Grandpa's butter

As a child, I remember vividly there being two sticks of butter on the table at Grandma's house; one for Grandpa and one for the rest of us.  Grandpa preferred REAL butter.  So that white stick was Grandpa's butter - yuck.  We were careful not to grab his butter by mistake, it tasted so awful.  Our butter was yellow.

Vintage Tupperware?

Grandma had the plastic Tupperware brand butter dishes, one with a clear (sort of) lid and one with a solid (tan/dirty yellow) lid (as above).  We knew which was which, although at this moment I cannot tell you how it went, and we knew when setting the table that both butter dishes went out.

When I was learning to cook with my mom or grandma, I remember coming to the realization that margarine was butter, or at least what we called butter...or that other weird word, oleo.  I thought margarine was good for us...until a couple years ago when I stumbled across an article that basically said margarine was one molecule away from being considered plastic.  Oh, boy, doesn't that sound super yummy?

For a few years I have been back and forth between using real butter, margarine, low-fat, 'healthy' margarine, spreadable butter made with canola oil, blah, blah, blah.  I have finally decided to stick with the real butter and all its glory.

The big complaint at my house with the real butter was its spreading capabilities.  Alas, the role of the butter dish.

I went to Walmart to buy a butter dish, hoping for the plastic one, to leave out on my counter. I searched the isles for what seemed like forever and had to go with a glass one.  It has claimed an empty space on the counter next to the toaster.  (And a few days later, I was cleaning out the camper for the winter...and found one of my grandma's plastic butter trays!)

I know that real butter is not necessarily healthy, but man, is it good.  I love spreading that soft, real butter across toast or a roll, or anything for that matter...By the way, I'm starting to get hungry, could you pass Grandpa's butter, please?