Beer Bread!

What's better with a nice heart soup than a fresh, homemade loaf of beer bread? Quick and easy, this makes a great accompaniment on a chilly winter's day.

INGREDIENTS

3 cups flour (sifted)

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1⁄4 cup sugar

1 (12 ounce) can beer

1⁄2 cup melted butter (1/4 cup will do just fine)

*If you are using self rising flour, leave out the baking powder and salt.

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Mix dry ingredients and beer.

Pour into a greased loaf pan.

Pour melted butter over mixture.

Bake 1 hour, remove from pan and cool for at least 15 minutes.

NOTES: This recipe makes a very hearty bread with a crunchy, buttery crust. If you prefer a softer crust (like a traditional bread) mix the butter into the batter instead of pouring it over the top.

Sifting flour for bread recipes is a must-do. Most people just scoop the 1 cup measure in the flour canister and level it off. That compacts the flour and will turn your bread into a "hard biscuit" as some have described. That's because they aren't sifting their flour! If you do not have a sifter, use a spoon to spoon the flour into the 1 cup measure. Try it once the "correct" way and you will see an amazing difference in the end product.

Many people have asked about using non-alcoholic beverages instead of beer. That is fine to do but I highly recommend adding a packet of Dry Active Yeast or 2 teaspoons of Bread (Machine) Yeast so that you get a proper rise.

Cossack Pie

This is a recipe Laurel came across in one of her I can't hunt.. erm.. i mean.. vegetarian cook books. I admit, it was tasty.. and pretty simple to make.

Recipe:

1 unbaked 9 inch pie crust

1/4 lb. fresh mushrooms

1 c. chopped onions

1 c. shredded green cabbage

1 c. thinly sliced broccoli

1 c. thinly sliced carrot

Salt and pepper

3 tbsp. butter

Paprika

2 tbsp. flour

1/2 tsp. ground caraway seed

1/2 tsp. basil

2 tbsp. dry white wine

1/2 tsp. dill weed

1/3 cottage cheese

2 eggs

3/4 c. mixed sour cream and yogurt

Remove stems from mushrooms. Slice caps and set aside; chop stems finely (include stems not caps in #2).

In butter - saute all the vegetables except the scallion until just tender. Salt them lightly as they saute. Add spices. Remove from heat and toss with flour and wine. Puree the eggs and cheese together in a blender. Add salt and pepper. Add egg-cheese puree to sauteed vegetables. Mix well. Spread into crust.

Saute the sliced mushroom caps in a little butter - about 5 minutes. Spread sour cream-yogurt mixture on top of the vegetables filling. Arrange the mushroom caps on top. Gently dust with paprika. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.