A few months ago my newspaper didn't arrive and desperate for something to read, I picked up the food section from the previous day, a part of the paper I usually scorn. There's a section where readers send in food/kitchen hints and someone wrote that if you put a slice of bread in the cookie jar, it will keep the cookies fresher. I tried it and what a difference! I usually buy the hard, store-brand chocolate chip cookies and the bread not only keeps them fresher, it softens them to a perfect texture. A slice lasts about a week, after which it gets hard after releasing the moisture and I just put in another one.