The Unappreciated Heel...

**graci42** · 03-30-2004, 08:42 AM

Well...If your home is anything like mine, NO ONE wants to eat the heel...LOLOLOL So...here's what I do. I freeze them and then when I get enough I toast them, dice them and use the crouton's for salad or stuffing. Home made stuffing is easy to make...1 med onion, dash lemon pepper,1tsp sage, butter 1c. boiling water. Once you've combined the incredients, put in the oven at 350 for 25-30 minutes...I like dry stuffing...firm and tastey! What do you do with yours?

Oh forgot one ingredient for the stuffing...boullion cube of your choice...beef or chicken...Now for the fun part. If you throw away your heels, you are throwing away $$. Around my neck of the woods bread can run as high as 1.98 (convenience store)or as low as .39 for a 20 oz loaf...There are 24 slices to a 20 oz loaf. So every 24 heels pitched-nearly 2 dollars thrown into the trash can. In my house we use ALOT of bread...packed lunches yada-yada. It adds up. I went over my receipts and found that I've purchased 13 loaves of bread. I averaged the price at .64 a loaf. Now if I throw away the heels...26 heels...1 and 1/12 th loaf. I've thrown .72 into the trash. Do that every month...13 loaves a year...8.32...That means in a years time I have worked 1 1/2 hrs for free. I threw that money away. It pays to think about the little things. They are how you make it work. Think of yourself as a cost of living consultant. Get the most Bang for your Buck!

**lacyj** · 03-30-2004, 08:54 AM

I make croutons in a cast iron skillet.

add some:
butter, olive oil or both (not much)
salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, celery salt, just about anything in the way of spices works.
melt together
add stale bread, diced or cubed.
Toss for a few minutes in skillet, turn off skillet and let them cool down in the pan. Stir a few more times, while cooling, this will dry them out, the rest of the way. Put in zip-lock and shake, store or use them. I munch on them like popcorn...

**AmyBoz** · 03-30-2004, 09:03 AM

Since Julia has been old enough to eat sandwiches, dh & I have made it seem like the heel is the most special part of the loaf. So far, so good! She's never complained.

**graci42** · 03-30-2004, 10:21 AM

Wish I had thought of that one, Amy! My kids think the only good heel is on homemade bread and I haven't been able to master that from scratch.

**Michele Annette** · 03-30-2004, 10:35 AM

This is a great thread! I dry mine and when I have about 8 or so, I break them up in big pieces, put them in the blender and grind them for breadcrumbs. I save a breadcrumbs container and add them to that. I use my breadcrumbs for meatballs and homeade shake and bake mixtures.