Full Moon Ghee to Ring in the New Year

Happy New Year!  Calling in the intentions and resolutions for 2018 can be challenging especially after reflecting back on 2017. One way to create a sacred ritual and auspiciousness for the new year is through the ancient practice of making clarified butter, or ghee.  Ghee is one of Āyurvedic medicine's powerhouse tools that helps to promote cellular immunity and vitality (ojas) while also increasing our digestive fire (agni) and providing food to nourish nerve tissue (majja-dhatu) and the brain.  Ghee can be made easily in the comfort of your own kitchen with the help of a couple of pounds of unsalted organic butter and a saucepan.  

I prepared this full moon ghee on New Year's day to promote vitality and nourishment for 2018.  It can be prepared on its own or combined with other Āyurvedic herbs such as brahmi, licorice, shatavari, or triphala. 

Here is simple recipe from Dr. Vasant Lad, my teacher, who is the founder of the Ayurvedic Institute in Albuquerque,  New Mexico (www.ayurveda.com):

Take one pound of raw unsalted butter on medium fire for about 15 minutes.  The butter will melt and start to boil. As it boils, broth will rise, do not remove this foam. Turn the fire to low and the butter will turn a golden yellow color and smell like popcorn.  When a drop or two of water placed in the ghee produces a crackling sound, ghee is ready.  Let it cool slightly and then pour through a strainer.  Ghee can be stored without refrigeration. 

Let me know about your favorite ways to make homemade ghee comes and if you have any favorite additions to the ritual making process.