Homemade croutons...


Yummy, crunchy croutons.  Who doesn't love 'em?  That's usually everyone's favorite part of a salad, right?  Well, why buy premade croutons when you can make your own?

 First, choose the bread you want to use.  Here I used whole wheat bread, but I have also used day-old rolls,  French bread, or white bread.  Cut them up into the size croutons you and your family like.


Here's where you get creative- spices.  Salt and pepper are needed for whatever other spices you choose.  Today I used Parmesan cheese and garlic powder.  Use whatever favorite flavors your family prefers and sprinkle about a teaspoon of each over all your cut up bread.



We LOVE garlic in our family and always make sure we use TONS of it.

After you've added the spices you like, drizzle olive oil over the bread cubes.  Start off with 3-4 T and, using your hands, toss the bread cubes around, making sure that all the bread is covered in oil.  The spices that you added earlier will be tossed around, too, to make sure they are more evenly distributed.  If the bread still looks too dry, then add a little more oil and toss. 


Here they are!  All ready for the oven!


Bake at 300 degrees for 30-40 minutes, taking them out to toss them around in the pan every 10 minutes.  Watch closely to make sure that they do not burn.  You want your croutons nicely browned all over, but not burned. 


Mmmmmm!!!!  The finished product!!  Yummy, crunchy, flavorful, homemade croutons!! 

Bar Keepers Friend...


This product, ladies and gentlemen, is my new best friend!!!  For YEARS I have heard how awesome Bar Keepers Friend is. For some odd reason, I only thought this product was at specialty stores so I never bothered to look for it.  Lo and behold, there it was last week at Walmart of all places!  Sitting on the bottom shelf, just waiting for me to bring it home and give it a try.

Mr. U suggested that I clean the worst pot first.  I got my stainless steel pots and pans almost 2 years ago and this pot is the one that I always use to steep tea bags in to make sweet tea.  The pot is THIS STAINED in less than 2 years of making tea!!


But just LOOK at how shiny the same pot is after I used Bar Keepers Friend!!! 

I am SOLD!  I will most definitely keep some on hand now- at all times!!  So far I've scrubbed TONS of things.  What is it about a new cleaning product that makes you want to clean and clean?  LOL!!!









Do any of y'all love Bar Keepers Friend?  If you haven't tried it, I highly recommend it!!

Who knew? Cleaning your washing machine!!!!


Will someone PLEASE tell me that I am not the last one to learn that we are supposed to clean our washing machines????  Seriously, I had no idea!  Yes, I wash the outside of the machine, but I never gave any thought to the inside of it!!  So what's a girl to do?  Yes, GOOGLE THE ANSWER!!  And here's I found...

Throw in dirty clothes, add some detergent, turn a dial and come back later to clean clothes. Ever wonder where all that dirt goes? Most of it rushes away with the drain water; but some lurks in your machine and can cause laundry to appear dull and gray...

Keep reading....and then be sure and tell me if you've ever cleaned your washing machine!!