2 cups stale bread

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.

Arrange bread in a single layer in a shallow baking pan. Bake for 20 minutes to crisp. Cool. Break into small pieces and feed, slowly, into a blender or a food processor.

Store crumbs in an airtight container. They will keep for several weeks on the shelf and indefinitely in the freezer.

Italian Bread Crumbs
2 cups bread crumbs
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
2 tablespoons parsley
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Combine all ingredients and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.

Sweet Crumbs
2 cups cookies, crackers, sweet buns, or dry cake
1 tablespoon brown sugar

Grind the cookies, crackers, sweet buns or dry cake in the blender for 1 minute or until you have a fine-textured crumb. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer for up to 2 months.