Friday, April 29, 2011

When Life Gives You Stale Bread, Make Croutons... Really!

This morning I wanted to make a yummy sandwich concocted from the many Easter leftovers. I thought about a basic ham and cheese sandwich, classic. Then I thought of making ham salad like my dad used to make, although I knew I wouldn’t be able to make it like he did. He was from the mid-West and I think that’s a requirement to make ham salad and the like. Then I was studying the plethora of cheeses we laid out this last Sunday, and doing some type of open faced grilled/broiled cheese sandwich. Yum! Egg salad, maybe...
So I swiveled around to the bread box, because killer bread is what makes all sandwiches....right? Hum; that sourdough loaf is stale, this bag of garlic/rosemary is stale, and so on. 
“Bummed” 
I can hear my husband now, “We waste so much food in this house!” When the reality is  is; we eat allot, we feed allot of people. So for as much as I buy and prepare, we really don’t throw away allot, he just likes to add it to ‘how all the lights are always on making our house look like a Christmas tree’.
I love croutons, and make them from time to time for salads, but never have I made several weeks worth in one sitting. I get out the serrated bread knife and start cubing. Seriously, bowls and bowls of cubed, stale bread. Tossing them in olive oil, sprinkling them with more herbs and seasonings and spreading out in several batches on a large cookie sheet. Baking them in a hot, 450˚ oven, the house smells fabulous!
Now, I know croutons are not calorie free, but moderation, yes? 
I find myself back in the fridge, pulling out the lettuce, celery, cucumbers, hard boiled eggs. Back to making something yummy for lunch at this point, and maybe a bit healthier. ;~)