Monday, December 01, 2008

On the Margarine of Winter

Yes, you read the title correctly; margarine is not a a typo. I did not mean to say margin and get it all wrong.

We all have different ways of measuring the seasons. Me? I know that winter is here when I get out ... not the winter coat, long johns, toques, boots or wool socks ... but ... wait for it ... oh, I've really given it away by choosing that title ... The Margarine. Yes, when I opt to spread margarine on my muffins and toast, I know that Old Man Winter has truly arrived. So, I'm here to say that he arrived several weeks ago.

You see, we keep our house cold enough, particularly at night, that the butter becomes hard, too hard to spread well, and I really hate ripping up my toast with hard chunks of butter. While I might love the taste of said buttery chunks, I really feel it better to spread margarine relatively thinly (although my thin might be your thick).

I make the best choice that I can by using the good stuff, the margarine that isn't hydrogenated. However, my beloved remains skeptical of margarine of any kind. She's got a point, I'm sure. I mean, what prevents it from getting hard in cold weather? Can whatever it is be good for us? Nevertheless, I choose to revert to spreadable margarine in these colder months. I mean, butter doesn't exactly come out of the cow in solid form, and neither does animal fat come advertised as health food.

The trouble is you never know if you're doing the right thing or not, and right is constantly shifting anyway. What's right today may be wrong tomorrow, so who knows what to do? Just do your best, I suppose, and at least consider what you do and why why you do it.

10 comments:

Tossing Pebbles in the Stream said...

Have you been talking nicely to your neighbour lady with the snow blower? You will need her this morning I suspect.

I just heard soya oil is not good for you. All the information on fats and oils keeps me confused.

Only when I had my milk cow could I afford real butter. You must be rich!

Woman in a Window said...

Wise words on the consumption of a, a, a? What is margarine anyway? I don't know but I do manage to get it down whatever it is. I love butter but I do find it rather lumpy even in the summer.

Ruth said...

We don't use margarine here, even though my husband can't tell the difference between it and butter (!). Our youngest daughter spent a few weeks with her grandparents in Mexico and was appalled at the horrid stuff called "margin" that they used. She hadn't tasted it before. I'm with Cuppa on this one. (The microwave for 5 seconds...)

Dale said...

I'm with you, Brother. I do the same thing.

methatiam said...

pat of butter, a pinch or three of garlic salt, microwave until liquid and fip the bread.

mmmmmmm

Excuse me, I just got hungry -

Donna said...

Right or wrong...that's The question, isn't it....as for the margarine...Hahaa...this is a "Butter House"...Shaken, not stirred....Happy day sweetie!hughugs

KGMom said...

A couple of butter thoughts--first, if your house is cold, why not just leave the butter out all night?
Second, I have read that butter is better for you in the long run. All that hydrogenated oil.

megz_mum said...

I like using your margarine/butter as a temperature gauge - very tricky! Our butter always has to live in the fridge (except for in the heart of winter!) or it just turns into an oil puddle, but it definitely has to be butter for me!

Lorna said...

I'm assuming that's raisin toast? sunmaid Cinnamon Swirl?

Mary said...

Nothing we eat these days is truly good for us. When you can keep eggs in the refrigerator for weeks before they expire and they have already set in a warehouse for months, there is something wrong. The same goes for milk, butter and all the other dairy products.

When we lived on the farm, eggs would last about 3 days before they went bad. Cream and milk was brought to the house daily in order to prevent them from spoiling. A few days was all the shelf life they had. There are so many chemicals in what we eat today that it doesn't really matter if you eat butter or margarine. I prefer butter, but use margarine because it is so much cheaper.

On a lighter note, did you know that at one time margarine was outlawed in Quebec. I'm not sure if that old law has ever been changed.

Thanks for the comments on today's post. No, I don't have a sore throat, but feel really miserable. I'm glad it only lasts a few days.

Blessings,
Mary