Hello, everybody! I've been lurking around the list for a couple of years now, and I've really enjoyed all the posts. One thread that always fascinated me was the topic of The Bread, that fiery concoction so famous on the list. Well, after getting a bread machine for Christmas, I decided to give it a try. Loved it! Wonderful! Painful (and that's the point!)! In any case, I had, needless to say, quite a bit left over, so I tried to make homemade croutons out of it. Turned out great! I took a little ziploc full to work and tried them on a caesar salad at lunchtime. Heaven, pure heaven. Terrific. I just cubed it, drizzled butter over the top, and let it dry out in a 150 degree oven for about 2 hours. Has anyone else given this a try? I should tell all of you that I assumed my little Bichon pup would back away screaming from a slice. But while I was out of the kitchen, she snatched a piece and consumed the whole thing. And begged for more! Can a canine become a card-carrying chile-head, I wonder?? She suffered no ill effects, by the way, though I'm not sharing any more of the bread with her. Selfish, isn't it? Alicia Corts Line Producer Decision Today acorts@bgea.org