! I would love to try the cereal you are giving away. I would have to say my favorite cereal of all time is either Honey Bunches of Oats or Reese’s Puffs. My mom never lets us have sugary cereal(and I’m 16 haha) so whenever my brother and I get the chance to eat a bowl at a friends house, we do! :)
I love cereal and would love to be entered into your giveaway! I could (and sometimes do) eat a bowl for dinner on busy nights. My favorite is actually good old Kellogg’s corn flakes. They taste a little sweet without tons of added sugar.
i’d have to say my favorite cereal of all time is raisin bran. even when i was a kid. seriously. so good.