remember the word OLEO?

[joyfulmelody]

I just got done baking, and I just wondering how many of you remember the word OLEO? My mother called it that and still does to this day. Now it is called margarine spread or sticks.

[Joy]

Oh yes. I grew up in the Midwest and we always said oleo when I was a kid. I accidently called margarine oleo the other day and my DD looked at me like I was from another planet.

[Bunny]

I remember Oleo I also remember when it came in a bag with the coloring in it and you had to squeese it to mix it and all of us kids faught over whose turn it was.

[joyfulmelody]

Bunny and Joy
I did not know that you put food coloring into it. Please tell me more about oleo. What year did it come out? I like to talk about how products got started. Thanks Joyfulmelody)

[DeBora4BobbyL]

It's been a long time since I have heard this word! My grandmother used it. I think the more modern name for fake butter is margarine. LOL

[Sammi1961]

My mother gave me my grandmother's cookbook years ago when I first got married. I was browsing through some recipes and saw the word oleo and had to call my mother up to ask her what it was. Now I know! LOL

[SanDansMom]

It actually was named oleomargarine, so either name is correct. Isn't it something--butter suddenly became really unhealthy, and margarine was the so-called healthy one to use. Now we are hearing that butter is far better for us. Probably next week someone will publish a study that says they're all bad, plus stuff like Promise and Smart Balance is the worst of all! Go figure.

[DeBora4BobbyL]

When in doubt, I go with what is natural, in moderation. I used to use margarine until I left it out one night. It became half oil and half water. When I dropped some of the extra healthy stuff on the floor, it turned into paint-like stuff. I only use the real deal now.

[Cooked]

I also remember opening the slab of oleo and there was that little dot of concentrated yello colour in a blister package, sort of, and you put the oleo into a bowl and popped the blister pack and coloured it to look like butter. It was just plain fun.

[SanDansMom]

I do have some mental reservations about all of it. We also use olive oil, which is considered healthy, but not in high-heat cooking. So what are we supposed to do? I think DeBora used the correct word--moderation.