Gilcrease Orchard

One day a few weeks ago I heard that the temperature was only going to get up to 104. I was so excited for a break in the heat that I decided to take this opportunity to bake a little. I wanted to make some zucchini bread, something I have never made before. Zucchini is one of those vegetables that supposedly grows well out here, but not in my garden. Since I did not have any zucchini and for some odd reason my kids get up at the crack of dawn during the summer I thought it would be fun to go to Gilcrease Orchard. This is a place were you can pick your own fruit and veggies. It was 8:30am and it was already 90 degrease so we just left without eating breakfast. Which wasn't horrible since we would soon be able to eat some fresh fruit. Take a look below at our fresh finds and let me tell you the best part was the ice cold apple cider.

Buying Beer

I bought some beer today. For most people this is nothing new, but for me it was a first. I don’t drink it there for I have never bought it. Why did I buy beer you ask, well it all started when Ronnie was trying to figure out what gifts to get his 6 managers for Christmas. We were thinking we would just copy what Ronnie has been given buy his past bosses like gift cards for P.F. Chang’s or Claim Jumpers or Cheesecake Factory (I’m getting hungry). Then like always I have to take something easy and turn it into something that requires so much more work. I said, why would you want to give a simple little gift card when I can put together something so much more personal? He gave me the look, the one I get when I redid our Christmas cards five times until it was just right, or like the time when I said the cupcakes for Kyle party are going to be plain store bought ones and then we rushed around until I found the perfect ones the day before the party and then proceeded to make our own cupcake toppers, yeah that look. I said what, it’s not going to be a big production…lol. Even that makes me laugh because I know myself all too well.

So my ideas for the gift baskets are a few of our favorite things (like the song) of course I’ll have to come up with some new lyrics to make it match the gifts. Some of the gifts will include homemade bread, white chocolate popcorn with macadamia nuts, truffles from Trader Joe’s, white chocolate covered Oreos (decorated of course), hot cocoa, and some smaller amount gift cards to like Cold Stone. So as I’m looking for an easy bread recipe that uses whole wheat. I stumble upon a beer bread recipe, which brings us to why I was buying beer. I read that Ale is better than Lager when baking it in bread. I have no clue if this is true or not but it was something to help me decided which one to buy. So Ronnie and I are standing in front of the beer aisle reading labels trying to figure out which one to buy. Ronnie knows his way around beer so he pointed out the Ales to me and told me that we ate at a restaurant where one of them was brewed at when we lived in Colorado. The packaging was really cute and it said the brewery was wind powered and employee owned how you could go wrong? So in keeping the gifts personal of course I pick the Fat Tire which is brewed in Ft. Collins, CO. It’s not like the people receiving the gift baskets are even going to know it is beer bread made with beer brewed in Ft. Collins, but I will and that’s all that matters.

We get home and make our first loaf in no time at all. Then we tasted it and Kyle wasn’t sure he wanted any and then I explained that the alcohol cooks away…yada yada yada and then he was all over it. I think he could eat his weight in bread. Once we were at a steakhouse and they have little loaves of bread they give you with your meal and afterwards the kids get some ice cream, well Kyle didn’t want ice cream he wanted more bread. He has also been quoted saying “Gravy is better than cake!” he’s not your average kid, that’s for sure. Lana thinks the beer bottles are root beer and really wants to drink some. I had better make the rest of the loaves soon so I can get rid of the beer, she can get into anything.

This is by far the easiest bread recipe ever and it tastes pretty darn good too.

Farmgirl Susan's Almost Too Easy Whole Wheat Beer Bread Recipe
Makes One Loaf

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon baking powder
14 ounces beer (or 12 ounces beer & 2 ounces water)

Optional glaze: 1 egg & 2 teaspoons water, beaten

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Combine flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder in a large mixing bowl. Slowly stir in beer and mix just until combined. Batter will be thick. Spread in a greased 8-inch loaf pan, brush with egg glaze if desired, and bake until golden brown and a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool 10 more minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.