WELCOME~

Growing up in a small town, we didn't have housing developments. What we had were streets lined mostly with trees and homes built by individuals. I remember when a small housing development began across town and I couldn't help but think how weird it was that a bunch of mostly identical homes were being built so close to each other... it was stark,ugly, and made me uncomfortable. I remember thinking I'd never live in a housing development..I'd always be in my own unique space. I was very young and I was very wrong. I didn't end up in a sunny cottage on the edge of town or a small farm out in the boonies.. I have landed in a house that's just like every 4th or 5th house in a housing development in small town suburbia. I realized that regardless of where you are..or what cookie cutter home one lives in, there are a buh-zillion and one ways to make it your own. From my own little suburban *cottage* you will find me posting anything from cooking to sewing to flower watching.. people watching, short stories, poetry, rants, raves and anything else you can imagine~ Please stay awhile, explore all little parts of my life. You may find your self, laughing, rolling your eyes, disgusted, inspired, aggravated, happy, ect ect ect..
Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing in my joy~

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Crispy Crunchy Croutons YUM!



One of the things that I love most about a salad are the croutons! And while they can be purchased by the bagful in a grocery store or market..they will ne-he-he-he-ever be as good as home made.. and they are sooooo incredibly easy.
 Here is a recipe that will get you started on your own obsession with these little crunchy bits of goodness~

Homemade Croutons
 start by preheating your oven to 350 F
1/2 loaf of day old french bread or whole baguette
Olive oil 1/4 cup -1/2 cup
Freshly ground sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Optional: Garlic powder and/or
Dried herbs and seasonings of your choice
I used:
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Rosemary
Thyme
and grated Parmesan
 and my olive oil was Garlic infused



 slice your croutons into fairly uniform chunks.. choose a size and stick with it because your croutons will bake more evenly , typically I do 1/2 inch to 1 inch.. I like 1 inch croutons..they are more rustic. It also gives you more flexibility with baking because you can burn a batch of small croutons in mere seconds if your not watching.. that's the key.. cutting accordingly and watching them.. 




Toss your bread and oil together in a large enough of a bowl to manage. Once your cubes are coated  tthrow in your mix of seasonings. Toss to coat.
 Place your cubes on a baking sheet in a single layer.
bake at 350 f checking and stirring them every 5 minz til golden and crispy crunchy. Watch these carefully as they will burn easier than you realize..
approx 20 - 30 minz..


Serve over your salad or use as a snack
 These can be stored in an air tight container for up to 2 weeks.. but trust me.. they wont last that long~
ENJOY!!  
LUVZ!!

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