Spreadable Butter/Olive Oil (Even Straight from the Fridge!)

Becca here with a basic refrigerator staple that I am SO excited about!  Finding a 'healthy' option for a spreadable butter is no easy task.  Margarine is basically a mixture of unhealthy chemicals, but butter straight from the fridge is too solid to spread on toast.  "Whipped butter" is a more spreadable, healthier alternative we have available at the health food store, but the price for the 'value added' of the air being whipped into the butter is really steep, and not justifiable to me.  My main reasons for wanting a spreadable option, even straight from the fridge, were to go on homemade bread and jam or with cinnamon and sugar, and for greasing my glass loaf pans when I make homemade bread.  The lady I learned to grind the grains and make good homemade bread from admitted to using shortening to grease her pans, since it is more easily spreadable.  I hated to grind my own wheat, and make a healthy bread, just to coat it with shortening!  I'm happy to say that this spread has solved both of my 'problems', and takes just a few minutes to prepare, using items that you likely already have at home.  You could make it in a larger batch if you prefer, but this will last my family quite some time, since we use it sparingly still.  I saw the idea in a Clean Eating magazine, but couldn't find it online to link to.  Enjoy!

Spreadable Butter/Olive Oil (Even Straight from the Fridge!)

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup olive oil

Bring butter to room temperature, either by setting out on the counter for an hour or so, or by heating in the microwave in 15 second increments.  In a glass lidded container, combine butter and olive oil until thoroughly mixed.  Cover and stir in the refrigerator until ready to use!

*You could use a food processor or blender to further blend the olive oil & butter, but I don't ever have a problem just mixing it by hand, as long as the butter is nice & soft to start with.