Butter

Fresh Butter after squeezing it through the cheese cloth

I made 2 new friends this week :)  I actually made quite a few new friends this week heading up crafts at our church's VBS week.  However, these 2 special girls found me, by the grace of God, and we very quickly discovered that they, too, were both fighting GI disease.  It's no fun, but it's not often that I find 2 cute girls to sit around and talk about poop. :)  It made it so clear to me that this little blog is here for a reason, started from a stirring in my heart in the midst of a Beth Moore Bible Study, to share my story and hopefully help those fighting similar diseases.  They were full of questions that I was more than happy to share my experiences and everything I have learned in the last few years about diet and healing.  They prompted me to share some things on My Intestine-mony that I hadn't thought to share.

Today, it's B-U-T-T-E-R!  Yummo!  One major lesson I have learned in my healing process is to NEVER eat "Light" or "Sugar-free."  Nothing that is light or sugar-free is natural and it usually has bad additives, like fake sugars.  For me, fake sugars are worse than plain sugar.  My body revolts against them.  So, when it comes to butter you need to eat the REAL DEAL; not margarine, not butter that you can't believe, REAL BUTTER. Organic real butter, of course.  Real butter is made from milk that your body knows how to digest and it does a body good.

I heard someone once say that milk from the grocery store is basically Antibiotic & Hormone Soup.  Since then, I have not been able to stomach it for me or for my children.  I am fortunate enough to have my fabulous Yonder Way Farm that delivers fresh raw milk to me every two weeks.  I was nervous about it.  One day at pick up, I watched a man load 8 gallons of milk into his truck saying that the butter from the milk was the best butter he ever had.  Now THAT got me curious!  Now, it is a routine.  I order 2 gallons of raw milk from each delivery and use it to make homemade butter.

What you need:
1-2 gallons of raw milk
Mixer (unless you prefer to churn :))
cheese cloth
plastic wrap
Butter form (optional)

My grandmother's butter form

Making butter is NOT rocket science.  When you buy organic at the store, it is still great for you, but it only makes sense that there are preservatives in it....it has to have a shelf life!  Making it at home, is like making dessert and its a breeze.  As soon as I get home with my two gallons of milk, I pour them into 2 big bowls.  I let the cream rise for 24-48 hours.  The longer the better.  Then, with a measuring cup, I carefully scoop the cream off the top of the milk in the two bowls.  Get as much as you can, but if you get a little milk, it won't be bad.  It will eventually separate out.

At that point, I put the cream in my mixer on medium-high and mix it!  Add nothing at all....it takes anywhere from 20-30 minutes.  While it mixes, I use my funnel and poor the milk back in the saved jugs (that remained in the fridge so they didn't sour) and I freeze a gallon.  YES!  You can freeze milk until you need it.

The cream will thicken up to whipped cream...PLEASE take bite.  It is a piece of Heaven!  Then, the yellow in the butter will start to come out and the milk will start to separate and it will get sloshy if there's too much milk.  When it appears that the butter is stuck to the beaters for the most part and the milk is in the bottom of the bowl, it's time to stop.  Pour the milk out and drop the butter onto a piece of cheese cloth.  Squeeze the cheese cloth enough to squeeze out the extra milk, but not so much to squeeze the butter through.

At this point, I wrap the ball of butter in plastic wrap and put it in my butter form. (It was my grandmothers.)  Then I gently push the butter with the form and make a stick of butter that has no additives and is LOADED with probiotics!  Not to mention, it tastes out of this world!

Inside the form...

The finished product!

This butter is heavenly and if I choose to "cheat" a little, I smear it on my very favorite, Vinta crackers.  My eyes roll to the back of my head and I dream a little...for just a moment.  There is no butter that tastes as good as homemade butter...and it couldn't be easier!