Homemade Vanilla Extract

Last night we had a class about herbal blends, and at the end of the class, I showed how easy it is to make your own vanilla extract. All you need is one or two vanilla beans, and liquor. You can use brandy, whiskey or bourbon. Take a sharp knife (careful!) and make a slit down the vanilla bean. Put it in a quart jar or a clean mayo jar - it needs to have a lid. Pour the booze into the jar, cover, label and place in the pantry. After a couple of weeks, voila! You have vanilla extract, ready to flavor cookies, cakes, and pastries. Or....hint, hint, hint, the holidays are coming. Placed in a pretty bottle, with a bit of ribbon tied into a bowl, what a cool gift! Once you have used up all of the vanilla extract, remove the beans and place in a sugar bowl, the sugar will become vanilla flavored. Enjoy!