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GottaDEAL 2024 Prize Club Discussion Thread


Brad

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Happy May!  The month where school FINALLY ends, we overlap hockey with soccer, I kick off several work projects, and apparently they start road construction on the street in front of our house.  I'm hoping it's not like the usual construction season, which starts in May and ends sometime in Never. 🤣

 

April brought a new roof and skylights to our house, May is bringing some tree trimming/cutting, and hopefully a whole house wash.  May is also Living Room month in the "must-purge-the-house-of-all-nonessential-items", and my mom's neighborhood is having a yard sale this weekend.  I am setting up in her driveway for that and I have a crapton of stuff to give away.  Let the games begin!

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After the first 6 months of the prize club, we are now at 40 members, down from the original 59.

 

Can't believe we're already halfway to the sales starting up again.

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Happy May!! It is May 1, which is when USA Luge team announcements are released, and I'm proud to announce that Kendall has been reselected for the USA Luge Jr. National Candidate Team! This is year 5! 😳 We are so proud of her hard work! 🇺🇲❤️🛷

Screenshot_20240501-075657-309.png

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Time to do this again.  The FDA requires six beans per cup of alcohol to qualify as vanilla extract (anything less is simply flavored alcohol).  750ml is 3.17006463 cups.  Multiply that by six beans specifies 19.02038778 beans per 750ml bottle of vodka.

 

So I purchased 20 Organic Madagascar Vanilla Beans Grade B. Certified USDA Organic. 5"-7" for $14.99.  The Smirnoff No.21 Premium Vodka 80 Proof (glass bottle) was $13.99.  

 

Yield should be about 25 oz with a cost of $1.16/oz.  16 fl oz of McCormick All Natural Pure Vanilla Extract is $42.08 ($2.63/oz), so, unless I screw this up, it looks like I'm saving about 55% and it looks like I GottaDeal.

 

Directions could not be simpler...

  1. Cut the vanilla beans in half lengthwise with scissors or a knife. Leave a bit intact at the end if desired.
  2. Put the beans in a 750ml bottle of vodka. Screw the cover on and give it a good shake.
  3. Place in a cool, dark place. Let sit for at least 2 months. The longer the vanilla sits, the stronger the flavor will be. While it's sitting, give the jar a shake every week, or as often as you can remember.
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Posted (edited)
15 hours ago, len_mullen said:

Time to do this again.  The FDA requires six beans per cup of alcohol to qualify as vanilla extract (anything less is simply flavored alcohol).  750ml is 3.17006463 cups.  Multiply that by six beans specifies 19.02038778 beans per 750ml bottle of vodka.

 

So I purchased 20 Organic Madagascar Vanilla Beans Grade B. Certified USDA Organic. 5"-7" for $14.99.  The Smirnoff No.21 Premium Vodka 80 Proof (glass bottle) was $13.99.  

 

Yield should be about 25 oz with a cost of $1.16/oz.  16 fl oz of McCormick All Natural Pure Vanilla Extract is $42.08 ($2.63/oz), so, unless I screw this up, it looks like I'm saving about 55% and it looks like I GottaDeal.

 

Directions could not be simpler...

  1. Cut the vanilla beans in half lengthwise with scissors or a knife. Leave a bit intact at the end if desired.
  2. Put the beans in a 750ml bottle of vodka. Screw the cover on and give it a good shake.
  3. Place in a cool, dark place. Let sit for at least 2 months. The longer the vanilla sits, the stronger the flavor will be. While it's sitting, give the jar a shake every week, or as often as you can remember.

I give mine a head start by pressure cooking them in the Instant Pot, but otherwise I do the same. I use potato vodka, so I am comfortable with the resultant extract for Passover.

 

Where do you get your vanilla beans?

Edited by Gator Pam
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May is starting off badly 😞 Pup doesn't have many days left and I'm dreading having to make the decision. I don't want her to suffer but also don't want to do it too soon. 

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Yay it's May.  Son's birthday, Mother's Day, and my Anniversary.

We are winding up the school year, only 3 more weeks for the kids.

And this week I am finally showing some improvement after being sick for 3 months.  Yay. 

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I'm filling in a big divot in my lawn with lawn clippings and last Fall's leaves hoping that I won't have to buy a ton of clean fill.  I'm covering it with a used billboard so it doesn't blow away.  That's what I'm doing today.

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On 5/3/2024 at 9:28 AM, tinkrbel said:

May is starting off badly 😞 Pup doesn't have many days left and I'm dreading having to make the decision. I don't want her to suffer but also don't want to do it too soon. 

Sorry to hear that. We we through it last year with our Golden. 😞

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