Sniffing Vanilla Weddings

I had another "moment" tonight. Our kitchen has been a wreck for some time with the constant rotation of eggs (and now fresh farm ones that require washing), flour, butter, vanilla, assorted chips, etc. It's a Flynn Buck thing. Don't ask - it puts Monopoly Money to pitiful shame.

The moment came about with the finding of a decorative storage bottle holding about a precious tablespoon of family history. It's the last of the Horton stash of Hatian Vanilla.

Hatian Vanilla came across the Gulf of Mexico in plastic bleach bottles with my mother in law nearly thirty years ago. At the time she and Dad were serving as missionaries in Port-au-Prince. Thrifty folks they were, the bought high grade vanilla cheap, and shared. I don't know how much of the stuff she stashed in her suitcases when they came for our wedding, but everyone in my family was treated to this wonderful treasure. It was my first exposure to high quality flavoring. All I'd ever had was McCormick Imitation Vanilla. No comparison.

I don't know when we ran out. But we did and it was forgotten about, till a few years ago when my sister gave me what was left of hers. One sniff and I was a newleywed in my first kitchen again. Ahhh, the memories!

And sniff we have. That's mostly what we do with it. The flavor is so unique and I don't want to lose the memory again. The kids savor it too - they understand the significance. But it has been used very sparingly and only for special occasions. The last time was for cheesecake for Mike and Heather's wedding. A piece of my wedding history was tied into theirs. It was only fitting. The next time will be for Becky's wedding. I don't know if she'll want cheesecake or what, but it's set in stone that the remainder is to be used for her special day. And Lord willing I'll keep just a bit, strictly for sniffing.