A Better Way To Soften Butter

Many of us use the microwave to soften sticks of butter to set on the table, but then we usually end up with uneven, inconsistent results. Not only are sections still hard but the butter or margarine has melted to liquid, oozing out onto the butter dish -- sometimes pooling into the little 'dip' or lip where the butter dish lid nestles. Not only is this less attractive on your table but few reach for such butter deposits with their butter knives, resulting in waste.

If you're looking for a better butter softening method, just ask grandma:



If you don't want to waste water (and the energy to heat it), you can also warm a glass bowl in the microwave or the oven, if you're already using it, and then dome the warm bowl over the stick of butter.

Less mess means a prettier holiday table and less waste.

Tip found in Household Ideas: Prize Hints for the Homemaker in Modern Woman Magazine.