O, Great Pumpkin

A potentially failed attempt to make Paula Deen's Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle for tonight's college community group function was, at least, educational. For one thing, I learned that regular canned pumpkin is NOT a substitute for pumpkin pie filling. And I accidentally made butter.

Yes, butter. And people wonder how I spend my free time.

Jessica's Fail-Proof Butter Recipe

1. It is freaking ridiculous to attempt to hand-whip 4 pints of heavy cream into a frenzied, sugary, oh-so-delicious state. Recognize this, and attempt it anyway (also: you are cheap. Let's be friends and not buy kitchen essentials together.)
2. When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary to prove to oneself that one can hand-whip 4 pints of heavy cream into whipped, a small voice will insist in minute 18 that a blender is a suitable alternative to an electric mixer, that it can at least "speed the process along." Listen.
3. Set the blender on high. Blend. Wonder why you own a blender but no mixer.
4. When the consistency of the top two inches of your cream looks sufficiently whipped, spoon it out. Gasp, because what you see at the bottom of your blender will be...
5. ...at least 6 inches of pure, unadulterated butter.