I Could Really Use a Beer Bread. Could You?

This morning after we waved goodbye to all the kids on the bus, I turned to my neighbor Anne and asked her for a beer. (What can I say? It had been a hectic morning!) Actually, the truth is that I've needed a beer for quite a while now.

Wait a minute, that last sentence wasn't quite complete. What I meant to say is that I've needed a beer for quite a while now because I wanted to make some delicious beer bread. A while ago, my friend Alicia asked if I'd make something from the Tastefully Simple line and blog about it. I had two questions for her:

1. What do you recommend I try?
2. Can we make this a giveaway?

Lucky for me and you, she thought a giveaway was a great idea and recommended the beer bread. I said it sounded deliciously scandalous; you know, considering my Mormon and Amish Splinter Group roots.

The first problem I encountered was a lack of beer. I don't drink, so I don't really know where to get a good beer. I wandered the aisles of my grocery store looking for the beer aisle. As it turns out, the great state of Pennsylvania has extremely strict liquor laws. You can't buy beer at a grocery store. Or at the gas station, where I tried next.

Life was so much simpler in liberal, alcohol-readily-available Utah.

Thankfully, Anne hooked me up with a bottle of beer and I took it inside the house and spent twenty minutes trying to locate a tool to open the bottle. Finally, I was successful (the can opener did the trick) and the bread was ready to go in the oven literally in three minutes. THREE MINUTES! I can't even poop in three minutes!

I popped it in the oven to cook for 50 minutes. The house began to smell amazing. Finally, it was time to take this puppy out of the oven.

I let it cool (a little) and then sliced it for rapid consumption taste testing. At this point, Lucy started going bananas. She really wanted some. She's usually interested in whatever I cook, but she was extremely desperate for the beer bread. She was pleading and crying with an intensity I've rarely seen in her. Then it clicked--Lucy is a Dachsund, a German breed, and you know how those Germans feel about their beer. Whoa!

I ate the bread for a mid-morning snack. Then again for lunch. Then again for an afternoon snack. And then again as I was writing this. The crust is buttery and crusty and the bread is deliciously moist and hearty.

And even though the alcohol completely cooks out, I found that I was drunk on carbohydrate happiness for the entire day. I also developed a deep yearning to watch football and hang out with the guys. And I really wanted to grill something.

I even took the liberty to model my enjoyment.

Now, please don't take my word for this. Check out Alicia's Tastefully Simple website for yourself. The products are just what they say they are--tastefully simple. And affordable. You'll find a great selection of delicious food for your own kitchen or to give as gifts.

Oops! I almost forgot the giveaway! (This is what happens when you are carbohydrate drunk.) If you would like to try the Tastefully Simple Beer Bread (which you can also make with Sprite), leave a comment! I'll accept entries until midnight on Thursday!