For butter or worse

I miss margarine.  It's so easy, always soft from the fridge, spreads wonderfully even on the freshest bread.  Apparently it'll kill you though, (so "they" say) and I guess with the piles of random additives, I have to say goodbye for the year.  Luckily, I have an alternative...  the butter pot (or butter bell)

Because my main problem with butter is that it doesn't spread from the fridge, I borrowed my mom's butter pot.  Apparently butter CAN sit on the counter, (I have a friend who leaves his in the cupboard), but I find the oxidation to be a little...  shall we say...  gross.  The butter pot solves that.

You jam your butter into the cavity, fill the larger resevoir with just enough water to seal it off from the air...

...plunk it in, and you're done.  Leave it on the counter and you have soft, spreadable butter without the icky oxidation. Just remember to change the water now and then!