All you need is a bud.

Last week I got this wild hair that I should make homemade chili for dinner one night. The Spouse had been hinting that he was craving chili, so I decided I should reacquaint myself with the crock-pot now that the weather is cooler, and throw together an easy recipe. About mid-afternoon I realized, though, that I didn’t have Frito’s on hand to do a proper petro, and I was in need of a bread solution. That’s when it hit me that the perfect compliment to the chili would be beer bread.

I first discovered beer bread last spring at a ladies’ Bible study luncheon. {Have you ever noticed that Bible studies are always the best places to get recipes for things like beer bread and bar-beer-q sauce? Just an observation…} I had written the super-simple recipe down on an index card and had everything on hand except for the essential ingredient: one can of beer.

Since it was getting late in the afternoon, I knew I could do one of two things. I could have the Spouse pick up the beer on his way home from work. But, this would mean delaying dinner for almost an hour. The other option was that the girls and I could go get the missing ingredient ourselves.

And, so, I loaded us into the mini-van and went to the gas station market very near our house in hopes that we could be in and out with the goods in less than 3 minutes. Once we got there, the Toddler immediately found her way to a big box of miniature cigarette lighters while the Preschooler dismantled a little tree made out of suckers. Meanwhile, I was anticipating that the cashier probably found it odd that someone so visibly pregnant was in such desperate need of a beer. I felt certain she was thinking… lady you’ve made it this far, can you not hold out a few more weeks?

Never one to over-share, I just cut to the chase…

Me: I know this probably looks odd, but I really need just one can of beer.

Cashier: What kind of beer do you need honey?

Me: Oh, any kind will do, I think. {in retrospect that might have sounded especially desperate}

Cashier: Well, let’s just go see what we’ve got over here…

Me: {realizing that by the looks of things this could become a lengthy decision-making process…} How about a Budweiser? I’m sure that will work.

Cashier: OK. I’ve got one right here for you.

And, with that the selection was made, the can was put in the little brown paper bag, and the girls and I made our escape from the mini-mart without making too much of a scene. Actually, the Toddler didn’t understand why she couldn’t have a lighter to play with at home, but somehow I managed to avert a meltdown over that issue.

So… we returned home, I made the bread, finished the chili, and dinner was a success. The Spouse was even impressed. (That may have been more due to the fact that I actually had a home-cooked meal ready by 6:30 than that there was anything particularly remarkable about the chili itself…}

But, I have to say, the beer bread really made the meal.

If you’ve never tried it before, it’s worth a taste. So, in a Suburban Shalom first, I will share a recipe: