Patios and Croutons

One of the greatest parts of our move to Fort Worth is our patio.  Our apartment building must have a great appreciation for having your own outdoor space because our balcony/patio is HUGE.  It is 11' x 27'!  My apartment in New York City had a shared outdoor space where people could store their bikes and you could sit and smell the bagels being made next door, but it wasn't this large.  In New York, getting your own outdoor space whether is be a yard or balcony or patio is so unattainable.  It does exist, but there is usually a hefty price tag associated with it.  Most New Yorkers just go to a park and share their outdoor time with the rest of the city residents.  While I appreciate going to the park in both New York and in Fort Worth, nothing beats sitting out on your own balcony watching the sun set.

This weekend, we went to Ikea and bought patio furniture to fully enjoy the grandeur of our enormous patio.  Because the furniture was from Ikea, I spent a large chunk of yesterday assembling the pieces.  All the work of cramming them into the car and then assembling them was well worth it.  They are looking great!

It's our outdoor living room!

This weekend we had an Italian picnic lunch.  That basically means we picked up some Italian meats, cheeses, and a baguette to snack on.  We didn't finish the bread, and by now it has gotten a bit stale.  I decided to be frugal and make croutons to avoid anything going to waste.  I started by cutting the bread into small cubes... a difficult feat given the bread's toughness, even with our new bread knife.

Then I tossed the cubed bread with olive oil, parmesan cheese, spicy garlic, salt, and pepper.  The kitchen (and my hands) were beginning to smell a lot like a delicious Italian dinner.

I spread the coated cubes on a cookie sheet and baked them in a 325 degree oven for about 20 minutes, turning them occasionally.  The croutons turned out quite delicious, and I'm sure hubby will love them in his salad for lunch.

Happy Tuesday!