Don't Forget The Butter

Finished Product, originally uploaded by hannahcooks.

One might think, with a three and a half month old baby, that one doesn't have time for such craziness as making your own butter.

One would be wrong. One will TOTALLY want to make one's own butter when one reads about such a thing, and here's why:

A)Cooking is a good way to distract and entertain a three and a half month old. They will sit in their bouncer or Bumbo seat and watch, and you can narrate the proceedings. When you are making King Ranch Casserole, you can educate them on their heritage by teaching them all about Ro-Tel. (Ro-Tel is totally part of my heritage.) When making butter, you can teach them counting (One cup of cream! Two cups of cream. Three, three cups of cream!). And there is nothing more fascinating to a small baby than a whirring mixer.

B) Making butter is really freaking easy. Pour the cream in the mixer, let it go, and then knead the finished product. Anyone can do it. Perhaps not my three and a half month old baby, but eventually he'll probably be able to do it on his own.

C) Butter is delicious. It is not like one is making one's own aspic or something nasty. And the leftover buttermilk makes fabulous waffles.

My mother's friend has a catering company whose cookbook is subtitled, "Don't forget the butter!" I couldn't agree more.

(P.S. Directions for making your own butter are here.