Holiday Gift Guide - Part One

The holidays are upon us and who knew that we would still be in Pandemic mode and even more unsure of what the next year holds. While you are probably starting to put your Christmas lists and budgets together, sifting through names for Christmas Card lists and if you’ll be going home or not, the gift giving portion can be overwhelming.

While I waver between the idealistic simplicity of minimalism and the undoubted maximalist that I am (to be fair, I think I am smack dab in the middle) I can’t argue with anyone that I have many things and I do love a good piece. Servingware, vintage glasses, random antiques and nature I’ve collected and the thing is that no one can come at me because I have probably lent something completely random and obscure to half the people in Nashville at one time or the other.

But, I will say, the holidays can make people consumer crazy and I’m as guilty getting caught up in it as everyone else. Usually it’s a slow easing out of my tabs as I realize I just spent an hour googling a random item at 10:30 pm that in actuality I have no intention of buying and then taking some deep breaths and murmuring some words about being content with what I have.

So, here’s an idea for you. That beer bread from the second episode for Wild Wednesdays? It makes a great gift. Low number of ingredients, easy to mix and make, and is basically foolproof. Just combine all of the dry ingredients into a bag or cute containers ( can be all divided up), add in a can of beer and instructions, then package up (in a super cute stocking from Spark Vintage) and gift!

Great for someone who wants to get into baking but is intimidated, a group activity for kids, or a friend who wants the self care of being in the kitchen without the stress of a million things happening at once. It gets used, is practical and won’t take up shelf space.

Happy Holidays,

Kat

Breaking (Bread)

When people think of baking bread they think of hot kitchens, hours of watching, waiting, kneading and all for the potential chance to screw things up.

Luckily for everyone, my amazing mom is coming to the rescue once again.

Beer Bread (otherwise known as Bachelor Bread), is a simple, easy, fool proof recipe that I make so often I can usually just take some out of the fridge and heat up if a friend decides to pop over unexpectedly.  

I love telling people that I’m just taking bread out of the oven because they expect you to have been slaving away for hours when in reality it took me 10 minutes. While this bread does include beer (helps with that one can that always happens to be in the fridge) you really can’t taste the beer because it gets baked out of it. That being said, I do prefer using a stout or porter, something about the thickness and richness of the brew affects the bread in the best way.

There isn’t a lot of sugar but the little bit of brown sugar that you put and it combines with the heavier beer is just the touch of heaven that you are looking for. Then dipping this in the olive oil dipping oil I’ve included as well is the perfect appetizer or light dinner.  My friends request beer bread all the time!

The best part? This literally takes about 10 minutes to mix up and then only 45 minutes to bake, enough time to finish getting ready for guests and have it come piping hot out of the oven! And no one is going to believe you when you say how easy it was.

This also makes a GREAT present! My mom will wrap this up and give to all of the older bachelors in their church and community and it’s something that is useful, not a thing that’s going to take up more space and it makes you bake!

It’s also great the following days after when you get home late from work and don’t feel like cooking, just break some off and toast it up, grab that dipping oil and pray there’s a bit of cheese left and you’ll be living like a queen.

#carbsforlife