Vanilla Seeds

I have some delicious ripe peaches waiting to be eaten, but they don’t last long once ripe. So I tried to decide what to make with this fresh deliciousness that only summer produce can bring. I love crisps, especially with ice cream, and I had all the ingredients on hand to make vanilla bean ice cream. I’ve been storing vanilla seeds from the first batch of vanilla made two years ago, so this seemed like the perfect time to use some. It didn’t take long to mix the custard base, so now it’s cooling and will be ready to churn tomorrow. Viewing the custard, it looks a bit like constellations of stars in a creamy white sky. A version of the Milky Way? Maybe not. I may have overdone it a bit on the quantity of vanilla seeds, but I’m pretty sure that can only be a good thing.

When our family had a campfire at the beach last week, we watched the sunset; then layers upon layers of stars gradually appeared brighter and brighter. I love to experience this since I’m not usually in an area to view so many stars. It can be mesmerizing to gaze up at the night sky. It also reminds me of how tiny my life is in comparison to the universe. Even though I might be a small part of the world, like a vanilla seed, what I do in it can be huge. And that matters.