Lovin' my butter bell!!!

I love my butter. I have always loved the taste of real butter. But, I hated that it was not spreadable unless it was left to sit out on the counter. So, for many years, I bought butter 'spread'. You know, the stuff made with everything except real milk or cream. Then, this past year I discovered Land 'O Lakes spreadable butter. I felt a little bit better about using it because it actually used the word 'butter' on the front of the package. But, my family was going through it like crazy. We love to eat bagels, English muffins, crumpets, and toast. Grilled cheese sandwiches, too.

My sis Robin told me about butter bells and how they keep butter fresh but spreadable without having to refrigerate the butter. It intrigued me but I was reluctant to make a purchase. This was back in September or October. Then, Vee from A Haven for Vee, wrote about butter bells back in January. You can read her post here.

So, after reading her post, I want to Amazon.com and found a cute bell for about $10 and decided to give it a try. My family wrinkled their noses at me when I explained that I wanted to use this item so that we can all enjoy fresh butter without the hassle of cold butter ripping our bread into a holey mess.
So the above bell arrived safe and sound. I immediately began to explain to my reluctant family how we would all enjoy using this new 'system' of spreading butter. Honestly, you wouldn't believe how strong the resistance was in the beginning.

How it works is this: Softened butter is placed in the 'bell' part that is located on the underside of the cover. A small amount of cold water (about 1/2" or so) is placed in the bottom of the holder. The cover is than placed with the bell pointing down into the base. The water creates a seal around the butter, which stays fresh and soft on the counter top. See:


I keep it right next to the toaster so that it's handy for everyone. And guess what? Everyone loves it! I don't think I'll buy another substitute for butter again. Certainly not those artificial spreads. And it's more economical. A pound of store brand butter is about $2.79 per pound (4 sticks) and the bell holds one whole stick of softened butter. We've been going through about one stick per week. When butter goes on sale for $1.99 per pound, I plan on stocking up.

Just thought I'd share with you something that I thought was neat, different, and affordable.

Have a wonderful day!

Liane