Binkies and Briefcases

Homemade Vanilla extract is one of the easiest things to make in the kitchen. There are only two ingredients. But it does take quite a bit of patience because you have to wait for it to come together. 

All you need to make your own extract is a few vanilla beans and a bottle of vodka. That’s it! (You can also use rum, if you prefer.) I’m going to provide the Amazon link to the beans I used, but I just bought ours at our local grocery store. 

To get started, you need a few vanilla beans. 

And some vodka. 

That’s it. Just plop a bean into a mason jar, fill the jar with vodka. Then seal it and let it sit for at least 6 months. That’s the hard part, the waiting. 

I made a short video in case you have any questions. Check it out. 

This extract also makes great gifts! Just fill a few small bottles like these and make your own labels. 

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The Easiest Homemade Pizza Crust

Last night Penny told me “This is the best dinner you ever made!” That’s pretty high praise from a child who refuses to eat any kind of pasta. All of the kids who tried it had seconds or thirds. (One still wasn’t willing to try. Isn’t that always the case?) Anyway…

What if I told you that you could have homemade pizza on the table in 30 minutes, including making the dough? It’s crazy, but you can! This recipe is a new favorite at our house. If you’ve been following us for a while, you know that while I eat a plant-based diet, the rest of my family does not. The kids love their pizza night, and I like that it’s a fast and easy option on busy school days. But I’m not one to make my own pizza dough (or really anything involving yeast and a lot of time), so we usually go for take-out or pizzas from the freezer section, and that can get expensive when you are feeding a large family! We usually need to buy 3 pizzas to feed our family of 7 one meal. But now I can make pizza from scratch at home much more affordably and it takes less time than ordering delivery. And there is no rolling, kneading or proofing the dough! None. That batter is a liquid. What?! I know, it’s crazy, but you really can make thin crust pizza from a liquid batter. If you can make pancake batter, you can do this. Promise. Except it’s actually easier than pancakes because you don’t even have to flip it.  [Read more…]

Are you ready for the easiest fall recipe of all time? My vegan pumpkin spice cake is only 5 ingredients (2 for the cake, 3 for the icing). My daughter Ana has declared it’s “better than mac n cheese” which is saying a lot because mac n cheese is her favorite food. Well, actually this cake is now her new favorite food. And it’s so easy that at age 9 she could probably even make it all by herself.  

Yes, it’s vegan. Being healthy is another story, but hey, it’s cake so healthy isn’t super high on the priority list, right? I can promise that it is delicious! And did I mention it’s easy? It’s not so much a recipe as a technique I learned a few years ago doing Weight Watchers. Ready? 

5 Ingredient Vegan Pumpkin Spice Cake

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