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Every time you feel in God's creatures something pleasing and attractive, do not let your attention be arrested by them alone, but, passing them by, transfer your thought to God and say: "O my God, if Thy creations are so full of beauty, delight and joy, how infinitely more full of beauty, delight and joy art Thou Thyself, Creator of all!
- Nicodemus of the Holy Mountain

You can’t get to joy by making everything perfect. You can only get there by seeing in every imperfection all that’s joy.
-Ann Voscamp

Friday, February 27, 2009

Homemade Bread and Fresh Churned Butter!

Today the kids and I baked bread (honey whole wheat) and made fresh butter! It was so much fun to watch their faces as the butter began to form and float in the butter milk. I wish I'd have been thinking of this blog when I was doing the project. I hope to have step by step photos if we do this again. We decided to make butter because we had been reading Little House in the Big Woods, by Laure Ingalls Wilder. When I was a girl my mother did the same thing with us. I have warn memories of time spent with Mom as she read through the entire set of Little House books, as well as the James Herriot series. Not until I was grown did I realize how much editing Mom must have done with those Herriot stories to make wholesome reading for us!
We make at least 4 loaves of bread each week, and I haven't bought a store loaf for about 3 months now. I'm pretty sure I'm saving money this way, but it's well worth it even if I'm not. I love making bread! There's just something about it...maybe it's the way I feel connected to the pioneer women of our country, or the good feeling I have providing something wholesome and satisfying for my family, or the comfort I find in the process. I LOVE touching dough. Kneading, rolling, and shaping is so relaxing to me. I plan to add some recipes and photos of bread baking soon, and possibly I'll also document some butter churning. Have a great weekend!
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2 comments:

  1. AnonymousMarch 9, 2009 at 10:41 AM

    Patty, I'd love to make butter with my kids. Where did you get the cream? Can I buy it at the grocery store.I think I made butter with Hannah before using heavy whipping cream, but I can't remember for sure.-Jamie

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  2. PattyMarch 10, 2009 at 11:44 AM

    Yep, that's exactly what I did. I'm pretty sure any heavy cream would work, but I happened to get mine from the little market down the road from me. My only choice was the organic, natural, no added anything type, so that's what I used. I put the cream in a quart size caning jar, and let the children shake and roll it until the butter formed and floated in the butter milk. After that I put the butter in a bowl and rinsed and kneaded it until it was clean and the water came away clear. When that was done, I mixed in some salt (about 1/2 tsp.).
    Thanks for your comment, Sis! I hope to hear how your experience goes! Let me know how the regular grocery store cream works out. Happy butter making!

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