Recently, I learned a fantastic reusing trick from my fabulously thrifty friend, Amber. Not only does Amber inspire me always in a plastic-less quest, but she also shared with me this thrifty and waste-saving cooking tip:

Using butter packaging as a baking paper substitute!!

It’s that simple. So I’ve been keeping my butter packaging in the fridge door waiting for the moment when I had the enthusiasm to bake something yummy.

This week I made Teresa Cutter’s One Bowl Chocolate Cake – YUMMY INDEED. The butter packaging levels were just right for a cake.  So I pulled the butter wrappers out of the fridge and smoothed over the residual butter left on them with the warmth of my hands (which is a win-win because now I’m not wasting any butter and there’s no extra greasing involved). Then it was the simple matter of laying down the sheets of packaging and cutting some in half for the sides of the tin.

The results – glorious eating and the satisfaction of knowing no butter was wasted and the packaging got a second life before its bitter end. Thanks to Amber and butter, I have no need for baking paper. It feels good to cut out a single-use product!