You know when you go to the grocery store

and you walk through the bakery section even though you know better because you made a New Year's resolution to cut out carbs and all other things that taste most delightful and you know its best to resist the temptation? And then you know when you pass by the beautifully arranged baskets of bread? French bread. Sourdough bread. Bread with rosemary. Bread with Salt. Bread with jalapeno and cheddar. Bread with ingredients you have never even heard of. All of it just sitting there displayed in all of its carbohydrate glory.
The sight of it itself you might be able to resist but then there is the smell. Ahhhhhh...that glorious smell. It reminds you of hot, fresh, homemade bread. You love homemade bread but you have jobs, kids, husbands, cats, dogs, goldfish, all depending on you. You're pulled in a kagillion different directions all the time. You don't have time to make bread and anyways, you quit carbs.  But you have made it 21 days, more or less, into the New Year so far resisting this stuff that you are most certain is manna from Heaven.  Probably more on the less side than the more side but who is really counting. And you don't want to completely deprive yourself, right? Right. You've earned it. So you buy a loaf. You bring it home and cut off a slice before you even put your groceries away feeling very satisfied with yourself that you are dignified enough to bring it home and cut it with a knife rather than tear into it on the way home. Somewhere in between putting the cucumbers and the peanut butter in their rightful places, you cut off another piece.  Then another. Perhaps even another after that. As you are making your healthy dinner of steamed vegetables and dry chicken you are reminded that this wickedly wonderful white loaf is not exactly part of your diet plan. So you put it back in its bag and stuff it in the back of the bread box where it can't tempt you anymore. The next day you remember it and feel guilty about so recklessly abandoning your resolution so you decide to just go ahead and eat the rest of it so you can be done with it and move on. Unfortunately, you put it back in the paper bag that it came in rather than a plastic one so now your wonderfully soft, chewy loaf is somewhat dried out and stale. Well this is the best thing that could have happened. What a blessing!! Now you can make croutons. Croutons will go great in that spinach salad you are going to make for lunch. And you realize, that since spinach salad is most definitely healthy and these croutons will now become part of your salad, therefore becoming healthy as well,  buying this loaf of bread was a really great idea. Probably the best one you've had since you made that New Year's resolution.

Herbed Croutons

2-3 cups of bread cut into bite size pieces

1/4 cup of melted butter or margarine OR 2 Tbs. olive oil

1 tsp. dried dill

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. onion powder

1 Tbs. parmesan cheese (optional)

1. Set your oven to 275
2. Just a quick note about the bread...cut them into whatever size fits your fancy. I prefer tiny croutons but if you prefer to make them bigger go for it. You can also slice them thin and make them into little toasts which would work great for bruschetta. Once cut to your size of choice, toss it all in a big mixing bowl
3. Mix together the spices. Now you have some options here too. I prefer the dill flavor but use any seasonings you wish. you want about 2-3 tsp. total. Try italian herbs, try mexican seasoning, cajun. Whatever. Anything goes here.
4. Pour the butter or margarine or oil over your bread crumbs and give them a gentle stir.
5. Add the spices and then gently stir again until all the bread crumbs look pretty well covered.
6. Spread out in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for about an hour or until they are as crispy and crunchy as you want them to be. Yes, you read that correctly. An hour. They take some time.  Toss them every 20 minutes or so.