Beer Bread

If you want to whip up a quick fresh bread, this is a recipe for you. Beer bread is easy to make, easy to modify, and always delicious. Jenny often makes beer bread that she cuts up into pieces and serves with a dip as an appetizer for parties. I often find myself eating so much beer bread that I am not very hungry when the main course is served.

Any beer can be used, and you can change the flavor of the bread with the beer used. The flavor of the bread can also be modified by adding seasonings or spices, such as garlic, onion or cheese, to the dough. If you do not have self-rising flour, you can just used three cups of all-purpose flour with three teaspoons of baking powder and a dash of salt. I used all-purpose and wheat flour because I like the wheat flour flavor. During the last ten minutes of baking, you can give the top of the bread a coating of butter or egg wash for a nice crust.

Beer Bread 

• 3 cups self-rising flour
• 1 can (12 ounces) beer
• 3 Tbsp. sugar

Stir together the ingredients until well mixed. Pour into a buttered 9x5x3 loaf pan. Bake at 35 for about one hour. Allow to stand for ten minutes. Enjoy!

Ripe Olive Cheese Skillet Bread

Bread was (and still is) an important part of my meals. Mom loves bread and often looked to try different recipes while still relying on the old standards like French Bread. I suspect Mom found this recipe and had to give it a try because she loves olives. This recipe is an easy quick bread that is so delicious, it is hard to stop eating it. Because it is a quick bread, you can enjoy freshly baked bread without the time commitment for yeast bread.

When I made this bread, I used a round casserole dish instead of a skillet. Instead of following the exact recipe, I used a sour cream muffin recipe as the base for this bread only because I did not have instant mashed potatoes on hand. I used mozzarella cheese instead of monterey jack cheese because that is what I had on hand. I also think sharp cheddar cheese would be excellent.

Ripe Olive Cheese Skillet Bread 

• 1 can pitted ripe olives
• 4 cups buttermilk baking mix
• 1/4 cup dehydrated potato buds
• 3 Tbsp. minced onions
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 cup grated cheese
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 Tbsp. melted butter
• 1 egg, beaten

Drain olives and cut into wedges. Put baking mix, potato buds, onion, garlic powder, olives, and cheese in a large bowl. Measure remaining ingredients into another bowl and mix thoroughly. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients. Stir just until the flour is moistened. Turn into a well-greased nine-inch skillet. Flour hands and pat into a rounded shape. If desired, brush with additional melted butter. Bake at 375 for 45 minutes. Enjoy!

Grandma Holmes's Pork Chops

Actually, this recipe appears to come from Louise, but I have no idea who that is, so Grandma Holmes will get credit for the recipe. According to MDS, Grandma Holmes tended to eat dessert first, and MDS does not remember his Grandma actually making anything other than sweets. But, I am sure that she did and got this recipe from a friend and probably gave it a try, so you should too.

This recipe is a delicious and easy way to prepare pork chops. The recipe does not actually have any quantities, but I made it for two pork chops and the quantities I used seemed to work fine. One thing that I might try next time is to remove the foil during the last ten minutes of cooking time so that the top breading gets a little crunchy.

Grandma Holmes's Pork Chops 

• 2 pork chops
• 2 Tbsp. tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup  grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup chicken broth

Trim the fat off the pork chops. Dredge each pork chop in the tomato sauce in a shallow bowl. Mix the bread crumbs and parmesan cheese in another shallow bowl. Dip each pork chop in the bread crumb mixture to completely coat each with the crumbs. Place in a baking dish. Add chicken broth to about a quarter inch deep. Cover tightly and bake at 375 for about 1 hour. When done, allow to rest about five to ten minutes. Enjoy!