Christmas gifts from the kitchen

Are you always looking for that perfect gift...not too expensive, but shows you put thought and effort into it?  Well I have what you're looking for!  Vanilla extract made in your very own kitchen.

For the holidays I typically do a lot of baking and bring trays of baked goodies wherever I go.  Last year, one of my foodie friends told me about a blog that showed you how to make vanilla extract.  She was planning to make it to give as gifts for friends and co-workers.  I absolutely loved the idea and proceeded to 'borrow' it!  She gave me her source with everything you need to know from sourcing vanilla beans and bottles to designing your own labels.  Rather than redo what's been done so well, I've shared the link below with step by step instructions.

 
While these little bottles of goodness are quite economical, they do take some time.  If you start now, and order your materials, you can easily have them done by Christmas.  Just be sure to let everyone know when the vanilla was started so it can steep for an adequate amount of time.  I started a bit late last year but used the back label to get the message out.


Family and friends really enjoyed getting vanilla along with my biscotti last year. I liked the fact that they would think of me as they used it during the year.  There is one drawback to this perfect little gift...I can't think of a thing to top it for this year!


Homemade Vanilla Extract - Step by Step - from The Italian Dish blog