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>would appreciate feedback/advice/experiences re: vanilla, artificial
>vanilla, etc.

Here again we may find differences due to the country we live in as
Canada allows vanilla extract.  We also allow alcohol that's distilled
and vinegar since it is believed that the distilling process removes the
gluten.  The question I have is that some vanillas are on our okay list
where as others are not and they have the same ingredients.  The one
ingredient that I have seen in the list as to avoid is caramel color.  In
our pocket dictionary of allowable food additives it lists caramel as "a
brown coloring made by heating sugar or glucose in the presence of acid
or alkali, used for coloring foods and confections.  I took this to be
the ingredient caramel color and if so what is wrong with having this in
foods?  anyone ??