I just came in from the gym and opened the back door to the most wondrous smells wafting through the house.
Hmmm, I thought. Did Lucky Dawg bake some cookies while I was gone?
For the past few days I’ve noticed a distinctly “doggy” smell when I came in. No more. A friend suggested that I put a few teaspoons of vanilla in a 350 degree oven. Once the oven is preheated, you place a small bowl of vanilla in, shut off the oven, and open the door slightly.
With the price of pure vanilla extract, I had reservations about the procedure. Then I remembered a huge bottle of vanilla an old boyfriend brought me from South America a few years ago. It’s at least 10 years old.
I’m afraid to cook with it, but like an old corsage pressed into my scrapbook, I haven’t been able to throw it away (he was a good boyfriend.)
I can still smell it three hours later, but unfortunately I’m craving sugar cookies.
Em,
We’ve always brought cases of Vanilla back everytime we went to Mexico (no more, of course, now) and I’ve used the vanilla for years until I ran out. To my knowledge, vanilla never goes bad – I’ve been told it’s merely a vanilla bean put into a bottle of vodka and that’s how you get vanilla with which to cook.
Does vodka ever go bad??? Anyway, I think your’s is still good with which to cook.
Glad to know about the tip for putting some into the oven to “flavor” the house. Thanks for the tip.