These photos aren’t new-they’re from the snowstorm in December that knocked out our power for a full week, through Christmas Day.
But they could have been taken yesterday because this is what our farm looked like when I woke up. Our satellite internet is down and I can’t upload new pictures right now. Heavy, wet snow is a power outage waiting to happen because it breaks trees. It’s also a phone outage in the works. We lost our power yesterday around 11 a.m. If I lose the phone connection before the skies clear enough for the satellite internet to return, I’ll be out of connection entirely. As it is, I have trouble uploading photos on dial-up so these pictures are standing in.
We’re always prepared for a power outage, but there are the last-minute details. The quick-what should I do in case the power is gone for a week? Yesterday morning, I took a shower, put on a pot of beans, scheduled posts, and baked brownies and more bread along with cooking two dozen flour tortillas before the power went out.
As of this writing, we still have working phone lines and we’re using generator power. We have plenty of gas, plenty of food, and hay for the animals. We didn’t really have that much snow. Maybe half a foot or so. (Nothing compared to some areas.)
The thing is, after you’ve experienced a week-long power outage, a power outage is never the same again. Used to, when the power went out, I’d sit around tapping my fingers waiting for it to come back on in the next couple of hours (or minutes). I’d never experienced a week-long power outage before. Now? I meet a power outage with an ingrained patience. I’m prepared. I will outlast it. And I have a generator. I’ll watch TV and knit.
We had flooding with the river and creeks already when the snow started, so conditions here on our remote road are bad. I don’t know when we’ll be getting out of here. At least a few days. But that’s okay.
I have brownies.
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Beer bread is so easy, you can make it in five minutes! You can make it even easier if you use my homemade baking mix, Quick Mix (or a store-bought baking mix). I’m going to tell you how to make it from scratch two ways, too, if you aren’t a baking mix user at all.
I started making beer bread because we have so much leftover beer around from when the little corn husk doll was sowing her wild oats.
And you know what happened to her. I’m afraid if I don’t use it up, the Crooked Little Hen will get into it. Look at her watching me while I was making beer bread yesterday. She really wanted that beer!
You know she’s got a naughty streak.
Okay, seriously, we have all this beer around because when the donkey hoof-trimmer comes over, he asks for a beer. You gotta keep the donkey hoof-trimmer happy or you’ll have to trim your own donkeys’ hooves and I don’t think I can handle Jack.
If you think you can handle Jack, you don’t know Jack.
But we don’t have the donkey hoof-trimmer over every day so I get tired of all the beer taking up space in my refrigerator. We’re not beer drinkers. But beer bread! That’s a whole ‘nother story.
Beer bread is wonderful-and fast. You can pop this loaf in the oven in a few minutes and have hot, warm, delicious slices on your dinner table tonight. It’s so quick and easy, you can even make it after work and bake it while you’re fixing some homemade Hamburger Helper.
You’re out of excuses not to have your own fresh bread. Get in the kitchen!
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How to make Beer Bread:
3 cups Quick Mix (or store-bought baking mix)*
12 ounces beer (any kind-bread flavor will vary depending on beer used)
*You can make this recipe from scratch without a baking mix two ways. 1) Use 3 cups self-rising flour in place of the baking mix and add 1 tablespoon of sugar, or 2) Use 3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt in place of the baking mix.
Note: Sweet or not so sweet? You choose. For plain beer bread, I use the baking mix without any added sugar. If you prefer a sweeter plain beer bread, add sugar (up to 1/3 cup) to the 3 cups of baking mix, and you can also increase the sugar in the scratch method.
Blink, and you’ll miss the directions because they’re so fast!
Place 3 cups of baking mix (or your scratch ingredients) in a bowl.
Pour in the beer. (It doesn’t matter if it’s cold or room temperature. It doesn’t matter what kind of beer you use. You can use dark beer. You can even use “lite” beer. You can use whatever kind of beer your donkey hoof-trimmer likes. Oh wait, that’s me, never mind.)
I think my Quick Mix is drunk!
Stir just enough to moisten the mixture then spoon it into a greased loaf pan.
It looks all light and airy and intoxicated.
You’re done! Pop it in the oven at 350-degrees for one hour. If you like, in the last 10 minutes of baking, take it out and drizzle a little melted butter on top then stick it back in the oven to finish baking. If you’re making a sweet beer bread, sprinkle a little sugar on top of the butter. If you want to go savory, sprinkle some herbs or cheese on top.
Behold the glory that is beer bread.
And for more sweet and savory beer bread options, add whatever you like right into the mixture! The basic beer bread recipe is only the beginning.
Raisin Beer Bread: Increase the sugar and add 1 cup of raisins.
Cheddar-Onion Beer Bread: Add 1 cup shredded cheddar and 1 cup chopped onion.
Herb Beer Bread: Add 2 teaspoons dried herbs (any).
You can come up with more combinations to suit your family’s tastes-make your own gourmet beer bread!
Make a Beer Bread Mix: You can make a mix by placing the measured dry ingredients in a baggie-tuck into a basket or pretty bag along with a bottle of beer. Add your own printed label and directions! Do you know how much beer bread mixes cost? Seriously. Go look. (That’s RIDICULOUS. And it doesn’t even come with the beer!)
You can make beer bread biscuits, too. (Make them as drop biscuits.) And try using them for your Chicken ‘n’ Biscuits, in dressing, or to make some really awesome croutons. (Wow!) You can also use either plain or savory loaf slices for very tasty sandwich bread.
Okay, who’s making beer bread today and what kind?
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Posted by Suzanne McMinn |
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