Vanilla Bean: That's what's up.

Have you seen the prices of vanilla beans?! Friggin expensive dudes! 

It was at my favorite store, the same store where I met chatty old dude (see last blog), that I set out on a mission to find vanilla beans.  Up until now I mostly used vanilla in it's extract form. I was scoping out the store for like, ever, and didn't find any vanilla beans.  So I decided to hit up the produce chicks.

Me: "Yo, my sources say you've got vanilla beans stored up in the joint.  Where are they?"

Produce chick: "Vanilla bean, what vanilla bean? I didn't even know they came in bean form."

Me: "Lies! All Lies!"  **picks up banana and smashes under boot**

Produce chick: "Look, I know you need the bean but all we have is extract".

Me: "I hope that is one thing you are right about".

After that....intense encounter, I set out to prove her wrong and it was 30 minutes later in spice section that I laid my weary eyes upon the Madagascar Vanilla Bean.  It was mine, all mine, for $20 for 2 friggin beans?!  Hmmm, what would my husband say if I spent $20 for 2 beans?  Even Jack got a better deal.  The reason they are so crazy expensive is because they are only grown in Indonesia and supposedly it's super labor intensive cause the pods come from orchids.

So, recently a friend of mine gave me the beautiful gift of homemade vanilla extract, as pictured above.  And guess what?  There were real vanilla beans inside.  I was like "girl, do you know how expensive these things are!?" and she was all like "I, know right!  I bought mine online".   So, instead of staging a vanilla bean hold-up, I'm just gonna order some online.

Anyone have good sources I can buy from?  I want quality beans yo.