Earth and Body Friendly

Okay, so I suppose it’s not as dramatic as the title suggests, but I was just trying to catch your attention.

Using real butter is just one more way to limit and reduce your use of plastic. Using real butter, and I mean real butter in block form, means that you’re buying something with less packaging. Margarines and dairy or non-dairy spreads are usually packaged in plastic. A block of butter is wrapped in paper, not plastic. It’s also beneficial to your health (allergies aside), since the only thing in real butter is milk and sometimes salt.

For years, I bought softened butter or some other soft butter-like spread because I found it so difficult to use real butter that was rock hard from the fridge. Here are some ideas to help you use real butter more successfully:

• Plan ahead and take the butter out of the fridge about 10 to 15 minutes before you need it to allow it to soften.
• If you don’t have the time to wait, cut off thin pieces and lay them on the surface to be buttered. They’ll soften more quickly.
• Heat the butter knife by sitting it in a mug of hot water.
• If you’re using a lot of butter, mash it up in a bowl with a fork.
• Invest in a butter keeper(also known as a butter bellor abutter crock) which will allow you to keep your butter fresh while keeping it out of the fridge. I have the Norpro butter keeperand it’s great. I plan to write a review of it soon.

Possibly related posts:

1. Using technology for good instead of evil: rechargeable batteries
2. Limiting and reducing your use of plastic
3. Reuse your bread bags
4. Reducing all the ’stuff’
5. Chemical cleaners smell terrible