a "been-there" mom of six offers encouragement
to wives, young mothers, and those not so young,
and simple common-sense approaches to
the "ings" of life:
child-rearing (hints and helps), homemaking (all areas),
cooking (simple, cheap, and do-it-yourself)
making (toys and gifts), preparing (for the unexpected),
maintaining (sanity and peace in this increasingly crazy world) and more---
all aspects of making the most of making do on little---
and having fun in the process.

Friday, September 30, 2011

Spreading Butter Further

As the food budget gets tighter it is helpful to find ways to s-t-r-e-t-c-h it a little further.

Butter 
There are several ways to extend butter, as well as ways to make "stick" butter into soft, spreadable butter---the kind that costs more to buy. I love both the taste and the savings!!!

Four variations, comments and suggestions from internet sites:

          Mix 1 stick of soft butter and 1/2 cup of oil. I usually mix 3 sticks of butter at a time with 1-1/2 cups oil.  Pour it into a container and store in your refrigerator. It stays softer than butter, but might separate if you leave it out of the refrigerator too long. Use it the same as regular butter or margarine.
http://queen-anns-place.blogspot.com/2011/05/stretching-butter.html

        Stretch your butter budget and make it a little healthier. Make your own and know what those ingredients are that are in it!
        Cut back on saturated fat and use much less butter on your toast and muffins by softening 2 sticks of butter to room temperature. Then put the whisk attachment on your stand mixer (I use a Kitchen Aid).
Start whipping those two sticks of butter while you slowly drizzle one cup of vegetable, olive, or canola oil into it. (Your choice of oil). I like the canola because olive oil adds it's own taste to the butter. Canola oil leaves the butter tasting like butter.
        Scrape up the sides now and then to incorporate all the butter into the oil. Whip until light and fluffy. It might look like a light cake batter when it's done. Pour it into individual containers with lids and refrigerate until needed.
        Use for frying eggs or sauteing vegetables because the oil raises the burning point of the butter and it won't burn as easily. It's delicious on toast, English muffins or crackers. It stays soft right out of the refrigerator.
        Try grilled cheese sandwiches. The butter just glides across the bread. I hope you try this. My nutritionist was thrilled when I told her about this.
Deb from Williamstown, New Jersey - http://www.thriftyfun.com 

        My favorite way of stretching butter is to mix equal parts butter and equal parts margarine to create a tasty butter spread. Add a few drops of vegetable or olive oil to help the mixture remain soft in when it is refrigerator. The mixture turns into a versatile buttery spread that has real butter taste, performs like butter in cooking and pound-for-pound is cheaper then using either straight butter or an imitation butter spread. Because margarine is generally made from vegetable oil, the mixture offers up fewer servings of polyunsaturated and mono-saturated fats then butter alone.
        The spread is easiest to make by first bringing to room temperature one stick of butter and one stick of margarine. Place together in a bowl and mix with a spoon. A food processor may also be used. While any brand of butter may be used, keep in mind that not all margarines are created equally. Pick one that is low in transfat. The debate rages on as to which is better for your health; margarine with its low polyunsaturated and mono-saturated fats or butter which is a natural product made by agitating cream.
        While some diets encourage butter abstinence, others encourage people to refrain from all processed products, like margarine, so mixing them and using the mixture in moderation seems to be the best way to win this debate.
        When refrigerated, the butter-margarine mixture will harden slightly to a nice smooth texture that is perfect for spreading on toast or crackers. Its texture also lends itself well to creating flavored butters, like cinnamon butter, and the mixture can be mixed with herbs or other seasonings like honey, chives, dill, cinnamon, apples or other flavorings.
Missy Gauvin,

        My sister uses this recipe. Take 1 pound of butter and let soften. In a large mixing bowl put butter, 1/4 cup of canola oil and 1/4 cup of water. Blend well. Put butter in small containers and keep in refrigerator. You cannot freeze this recipe, but the butter will stay soft and it will last a long time in the refrigerator. If 1/4 cup water and canola oil is not enough just add a little more. This will still have that good butter taste Vegetable oil would probably work just as well.
Unidentified


          You can also save a lot of money by making your own flavored butters --- honey, cinnamon, fruit, nut, or savory (chive, garlic, etc.) by beating desired amounts of flavoring into butter or extended butters.

'til we eat again
          Simply, Gail



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