Beer Bread: Simple and Tasty

I have been craving beer bread for a couple of weeks now, and we finally had a can of beer in the house. So, I decided that chili and beer bread would make a nice, tasty meal for Andrew's return home.

This recipe is so simple, and it's really, really good. I will be making it again soon!

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted

3 teaspoons baking power

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup of sugar

12 ounces beer

1/4 cup butter, melted

Tips:

If you actually have self-rising flour in your house, you can use that. Omit the baking powder and salt if you are using self-rising flour though.

If you want a sweeter bread, add a little more sugar.

It does not matter what kind of beer you use. I like darker beers in beer bread, but I used a light beer for this one. It was still good!

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Mix dry ingredients and beer

Pour into greased loaf pan

Pour melted butter over dough

Bake for 55 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and let cool.

Tips:

Sifting the flour is a must! Without sifting, the actual bread will be like a hard biscuit. If you do not have a sifter (I used a fine-holed colander), then spoon the flour into the measuring cup a tablespoon at a time. Do not compact your flour.

This bread has a crunchy crust. If you would like a softer crust, mix the butter in with the dough instead of pouring it on top. You will be missing out though.

It is excellent served with honey- try it!

Most of all, enjoy this dense bread!

Stromboli

As I mentioned in yesterday's blog, my mother-in-law gave me a recipe book with their family favorites. I was so excited to get this recipe book for many reasons. For one, I love to cook. For another, I have been wanting to cook some of Andrew's childhood favorites so he can enjoy them now. This recipe book included one of his very favorites of all times... stromboli. I was very surprised at how easy it was to make, and I was very excited at his reaction to the meal! He really enjoyed it.

Joni said that I could share this recipe, so I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Ingredients:

1 loaf frozen bread dough

1/2 pound or so of meat

Shredded cheese

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

1 egg

1 tsp basil

Preparation:

Thaw dough in the refrigerator.

Roll dough into 10x15 rectangle. Yes, I wrestled with the dough. Yes, I realize it's not very pretty. Yes, the imperfection bothered me. I am trying to get over that.

Beat egg and parmesan cheese, and brush over crust.

Layer meats and cheese.

Sprinkle with basil.

Roll tightly lengthwise.

Seal edges.

Place sealed side down on greased baking sheet.

Bake at 400 degrees for 13-15 minutes.

Remove.

Slice.

Serve!

Enjoy!

This recipe was very easy. I need to have a bit more practice on rolling the dough more evenly, but not bad! The looks didn't change the taste. That's really all that matters, right?

This week, I have something else planned for this basic recipe. I will share that soon... it will be good!



Basic Baked Barbeque

Chicken, that is. The "c" didn't go with my alliteration.

I made up my own chicken dish tonight. I really enjoy barbeque chicken, but I'm not a fan of grilled chicken. I think it gets to be too dry, and I don't like the charred taste it gets. I also like to bake my food- it's healthier that way.

So... here's how I did it!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup barbeque sauce (I used Maull's and Bull's Eye)

1/4 cup ketchup

1/4 cup worcestershire sauce

Sprinkle of garlic salt

2-4 chicken breasts

Preparation:

Boil chicken breasts to ensure a moist and juicy meal.

When cooked throughout, remove and place in greased baking dish.

Top with barbeque mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes so the chicken isn't toooooooo moist (a.k.a. bad for my sensory texture issues). I know this is a contradiction of early, but trust me, this makes the chicken the perfect texture.

Remove & serve with a tasty, healthy veggie.

I made my baked brussel sprouts that I posted about months ago. It was a truly tasty meal. I will be making it again!

Happy Easter!

I hosted Easter dinner this year. Since Tyler was spending Easter in New York with Andrew, I thought that it would be nice to have my family join me down here.

So, I started preparing last night.

It was nothing fancy, but I made a summer vegetable dish along with sloppy joes. They were a big hit today! I don't think anyone left hungry.

I was being pitiful this year because I thought it would be the first year in my life that I didn't get to dye Easter eggs. When Mom heard this, she postponed her annual egg dyeing day to today! So, we boiled 4 dozen eggs or so and got everything ready to dye.

We then got to work! Miranda was getting the dye ready at this point, and Steve was taking the picture. The rest of us jumped right in.

I dedicate this egg to my Love. : ) It was hard to be without him today, but it made it easier that my family came down. This is the first holiday we've spent apart... and we plan on making it our last. It's absolute nonsense to not be together!

I dedicate this egg to my brother, Tyler. He always dyes an egg green after writing "& ham" on it. So, I did this one in his honor.

Halfway through, Nana Helen joined us! She helped me finish my dozen. I am SO glad that she came over, and I hope she had as good of a time with us as we did with her. I'm going to miss her SO much once I move. She's pretty incredible!

This is a close up of our finished product. I like the tie-dye one the best.

BUT...

Although it was absolutely amazing having my family here, nothing compares to the church service we had this morning.

At the beginning, 4 people were baptized. That, in itself, was too cool for words. I couldn't think of a more perfect day to be born again. After our pastor had baptized those individuals, he made the announcement that the baptismal waters would still be there at the end of the service, and he would baptize anyone who wished to be baptized.

He then preached about the perfect love story... the love our Savior has for us. The love He felt for us when He died on the cross. The love God had for us when He watched His Son get nailed to the cross. The grace and mercy we do not deserve, but that Christ shows us because He loves us.

At the end of the service, 8 more people got out of their seats, dress clothes and all, to be baptized! The water does not save them, but the outward testimony of an inner change was AMAZING. It was the coolest Easter service I've ever been to.

Nothing was scripted, nothing was planned, it was not a show.

It was simply God. God showing His amazing love to undeserving people.

THIS is what Easter is truly about. I am humbled to worship such a big and almighty God.

I am blessed that I had family to share it with.