Thursday, July 12, 2012

Making fresh butter and homemade whole-wheat pancakes

Hi everyone!

We were fortunate enough to get fresh cream and milk from my cousin so I wanted to make butter from the cream. I have never done this before, but my 10-year-old had made some at school, so we decided to try. 


First, we put some of the cream in a large Mason jar, then we took turns shaking it for about 30 minutes until it started to turn into small clots of butter. ***It will be a *much* faster process if you at least let the cream get to room temp.


I poured off the buttermilk, then I put it in a sieve and squished the milk out, then rinsed it. We worked it around the sides of the bowl to make sure there was no milk left. If there is buttermilk left in, the butter will go bad sooner. 


I then salted it, and we had yummy, fresh, butter! 


This butter has a very light taste, and after looking up directions for making butter, I found that I should have let the cream sit out for about 12 hours before making. In any case, this still tastes great, but I will let it sit out next time. There are some great directions HERE from Mother Earth News. We do not eat margarine here as we try to eat whole foods, so making my own butter is something I have wanted to do for a while. 

So what does fresh butter go with?? Homemade whole-wheat pancakes of course!


I love this old Watkins cookbook my great aunt Frances gave me, and I have been making these pancakes for the kids for a few years now. 


I do use brown sugar instead of white sugar and cook them on a griddle, but everything else is the same. 


The children love these with my mom's homemade jams and can choose between grape, peach, strawberry or blackberry.


Did I mention how yummy these are? The sad thing is I can only have a bite since I'm sticking to my low-carb lifestyle, but one bite is enough:-)


So, I hope you are inspired to try making butter. I am convinced that whole and truly organic is better than processed and full of chemicals. I'm actually working on a page with healthy low-carb recipes that we like, which I hope to have up soon to share.

Thanks so much for stopping by!!

Anita

I'll be linking up to:

 Foodie Friday
Inspiration Friday
On the Menu Monday 

13 comments:

  1. Oh Anita... My mouth is watering!
    I'm trying to lose 5 {or more :D lbs before we visit Jason in Texas... Between the high heat {although it's been very hot here in the northeast} and the fun we'll have as a family... I figure losing a little weight before would be a good thing!
    BUT ... pancakes! If that plate were here in front of me... my diet would have to move over for a day! Pancakes are a super favorite of mine. I could eat them for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Your homemade butter also looks wonderful. Thanks for sharing the recipes too!
    *blessings always,
    Maria

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    1. Maria, Luis and I both have really stuck to low-carb and he has lost 30 pounds! I have been following Atkins for around 10 years, although I have not stuck with it. We are now trying to make it a lifestyle permanently and are feeling really, really good. He has eaten more veggies in the last couple months than ever! I do love sweet things and my mom makes the best sweet treats ever. I'm saying no successfully, though. I just try to grab a fruit or veggie!!

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  • Anita, Everything looks so delicious and thank you for photographing the recipe for us!! Your photography is beautiful and I love the way you cherish family heirlooms. Please tell me what the pattern is for the gorgeous pink plate, I LOVE it!!
    Have a blessed day,
    Susan

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    Replies
    1. Susan, the pattern is Hazel Atlas "Pink Crinoline" or pink ripple/ruffle. these came from two different sides of my family, and they are hard to find, reasonably priced anyway, on ebay. I just love them! They also come in an aqua color that is beautiful.

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  • Your breakfast looks so yummy! Low-carb lifestyle really is tough, I can't go the whole nine yards with it so I will always be a roly poly, I guess. I bought myself a luncheon set of Pink Crinoline after I fell in love with it on your blog. It is service for four and I bought it on EBay. I unfortunately broke one of the cups :/ xo

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  • The Charm of HomeJuly 12, 2012 at 1:12 PM

    This looks delicious! I love that old cookbook! It is so classic!
    Sherry

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  • Goodness gracious,sakes alive,this looks incredibly good,Anita when we were growing up we always had milk cows,and I remember mama fixin' these mason jars for us to shake until we made butter,thanks for walk down memory lane back to my childhood.

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  • Emelia DiCarloJuly 12, 2012 at 7:50 PM

    Anita, Hello, I wanted to visit all day, finally some favorite time at your home!I love the ruffled pink and white Lucy Ball, Paris classic, girly, gorgeous plate. Your food looks amazing, fresh, wholesome, comforting and just era gone by plate.....your talents are of endless beauty.Thank you for teaching us grace and beauty in our lives to make our moments extraordinary, Your friend, Emelia.

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  • Yummy!!!! I would eat that whole plate! We make homemade chocolate chip pancakes every weekend. I am a carbaholic and I just can't quit! I am trying to cut down so we will see and I am determined to do a half marathon next year! I used to make butter with my kids in my classroom! This makes me realize I need to do it with Jemma! Have a great week!

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  • Anita -- I LOVE this post. Your vintage dishes and the instructions for butter -- not to mention the pancakes and jam are fabulous. My kiddos loved doing this when they were young and we were blessed to get fresh, raw, organic milk from a neighbor who had a small dairy herd. I learned the trick of setting the cream out before churning from Laura Ingalls Wilder - I remember reading that when we read Farmer Boy - #2 son's favorite book in K & 1st grade (he'll be 20 in a few months, lol).

    Have a great weekend :)

    Blessings!
    Gail

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  • He descubierto tu blog y me ha encantado su contenido, desde hoy lo sigo. Si lo deseas te invito a visitar mi blog y si es de tu agrado me gustaria tenerte como seguidora y asi poder seguir en contacto.

    Un saludo muy cordial.

    Manoli

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  • Jacqueline~Cabin and CottageJuly 16, 2012 at 8:48 PM

    Oh boy does this look so good! Nothing like the real thing! You have a lovely blog here. I enjoyed my visit!

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  • Pinky at Designs by PinkyJuly 21, 2012 at 7:13 AM

    Anita, do you follow Yvonne at Stone gable? She has a new linky party called On The Menu Monday to link recipes. Thus would be GREAT to share there! The butter sounds great and the PANCAKES!!!! I haven't had pancakes in quite awhile. XO, Pinky

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