"you don't win friends with salad"

the food: homemade croutons
the song: if you don't know what this quote is from, we probably shouldn't talk anymore

Know what my favorite part of salad is?

The croutons.

Here's the deal. I love salad when it is brought to me. All the little picky ingredients chopped, the dressing already on, copious amounts of cheese or tofu or beets or something...anything...interesting. 

But this is what happens when I make salad. A big ol' bowl of lettuce and shredded carrots. Yeah it tastes okay, but honestly I don't think it's worth the effort. I have no problem spending time with vegetables when I think the payoff is high. You should see the way I lovingly dissect a butternut squash. But lettuce bores me. The Kitchn has tackled this issue before and has some good tips to make your salads more interesting. My problem is that I rarely have enough ingredients on hand and again don't think it's worth the effort. I've even grown my own lettuce, which means it actually tasted like something. Still, salad doesn't win me over.

Is there a solution here, internet friends? Maybe not. But these croutons might help me eat a second serving of salad with dinner tonight. This is a ridiculously easy recipe- so much that I feel weird posting it. The main thing to take away from this is to save your stale bread. In the end it will inspire you to eat more salad. And if anyone has a fail proof dressing recipe, lettuce know.
  
Homemade Croutons

1/2 loaf stale french bread, cut into bite sized cubed
1/4 cup olive oil
salt 
pepper
any dried herb you like (I used about a 1/2 teaspoon of Italian blend)

In a medium bowl, toss bread cubes with olive oil and seasoning until well coated. Bake for 20 minutes in a 350 degree oven, turning halfway through cooking time. Watch closely to make sure they don't burn. Remove from oven and allow to cool or toss with salad while still warm.

~eeg