Vanilla Beans and info on how to help raise Awareness!

Vanilla doesn't always = BLAH!

For my last birthday my awesome neighbor and cooking buddy Sarah, presented me with some whole  Madagascar Vanilla Beans. My first thought was, I need to run and google some things I can bake/cook that involve real vanilla! Upon looking up the uses for Vanilla Beans, I became even more excited.

 Vanilla beans can:

-be used in any recipe that calls for vanilla extract

-be used to make your own vanilla extract

-be placed into your glass jar of sugar to add a hint of vanilla flavor(dried pods)

-be placed into your coffee beans to add a hint of vanilla flavor (dried pods)

Not only are the whole vanilla pods beautiful to

look at, they smell delicious.

I'm really excited about my vanilla beans. I can't wait to share recipes and other fun ideas and uses for vanilla beans with you all!

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RAISING AWARENESS

As many of you may know October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. 230,480 women will be diagnosed with Breast Cancer in 2011. Many of us here in the blog world, have been aaffected by Breast Cancer. Whether you are a survivor, daughter/mother of a survivor, husband/brother of a survivor, or a best friend/co-worker of a survivor. Or, perhaps you have lost loved ones to a battle with breast cancer. Let's all help raise awareness.

I am the daughter of a Breast Cancer survivor. My mother and I are both down for the cause! Self exams, exercise, and yearly visits keep us on the path toward  healthy breasts. We are aware of the risks, and take the steps necessary to be ahead of the game.

On Sunday, October 30th, let's remind others to open their eyes and be aware!  Let's paint the blog world pink. Join in and submit projects, stories,recipes, or any other ideas that will help raise awareness around the issue of Breast Cancer.  PROJECT PINK is a fun and creative way to send a message out to the world! Women and Men battle this deadly cancer every day. Let's show our support and let others know, we care!

Thanks for stopping in today!

That's my 2 cents!

-Kimba