Wednesday, October 24, 2018

Homemade Croutons

I was never a crouton lover until I started making them at home.  Homemade croutons are the easiest thing to make and so much better than store bought.  No bread goes to waste as I make these golden, crunchy nuggets for our daily salads.  Now that fall weather is here I can't wait to make some tomato soup for these croutons!


Today I used sourdough but I use whatever bread I have.  




 Here's my basic recipe but you can get creative with different seasoning.  Also, if you are using more or less cubed bread, the ratio of butter/bread is about 1/2 tablespoon melted butter to 1 cup bread cubes.  Day old bread will need a little more melted butter.




Ingredients:

8 cups cubed bread (fresh or day old)
4-6 tablespoons melted butter (use more for day old)
1/4  teaspoon garlic salt 


Instructions:

1. Preheat over to 300 degrees.  2. Spread bread cubes on a cookie sheet in a single layer.
3. Drizzle melted butter over and sprinkle garlic salt, toss lightly and again spread cubes in a single layer.
4.  Bake, stirring croutons every 10 minutes, for a total of 30-40* minutes until they are golden and crispy.
5. Cool and store croutons in an air­tight container or ziplock bag.  Will store for about 2 weeks.

Notes:  *Baking time will vary depending on the type of bread. 
             






Monday, October 8, 2018

The Ultimate Dinner Party

Saturday evening Kevin and I along with our friends Tony and Margaret hosted a dinner at my house.  It wasn't an ordinary dinner party where I'm usually slaving in the kitchen, making a huge mess and stressing to get everything done before the guest arrive.  No, this was so different and wonderful!  Chef Mark and Brian of Vignette (dining club) came to my house to prepare a 5-course dining experience for 8.  How this all came to be was through a fundraiser,  Stand Up and Sing for Kids (Dane County CASA and Canopy Center).  We love to support and donate to this wonderful organization helping strengthen families and support children impacted by trauma and adversity.  We didn't even win the bid but Chef Mark and Brian were so gracious to give two dinner parties.  Lucky us, because it was amazing.  Thanks to Chef Mark and Brian, you guys sure know how to throw a dinner party and gave us all an evening to remember.  It was fun having you hang out in my kitchen.  You're welcome anytime!



Wine Pairing for each course.


Local Meat and cheese from Bavaria Sausage




          Tony & Margaret
          Ed and MaryAnn
          Megan & Ryan
          Kevin and Dawn

      Chef Mark and Brian



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