Fun Friday

Well, Fridays are just for fun—so away with the seriousness of how to look your best and on to some interesting uses for vanilla. Yup, plain old-fashioned grandmother’s vanilla flavoring.

Goodbye Bugs. Two ounces of water and two ounces of vanilla spritzed on your skin and mosquitos will high tail it to another victim sans chemical bug sprays

Skin Savior Ouch, you pulled a hot cup out of the microwave. Grab the vanilla. It has lots of antioxidants and can help prevent skin damage from the environment. How about a fresh vanilla scrub.
Gather your ingredients. All you will need to create your very own vanilla-coconut facial scrub is a coconut, a whole vanilla bean and coconut milk. You will also need a container where you can place and store your finished product. Take a coconut and flake off some of the insides. Split open the vanilla beans and mix with coconut flakes. Mix in coconut milk and mash into a paste. Apply as a mask to pamper yourself or give as a gift.

Fridge Faux pas Scrub and Scrub and still an icky fridge. Wipe the inside of the fridge with vanilla extract. To prolong the fresh vanilla scent, soak a cotton ball or a piece of sponge with vanilla extract and leave it in the fridge.

Microwave Magic Do you cringe when you open the microwave as yesterday’s cooking odor blasts you in the face? Pour a little vanilla extract in a bowl and microwave on high for one minute. Ahh, that’s better.

Paint Panic I like the smell of fresh paint, but if it gets to be too much, mix one tablespoon vanilla extract in the paint can when you open it. The house will smell delicious.

Happy Home Not only will vanilla demolish odors but it also serves as an antibacterial. Put a few drops in water and spray or . . . put a drop or two of vanilla extract on a lightbulb, turn it on and your house will smell like baked goodies fresh from the oven.

And . . . the best is for last. On a diet? Let vanilla be your hunger buster. A short sniff of vanilla before meals might make you feel more satisfied. Alan Hirsch, MD says if you smell an enjoyable aroma before indulging, the pleasure of eating is diminished because your senses have already been excited by the vanilla scent. Who knows, it’s worth a try.

And here's some interesting Vanilla facts from Watkin's Vanilla
* Vanilla beans are the fruit of an orchid named Vanilla planifolia, and is the only edible fruit of the orchid family.
* The word "vanilla" comes from the Spanish word "vainilla" which means little sheath, referring to the pod's long thin shape.
* Vanilla was once so rare and expensive that it was only available to royalty.
* Vanilla was once considered a aphrodisiac.
* Vanilla was used as a remedy to calm upset stomachs.
* The first Vanilla extracts were made in apothecary shops.
* Vanilla is one of the most complex tastes in the world, with over 250 organic components creating its unique flavor and aroma.
* The scent of Vanilla may ease tension and anxiety and seems to promote feelings of safety and security.
* Consumption of vanilla beans in the US is approximately 1,200 tons per year!


Read more: http://www.associatemelody.com/watkins-products/watkins-vanilla.html#ixzz1J8vg8b4R