The “Shortbread” Made Me Do It (4th Year Anniversary Post)

Posted by ShortbreadSwee-T / SweetPoet65 on July 22, 2015
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Hello Friends,

Let me begin this post by apologizing for not posting last year (my 3rd year anniversary).  2014 was a beautifully busy year for me.  In addition to baking,  I have a full-time job, and last year I received a promotion; Yay! Needless to say, starting a new job, after 13 years in the same place, occupied a lot of my mental time. My priorities shifted, and all of my blogging was placed on a back-burner (way back).  So, I missed the 3rd anniversary.

This year, I’m back on track, and everything has been great!  Last December, I finally got that KitchenAid stand mixer that I have wanted for . . . oh . . . umm . . . almost 4 years, and this past April, I got the double oven that I’ve needed.  With each new gadget, things got easier, faster, and better.  Now, I’m ready for the holiday rush (turbo gift-giving).

What’s new this anniversary?  I am adopting a Dutch “birthday” tradition. In the Netherlands, the birthday person gives gifts on their birthday. For years, I have given my mother a gift on my birthday (mostly because I choose to celebrate Mother’s Day on the day she became my mother). What can I say, it makes complete sense to me.

This year, I decided that ShortbreadSwee-T’s will start a new “anniversary” tradition – ShortbreadSwee-T’s will give a small gift to one unsuspecting entity (person/business, etc.). This years recipient is Elegant Touch Nails & Spa in Glendale, CA – courtesy of Vanessa C.

Thank you, Vanessa, for sharing my joy with your friends and family, and thanks for jump-starting ShortbreadSwee-T’s new anniversary tradition.

Peace and blessings,

Swee-T

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You Are Now Vanilla Bound [UPDATE: Finally, The End Result]

Posted by ShortbreadSwee-T / SweetPoet65 on July 3, 2015
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Soooo sorry that I didn’t keep up with my Vanilla Bound Series. Truth be told, 6 months is a long time. I ended up in “set it and forget it mode”. When it was time to use my new extract, I was so excited I forgot to take pictures, and I started using it and giving it away.

NOTE: Attachments to the first 3 posts of the Vanilla Bound Series are listed at the end of this post.

Okay, so I am finally giving you my thoughts on the end results:

I thought the results of my first vanilla extract attempt were good.   I used cheesecloth and a strainer to strain the beans and the seeds of the beans from the extract (about 5 times).  I liked my version better than the store-bought versions that I’d been buying and using for years.

I am now on my third batch of vanilla extract.  During the second batch I made a few changes (incorporated different vanilla beans – Mexican, Bourbon, Indian, etc.).  I really loved that batch.

What I’ve Learned:  I learned that store-bought isn’t always best. After researching some of the top vanilla extracts, I found that many of them use water as their first ingredient (which means it is the most used ingredient), and many have sugar as an ingredient. Sugar?!? This baffles me because how can it be “pure” vanilla extract if it has sugar and/or it’s diluted with water. I also came across extracts that have chemicals in their ingredients (probably preservatives, but who knows what or why).

Bottom line:  Start your own DIY projects, because sometimes you don’t get what you pay for.

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Bringing Shortbread Goodness to 2014: Happy New Year!!!

Posted by ShortbreadSwee-T / SweetPoet65 on January 1, 2014
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Shortbread Assortment
Chocolate Raspberry
White Chocolate Key Lime
White Chocolate Raspberry

Peace & Blessings —{-@

ShortbreadSwee-T

ShortbreadSwee-T’s 2013 in (Short)Review: An Awesome Journey

Posted by ShortbreadSwee-T / SweetPoet65 on January 1, 2014
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The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2013 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. This blog was viewed about 2,600 times in 2013. If it were a cable car, it would take about 43 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

You Are Now Vanilla Bound (Week 21)

Posted by ShortbreadSwee-T / SweetPoet65 on December 22, 2013
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This is the third installment of my multi-segmented “Vanilla Bound” series, which details my journey through making homemade Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Extract.  It all began with 12 vanilla beans and 24 ounces of vodka, and the last necessary ingredient for my successful Vanilla Bound venture is time (6 months to be exact).

The last time I reported on the progress of my vanilla extract was about 4 months ago (You Are Now Vanilla Bound-Week 2).  My intent was to make weekly reports for the entire 6 months, but to be honest, I was checking the extract daily and there were no notable changes taking place.  So, my impatience got the best of me, and I decided to store it and forget it, with hopes of giving it enough time to mature.

My original recipe was:  4 vanilla beans to 8 ounces of vodka

Today, week 21 (almost 5 months), I pulled my bottle of vanilla extract from the back of my little dark cabinet and noticed that the vanilla extract is still a medium brown caramel color (but slightly darker than it was in week 2).  When I smelled it, I noticed that the vodka was not as pronounced as it was in week 2, but when I tasted it, I noticed that the vanilla was not as pronounced as I wanted it to be.  My original maturation time was 6 months (February 2014).  So, I decided to revamp my recipe for the remaining few weeks.  That’s the beauty of making my own vanilla extract!

My revamped recipe is: 6 vanilla beans to 8 ounces of vodka

I began this journey with 24 ounces of vodka and 12 vanilla beans (Beanilla.com), but today I am adding 6 more vanilla beans, and back to the back of the dark cabinet it goes (for about 6 more weeks).  This is a process that demands patience (something I’m learning day by day).

Vanilla Bound (Week 21)

Vanilla Bound (Week 21)

What’s Going On in Week Twenty-One?

  • THE VISUAL: Slightly darker in color

  • THE SMELL: Less vodka smell

  • THE TASTE: Not enough vanilla taste

  • THE COMPARISON: Store bought vanilla extract has a stronger vanilla taste than the homemade vanilla extract

  • THE SOLUTION: ADD MORE VANILLA BEANS!

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For the Hostess With the ‘Mostest’

Posted by ShortbreadSwee-T / SweetPoet65 on December 19, 2013
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The holiday season is still upon us. Do you have several coworkers and/or a few holiday gatherings to attend?  ShortbreadSwee-T’s Shortbread Cookies are a cute and simple gift that are great when you need multiple gifts and are perfect for the hostess that has everything. Shortbread lovers will enjoy them.

Shortbread pairs well with champagne and several other sparkling wines (Trader Joe’s). Last year, I gave a dear friend a large cup of ShortbreadSwee-T’s ShortBits and a great (but inexpensive) wine. It also pairs with tea, milk, and hot chocolate.

This year, I bought personalized designer sticky notes (Vistaprint.com) for each one of my colleagues. I attached each packet of sticky notes to a small cup of ShortbreadSwee-T’s ShortBits. The simple gift was a hit.

Gift options can be limitless.  Try miniature lotions and shower gels (Avon.com or BathandBodyWorks.com) or attach movie tickets or a gift card. Whatever you do, stay fun, stay creative, and enjoy your holidays.

Peace  & Blessings.

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