Thanks for the vanilla bean info

Thanks to the folks who left comments regarding the vanilla beans. I didn't find out who the blogger was, but I did end up with two great sources for future reference. That day I'd purchased an ice cream maker from Goodwill for $6.99, and I wanted to find a source for beans if it turned out I enjoyed making ice cream at home.

I did pick up two beans at a local natural foods store and made my first batch, which turned out great! I also made a caramel sauce that was especially yummy. The recipes came from the July issue of Martha Stewart Living, and I'd been thinking of buying an ice cream maker ever since seeing it. However, I knew that the likelihood of my making ice cream on a regular basis wasn't enough to justify buying a new machine, so I'd kept my eye out for a good deal. There are just some things I know better than to buy new--e.g. I purchased my bread maker and pasta machine off of Ebay, and sure enough, they've spent most of their lives in my cabinets.

In other news, the two tax liens filed against me at around the same time I declared bankruptcy can now come off of my credit reports! I eventually paid them, but they were to remain on my record for seven years after the paid date. They are already off of two, and I'm mailing off a letter to TransUnion today to ask them to remove them. My bankruptcy comes off next April! Here's to a clean credit report!