Pioneer Woman at Heart

I've been planning our Christmas meal for here lately.  One daughter (maybe two) has to work on Christmas day.  We've decided to have our meal on Christmas Eve, so I've been enjoying the planning.   So far that's the plan.  It may change again. The holidays are definitely different this year, and we are very happy regardless of the changes this year.   I had to go and search for the homemade vanilla extract recipe.  I used the recipe found " here " at Michelle's Little Piece of Heaven blogspot, and purchased the vanilla beans from the source she recommended.  I've been making it since 2013, and have never purchased vanilla in stores (organic is outrageously priced). I spent the day peeling and slicing pears.  Some of them.  I am weighing out the amount for a pear pie, and freezing them in portions.  You can also put parchment paper in an empty pie dish, fill the dish with pears, freeze them, slide them out int...