Repurpose that bread that's starting to stale into a tasty dessert

• I love bread pudding. Maybe it's because I was raised in part by depression era grandparents, because most people my age tend to turn their noses up at it.
• It's sweet and warm and soft - like a fluffy pillow on a cold winter day. It's funny to be thinking about warm anything in the midst of this hideously hot summer, but I have a fan and it's beautifully cool after I climb out of the pool after a day of working in the yard.
• Bread pudding, it has been explained to me, has been around since ancient times, but it enjoyed a resurgence during the Depression when frugal cooks didn't want to waste anything. Rather than throw away a partial loaf of stale bread, they looked for ways to use up those last few pieces and get a hearty dessert.  
• Dessert was not served at every meal in those days. It was a treat. Most meals were concluded with a piece of fresh fruit. Syrupy, sugary things were saved for special occasions or for company. Something like bread pudding was a real treat.
• I had it on special occasions - like Christmas - when I was growing up. Usually, it was topped with a bit of rum sauce. I always looked forward to that...I felt so grown up knowing this was sort of an adult dessert.
• I had some left over Italian Bread this week (with no preservatives, it only remains good for a day or two, so it had to be repurposed).
• Now, I can make it any day I like, but it always feels like a holiday when I sink my fork into that soft, pillowy treat.
• Give it a try. It's great plain or topped with a simple rum or orange sauce.
• Bread Pudding
• 6 slices of day-old bread (any kind)
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 cup raisins 
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups of milk
• 3/4 cup of white sugar
• 1/2 cup of rum (optional)
• 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• •Preheat oven to 350º F.
• •Cut the bread into small cubes and pile it into an 8 inch square baking pan. Drizzle the melted butter over the bread.
• •Sprinkle the raisins on top.
• •In a medium mixing bowl, combine the eggs, the milk, the sugar, the rum (if using it), the cinnamon, and the vanilla. Beat the whole thing until well mixed.
• •Pour the liquid over the bread, and lightly push it all down with a fork until the bread is covered and soaking up the egg mixture.
• •Bake the mixture in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly tapped.

Ovo-Lacto Vegetarian