MAKING BUTTER

Do you remember ever making butter from heavy cream? I do. I did it as a kid and I did it with our kids.

It is simple. Just one ingredient.

Here is how: You pull out a mixer, pour heavy cream into a bowl, turn on the mixer, and mix. And mix. And mix. And mix. You are on high-speed mixing and nothing happens for the longest time. Remember?

You might be tempted to quit because nothing seems to happen. For a long time, nothing seems to happen. Making butter is an exercise in pushing beyond what is comfortable.

If you keep pushing (mixing), the heavy whipping cream begins to change. On the way to butter, it changes into whipped cream.

If your goal is to make butter, don’t stop here.

It will be delicious, but you won’t get what you are after. Keep mixing. Eventually, the fat in the heavy cream will separate and you will have your butter. (And buttermilk. An extra bonus.)

Making butter reminds me of my life – basic training, seminary, Barbara giving birth, preparing for retirement, running marathons, … Does it remind you of what it sometimes takes to get to where you want to go?