Cousin Andrew has a house cow.
She’s the most placid creature ever, and will stand patiently in the field while Andy milks her. The general consensus among Pete’s uncles is that she was probably hand raised and bottle fed, which would explain why she’s so completely at ease with human beings. Her name is Milko.
We were in Mudgee (rural NSW) last weekend for Pete’s twin uncles’ 70th birthday. It was a wonderful day – almost all of Pete’s maternal aunts and uncles were there, as well as many of his cousins and their families. My sister-in-laws, brother-in-law and nephew drove down from Orange to join in the festivities. Pete’s mum passed away last year, and any opportunity to spend time with her siblings is eagerly sought and dearly treasured.
I was greeted on arrival by a sharp smack to the bottom from cousin Jono – a somewhat sexist greeting that had Uncle Bobby up in arms. I pointed out that I’d posted a photo of Jono in a lycra Spiderman costume on my blog, so payback was probably due. Having said that, here’s the photo for anyone who missed it the first time (hehe)…
The party was held at Andrew and Rachel’s property, and began with a delicious catered lunch – full credit to the chef who was asked to serve the meal an hour after the appointed time and still managed to keep the beef rare and the chicken tender…
We ate, and drank, and laughed…and drank a bit more…and several hours (and bottles) later, decided to make butter. Milko’s rich cream from the previous two days was in the fridge…
Rachel dug out her new KitchenAid – notice we’re still drinking at this point…
It took several minutes for the lightly salted cream to split…
The butter was drained and rinsed in ice water, then beaten with a spatula to get the last of the whey out.
Eight hours after the party started, those of us who were still hanging around and refusing to go back to our motels were eating rare roast beef rolls with freshly churned butter and hot English mustard…
We drove back to Sydney the following day, stopping at the Windamere Dam on the way…
The dam was completed in 1984 to provide water to the surrounding areas…
Relaxed weekends spent with family – does it get any better than that?
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 
(Whimper…)
Sorry darling. You’d have loved it too! :)
sounds like you had a brill time
Thanks Linda, we really did! I’m having trouble with the link to your blog?
It doesn’t Celia, it really doesn’t!
Thanks Lizzy! You’re right! :)
Awesome family time!
:-) Mandy
We had such great fun – we hadn’t seen one of Pete’s cousins for over a decade, so it was good to be able to catch up. Time really does fly!
Not when you get to make butter from fresh milk.
Jo, a first time experience for me, and a really wonderful one too!
Sounds like a wonderful time with family!
Sue, no-one really wanted to go home! :)
I read posts like this and get really homesick for my family. We’re here alone and sometimes it would be nice to get together with family.
I make butter all the time but not with Milko’s milk. What a treat!
Sorry to make you homesick, Maureen! Will you get a chance to catch up during the holidays? I hope so.. xx
Oh wow Celia…this sounds like magic. A friendly cow, family, butter, roast beef rolls, water views! You have captured it perfectly with your words and photos x
Jane, thank you, it was all great, and the visit to Lake Windamere on the way home made the return journey really enjoyable as well!
Wow! What a wonderful post. I love the look of the beef! How perfectly has it been cooked and sliced. And to end the day with roast beef rolls with homemade butter? What great family you have xx
Charlie, they really are great. They’re Pete’s family of course, but they’ve been mine too for the past 30 years, and every interaction with them has been joyous!
Good name for a contented cow.
I thought so too! I wondered if Andrew and Rach’s kids might have named her..
I love the idea of making butter from the milk of a cow you’ve been introduced to! We have a Hereford heifer which we’ve hand-raised. A good friend of mine is urging me to make cheese from her milk – but she’s only 9 months old, so I have a bit of a wait.
Oooh Amanda, that will be exciting though when the time comes! Will look forward to reading about it!
What a great weekend! We find we have fewer family gatherings now, as the older generation pass away and the younger generations are more scattered than they used to be. It’s such a shame!
Suelle, I’m sure that will change as your own kids get older and have families of their own – and the cycle starts all over again! :)
Looks so relaxing, C… love the photos, they’re awesome.
Thanks darling – it was SO nice to catch up the other night! xx
Milko is adorable with her big floppy ears! Oh how I would love to slather that butter on a fresh, warm slice of bread!
Claire, it was really delicious, although in true family style, everyone had an opinion about whether or not there was enough salt in it! :D
What a beautiful weekend. Shame we just dont get enough time to spend a weekend like this
Tania, that’s so true! It was the perfect weather too!
What a wonderful weekend for you all Celia! How lovely too catch up with loved ones, and I bet that butter tasted fabulous indeed :)
Becca, it was sooo good! The cream itself was amazing – it was as thick as clotted cream, and unpasteurized – and collected just that day!
That beef looks wonderful, and (sshhhh!) I’m glad that Milko is a milker. :)
See Misky, in the country, folks have no problem at all with that! :) “Nice cow, nice cow, nice tasty cow..” :D
The cow is so beautiful and what a great day you had. However, I’m still puffing after having run all the way from your last post to ask “chocolate cane toads”!!!!!???
Hehehe…I’ve been making chocolate cane toads recently – here’s a photo..
Oh wow Celia! What a treat to make homemade butter from Milko! I just started making my own butter this year and I would probably faint (from excitement) if I had access to fresh, rich cream like that. Nothing beats a family gathering with good food, family and friends. Looks like you had a beautiful time :)
Thanks Emilie, we really did! :)
What a lovely, lovely and precious family gathering and beautiful weather to help with the celebration (I believe you are enjoying spring now). Never had fresh from the source homemade butter, imagine the taste and texture must be just so out of this world.
Norma, it’s one of those rare treats, and I was grateful to be able to try it!
I thought of you when I saw this article recently – there is talk of trying to create something similar to the High Line in Sydney!
http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/restaurants-and-bars/fine-dining-will-suit-the-high-life-at-goods-line-20121114-29ck5.html
Celia, what a great write up, and what a wonderful weekend! Like Maureen, I have little opportunity for this type of get together it’s now been almost a year and a half since I visited Brazil and the clock ticks… but there’s not much we can do right now.
Loved the butter, and the detail of the glass of wine right by the KitchenAid, well… that could be a recipe for disaster if Sally was in charge of that glass … :-)
Sally, if it wasn’t for the wine, we probably wouldn’t have thought to make butter.. :)
Hope you get a chance to see your family again soon!
Family gatherings are the best! In my family we tend to make cakes and have food contests- we NEED a Milko! I love the Spiderman slap on the bottom as a reference point !
Thanks, Celia, you share your life and its joys so very well.
Thanks Heidi, he’s a cheeky one, that Jono. But we do love him desperately! :)
By reading your post,one could see you had a great time. I also have a big family whenever we meet,we enjoy ourselves. Thanks for a lovely post
Thanks Sponge! So happy to hear your family get togethers are joyous as well! :)
What a great weekend, Celia! I’ve made my own butter but finding pure cream isn’t as easy as one might think. With Milko, you’ve not much problem there. I can only imagine how flavorful that butter was. I would love to know how that chef kept the food on-hold for an hour. That kind of info sure would be handy. I’m glad you and your family had such a wonderful time, Celia, and hope you can all get together again very soon. There’s really no need to wait for a birthday. ;)
John, wasn’t the chef brilliant! Honestly, I have no idea how she did it, but the meat was absolutely perfect – and not cold either, so she’d kept it warm but not overcooked it for the whole time! Hopefully we’ll get to catch up with folks again before Chrissie (at least some of them!).
Wow, no it does not get any better it seems, wonderful lip-smacking food and wonderful bottom-smacking company.. what a lovely cow to stand so well in the field.. c
Celi, that’s not normal, is it? Cows aren’t usually that well behaved, right? :)
The butter has a nice color. It’s always nice to have fresh milk and cream. Sounds like you had a grand time!
Manuela, that’s the perfect way to describe it – it was grand! :)
What a lovely cow! Making butter is one of my favorite things to do!
Linda
Thanks Linda – she was the loveliest gentle creature and tolerated all the kids patting her (there were a lot of them!).
Ideal weekend: see figjamandlimecordial/milkos-butter.
Thanks Rose – nothing like a roadtrip! :)
Fanastic weekend… I love a family that cooks, especically with glasses of wine in hand… and making butter from the paddock cow’s milk surpasses that. No, it doesn’t get any better :)
ED, Pete’s cousin Patrick pulled out a couple of amazing bottles of red – we were very happy! :)
I love that sweet cow.. and the name Milko is just, well, perfect! As was your time with your family.. I’m glad you made butter, with that milk it would have been fantastic. I used my kitchenaid and had splatters everywhere, just everywhere, lol!
Barb, it didn’t make a mess, but it seemed like a continuous stream of people were coming into the kitchen to check on what was going on. It was quite funny! :)
I know that I would love to be a part of a gathering that ends up making butter.
Karen, that’s a very good way to put it. That’s how we know we’re grown ups – after sufficient alcohol, we end up making butter rather than anything more risque.. :D
What a lovely weekend, in the company of beloved family. I love reading your blog Celia, put simply, it makes me smile and feel happy that you’re enjoying life and actually, that’s one of the best things I think I can say :-)
Caroline, you’re so kind, thank you. It’s nice to be able to share it with you all!
Milko is beautiful…that is so sweet. Very cool that you made butter too! I bet some of my bees honey mixed in that fresh creamy butter would be something to write about!! Your blog is wonderful! Will you be doing in my kitchen in December?
Linda, absolutely we will be doing a December IMK, please join in again! How wonderful that you have your own honey!
Celia – I look forward to joining in again….if the month allows. I’ve discovered some great blogs because of it. Very cool idea you have. Yes, having my own honey is a true blessing. I love my bees!
Great news Linda, look forward to peeking into your kitchen in December! :)
You are on fine form Celia – words and photos, lots of fun and frolics, well if you count bum smacking as frolics !
I’ve never tried making butter before and now I see how it’s done – with a glass of wine in your hand – it’s so much clearer :)
Claire, surely the new double-sized allotment has room for a cow? :) And yes, the wine is an essential part of the process! :D
thanks for taking us along on your weekend! And a slap on the bottom-wow, I don’t think I’ve ever been greeted with one. I don’t know if I would be shocked or annoyed :P
You know me, love, I’m actually quite hard to shock OR annoy. :) It was very funny actually.. :)
What a great weekend. Family, food, a bit of booze and making butter! Love Milko–what breed is she?
Liz, I really don’t know, I’m sorry! It was a great weekend! :)
wow, that butter must have tasted awesome – and I love parties like that, fun, laughter and family :)
I love this post. I want to be on the veranda too!
Nope, it certainly doesnt get any better than that Celia. Lovely weekend for you all.
There is nothing like spending time with family and with a vie like that…sheer heaven. Then a slice of your bread and a pat out that butter would be heaven. I like the cow’s name…appropriate..LOL
It sure sounds idyllic. I would love a house cow!