butter is better

just take my word for it... or julia child's, "with enough butter, anything is good." or sally fallon's, or the french...
it tastes better and is better than the spray stuff or margarine or anything else that isn't butter but tries to be.

you can make it too!! from cream. from your local dairy farmer (see previous post).

you can do it the old-fashioned way- you know, by shaking it around, or if you have a churner...

or you can use a food processor or  blender ... as of recently i prefer a hand mixer and finish it off with a masher.

how its done (using my method): you take the cream and put it in a large bowl.  hand mix it until it starts getting fluffy.  then work out your arms by mashing it.  over and over and over again.  when you want to give up, keep going.  or convince someone else that it is fun and that they should try.  when you start to hear squishy liquidy noises, you are almost there!!! keep going!  all of a sudden you will see buttermilk appear!  pour it out into another container for another use and keep mashing.  more liquid will appear for you to pour into that container.  watch your cream magically turn into some beautiful yellow butter!  mash until you think you got all the liquid out, then mash a bit more.  put it in a container and ta-da! butter!! and buttermilk!! (ps- somewhere around the cream "getting fluffy" is whipped cream! if you were to add some vanilla and sweetener i.e. honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar, etc you would have some fantastically delicious whipped cream!!)

i took pictures last week with the hopes of posting them, but my computer of 5 years broke down since then and i am on my husband's thinkpad.  needless to say, i have not figured out how to find  what i am looking for ... or the name of it.. or how to do a search for the thing that i dont know the name of but its synonymous to iphoto in order to attempt to download and then upload pics?? and my husband is asleep.

**update** pics are here! :)

 

if you have a food processor, you can do it sally fallon's way (which i have neglected up until now, but may try next time).  in her nourishing traditions cookbook (on page 83), she says to

place cream, into food processor fitted with a steel blade and process until butter forms (about 5-10 minutes). turn butter and buttermilk into a strainer set over a container.  transfer butter to a stainless steel or wooden bowl and press out buttermilk with a wooden spoon or paddle, adding to buttermilk already in the container by pouring through a strainer.  wash the butter by adding a little water and pressing some more.  repeat until butter no longer exudes buttermilk.  form butter into a ball, lift it out of the bowl and pat it dry with paper towels.  place butter in a crock or container and buttermilk in glass containers, cover and chill well.  (butter may be frozen for long-term storage)
note: to make cultured butter, let cream sit out at room temperature for about 8 hours to sour before processing/ mixing it into butter (i would advise to only do this with grass fed raw cream)

for a visual, go here.

now you have some butter for your bread, or for your cooking and baking needs!

for further reading about the awesomeness of butter go here!

"as for butter versus margarine, i trust cows more than chemists" - quoted by dr. joan dye gussow

local foods...where to find it...

a good place to start is at your local farms and farmers markets

don't know where they are? try:
http://www.eatwild.com/
http://realmilk.com/
http://apps.ams.usda.gov/FarmersMarkets/

ask the farmers if they know of any co-ops or buying clubs that you can join.  or start your own. i highly suggest you read this article written by a good friend

i personally recommend raw/real milk; my husband and i drink quite a few gallons of it per week.  we have been drinking it for about 4 years now and it has been great!

it is important to know your farmer and their practices.  visit their farms, ask them questions about their techniques (how fun is it to personally know your farmer/where your food comes from!!).

hints for what is ideal: grass fed cows for milk, meat, and cheese.  pasture-raised chickens (aka: feed mostly off the land) for eggs as well as meat. ... well, pretty much pastured everything is ideal... kinda like the olden days... you know... before scientists thought they could do it better...

cookwares and bakewares

i have been learning about the good, the bad and the ugly in regards to cookware and think it is important to share in these discoveries as we work towards nutritional meals and a safe kitchen.

the ideal wares:

cast iron (preferably with non-acidic foods unless it is enameled)
stainless steel
glass
stone
ceramic

i have heard nothing but good things about these aforementioned cooking and baking wares.  the carbon footprint is minimal; most of them can last a very long time and are not treated with chemicals.
if treated right, the cast iron and stoneware can even get better as they age!

unfortunately nonstick pans, which are found in most households, are not safe once they reach a certain temperature (approximately over 500 degrees).
on Teflon's FAQs webpage they answer the question about their product's safety:

4.

Are fumes from overheated nonstick coated cookware harmful to people?

The fumes that are released by overheated polymer can produce symptoms referred to as "polymer fume fever" - flu-like symptoms that are relatively quickly reversed in humans. Over the past 40 years, there have been only a few reported accounts of polymer fume fever as a result of severely overheating nonstick cookware. It should be noted that butter, fats, and cooking oils will begin to smoke at approximately 400°F (204°C), producing fumes that can irritate eyes, nose, and throat and possibly cause respiratory distress. DuPont nonstick coatings will not begin to deteriorate in appearance or performance until the temperature of the cookware reaches about 500°F (260°C). The coating will not show significant decomposition unless temperatures exceed about 660°F (349°C).

something to think about: dry heating, which most of us do, possibly even on a regular basis, can quickly and easily reach these toxic temperatures.
there are many studies that emphasize the dangers of nonstick products and our body's negative reactions to them.

(the only nonstick item that we own is a grilled cheese press, and i have been thinking about getting rid of it despite my strong nostalgic attachment to it-- grilled cheese sandwiches in the press were my first cooking accomplishment as an 8 year old)

i recently discovered that aluminum is another pot/pan/bakeware even foil to avoid.
but it is ok to use your aluminum foil or sheets, etc as long as the food is not directly touching it, i.e. use parchment paper

last November i was able to listen to Wayne Feister, DO, a clinical assistant professor of Osteopathic Medicine and a general practice physician, give great examples of cookwares to purchase and why. i just happened to stumble upon his handout and would like to pass it on to you.  this is a quick overview of a very good discussion.
if you are interested, you can purchase the lecture in it's entirety here.

here's someone in mainstream media who has some similar advice.

love your neighbor and let your food be your medicine

i have been blessed to have access to local food.  my husband and i know our farmers and are confident in their practices in regards to the meat or fruits and veggies that they provide us with.

there are many implications to the above title in regards to how we choose to eat.  

love your neighbor:

where do i begin?  i want to love my farmer by giving him a just amount of money that he and his family can live off of.  i want to love my my neighbors by making my carbon footprint as small as possible.   i do not want to support farmers across the world who are being mistreated and underpaid for their product in hopes of saving myself some money.  

let your food be your medicine and your medicine be your food ~ quote by Hippocrates 

food is our fuel.  when i think about it, it makes sense that i would want to fuel myself with the most nutrient-dense, healthful food i can find.  i do this in hopes that if i am willing to put a little more upfront for the cost of food, i am saving myself from trips to the doctors and medication expenses (thankfully my last trip to the doctor was for a physical to play college sports- about 6 years ago).