Friday, June 19, 2009

Making Butter


I was cleaning out the fridge yesterday, when I realized I had a few tablespoons of cream left over from our last batch of kick the can ice cream. I didn't want to waste it, or let it go bad, so I poured it into a small jelly jar, and after a quick search for the matching lid, starting shaking. The kids, who were sitting around the table finishing up their lunch, gave me a few wary "what are you up to now" glances, that told me they really didn't know what I was up to.

This surprised me a little, because we made butter together when we were reading Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder. But, then I remembered it has been about five years since we read that book, meaning that none of the younger kids would have any memory of it (especially the ones younger than five). So, instead of cleaning out the fridge, I ended up giving an impromptu lesson on the science and history of butter making.

Luckily, I found a great website to fill in the gaps in my own memory at www.webexhibits.org/butter/index.html. While the kids took their turns shaking the jar a few times, I started the bread maker humming. So, by dinner we had a refreshed knowledge of butter making, and a tasty treat. The fridge however, is still waiting to be cleaned out - who knows what science or history lesson is yet waiting to be discovered!

It's great to be a homeschooler.

No comments: