More Butter Please!

Well, we find ourselves in yet another Monday.

Yet another beginning to yet another week

Another day to recall His faithfulness and His provision.

Mondays are often times the hardest day of the week; not just for me during deployment, but it seems for everyone.  Getting back into the daily grind is often more difficult than it is rewarding.  And because of this, it makes it even more important to bring to mind His goodness and His care over and in and through our very beings.

How have you been fed this Manna Monday?

For me:

Wonderful conversations with family and friends to fill the moments: Hillary, Marlene, Hope, my Mom

Receiving word of Daniel, albeit indirectly.  But a word is a word and he is doing well!  (My friend whose husband is the platoon, asked her husband of Daniel's wellbeing and he passed along that is doing ok.  She in turn passed along my love!)  Indeed it is mysterious, but I will break the bread and I will give thanks and I will be nourished.

The gift of a bike basket!

Videos to remind us of him

The proces of making butter!  This might seem a bit silly, but it truly did lift my spirits to make it!  And I promise, it is the easiest thing you can do (if you have a Kitchen-Aid! :))

So basically, you buy heavy whipping cream.  I bought it organic from Trader Joes and it worked really well.  You pour it into a jar and cover it with plastic and let it sit at room temperature for 24 hours.

Then, you put it back in the fridge for 24 hours (I have no idea why!)

After 24 hours, let it come to 12 degrees Celsius or around 53 degrees F.

And then, choose your way of churning!  You can do like we did and just put it in the Kitchen-aid on speed 6 for about 5-6 minutes.  Make sure to place plastic wrap around the top of the mixer for it will splash!  Or, you can use a churner or even put it in a mason jar with marbles and shake for 15-35 minutes . . .  yeah. . .  whew!

The stages are pretty neat to watch.  Liquid to whip cream to hard whip cream to liquid state yet again to butter pebbles in the liquid.  Once you get the butter in pebble state, that is when you stop churning.

This is Little Bit during the process.  Making sure our mason jar top would fit and so excited she lost her shoe

Then you pour the butter and the milk into a colander over a bowl and let the buttermilk seep through.  Use the buttermilk for any other kitchen adventure!  

Rinse the butter in cold water until the liquid runs clear.

Transfer to a stainless steel bowl and knead or press or fold for about 5 minutes to remove all the liquid.  Butter should feel velvety to the touch.

And then, you have it!  Place in mason jars or wrap in wax paper.  It will stay good in the fridge for 2 weeks or you can freeze it for up to 6 months!

Tomorrow morning: buttermilk pancakes with fresh butter and maple syrup.  

Come on over: breakfast is at 8!