Using Epsom Salt in your storage container to remove moisture and help keep made ahead pies crust crisp.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/20160714-epsom-salt-bake-vicky-wasik_1-a07e45ef42d74111a3e0878c1c3d7f75.jpg)
Posted on 05/01/2026 6:24:57 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
The MONTHLY Victory Garden Thread is a gathering of folks that love soil, seeds and plants of all kinds. From complete newbies that are looking to start that first potted plant, to gardeners with some acreage, to Master Gardener level and beyond, we would love to hear from you.
If you have specific question about a plant/problem you are having, please remember to state the Growing Zone where you are located.
This thread is a non-political respite. No matter what, you won’t be flamed, and the only dumb question is the one that isn’t asked.
It is impossible to hijack the Victory Garden Thread. Planting, Harvest to Table Recipes, Preserving, Good Living - there is no telling where it will go - and that is part of the fun and interest. Jump in and join us! Send a Private Message to Diana in Wisconsin if you'd like to be added to/removed from our New & Improved Ping List.
NOTE: This is a once a MONTH Ping List, but we DO post to the thread all throughout the month. Links to related articles and discussions which might be of interest to Gardeners are welcomed any time.
Stale Bread Uses
Repurposing stale bread enhances your culinary creations and reduces food waste.
Some great recipes even direct you to hold fresh bread a day or two before using.
Garlic Bread: French bread, spread generously with garlic butter, baked golden and crispy. The stale texture allows the bread to soak up the flavorful butter while maintaining a satisfying crunch.
Crostini: Slice thinly, drizzle with olive oil, and toast until crisp. These make perfect bases for a variety of toppings like cheese, tapenade, or roasted vegetables, offering a delightful crunch and robust flavor.
Bread Pudding: Transform stale French bread into a luxurious dessert by combining it with a custard of milk, eggs, sugar, and spices. Bake with raisins or chocolate chips for an added touch of sweetness.
French Toast: The dense texture of stale French bread is ideal for absorbing an egg mixture, resulting in a rich and fluffy breakfast dish. Add a dash of cinnamon or vanilla for extra flavor.
Soups and Stews: Use chunks of stale French bread to thicken and add body to soups and stews. They absorb the flavors of the broth, enriching the dish with a hearty consistency.
Panzanella Salad: Incorporate stale French bread pieces into a classic Tuscan salad. Toss with ripe tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, and basil, and finish with a vinaigrette for a refreshing, rustic meal.
Stuffing: Utilize French bread as the base for a savory stuffing. Mix with herbs, vegetables, and broth for a flavorful accompaniment to roasted meats.
Breadcrumbs: Easily make homemade breadcrumbs by grinding stale bread in a food processor. They add a perfect crunch to casseroles, pasta dishes, or as a coating for fried foods.
Croutons: Cut stale bread into cubes, toss with olive oil and your favorite seasonings, and bake until crispy. These crunchy bites are perfect for topping salads or soups.
French Toast: Use stale slices to make rich and delightful
French toast. The slightly dry texture absorbs the egg mixture beautifully, creating a soft and flavorful breakfast treat.
Bread Pudding: Bake stale bread with a mixture of milk, eggs, sugar, and spices to turn it into a comforting dessert. Add fruits or chocolate chips for an extra indulgence.
Bruschetta: Toast slices of stale bread and top them with a mixture of fresh tomatoes, basil, garlic, and olive oil for a delicious appetizer or snack.
Strata: Create a savory bread pudding with layers of stale bread, vegetables, cheese, and eggs for a hearty brunch dish that’s packed with flavor.
The avocado link goes to something about “dried limes”. Maybe this one instead?
https://www.allrecipes.com/avocado-ripening-boiling-water-hack-11873005
.
Knorr Spinach Dip / nice served in bread bowl
Cool and creamy, quick and easy, party-perfect. Watch it disappear.
Ing 1-2 10 oz boxes frozen chp spinach, cooked, cooled and squeezed dry 16 oz tub sour cream 1 c Hellmann’s Mayo 1 pkg Knorr® dry Vegetable or Leek Soup 8 oz can chp water chestnuts for crunch (option) 3 green onions, chopped (option), fresh veg dippers
METHOD Combine all ing and mix. Chill about 2 hours. Serve with crackers, veggies, bread cubes. CHEF TIP: Can add extra spinach, crabmeat, splash of Worc. For a lighter dip, swap sour cream w/ 16 oz nonfat plain Greek yogurt and use Light Mayonnaise.
Bread Bowl. Slice top of round loaf w/ sturdy crust, like sourdough; pull out interior to create bowl shape. Cut inside pieces into bite size chunks for dipping. Fill bread bowl right before serving.
Low viscosity CA (super glue), such as Harbor Freight sells inexpensively, might just “wet” the heavy Kevlar thread, somewhat like water or saliva “wets” a cotton thread. If the thread does not expand when “CA wet”, or can be twisted a bit to “tighten the braid back up”, that could be an effective “treatment” for prepping a spot to be cut. It doesn’t help with an already frayed end, however. :-(
At a former house in the 'burbs a neighbor lady had a long row of them across the back of her yard. She couldn't stand the smell of them, so she told me to cut all that I wanted...so I did! :)
An office I used to work in had Lilacs all over the property. When they bloomed, we gals would cut arm fulls of Lilacs and the whole office smelled of them. Just lovely!
And when I worked in CA for the two years I lived there, there was a Bird of Paradise 'shrub' outside of our office building entryway. I'd cut those and take them home with me because the other girls teased me about thinking they were so cool when they're just a boring shrub to those living is such an awesome climate! How much more FANCY can ya get for a landscaping plant? It was FASCINATING to this Country Bumpkin! I mean, just look at it! Such LUXURY!
%3Amax_bytes(150000)%3Astrip_icc()%2Fbird-of-paradise-houseplant-2266a0ad8781411f9ac9d14461708c37.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=faead2294a03b9d8bbaa69f25e60758455250cbfec40ba6fa49c958a7661c74c)
Beau was considering getting hogs, but we’ll let Farmer Nick run that operation and we’ll just buy from him.
Beau is still thinking about goats to do some of the ‘landscaping’ in the pasture, but we would need taller fencing and THAT would be expensive and a LOT of work.
I told him we could keep Angora goats for the wool, or Angora Rabbits. Either would be fine with me. :)
Very cool! Except for the gasoline prices, of course. We bounced from $3.79 to $3.89, for brands like BP and Shell, and after a couple days or so, to $4.19. Some of those are now back down to $4.17 - after I filled our Outback yesterday. $56 AFTER the 15 cents off per gallon, and the car still had over 100 miles in the the tank, according to the monitor. Ouch, ouch, ouch...
Well, at least it wasn’t the Tahoe. That baby would be over $100 to fill up now. Fishing expeditions in it may be severely limited this summer, and the bummer is that the closest “public” pond is way down in fish quantity and size, this spring, both by my experience and according to the electro-shock survey our local fisheries biologist did last week. DRAT!
Well, at least that other pond I did well at the other day is only 3 miles further. And, one of our neighbors that has a small farm operation has a really nice, maybe 1-1/2 acre pond. I don’t know if it gets “enough” fishing pressure —
a lot of farm ponds don’t — and tho’ a couple neighborhood kids used to go there once or twice a summer, I don’t know how the owner would feel about neighbors fishing the pond. I could trade him a walnut or buckeye seedling for every visit!
Do goats respond to electronic fences? Hmmm...
That’s a LOT of wire to string! And I know for a FACT, after being ‘Day Labor’ repairing miles of @#$%^&*! broken fences around here that there is NO electricity on our 40+ acres of pastureland. ;)
Mom? Goats and electric fencing? Comments?
I think we’re going to have to wait for Ithaca the Mule to pass before we get goats. He’s kind of a jerk and does not WILLINGLY share his pasture area near the barn with anyone. We have to keep the young steers secure and away from him until they are big enough to fend for themselves.
But you’d never know it the way he was loving up my Mom on Sunday when she was here, feeding him carrots and apples and petting his head and muzzle and he was neighing with pleasure at just the SIGHT of her!
She is the ‘Mule Whisperer,’ LOL! He loves her beyond all reason. But, the heart wants what the heart wants!
Grrrr ... Sally’s lemon pie is a bust. It’s supposed to bake in 19 - 21 minutes. It’s done that plus another 10 & is still soup. I’ll give it 10 more & I’m giving up. VERY disappointed. At least we have a small cheesecake slices assortment from Aldi’s we can take for dessert tomorrow.
Pie did not set up after 40 minutes - still ‘soup’ & all it did was boil over. Drats. It’s going over the fence.
Mom came by & looked at the “pie”. Her comment: “can we drink it?”
Sheep are better at pasture control. Goats are browsers. If the goal it to mow less sheep are the way to go. And goats and electric fencing are a bad mix.
So you got two steers? Names yet?
“It’s going over the fence.”
“Mom came by & looked at the ‘pie’. Her comment: ‘can we drink it?’”
LOL! You two are a hoot! :)
I was thinking “electronic”, not “electric”. The same basically as the wireless collars one can use to keep a dog on a property without fencing.
In this case the “base” transceiver might have to run off a solar power panel with a sizeable battery for backup power. Plus the goats’ collars would have to be checked regularly, although I believe power for such can be generated by the goat’s own movements (which charge batteries.)
It may be more trouble and expense than it’s worth, but many people have such setups for their dog or dogs.
Here is one that covers a very large area:
https://www.amazon.com/MIMOFPET-Wireless-Dog-Fence-Dogs/dp/B0FB8QHK3P/ref=sr_1_7?sr=8-7
I do not know how a system like that is adapted to a potentially irregular shaped area, but I can think of possible approaches.
Did you post this because of my ‘Holy Leftover Communion Bread’ that I’m making into croutons? LOL! (They’re currently on pans in the pantry drying out some more!)
When I find a nice loaf of French Bread for 99 cents in the ‘Day Old Bin’ at Walmart, or I get one for FREE at the Thrift Store, I slice it, butter it (one side), sprinkle it with Parmesan Cheese, Garlic Salt and Italian Herbs, place the slices on a cookie sheet (they can be stacked on top of one another if need be) and pop it in the freezer for an hour or so.
Then I put it back into the bag it came in and keep it in the freezer and I have ‘Instant Garlic Bread’ whenever I need it for meals in the coming week. A few minutes in the oven with whatever else is in there baking and, ‘Dinner Is Served!’
“Knorr Spinach Dip / nice served in bread bowl...”
Addictive and always ridiculously impressive for how simple it is to throw together! :)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.