Butter

When I was in fifth grade (eleven years old) I went to camp with the fifth and sixth graders from my school. I don't remember very much from the trip...

...singing silly songs

the camp counselors called the drink "bug juice" though it tasted like fruit punch from concentrate to me

a night hike

chewing wintergreen life savers with our mouths open to watch the sparks in each other's mouths.

and making butter.

I liked the last three memories much better than the first two! I still enjoy night walks although there is not much opportunity for me to hike through the woods around here.

My experience with the lifesavers paid off when last year the Artist's chemistry book contained an experiment involving making the life savers spark in the dark.

And over the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays I like to make my own butter for the dinner roles. This year both kids got to help me.

I poured one cup of heavy cream into a jar. Then everyone took turns shaking the jar. The Quipper did shake the jar before he left for work, but first he teased us all by holding the jar still and shaking his body while the kids laughed and I fumbled for the camera. He declined to reenact his little dance on film! Next, when the butter has formed, I drain the buttermilk into a glass (to sip later) and use a rubber spatula to press all the milk from the butter fat. Then I put the soft butter into a dish to chill. Others might add salt at this time, but I prefer to leave it sweet. As soon as it has chilled enough not to suffer any finger gouges when I clumsily try to wrap the dish in plastic, I go ahead and cover it. I don't want it to absorb any odors or flavors from whatever it might live next to in the refrigerator until Christmas! It tastes so good on warm home-baked bread.