Wednesday, April 26, 2017

V is for VANILLA ANYTHING and EVERYTHING #AtoZChallenge

FOOD FOR THOUGHT
My daily #AtoZ posts combine two concepts in under-300-words per day:
an appealing food choice along with thoughts that spring to mind.
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Vanilla is a flavor derived from orchids. The vanilla orchid is a vine-like plant that grows up trees. Most vanilla today comes from Madagascar and the island of RĂ©union. The rest comes from Mexico and Tahiti. Vanilla is the second most expensive spice, after saffron. The production of both is labor intensive - hummingbirds and bees are involved. With the flowers open for only a short period of time, that makes it too difficult to predict, meaning plants need to be hand-pollenated. Intense.

 
 
 
 
 
So many of the foods and liquids I like have vanilla as an ingredient. Chocolate Chip cookies are flavored with vanilla extract. There's vanilla latte, vanilla milk shakes and hot fudge sundaes made with scoops of vanilla ice cream, vanilla- flavored powered protein and weigh-loss drinks.
 
 
Everything vanilla is beautiful and/or delicious.
 

 
Do you have a favorite recipe that calls for vanilla in one form or another?
 
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6 comments:

  1. I love vanilla in cooking. What would chocolate chip cookies be without it!

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    1. Yes, Jacqui, I remember carefully measuring out the vanilla as s child for those chocolate chip cookies. Now it is fun to see the pleasure in the eyes of other little ones.

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  2. I had no idea that vanilla came from orchids! It's amazing what one learns from blogs. I do use vanilla when I make zucchini bread.

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    1. That I did not remember. I used to bake so much zucchini bread but forgot about using vanilla. Now I am hungry.

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  3. I love the smell of vanilla - my favorite candle scent other than anything cinnamon!

    DB McNicol | Oh, the places we will go! | Virginia & Valley of the Fire SP

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    1. Funny how the fragrance is so appealing but taste a dop of the liquid - worse than sour lemon.

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