Yes, my new favourite kitchen gadget. Patti from Osage Bluff Quilter knows what it is! Patti doesn't know it but my Mom is a quilter too. I'm sure she'll be checking out your blog while she has her morning coffee tomorrow, Patti.
Oh yes, back to the gadget. What is it? It's a butter bell! I discovered butter bells about a year ago and have had my eye out for one ever since. Then a few weeks ago, I was browsing a cool kitchen shop with my mom, when lo and behold, just as I was about to treat myself to a pretty looking dish for baking brie, to what did my wondering eyes appear but a butter bell. I gasped! I quickly discarded the brie dish; it would have to wait. I brought this little gem home instead and set her up.
The piece on the right is the lid, turned upside down. You can pack a stick of butter in it, quite easily I might add, if it's slightly softened. In the bottom, you place just a small amount of ice water. I just place an ice cube from the ice maker. You should replace the water every couple of days. The cool water will keep the butter from going rancid.
Place the lid on top of the bottom, when setting on the table for serving. Voila, soft, fresh butter at a moment's notice.
There seems to be a lot of debate over what is better for you, butter or margarine. My family has eliminated margarine from our list of staples. Butter may be fattening, but once again, I prefer to know what I'm eating and hopefully soon, we'll be making our own butter.
Now, if you're interested in some real cooking knowledge, why not head over to Spontaneous Clapping where Dandy is holding a give away for an autographed copy of The Pioneer Woman Cooks. While you're there check out Dandy's baking, it's to die for and if that's not all, she's also getting married in a little over a week!
Be well friends!
4 comments:
I'm be looking forward to meeting your Mom!
Butter bells are so cool. Have you seen the individual ones? They hold like two tablespoons or so?
Andrea, that's a great little butter bell! I've never heard of such a thing. We've done away with the partially hydrogenated who-knows-what spreads in our house too. Like you, we prefer natural fattiness over chemical creepiness! :o) I'll be excited to see how butter making goes for you.
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