Monthly Archives: March 2011

In preparation for tomorrow’s book review, I thought I’d talk about the many helpful and crazy uses for butter…not that you’re going to have to find many other uses for it if you are a strict follower of the woman discussed tomorrow 🙂

Everything’s Better with Butter!

1.  Like it’s peanut butter cousin, regular butter can help remove glue from your hands and gum from your hair.

2.  Rub you knife down with a little  butter before slicing into sticky items, such as dried fruit or pies.  Butter (and shortening) also works great if you’re making rice crispies or anything with melted marshmallows.  Simply coat your spoon with butter and just dare something to stick to it!  🙂

3.  Hate to say Mary Poppins was wrong, but a little touch of butter does help the medicine go down.  If you’re unable to swallow pills, try rubbing them with a little butter to help them quickly glide down your throat.

4.  Butter is a great treatment for minor skin irritations.  Rub a generous amount of butter on sunburn, dry skin, and minor burns twice a day.  DO NOT pull a Kramer and cover yourself in butter before going out for a tan.  😉

5.  If you’re in a pinch for hair conditioner, use some butter!  It provides amino acids to fine hair and is a great way to get a healthy shine!

6.  SAVE YOUR CHEESES!  Coat the cut edges of hard cheeses with a little bit of butter to prevent them from getting hard and moldy.  You can also rub the cut side of an onion to keep it fresh longer.

7.  Love cooking fish but hate the leftover smell?  Rub some butter on your hands and wash them with warm soap and water and your hands will be odor free (and smooth!).

8.  Use butter to help remove those water stains from your wood furniture.  Rub about 1 TB butter on the mark and let it sit overnight.  Wipe away excess with a soapy sponge.

Knowledge is power!  Learn fun facts, hints and tips, and creative ways to use every day items with “The Buzz” posts on Thursday.

Don’t you hate how you have to buy one frickin’ liter of buttermilk for a recipe that only calls for 1/4  cup of it?  What do you do with the extra, besides quadrupling whatever recipe you’re making?  😉

Look no further.  Here you will find a whole bunch of ideas to put that extra buttermilk to use.  While it does assist in making the most delicious biscuits, pancakes, and waffles, it can also be incorporated into tons of other recipes to help add flavor and depth.

*drool*

1.  Like biscuits, pancakes, and waffles, buttermilk can turn your common baked goods (cakes, muffins, scones, and more) into rich and moist delicacies.  It can replace the milk and most of the butter in any given recipe, also helping to cut out some extra fat.

2.  Here’s a way to use up those frozen chicken breasts, too.  Combine 3-4 cups buttermilk with dashes of salt, pepper, and a little hot sauce.  Marinate 2-3 skinless chicken breasts in the buttermilk mixture for at least 1 hour.  When done, place on a baking pan and sprinkle them with seasoned bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-40 minutes, or until done (slice the chicken and if the juices run clear, the meat is done).

3.  Reinvent eggplant or chicken Parmesan by marinating eggplant or chicken in buttermilk instead of regular milk.  Bake them instead of frying them.

4.  You can also drink buttermilk (it’s a bit tangy) and it freezes well…so if you’re not going to reuse your leftovers for a few weeks, pour it in a container and freeze it until you’re ready.

5.  Add buttermilk to mac and cheese for richer and much more comforting treat!

Knowledge is power!  Learn fun facts, hints and tips, and creative ways to use every day items with “The Buzz” posts on Thursday.