Homemade Butter in 5 Minutes!

No need to spend hours churning butter to have wonderful tasting homemade butter. Plus it is healthier than the kind you buy in stores.

All you need to make this butter is 16 oz of heavy cream(chilled), 1/2 tsp of salt, and a mixer(preferably a standing mixer but a hand mixer will work, the standing ones are just easier since you don't have to hold it).

Put the ingredients in your mixer and turn the mixer on to high. You will be going a step past whipped cream, the process will take about 3 minutes. It will then deflate and start to look like scrambled eggs. You will keep beating for a few more seconds and you will notice water start to separate from the butter(this is actually buttermilk and can be saved for later use if you want it).

Once the buttermilk has formed stop mixing. Remove the bowl from the mixer and fill the bowl with cold, running water. With your hands, squeeze the butter to form a ball. Keep massaging the ball under the cold water until the water runs clear. This insures that all the buttermilk has been removed, that way the butter will stay fresh longer.

Once your water runs clear wrap in parchment paper, or put into a small serving dish and cover it up. Then put it in the fridge. This is great tasting butter and it is fast to make. I highly recommend this butter!

Fun Finger Foods

So your baby is ready for finger foods? Here are some things you can offer you baby:

-Cooked, grated vegetables
-Cooked, sliced vegetables(carrots, green beans, etc)
-Chunky mashed potatoes
-Sliced banana or very small pieces of fruit(even a grape is to large)
-Cubes or triangles of bread
-Dry, relatively unsweetened cereal(cheerio's, etc)
-Macaroni or other pasta
-Rice
-Rice Cakes
-Low-salt or no-salt pretzels
-Small cubes of well-cooked meat or poultry

Homemade Ice Cream In a Bag

This is a personal favorite of mine. You can do this with your children or by yourself:D.

What you will need:

• 1 Tbsp Sugar
• 1/2 c. Milk or Half & Half
• 1/4 Tsp. Vanilla
• 6 Tbsp rock salt
• 1 pint-sized plastic food storage bag (e.g., Ziploc)
• 1 gallon-sized plastic food storage bag
• Ice cubes

How to make it:

1. Fill the large bag half full of ice, and the rock salt. Seal the bag.
2. Put the milk, vanilla, and sugar into the small bag, and seal it.
3. Place the small bag inside of the large bag, seal the large bag again carefully.
4. Shake until the mixture is Ice Cream, which usually takes about 5 minutes.
5. Wipe of the top of the small bag, then open it carefully. Enjoy!

Tip:

• A 1/2 cup of Milk will make about a scoop of ice cream, so double the Ice Cream if you want more. But don't increase the portions more than that - it will weigh to much for the kids to pick up and successfully shake it up.