The Cooking Bride Blog Love

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SO I have a friend from high school and college that encouraged me to start my own blog. Love having encouraging, supportive friends!  She has an AMAZING blog of her own….recipes galore! She is one of many talents! You must go check out her incredible recipes and the pictures she takes!  Go to her blog by clicking here!

 

Time Out Bottles

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Saw an idea to make “Time out” bottles for the kiddos a while back and gave it a whirl. I use mine as a visual timer for the kids. When they go to time out, they have to grab their bottle, shake it, and then wait for the glitter to settle before getting up! Works pretty well:)

bottles

INSTRUCTIONS CAN BE FOUND HERE!

Too many barbies all over the place?

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barbie

If you have girls, then you might just want to see this. As I was trying to organize my kids’ rooms, I came across an idea for Barbie storage. I was tired of constantly picking up Barbies and all of the tiny accessories! So in comes this cheap idea.  I bought an over the door shoe storage hanger. I actually didn’t like it hanging on the back of the door, so I hung it up on the wall.  Now each Barbie has her own pocket! My sweet girl loves it, and so do I!

Homemade Vanilla Extract

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About a year ago, I started making my own vanilla extract. You will NOT believe how simple it is and how it tastes so much better than the stuff you can buy at the store! Give it a try….you won’t be disappointed!

You will need:

  • Vodka
  • Vanilla beans (5 beans per 8 oz vodka)
  • glass jar

vanilla

Directions:

  1. Pour vodka into glass jar. The jars I used here are 8 oz jars found at Hobby Lobby!
  2. Slice vanilla beans lengthwise to expose the insides.
  3. Place vanilla beans into the jar.
  4. Seal and shake.
  5. Keep in a cool, dark place for about six weeks.
  6. Shake the jar every couple of days.
  7. After six weeks or so, the vanilla should be ready to try!
  8. Add more vodka as you use the vanilla.  I add more beans every six months to increase the flavor.

vanilla2

The vanilla shown above was just beginning…it takes time to darken and develop flavor!

Want to know where I buy vanilla beans? I order the from here.  Great quality, prices, and fast shipping.  I prefer Madagascar beans, but they sell all kinds of varieties! BEST of all, vanilla beans have free shipping right now.  What are you waiting for?  Go make vanilla!