Homemade Butter

Thursday, March 24, 2011

21
I was totally inspired by this post with instructions on how to make easy homemade butter. I couldn't wait to try so, this weekend I gathered my supplies, did some research, and set out to see if it was as easy as it sounded.



I started with a container of heavy whipping cream, 2 teaspoons of salt, a teaspoon of vanilla, honey (for honey butter), and a stand mixer.




First I put the entire carton of cream and the salt into the mixer and turned it on until it started to look a little whipped. My mom kept me company during the mixing.




 
At this point I added the vanilla and kept on mixing until the cream started to form stiff peaks like whipped cream. (I tasted it at this point because it looked so much like real whipped cream but it was really gross and salty)






At this point, I kept on mixing and mixing and mixing until the whipped cream started looking like bad, over whipped, whipped cream and little pockets of liquid start splashing around (that liquid is buttermilk!). 






Once the butter is all separated I poured out as much of the buttermilk as I could and squeezed the rest out through a strainer.






Once it was all separated, I wrapped the portions in waxed paper and put them in the fridge for half an hour. After I put part of the butter back into the mixer and added some honey for honey butter. Here is my finished product! 








Update: A few people asked how my butter tasted and I have a confession to make, I don't really like butter... Is it sort of weird that I made it anyway? But don't worry, my family LOVED it and said it was much much better than store bought butter. And it really was totally easy to make!

Piper Maise

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

3

















I have a terrible habit of adopting animals then leaving them with my parents to care for. The expensive adorable Bengal kitten you see above is a pet I begged Mitchell to get me for Christmas last year, realized was the worst creature ever born, dropped off at my parent's house for a visit, and a year later have never taken back. Sorry Mom and Dad!


Reasons she is such terror include broken plates, pitchers,  glasses, one cashmere sweater torn to sheds, and countless meals ruined by her habit of jumping on the counter and helping herself to anything left unattended for more than 6 seconds. And this is just the stuff my mom is mad enough to call and tell me about...


On the plus side, she can fetch.

update: make that two cashmere sweaters ruined :(