To send DS in wth butter (and a note) (lighthearted)

[clary]

Very much a first world problem I know...
DS2 is cooking granola bars next week at school. They are healthy apparently ( at that because the recipe includes sugar, honey and dried fruit).

Anyway he was told they must bring marg not butter as "margarine is lower in fat and healthier than butter". This is nonsense of course as marg is as high in fat as butter and includes potential nasties such as colours, flavouring and preservatives. It also tastes icky (IMO).

DS (bless him) put his hand up and said his mum would only buy butter so was that OK? Teacher said no, if you bring butter you won't be allowed to cook.

AIBU to send him with butter anyway - in a plastic box so you can't tell - and just let him get on with it? DH says I should include a note saying why in case teacher queries it (highly unlikely I would imagine) but only to be shown if that happens.

I don't want to start a fight and I am not going to pick the teacher up on his mistake (except on MN ). But equally I am not about to buy marg yuck.

Sorry this is sooo long.

[Scholes34]

I think anything high in fat or sugar is considered "unhealthy". I won't buy anything that is "no added sugar", as I don't consider sweeteners to be healthy - it's full sugar all the way, just not so much of it. Cups of tea are sugar free.

[SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius]

I think butter is better for you, londonrach - when you look at how margarine is made, and all the processes that have to happen to make it work, and you look at how butter is made - out of just two ingredients - or only 1, if you use unsalted butter - how anyone can argue margarine is a healthier product baffles me!!

[londonrach]

Isnt butter better from you than marg. teacher information is out of date. Send ds with butter.

[ChippingInAutumnLover]

I'm glad it all went ok and without a show down!

Hopefully he'll make more at home at the weekend and post some to me :)

[clary]

Just to update ladies - I sent him with butter and a brief note to be shown *only if teacher complained about the butter (which was in a plastic box with no wrapper.

All was fine, even tho another kid in the form asked DS2 if he had brought butter, then when DS said yes, the other nice lad went and told the teacher! Teacher ignored it. I hate tell-tales in class "miss, he's on his mobile phone!" etc.

Anyway, the granola bars were so yummy they have completely vanished!

Funnily enough, DS2's mate in another group (with another teacher) was told for the same recipe to bring in butter and chocolate chips (specifically banned by DS2's teacher)

[Debs75]

I much prefer the taste of cold butter straight from the fridge to butter that has been sat in a butter dish all week?

[NeedsAsockamnesty]

Oh Christ, I just realised I'm one of those parents

[TheRealAmandaClarke]

Lard is indeed superb for pastry.

[Ericaequites]

Butter is the best for baking cookies, quick breads, and cakes, as it adds flavor. Though leaf lard is lovely for pie pastry. Marge is vile stuff, and not worth the minimal savings involved.

[RedToothBrush]

Take it out the wrapper. The teacher won't even notice or be able to tell the difference. Problem solved.

[thegreylady]

The dietician told my dh that it was far better to use a little butter than any spread. She said that if you leave a block of butter in a garage or outhouse it will be eaten by insects and rodents but if you leave spread it won't be touched. Apparently margarine in its natural state is a grey product of petroleum or crude oil which is then processed to make it look like butter. We don't have the stuff in the house.

[Scholes34]

Teacher is being unreasonable, as he isn't paying for or taking home the granola bars to share with his family. If you're eating them, you should decide what goes in them and it's not like you're asking him to put some illegal substance into a batch of brownies.

Whether you use marg/spread or butter is a matter of taste. Any variation on ingredients is a matter of taste. I mainly use butter in baking, but only use soft Stork for sponge cakes and my personal opinion is that they are much lighter. I get the all the buttery taste I need by using butter in the butter icing. Same with scones - Stork in the scones, butter on the scones (or clotted cream). No-one complains about my cakes or scones.

My Melting Moments recipe in the Be-Ro cookbook uses lard!

[TheRealAmandaClarke]

I would send him in with the requested ingredients and have a very brief chat at home about the butter v spread (spreads vary a great deal tbh) debate.

[TheRealAmandaClarke]

My house is toast warm thanks to the wonders if central heating.
I find butter tastes unpleasant if left out for longer than 24 hours.
Personally.

[Delphine31]

Quite a few spreads have nut, or similar, oils in them now: shea, illipe, sal etc.

This is problematic because a lot of people don't realise these oils are derived from nuts. They are so refined that it is unlikely that someone would suffer a life-threatening reaction. I only became aware of these oils when Cadbury changed their recipe and added these nut oils. Having always been a Cadbury fiend, I started reacting to their chocolate and looked into it and discovered these oils. (Now I've seen sense and buy proper 40% + cocoa chocolate!)

Similar thing in that nut-free cakes kindly made by friends had me baffled for a while as I was having mild allergic reactions and couldn't figure out why until I spent half an hour in the supermarket looking at the cocktail of stuff in margarine-type spreads which lots of people use for baking.

As most people have said, regardless of the nuts issue, I will always opt for butter over margarine for the same reasons I opt for full fat fizzy drinks (on an occasional basis) over aspartame.

[JustAShopGirl]

I don't see the point of spread unless you are vegan or have a dairy allergy.

I don't like the taste of butter... is that allowable?

[JustAShopGirl]

stork - in a foil wrapper - which most folks substitute for butter in cakes and pastry etc is dairy free

stork in a tub is not.

[OnIlkleyMoorBahTwat]

Why the strange face ?

Confusion at why anyone would think butter needed to live in the fridge, assuming that you live in the UK not a hot country.

Butter will stay fresh and spreadable at room temperature for at least a week, probably more.

If you don't use it this fast or the weather is very hot, just put out half a pack at a time and maybe keep it in the fridge some of the time to stop it getting very soft.

I don't see the point of spread unless you are vegan or have a dairy allergy.

[Eastwickwitch]

When my DS's did baking at school they had to take cornflour for everything including Bolognese and even pasta bake. Most odd.
In the end they 'forgot' to take it.

[NeedABumChangeNotANameChange]

Also most spread is not dairy free, that's why vegans have to be careful when buying it. So everyone stop thinking you're safe serving spread cakes to lactose intolerant friends/ children.

[NeedABumChangeNotANameChange]

Baking with stork is minging. Butter all the way! Save the orangatans too? And whoever asked yes you can bake with coconut oil and it tastes fine in cakes but for something cold like granola I think butter would be better.

[IceniMist]

Why the strange face ?

Anyway, thanks, I shall look for a butter dish.

[OnIlkleyMoorBahTwat]

Butter doesn't need to be kept in the fridge .

[Shallishanti]

this is why butter dishes were invented

[IceniMist]

Sorry not really related but butter uses, how do you spread it? Do you not store it in the fridge? I want to use butter but it is so hard.