Homemade Croutons

Since I know October seems to be the month of candy, I try to fight against it with additional vegetables. Salads are always an easy solution. Usually, I do not make my own croutons but I had purchased a baguette and we didn't eat it. It was pretty hard so I had to think of some ideas for the baguette. Some thoughts were using it to hit a pinata. Let the kids use it as a sword. Put it in the freezer which it would have been forgotten until years months later. I figured it would make great croutons which it did. I cut the bread into triangles so they looked like teeth.

Shark's Teeth aka Homemade Croutons
1 baguette, cut up into bite size pieces
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 tsp sea salt

Directions:

1. Preheat broiler to high.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
3. In a bowl, toss the bread with the olive oil, oregano,cheese, and salt.
4. Spread the bread in one layer onto the baking sheet.
5. Toast the bread for about 5 minutes or until the bread is golden brown.
6. Remove from oven and allow to cool before serving.

Recipe by Jen of Sweet Morris.

One year ago.........................I made Brown Butter Funfetti Cookies.
Two years ago.......................I made Stomboli.

Did you already know............
-Croutons are small toasted pieces of bread.
-Croutons are similar to crostinis which are larger. 
-The word croutons derive from the French word croute which means crust.

Ides of March

The other day while I was cleaning, I noticed our toothbrushes seemed to be multiplying. I didn't know how this was possible but there were twice as many toothbrushes as people living in this house. (Maybe our friends are slowly moving in and we didn't realize it. First, they leave a toothbrush then next they will want a part of a closet.)

So, I called everyone to grab their toothbrush. My son comes into the bathroom and grabs 4, yes let me repeat 4, toothbrushes. I ask him why he needed so many toothbrushes especially since he is losing his teeth. He shrugged and said he just needed them. I asked him to retire two of them and he could still keep two. The question I have is where did he get the toothbrushes?

Since it is the Ides of March, I decided to make a Caesar Salad.This salad was great. All my children loved it. My husband happened to be in the kitchen when I add the anchovy so he was reluctant to have any. He did however eat the croutons and loved them. So did my son who was very disappointed that I hadn't made more.

Caesar Salad
Homemade croutons (see below)
Caesar Dressing (see below)
Romaine Lettuce
Shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Clean and dry the lettuce.
2. Add the lettuce to a bowl.
3. Top the lettuce with the dressing and Parmesan Cheese. Toss.
4. Add the croutons and serve.

Homemade Croutons
1/2 loaf of Italian bread, cubed
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp dried parsley/oregano
salt for seasoning to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
2. Add the cubed bread to a bowl.
3. Top with the olive oil, garlic powder, and the oregano. Toss.
4. Spread the cubed bread evenly onto a baking sheet.
5. Season with salt.
6. Bake for about 20 minutes or golden brown.

Caesar Salad Dressing
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup water
3 cloves garlic
1 cup lite mayonnaise
1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
1/2 anchovie, raw and chopped
black pepper for seasoning to taste

Directions:

1. Add all the ingredients to a food processor and process until smooth.
2. Store in a sealed container until ready to use.

Recipe adapted from Annie's Eats.

Did you already know.........
-Julius Caesar married three times.
-Julius Caesar was romantically involved with Cleopatra but could not married because Roman law.
-The Julian calendar was introduced by Julius Caesar and the month of July is named for him.
-Julius Caesar was born around July 12th, 100 B.C.