New Ideas & Recipe for Bread

I was blessed recently with an abundance of bread. Unfortunately, we have a small freezer and I did not want to let this food to go to waste (especially since it was some yummy whole wheat organic and Italian loaves.)

But, there does not seem to be a ton of unique things to do with extra bread. I did use 1 whole loaf to make french toast, which I cut into sticks. These will be gobbled up by the girls at breakfast and snack time over the next 2 days, I'm sure.

I still had at least three loaves- so I thought I would invent a snack for the girls, a sweet snack. I have pretty much boycotted any cookies or baked treats since they just attack them like ravenous animals who have not eaten in days. I wanted something slightly sweet, but not terribly fat and sugar laden. And the winner is...

Cinnamon Sugar Croutons

Sounds odd and possibly not enticing for 3 hungry girls, but I have made 3 batches and they ate all 3 immediately when they came out of the oven. We also took some on a trip to the beach where a friends children loved them and asked their mom to "buy some".

Here you go... enjoy: (Pardon photos, they were taken by my 9 year old assistant.)


2 tablespoons softened butter
4 slices white bread
2 tablespoons cinnamon sugar
(Honestly, these amounts are really suit to your own needs/taste. You can use less butter to save fat and more or less cinnamon sugar depending on your sweet tooth.)

Butter your bread on both sides.


Cut the bread into bite sized cubes. I stacked mine to make cutting easier, but the little pieces are hard to separate after they are smooshed together with butter, so be careful. I cut mine into about 3/4" squares but, again, you can alter that to your own taste.

Put the pieces in a bag or bowl and then pout the cinnamon sugar in, coating them well. (See how I am furiously shaking the cinnamon sugar on from my itty bitty shaker? Way easier to just take the cover off and pour it right into the bowl or bag... lesson learned.

Mmmm... look at all that cinnamon sugary yumminess...

Arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet (I actually made my first batch on the grill in tin foil. Great idea for a summer snack that won't overheat the kitchen from a hot oven.) If you do use the oven, bake at 375º for 15 to 20 minutes, flipping them over 1 or 2 times so that they cook evenly.

And here you go...

I'd say 2 pieces of bread is one snack serving per child. They were a hit with the 1 year old, 4 year old and 9 year old. Colby thought they needed more sugar but the girls were satisfied, so I will leave the recipe as is.
And, they are not just a great snack. While nosing around, I found out that, again I did not create this recipe! (Dan internet, I am never gonna have an original idea.) People make these and add them to cream of pumpkin or butternut squash soup... or to fruit salads. How delicious does that sound???