My kids hate to eat bread crusts. I can't say that I blame them.

When I was a new adult, I virtuously ate them, convinced that they must be more nutritious since they were, well, brown and crusty. Health food = heroic virtue to eat was a phase I was in before I learned to cook. Once I found out the truth, that they were just browner and drier bits of bread with no enhanced value, I stopped forcing myself to eat them too.

Now, I have tried to make the kids eat their bread crusts. They've done it, usually while crying. Every day. And it was a battle. Every day. Over the edges of bread. I decided to cut my losses and started tearing them off. Martha Stewart probably sells a bread de-cruster that would leave cute edges with a holiday theme, but at Mama's house, the kids are lucky I tear them off with my hands instead of my teeth. Around here, teeth are reserved for opening packages.

I finally got smart and started removing the crusts before they were smeared with peanut butter/chicken salad/tuna. Now I remove the top crust, tear it into pieces, and set it aside to dry. At the end of the day I put it in my jar - and whenever I need bread crumbs, I'm all set!

Another trick: the heel of the bread is the loneliest piece in the whole bag. I used to entice the children by telling them it was the brownest one, and no one would have a piece that was as brown as theirs was. Now that they are wise to that trick, I've found a new one. Put it on the sandwich backwards! If they don't see the brown, they are less likely to taste the brown. This is especially effective for grilled cheese.

Works for me! For more tips, visit Shannon over at Rocks in My Dryer!

Labels: children, cooking, Works For Me Wednesday