Beer Bread

I'll let you in on a little secret, I LOVE BREAD! So much so that there was a time when I considered it to be a bit of a vice. I would often visit my local grocery store and leave with various kinds of freshly baked loaves. They would usually be gone within a day or so. Oh bread! Delightful, crispy, fluffy bread! Yeah, you know what I'm talking about.

Over time Bread and I had to have the, "it's not you it's me" talk, putting a little distance between ourselves. We are still good friends and hangout every now and then. In fact we did some catching up recently...

Okay, that may have been leaning on the side if dramatic or crazy, but this girl does love her breads. Beer bread is one of my favorites and today I'll share with you how to make it!

Beer Bread is super fantastic for a number of reasons, it's insanely easy, (like if you are a horrible baker ie: me) you can put literally anything in it, and it's so yummy! Bake away!

What you'll need:

• 1 12oz bottle or can of beer
• 3 cups of self rising flour
• 3 tablespoons of sugar
• Your fixins', my favorite is rosemary and garlic

Step 1: Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9" x 5" loaf pan. (line with foil, this makes it way easier to remove loaf, especially if you have zero patients for letting it cool)
Step 2: Whisk together all your dry ingredients (including your fixins') in a large mixing bowl.
Step 3: Combine beer and dry ingredients and mix well with wooden spoon. Batter will be very sticky.
Step 4: Pour into loaf pan and bake for 50-60 minutes until golden and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Have fun with this recipe! It's great made with different cheeses, honey, or sun dried tomatoes. Try whatever tickles your fancy. I also tend to be pretty adventurous with my beers, this means I run into my fair share of duds. Beer Bread is great for buyers remorse, take that Apricot Ale!
Enjoy!

Zesty Kale Chips

Now, if you're anything like me then you probably live for amazingly yummy foods! Unfortunately, in my case most of those indulgences are not all too healthy. Lately I've been pretty daring in adding new recipes to my repertoire. Some have been duds while others have been fantastic! Today I want to share a healthy, easy, and surprisingly delicious snack, Zesty Kale Chips.

What you'll need:

• a heaping pile of kale (I had half a pound and used a quarter of it)
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• Seasoning of your choice. (I used Trader Joe's "Everyday Seasoning and ground cayenne pepper ie: zesty)

 

Step 1: Gather your ingredients. The kale should be washed and fully dried. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Step 2: Remove kale leaves from the central vein (you'll know which one) Tear the leaves into bite size pieces.

Step 3: Drizzle kale with olive oil and seasonings.Toss it all around to ensure an even coat.

Step 4: Arrange kale leaves in a single layer on a cookie sheet. (I found that the cookie sheets that have slits in them work best) Bake until crispy, about 10 minutes or so.

Enjoy!!