Celebrating Butter

I hate to admit this, but I have always used margarine, except in recipes that specifically say to use butter. I make a Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball every Thanksgiving and Christmas that requires butter; in fact, my recipe says "no substitutions." I've always wondered why.  But I'm such a rule follower that if the recipe says "no substitutions," then I'm NOT going to substitute.


At the beginning of the month, I received my Allrecipes Ambassador assignments.  One of the things I had to do was prepare recipes using butter, not margarine, from the Go Bold with Butter website. Since I'm not a butter user, I had to go buy some first. Then I looked at all the delicious recipes and decided which would fit in with my life right now. The first recipe I made was for breakfast.  Truth be told, I had had my morning coffee and two hours later was hungry.  So I decided to make me some oatmeal, but not just any oatmeal, Browned Butter Banana Oatmeal. This turned out really rich and satisfying. I would definitely make it again.

The next recipe I wanted to make was Cinnamon Toast Scones. I love cinnamon toast and I love scones. Surely putting the two together would be an out-of-the-ballpark hit! And it was! These scones are so light and fluffy. And they are really good with or without the vanilla drizzle.

While I was making the scones, I found out I was going to have to take my mother to the doctor.  I knew I wouldn't get home until late, so I checked out the Go Bold with Butter site again and decided to make the Ham and Cheddar Frittata for dinner. It wouldn't require a lot of time, I could prepare it at the last minute, and it would go with my scones I had made that morning! Add some fruit, and voilà, dinner would be served.

All three of the recipes I made were fabulous! So, I'm thinking more about butter vs. margarine now, and butter just might win out!


I am an Allrecipes Allstar Brand Ambassador and I'm not compensated for my work with Allrecipes.com. The reviews, content, and opinion expressed in this blog are purely the sole opinions of Paula.



***(Next day) Help me, Someone! I can't stop making butter recipes! Shearone posted this one and it looked so good. I bought the "real" popcorn for it, but then I forgot who had posted it and where the recipe was. Then I found it today. This might not be a good thing! This Smoky Spiced Buttered Popcorn is though. It is a real treat and takes popcorn to a whole new level.

Celebrating Allrecipes

I've been thinking lately about all the wonderful recipes I've gotten here at Allrecipes. Most of the foods I've cooked since joining in 2008 have come from this site.  Oh sure, I use the recipes passed down from my mother and grandmother, but I love the ones I've discovered here, too. I know they have been tried and tested by tons of other mothers and grandmothers.

I first discovered Allrecipes because I had bushels of apples a friend had given me. I wanted to make apple butter but didn't have a recipe. Somehow, I had heard of this site, so I started searching for a recipe and found All-Day Apple Butter. I followed the recipe exactly, and it turned out perfectly.  And I was hooked. I filled out my profile and that day began my "addiction." 

I regularly stalked other people's conversations, gleaning bits of wisdom, discovering the newest kitchen gadgets, and saving suggested recipes. I read the newly reviewed recipes each day and checked out the photos published. Soon my recipe box began to grow. I had a category for every possible food and even circumstance like "cooking with kids" and "cooking for two." I discovered new words like posole, mole, and carnitas. I learned about limoncello and marsala. I made my first homemade pizza crust and cinnamon rolls. Then at some point I got brave. I decided to ask a question on The Buzz (what was its name before?) and comment on others' questions. 

I made friends...with people I can't even put a face to. But when they express a sorrow, I am concerned for them. When they ask for prayer, I stop right then and pray for them. When they share a funny story, I laugh with them. But most of all, I marvel at how strong and brave and interesting these people are. I love their stories of where life has taken them and how many have made lemonade out of lemons. I love the fact that some of us are city bred through and through while others are country born and raised. Such different circumstances, yet one thing brings us together...our love for good food and preparing it. And everyone I've met is ready and willing to help the next person become a better cook.


I have 2694 recipes in my box, 409 reviews, 185 photos, and who knows how many friends. And, yes, I plan to keep on adding to those numbers.