Redneck Kitchen Skills

I have another car review post in the works for the Hyundai Elantra that I rented earlier in the week for a roadtrip to Beaumont, Texas. Hopefully I'll have some time to finish that up tonight or tomorrow. 

In the meantime, I have to take a quick moment to share with you all what transpired earlier today. As most of you know, I have the privilege (sometimes curse) of working from home. The Queen, due to her health circumstances, is also a stay at home person. My mother in law, father in law and grandmother in law all live here as well. We also have frequent visits from the niece and nephews on The Queen's side. My sister...the devil doesn't seem to trust me with her kids. Perhaps that will change when they are old enough to drive. 

Like most of the country, the suburban realm where Castle Erickson is situated fell under the influence of Old Man Winter late Monday night/early Tuesday morn. Tuesday morning found the area waking up to a solid sheet of ice thanks to the rain we received Monday night being flash frozen by the artic front that came in pushed by wind gusts up to 45 miles per hour dropping the temps to subfreezing levels faster than a politician drops a campaign promise after the election. So, it was a bit of a surprise when last night, E., the oldest nephew, skated his way over to the Castle from the suburb to the west where he lives and goes to college...in his spiffy little rear wheel drive manual transmission Chevy Camaro no less. I give the boy bonus points for getting here in one piece with not much more traction than a sugared up three year old on a slip and slide. I might have to listen a little closer to find out if the clanking noise coming from his pockets is loose change or something else.

Anyway, putting E. and The Queen together is a recipe for interesting things to happen. After taking to the frozen streets for a little sledding in the dog's swimming pool (which had only been relieved of a 4 inch thick block of ice moments before), E. and The Queen decided to take a whack at making butter...from scratch...in the clothes dryer. 

Uh-huh. That's what I thought too. 

I had stepped out of the command center/man cave here at the office to go in search of a snack or water or something to find my Queen pouring over a recipe book and looking slightly guilty. She inquired if I knew what she and E. were up to. I responded that it looked like she was in the midst of making the Butternut Squash soup she had been talking about earlier in the day. She affirmed that, yes, in fact, she was in the process of doing that but wanted to know if I knew what else they were up to. I allowed as how, no, I did not have a clue what was afoot. After some poking and prodding in (not so) appropriate places, the butter plan was revealed. 

The Queen and E. came up with the idea to churn the butter by putting liquored cream in a jar that was tightly tied in a pillow before being tossed in the dryer for a cool tumble. I haven't sampled the results yet, but the jar is full of roundish looking butter balls.

Blink, blink....Who'd 'a' thunk it? 

It's pure genius I think. I'm a little annoyed that I don't think I would have ever come up with the idea myself, but it's pure genius nonetheless. I dare one of those froo froo cooking shows to try that idea.