Butter - Hell No, I Ain't Fergittin

When I was a child, the story was repeated to me a number of times by my great grandmother, grandmother and mother, How my great, great grandmother, widowed and pregnant with my great grand mother, begged the Yankee soldiers to leave her the spinning wheel and butter churn as they burned the house and the crops to the ground and confiscated the live stock. Was she just asking for anything in a chance to survive? It's the butter churn that bothered me. If they took the cows and live stock; no milk and consequently no butter. I began to wonder, if I where in the same position today, what would I ask them to spare?  My Cuisinart food processor, my Kitchen Aid Mixer, my exquisite collection of cast iron cookware, my Wusthof knives or just a spoon and a box of matches?

So it caught my attention in the booklet that came with my new Vita Mix, that butter was something you could make with this rather expensive apparatus. Well, like most, I buy butter at the grocery store but I remember as a child that crazy delicious sweet whipped butter that strangely appeared when my grandparents where around. How did that happen?

If you are a real cook, heavy cream finds its' way into your refrigerator and after you've used the tablespoon or two for a recipe, you have to figure out what to do with the rest.  So I poured some leftover cream into the Vita Mix and hit the button. Voila! Once it separates, whipped butter.  Strain off the liquid and add honey or whatever. Imagine the possibilities! I guess this might be the essence of what I like about cooking and this blog.  You CAN make things yourself that are better than store bought or restaurant food. It only take a few minutes before you can spread your butter on some warm toast or a muffin.  How easy can it be.