Hall Point, with a Detour

So a couple of days ago, which was the day after our attempt at Rampart Ridge, we decided to hit up another one.  We just felt we had so much reserved energy from cutting the Rampart Ridge hike short, stopping at Lake Lillian.  Plus it was Brant's birthday the day after.  Obviously we didn't need to convince ourselves, but we had many reasons to pack up the mini-van if we needed them.

By the time we made it to the parking, we were still trying to decide if we should do Zig Zag or Hall Point.  Looking at what we thought was Hall Point, with its exposed rock, we decided upon it.  I took screen shots of others' directions, which were fairly accurate all the way up to the bridges over the creeks, where you run into Deception Crags.  We went totally off at this point, so I will be sure to make it clear for you.

From exit 38 you turn right and approximately half a mile down you will see the first creek (Change Creek) fall under the road, and then the second creek (Hall Creek).  Between the two, to the left, is the official parking that needs a Discovery Pass, though there are plenty of places to park on the left (highway) side of the road, where you won't need a pass.  We ran into a park ranger there who told us that the other side of the road (where you will actually hike) is considered national forest, so even parking on that side might call for one of those national parks permits.

The unofficial trail is alongside the right of Change Creek, literally.  It is not hard to spot.  Another's report I read said that as you approach the bridge there is a spot for light scrambling, but that the dog-friendly path is to the west of the bridge.  I missed that path and we ended up, as a family, scrambling up the rocks.  Uh....  When we got up there we saw the family- and dog- friendly path and where it originated.  Before you hit the scrambling rocks, there are 2 large rocks to your left with exposed tree roots between them.  That is the non-scrambling path.

Making it to the bridge, I knew (from reading others) that we were to cross the bridge and then start looking out for the trail, which I was under the impression was hard to spot.  Walking across the bridge we scoped out the awesomeness of Deception Crags (rock climbing training grounds).  I want to let you know that when you pass that bridge there will be an immediate path.  I thought, "Boy, they weren't kidding about looking out for it as soon as you cross; it's literally as soon as you cross."  It looked like a light climb, and we were thankful some kind soul left a rope there for other people.  So we used it and headed up.  We caught some more rock climbing wall on this side of the creek.  It was just beautiful.

You cannot see it, but they are holding onto a rope to get up.

The widest part of this "path."

As soon as we passed that up we saw quickly that Brant and I were saying, "Man, they aren't kidding when they say it's a boot path."  We were hiking close up to the rock face and its ledge at points up to the creek's waterfall and more and more I was saying, "They weren't kidding," this time, "They weren't kidding about it being an unofficial trail."  About a mile in, we were wondering if we were on the right trail, considering.  I checked the screen shots once again and thought yes they did say there would be loose rock, that it would steep, but sheesh do you have to be a professional to hike this?  We thought, "Hall Point is just not for us, let's turn around and try Zig Zag."

See what I mean -- boot path and steep was not an overstatement...for this (wrong) path.

So we turned around and came out of it, we crossed 2 more bridges.  We figured Zig Zag's trail would be after the 3rd bridge.  However, coming up to it we did see a trail, right at the head of the bridge.  This time I could clearly see a white sign a few feet in saying, "Change Creek Trail," which is the trail to Hall Point.  Haha, we were on the wrong trail before.  I guess that trail is for the rock climbers.  So yes, I would assume that to do that one, you'd be more like a professional than a family of five!  Especially with a baby in a pack.  We Vollendorfs surely like an adventure, don't we!

So yes loose rock is all along the trail and it is rather steep, but a walk in the park compared to what we just did.  It was so much so that we, as a family, hit the point, had lunch, took pictures, I nursed the baby, and we went down all in less than 3 hours.

Since I read that people amethyst mine there, I believe the loose rocks are the chips from the miners.  It is very apparent that the rock walls have been chipped.

There are some narrow areas on the ridge, but they don't last very long.  One part Amira and I were saddling, and it was even then that Brant said, "I understand the nickname 'Starfish.'"  On the way up I told him that on one of my first elevation hikes, my Mom's childhood friend's husband dubbed me, "Starfish," because he never saw anyone cling to a rock so tightly.  I guess that part is still very alive within me.  Hey, the humility-thing, remember?

Starfishing it

Nevertheless, just so you'd know that we aren't crazy (though clearly enjoying a challenge), on the way down we met up with a man hiking up with his baby in the hiking back pack.  "You've done this before?"  "Yep," he replied.  So either that makes two (sets) of us, or that should confirm to you -- a lovely, nice, and short challenge, safe with attentiveness.

In December, Brant officially adopted my older 2 children.  I say this because though Bam had almost immediately grasped calling his new Dad, "Dad," we had yet to hear Amira make the switch. I heard her calling him "Dad" twice before, once upon Rattlesnake, but Brant didn't hear it.  What made this hike all the better was when we were home, Brant was rocking the baby to nap and said he heard her call him "Dad" for the first time, while we were on ridge.  

Lakes Laura and Lillian, Rampart Ridge Attempt

Coming off this particular hike, after much research the day before, I thought how much I wished someone would write a report on it as it pertains to families, those that hiked with children would give acccurate reports of doing so (which is totally different than hiking solo or in adult groups/pairs, as most reporters), and so I figured why not give a family report myself.

When I checked the forecast with the coordinates, I saw beautiful hiking weather (though slightly cloudy).  All reports gave us the verdict that it was perfectly fine as a family.  One nice soul even gave a picture of multiple coordinates along the way to both parts of Snoqualmie's Rampart Ridge (not to be confused with Rainier's RR).  It seemed like a no-brainer; the hike was beckoning us.

I should have known by the road up that I didn't receive such accurate reports.  Even our car got a hike LOL.  The trailhead was the Hyak exit off of I-90 E, then left, then right after you pass under the freeway, and forward a couple of miles.  On the kind soul's map, the left turn we took was called NFD 136.  The road had seen some wash-out, but the mini-van made it up.  It would not have if my hubby hadn't lifted the car back up to factory height.  I can't say that I didn't look into my passenger mirror to make sure parts of my muffler could be seen trailing behind, since there were still patches of icy snow that scraped us a bit.  Not for economy cars this time of year, that's for sure.  We took this almost 2 miles up until it did a switchback with a sign saying "Mount Margaret" to the right.  The parking is right there, and the trailhead is very apparent.

Right off the bat, this trail let me know that I couldn't be a lady with it.  When we did Rattlesnake's 3 ledges last week, I could be a lady about it:  stain-free and didn't break a face sweat.  This would be different.  We were immediately crossing over mini-streams and moving up on roots that marked boot paths.  Finding the trail is a bit difficult and a couple of times (especially at and after Lake Laura) we lost the trail, but using logic and just heading up.

Though it wasn't our goal, we ended up crossing both lakes.  First of all, someone should make it quite clear that this isn't a forest hike to the lake.  Lake Lillian is more of a crater between the ridges where rain and snow has a chance to gather.  As you approach the first lake (Lake Laura), the trail forks.  This fork is marked by rusty wire (as of now) on a small fir to the left, and a huge cut into a tall tree stump precisely at the fork.  To the right of this will continue up straight into Lillian.  To the left will go to the flowing, but partly frozen, stream going into Laura, which is at your immediate left.  This is the part when Bam stepped into what he thought was snow covered ground, but sank his whole leg.  At that point, the boy that loved the snow thought it was alive and fed on legs.  That alone made the rest of the trip challenging and an adventure.

It was snow-covered at this point and losing the trail, we just continued up.  Eventually we found the trail as it went over some firm rock formations and plateaued to Lillian, where we met 2 hikers at the lake's entrance.  As we saw footprints going about 50 feet into the frozen lake, they proceeded to tell us that they tested it but decided to come back.  We saw other footprints that went around the side of the lake into the ridge's entrance from the lake (about 2 o'clock when standing in front of Lillian).  We said we'd take it one step at a time.  One step at a time quickly had us realizing that although it didn't at first appear like it, we were still walking upon the actual lake.  Sketchy, to say the least.  Mind you, we were following others' footprints, even at this point, so we did not second guess it at first.  Figuring we could not scramble through the icy snow to the high end, we decided to turn back.  However, I was leery on walking back upon an icy lake so I suggested that we climb to a flat path under a ledge about 30 feet above the lake.  I figured we'd get out of the ice and snow, and it looked like we could put 2 feet on the ground up there.

When we went up there it was not at all what we thought and we realized we had to turn around.  It was the sketchiest part of the trip, mainly because at this point in the middle of needing to use all of our limbs, we had a cold boy and a hungry baby.  You just can't rush some things though, and went as slow as we could in the cold going down.  We took a picture at the Lake Lillian entrance from the trail below, our initial goal of Rampart Ridge's High End behind us.

Lake Lillian itself is a goal of a hike.  I underestimated the continuation into Rampart Ridge from the reports we read, but upon that ledge submitting to calling it a day, it is a such a reminder of personal responsiblity.  From where you climb to, you have to get down.  Today I heard a song on the radio, saying, "I will lift my eyes to the Maker of the mountains I can't climb."  My children are adventurous and daring, and we are matched well for them as parents, but we were not prepared for snow.  Brant and I thanked God we made it that far and that we were humbled.  Gaining that humility of the majestic land formations is just as much the goal as the views...to us anyway.  Hence, we are not satisfied taking cable cars to summits or car rides up old log roads.  Hiking with your family, especially, brings that humility, and awareness of personal responsibility; and at the end of the day, we all could use some of each.  A family hike?  To only the lakes when there is still snow, it is about as much of an adventure I am comfortable to take my children upon.  In the late summer, early autumn, I am sure the ridge is attainable as a family, carefully, though perhaps better to accept any of the ridge rather than a must-summit mentality.  We will not try it again until that time.

It is the most diverse hike I've been on to this day.  There are options for waterfall hiking, options for bouldering, then of course there is trekking, traditional elevation hiking and mountaineering, ridgeline and scrambling (if you continue) and my new favorite:  butt-scooting.

Worship Flags for 1/4 of the Cost

Yesterday my husband helped me make some worship flags.  The day prior I had been looking at separate vendors for purchase.  There are a few types to choose from -- some that swivel on the rod, and others that do not swivel.  From there, there are quite a few styles.  The ones we did yesterday are the bigger, non-swivel flags that look like they emit forth directly from your hand, as if they were an extension of it.  These are the kinds that I see people get by with just one single one, or two if you are skilled.  We made two, for practice and the future, and because we have children.

Now one of the lady flaggers I know told me that the starting price of $40 a pair of those style of flags that I found on from a certain vendor was a really good deal, since most of them start at $70 for that certain style.  When I read that flag maker's technique, how she prays over the flags ordered, I thought how special it would be to do my own, and had hoped to make it even cheaper.  Brant wanted to do it as love offering to me.  

The supplies we needed were:

1 large (4 ft), or 2 smaller (2 ft), fiberglass rods as dowels

2 yards of lame or organza fabric

electrical tape (optional)

I pondered where I would find fiberglass rods.  Since these types of flags have a smaller dowel, wood is just not going to be durable.  I have seen a flexible poly being used as well, but knew that since I am just starting out, a strong fiberglass rod would suit best.  Well, I will tell you I found a fiberglass rod at Home Depot's sign department, right next to where they would have the garage sale signs.  It is a simple reflector rod/stake, and it comes in 4 ft at $2.  I swapped that one up, and my husband took the rotary tool to it to make it 2 2ft rods.  Note, you don't need tools.  Home Depot has saws for customer use sitting in the lumber department.  This rod comes with rubber ends.  Make sure to snatch that up to ensure the end does not jam into your hand when in use, or rip through your fabric.  Though, if you are using electrical tape (later explained), it won't matter much.

Then we wrapped our orange rods up with electrical tape, securing the ends for a smooth finish.  The rods are complete -- moving onto the fabric.

Two yards is more than enough for 2 of these flags, even if you only used one flag in your dance.  Simply cut in half and begin to hem edges.  My end product was 35" x 44" on each flag.  Before I hemmed, I took a lighter to the loose ends to ensure they would not unravel in the sewing process.  This fabric is very delicate and I did not want needle snags to turn into fabric coming undone.  

Now you have a rectangle.  On the smaller edge, I folded over 7/8" once, pinned, then rolled over again, releasing first pin to repin the second fold.  This is for the pole.  Then we hemmed.  I only hemmed 2 ft (plus 2 inches, will explain why later) from the top of that smaller side because the rod is only 2 ft long and I want the excess to hang like a wing off of my hand.  I've seen most will cut around that area to accencuate that wing piece.  It will do fine on its own if you just let if freely hang, like I explained.  

So that extra 2 inches on the rod's side is so that you have enough fabric to fold over where the top of the pole would be, securing the fabric's integrity, that the pole does not rip through your fabric.  Once this is done, you simply slip the rod in and the flag is ready for use.  Notice, we did not secure the other end of the fabric to the rod.  This is because you will be holding that end -- it is not needed.  This also allows you to have a removeable rod for other flags.  Picture of handheld end, below.

Ta-da!  The best part?  The grand total was $12.  

DIY Toothpaste

Some years ago I switched my family a natural toothpaste.  At first it was to save money -- since toddlers aren't supposed to have flouride toothpaste (in case they swallow it), it was cheaper for all of us to switch to a flouride-free, natural, alternative, than to purchase 2 separate pastes.

That lasted a good few years until I was sick of the cost.  It was just logical to me, that if I see almost all brands of toothpaste advertise that they use baking soda and peroxide as their magic formula, I might as well just use those 2 ingredients and save over the years.  Mind you, a tube of natural toothpaste cost me anywhere from $3 - $5, lasting a month or so.  Baking soda comes at a price between .$50 - $1 a regular box, and lasts almost 2 months in my house, being used for more than just toothpaste.  Hey, the dollars add up.  If we do things ourselves in all areas of our lives, the dollars will really add up!

I started using just straight up baking soda for our teeth-cleanser, and peroxide for my mouthwash.  Then I realized I could cut out the nasty, foaming peroxide-of-a-wash if I adapted my oil-cleansing method, once used for my whole body for over a year (yes, I went soapless over a year!), on my teeth.  This fell in line with seeing other people using coconut oil for their oil-pulling method as a mouthwash.  I could never swish around oil in my mouth, so just as a part of the actual teeth brushing it remained.  I will say, though, that with adding coconut oil to my baking soda on my toothbrush, I have been able to get out of using mouthwash altogether.

The base I use is only 2 ingredients:  baking soda and coconut oil.  Baking soda is generally known to be a cleanser and deodorizes.  It's grittiness also aids to be a little abrasion to fight plaque.  Among many other benefits, coconut oil is antimicrobial, antifungal, antiviral, and antibacterial.

My mixture is a 70/30 -- the majority being baking soda, while the latter is the coconut oil.  I use this mixture to ensure that the baking soda's grit is not diminished fully by the oil.  I mix mine in a bowl with a spoon until well-blended.  The result looks like it is on the verge of being crumbly.

Then you can add essential oils to your homemade toothpaste, but it is not required.  For years, just baking soda worked for my family and me, and thereafter until just recently (with the addition of essential oils), coconut oil added to it was sufficient.  Essential oils are great for countering bad breath, as well as general tooth and gum health.  The most common flavors I see in toothpastes are peppermint and spearmint.   I choose to use lemon and eucalyptus.  I use lemon because is high in limonene, a component within the rind used as a cleanser; and it is a whitening agent.  I use eucalyptus, rather than peppermint, because I have read that it fights plaque and periodontal diseases, while being a great deodorizer.  For my 4 ounce jar of toothpaste, I added 15 drops of lemon and 10 drops of eucalytus.  The ratio is higher in lemon for me simply because eucalyptus' aroma would overpower the lemon, if in equal measures.

Put the toothpaste in your jar and store in a cool place.

First Fermentation Project: Sauerkraut

I am on this fermenting kick.  It's been over a year now that I've been intending on getting into it.  I wanted to ferment goat milk in Costa Rica, and even hoped to ferment the bananas into vinegar.  For some reason I just thought it was extremely difficult, or too laborious, and instead used the milk for cereal, and bananas for things like pancakes and the Chamorro donuts.  I switched up ferment for fried.  I'm a different person now.  First of all, I'm not pregnant -- which saw me so nauseous a year ago that I was willing to eat anything I could stomach without the acid.  Yes, even eggs and cheese.

So there is a big controversy I am seeing online about the proper containers for fermenting.  You all know I am all about using what I already have, and when I went to the health food store and saw a starter fermenting kit for $26, it only further justified that I will keep using what I have.  Fermenting is a process used not just for making alcohol in the past and now, but for preserving food.  We are now seeing (like many other things done in the past we are discovering) it should be done for health purposes, primarily for the probiotics that come of it.  The less fortunate around the world still ferment, safely, for food preservation.  I'm sure these don't have the luxury of purchasing a $26 starter kit.  Just saying!

I remember witnessing kimchee being made as a child...in an extremely huge, open container.  So yes, even though typically speaking, oxidation makes things go sour and moldly which logically would tell anyone that you should use an airtight sealed container (or some other fermenting-specific container) to rid oxygen, we also know that the process of fermenting provides a preservation/protection for the thing being fermented, as the lactic acid forms when the produce's suface bacteria is coupled in a brine to ferment the produce's sugars.  From the fermenting guros Google-wide I've read that as it really does not matter about the container so much as the ferment is sitting under the brine.  If you can count on this good bacteria in the brine to fight off the bad inside of your body, then it can do it in a container outside of the body before it gets there.

I didn't even go as far as using a mason jar, because I didn't have one readily available.  I used what used to be a Costco strawberry jam jar, because it was a quart size and I knew a cabbage would yield a quart.  I would today recommend, for my future uses, to use a larger size, because of the gassy overflow.

There are several methods I've seen to ensure a good, safe ferment.  I am only going to share with you the 'layer of oil' method because it is the only one I've tried, and with success on the first batch.  Therefore, here are my ingredients for this method:

• Cabbage head
• Water
• Olive oil
• Himalayan salt (or other salt)

I made my own brine, and my instructions will share it.  I don't get all technical with percentages.  You know exact measurements are just a blueprint for me.  I worked with the cabbage in fourths, chopping to smaller strips, placing them in a mixing bowl, and to each fourth I gave my salt grinder 7 revolutions.  It was a number 7 thing to me, LOL.

Then I smashed that fourth with the backside of a ceramic cup (you know I'm all about using what I already have), just slightly.  Afterward I transfered each fourth into the designated jar and smashed even more with the backside of one of my cooking utensils.

I smashed until the cabbage pieces looked watery and green, rather than the lighter color with the crunch, as shown below.

I repeated this chop and salt, smash and jar, and more smash- method with the remaining quarters and did the final smash until the cabbage's liquid was approximately one inch above the cabbage.  In my recipe, the salt percentage was just fine.  Finally, I added a small layer of olive oil to the top of the ferment.  From what I read, this film allows for CO2 off gas, but is a barrier to oxygen intake (which will rot the ferment).  It worked for me, and I even did more movement of my ferment than most I've read.

I placed the lid on, finger tight.  This also will use positive pressure to prevent oxygen intake.  Enough carbon dioxide is building up within, to give enough pressure to push out of the finger-tight lid.  The pressure it builds is too strong for oxygen to roam inside.  Again, this is just an extra precaution, because the oil should suffice.  Each day I opened the lid and pushed the cabbage down (it will want to float).  CO2 bubbles will also form in the deppths of the jar, and cause air bubble separatioon in the ferment.  I helped those release by this daily push-down.  It seemed to help my ferment gas off quicker, as opposed to others I've read who experience gassy rise to overflow days after mine ended.  This also gives you an opprtunity to try your ferment, to determine when you are satisfied with the taste to move it to the fridge.

The ferment will get gassy the first few days and will rise to pour over.  At day 3 I actually took the lid off and put a ceramic mug in there to hold it all down.  It fight nicely enough to cover the jar's opening, but also allow the overflow under much pressure.  I put a plate underneath it all to catch the drippings.  You may also have to add water in there is too much overflow.  I added a couple tablespoons 2 days in a row, and that was it.  No more salt needed.  

My ferment made it to day 7, without mold or even white scum.  The bubbles became filmy on the top, but nothing I would exactly constitute as white scum.  At day seven's push-down, I decided it was the perfect vinegar taste for me, and I moved it to the fridge.     

The ferment goes through 3 stages, and in order to go through all 3 quickly, you will need to wait it out 3 weeks at room temperature.  The fermenting will continue in the fridge, but much, much slower.  As spoken through Wikipedia:

The fermentation process has three phases, collectively sometimes referred to as population dynamics. In the first phase, anaerobic bacteria such as Klebsiella and Enterobacter lead the fermentation, and begin producing an acidic environment that favours later bacteria. The second phase starts as the acid levels become too high for many bacteria, and Leuconostoc mesenteroides and other Leuconostoc spp. take dominance. In the third phase, various Lactobacillus species, including L. brevis and L. plantarum, ferment any remaining sugars, further lowering the pH. 

I am going to enjoy sauerkraut today!  Mine was made from an organic cabbage head for less than $2 for a quart, as opposed to Bubbies' that offers 1/3 less than my yield at $6 a jar.  Yes, I surely will enjoy it!

RAW Jam Fruit Sread

I pretty much gave up jarred fruit spreads for yummy raw agave syrup and maple syrup a while back.  However, I still have a family that loves their jams and jellies, and I just cringe when I have to buy it.  I do so because, knowing how to make it, I don't make it.  It is an unnecessary cost for me because it is quite easy and relatively cheap (almost free) for me to make it traditionally, as long as I pick the berries myself and reuse my grocery glass jars.  Recently I heard of another way to make jam that is even easier.  So the other day when we were doing our grocery shopping, my husband grabbed the jelly off the shelf and I asked him to give me a chance at the new recipe.

Ingredients:
1 C fresh berry (I used blueberries)
3 T raw agave or maple syrup or raw honey (it doesn't have to be this exact measurement, it's to your own taste, but this amount reaps a good medium)
3 T chia seeds
glass jar

You can cook your fruit with its sweetener if you want, but I chose not to.  It is much healthier to use fresh and raw fruit, and since even my agave was raw, I didn't want to ruin what actually is a healthy jam.  Or at least as healthy as jam can get.

Yes, it really only is 3 ingredients, and approximately 2 hours.  By the time you are done cooking and preserving your high sugar, traditional jam (that's not even cool enough to consume), you can have a raw, healthy, chilled alternative.

Step 1.  Blend your berries and sweetener.

Step 2.  Add chia seeds.

Step 3.  Store and refrigerate.  Seeds that are used for sprouting will form a gel-like substance in the process of the soak.  The chia seeds' gel will give the fruit the hold of pectin, necessary to constitute jelly, jam, and even gelatin.

The jam is optimal within a week, but good as long as 2 weeks.  This will vary on fruit used.  My determination on this is based upon how long fresh fruit is good for (blueberries hold longer than a strawberry), since the jam is using a raw fruit.  You can boil the fruit and sugar in hopes to get a longer life, or even try a vitamin C tab, but you are still dealing with a sprouting seed.  This is why I did my recipe small, and figured it would do better with weekly batches.  Guilt-free jam.  Now that's what I'm talking about!

Homemade Ghee! (Lactose-free/clarified butter)

I just recently discovered how incredibly easy it is to make something that is quite expensive.  Earlier today I compared prices on whether or not it was even worth doing.  I shop at Trader Joe's (which is budget-friendly) and snapped some pictures of the price of their butter versus the price of their ghee.  Between 16 ounces of real butter and 8 ounces of ghee (that's right folks, half the amount of the butter sticks), there was nearly a $2 difference -- $2 more for the ghee.  Yes, it would be worth my time to make the ghee.

So why ghee and not butter?  Well, if you happen to have a lactose issue, but love butter, then this is for you.  Ghee also has a higher smoke point, because it doesn't have the sugar in it -- the sugar being what contributes to burning.  Ghee will burn, but at a higher and longer amount of heat.  Many people are lactose-intolerant.  Many of those that actually are lactose-intolerant don't even realize it.  What is so wrong with lactose?  Simple research shows us that enzymes are needed to digest them easily and safely.  This is why the pills a lactose-intolerant person can take in order to consume lactose contains enzymes.  This is not a fault with the milk.  The milk does have enzymes, but pastuerizing removes them.  Hence, many people that are lactose-intolerant can actually consume raw milk.  So if you remove the enzymes it is probably better to remove the lactose.  This is where ghee comes in.

What you will need:
Unsalted butter
Mason jar
Tea strainer or equivalent, or cheese cloth

Step 1.  Melt the butter fully on medium heat to a boil.  I was careful not to put it on a high heat because I intend on using the solids that will float to the bottom.  Many depend on the solids turning brown to tell them the ghee is done.  I will share with you later how to tell otherwise, without burning the solids so that you may later use them.  I purchased unsalted butter because you will need to add salt to help out the separation after it cooks. If you already start with salted butter you may end up with too much salt in your ghee.  Also, I utilize the unused part of the butter, which is predominately sugar.  I will explain later why I mentioned this.

Step 2.  Turn the heat to simmer.  Once the butter is fully melted, it will start to look frothy.  You will hear snap, crackle, and pops as the water boils out of the fat.  This boil is untexturized.  It is very different from fat boiling (which you will soon see).  At this water boiling stage, when the butter is fully metled, turn the medium heat down to a simmer to finish ridding the water.  The solids will start to separate.  You don't need to skim, so resist the urge!

Step 3.  Allow ghee to simmer 10-15 minutes.  This was the time frame for my stove.  The time to simmer will depend on how much butter you started with and your stove.  I used 16 ounces of butter and have a hotter stove.  You will allow the ghee to simmer until 1) the boiling has turned into smaller, textured/thick bubbles, 2) you can see the bottom of the pot when you try to separate the curds on the surface, and 3) when you see that most of the curds have actually dropped to the bottom of the pot.  Basically, when the ghee is transparent, it is done.  You don't have to watch the solids (until they turn brown), instead watch the ghee.

Step 4.  Take off the heat and add a pinch of salt.  This helps the curds to fall to the bottom.  If you started with a medium heat and went to a simmer, then your curd solids will have preserved themselves enough to be used again.  The solids are mostly sugar.  They burn easily.  So in order to use the solids you will have to remove from the heat as soon as the ghee is transparent.

Step 5.  Strain ghee into a mason jar.  I didn't have a cheese cloth nor did I have a tea strainer, so I used a frying lid.  Hey, it works.  I did a triple strain, from one glass jar into another.  I had read somewhere that if you do more than one strain, be careful not to rinse out your strainer.  Allowing water into the ghee will diminsh its shelf stability.

The milk solids won't amount to much, but since it has a high sugar concentration, why not make it a coffee creamer?  Or you can add it to pancakes as a mock buttermilk.  Allow the ghee to cool.  It doesn't need to be refrigerated.  I have taken a picture of the ghee I bought from Trader Joe's for $4.79 versus the one I made for a total of $2.99.  Excuse my jar, it used to be a peanut butter one.  You know I'm all about repurposing if it saves me a dollar.

Ghee is shelf-stable.  Foods with lactose require refrigeration, but your new and better "butter" doesn't have that issue anymore!