Homemade Butter

I experienced a miracle.

The last year has been full of revelations; where our food comes from and it's staggering effects on the environment. All of which has led to my getting religion in the form of local foods.

Now the mysteries of food are actually unfolding to me.

Yesterday, and it was Sunday, the perfect day for a miraculous occurrence, I saw one of my favorite foods, butter, created from a bottle of cream. And I am here to spread the word.

"We are going to make butter," I told my aunt.

"We need a mixer," she said.

"I don't have one. We'll use a whisk."

"We'll have sore arms," she tried while I began whipping.

"Here." I handed her the bowl licking whipped cream off my fingers.

"We need paddles," she said.

"Keep whipping."

"It's spitting."

"It's spitting!? What do you mean it's spitting!?" I approached her tentatively. And the contents of the bowl spit on me too.

I took the bowl to the sink then and with a spoon and smaller bowl kept up the whisking stirring motion and that's when the miracle occurred.

"Come and look." I felt like I was giving birth. Well, not really but it was an omnipotent moment. The contents of the bowl completely separated. Think the parting of the red sea.

A clear liquid splashed in the bottom of the bowl and the butter separated from it, sticking together, sloshing around.

"It's butter!" I yelled. "It's butter!"

No Moses. Only a hell of a lot of whisking. And no sore arms which is the biggest miracle of all.