This is not a fat-free blog. Let’s get that one thing straight. I (mostly) blame that on the two lovely ladies pictures below:
I have dubbed them The Butter Sisters.
The one on the left is my mom Susan, the other is my “Auntie” Roxann. Both used liberal amounts of butter in just about every recipe they could get their hands on. Steamed broccoli called for a stick of butter, right? Mashed potatoes – another stick of butter. And the pork chops we were eating that night? Probably fried in butter. Let’s not even mention the copious amounts of cookies, breads, pies and cakes that were a staple in our home.
I remember my mom being the cook and Roxann as the baker but they both probably cooked/baked equally. What I do remember very clearly is developing a very (un)healthy adoration of butter.
I never realized just how important butter was to them until I attended a “family reunion” two summers ago. My brother and I – along with Madison – made the drive from San Diego to Seattle to visit Roxann and her two daughters, my “cousins” Courtney and Ariane. My mom flew in from Arizona a few days before and the plan was to spend a few days eating, drinking and reminiscing about our childhood.
Courtney – now a mom to two great kids herself – pulled me aside and asked, “Did you ever notice how much butter our moms use?” I had never really thought about it, but as I started paying close attention I noticed an obscene amount of butter go into our food. It then became a big joke every time someone was asked to, “please pass the butter.”
At some point during the weekend I was asked to make dessert. As I was assembling the wild berry shortcake, I caught myself slicing tablespoon after tablespoon of butter. I stopped what I was doing and starting laughing right then and there. Everyone wanted to know what was up. “Uh, I just found myself using a stick of butter in tonight’s dessert. What an AWESOME legacy you have given me, thanks.”
I am now known as “Spawn of Butter”.
Cooking For Madison 
Hey watch what you say or we won’t let you into the club and you won’t be able to learn the secret Butter handshake. LOLl Mom (the other butter sister)
Heather Heather Heather you little spawn I did notice in reading economics of bread that when money was tight for you you still had BUTTER in your frige. I look forward to all your comments re=bread
You are in good company. Paula Deen is also fond of using butter and I love her line when challenged that her cooking is unhealthy, “Honey, I’m your cook not your doctor!” I would also add that we place way too much focus on the ability to control our health with what we eat. Genetics play a bigger role that we’d like to think. Now, I am carrying too much weight (and I acknowledge that there are drawbacks to that), but at my recent doctor’s appointment, my BP was 106 over 71, my cholesterol was 161 and my triglycerides (sp?) were 65. When they asked if I ate whole grains and vegetables, I said yeah, but I also eat fried foods and sweets too!
So bring on the butter, at least its trans fat free!
spawn of butter, lol .. i’m surprised you never noticed before! ‘auntie roxann’ *always* has a stash- even in the freezer! butter is natural, margarine is far from .. if i’m going to make an effort to cook, i want it to be GOOOOD..and honestly, when is fat-free ever really GOOOOD??
May I please join the Butter-loving Club? 🙂 Looking forward to seeing butter-laden recipes. yum!
We love butter in our house too! I have caught our youngest taking a quick swipe of the finger to the butter dish, just as one would with icing on a cake! For those of us that need some justification to our admiration; Dr. Andrew Weil says it’s better to use the ‘natural’ butter than margarine.
I took my granddaughter to the San Diego Zoo few years ago, and we went to the rainforest exhibit where there was a sign that listed all the things of benefit to us that we get from the rainforest. They had food, industry and medicine. Margerine was under Industry, not Food, and it is one molecule away from plastic. Butter…YES!