Bacon & Chive Beer Bread

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Bacon & Chive Beer Bread

Bacon & Chive Beer Bread

Since moving out on my own, the little holiday traditions I would share with my family or friends have changed. The rituals I enjoyed are evolving and taking on new forms. I am learning to rediscover these holidays, to make them my own in a small way. When I was younger, I imagined how the holidays would change as I grew older with my own family, but this middle ground, where I am neither a child nor a grown adult, has proven an adventure. A good adventure, but an adventure all the same.

Usually these little holidays make for a good excuse to raid the candy aisle, I've found.

Bacon & Chive Beer Bread Bacon & Chive Beer Bread

The Super Bowl was one of those small celebrations my family shared together. Even though none of us cared much for football (we were lucky to catch a single game in a year's time), we made a big deal out of it just the same, turning an ordinary Sunday into something a little special. My mother would make mini sausages and a large pot of chili, leaving them to simmer on the stove until the smell drove us to the kitchen brandishing bowls and spoons. The game would be on in the background, secondary to the time we spent with one another. It was a simple tradition we shared together, but it was one I looked forward to as each new year approached.

In trying to find my own way to celebrate the Super Bowl this year, I've already stashed half a loaf of this Bacon & Chive Beer Bread into the freezer to emerge on game day. Paired with a hearty chili, I believe this will make for a good start for my own tradition. I may not know who is playing, or who will entertain at the half-time show, but there is no way that chili-soaked beer bread could ever be a let-down.

Bacon & Chive Beer Bread

If you are looking for more Super Bowl party dishes for the big day, check these out:

Bacon & Chive Beer Bread

Bacon & Chive Beer Bread is exceptionally simple to make, requiring only a bowl, spoon, and five minutes of your time. The bread is infused with bacon and chives, which elevates the classic beer bread to a new level. Melted butter is poured over the loaf before baking, which soaks deep into the bread and gives it a wonderfully buttery crust. I suggest using your favorite beer for the loaf because the flavor will be quite pronounced; that said, I would shy away from sweet or fruity beers because it would fight the saltiness of the rest of ingredients.

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Bruléed Grapefruit

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Bruléed Grapefruit

Bruléed Grapefruit

Simple pleasures bring small bursts of happiness into my life. So often I see people wait for happiness to come to them, to rush in and bring them bursts of joy. While happiness may sometimes sweep in like a wave crashing on the beach, more often than not I watch people sitting on the shore, dipping their toes into the water and wishing for more. I have found myself on that very same beach before, waiting for life to bring me something I could not find on my own. Instead of bringing what you desire, the waiting takes it from you, drawing it out to sea and leaving you in its wake, washed up on the shore.

Eventually, I could not wait anymore. Happiness, it seems, was something I'd have to make for myself.

Bruléed Grapefruit Bruléed Grapefruit

It is not hard to find happiness in your own life, but some moments you may have to dig a little deeper to find it. I try to find my joy in the small pleasures of everyday life, to build happiness between the beams in the structure of my life. I wear fuzzy socks and lounge on the couch because it makes me feel content. I light candles at night and enjoy the flames dancing around a dark room because I deserve to see beauty. I buy rusted spoons and thrift store plates because these simple items bring me a silly amount of joy. I buy the expensive dairy-free butter because I finally decided I am worth the cost.

I eat chocolate every single day (and I will never apologize for it).

Bruléed Grapefruit

These small moments bring me happiness. I had to find happiness on my own terms, to remind myself that happiness surrounds me, to open my eyes to the world around me. I had to stop wishing and take action. When I feel myself crossing the sands back to the beach, I go to the gym and take my emotions out on the elliptical machine. I knead my frustration into bread dough and bake it into something delicious. Happiness in a conscious decision.

Where do you find the happiness in your life?

Bruléed Grapefruit

Bruléed Grapefruit is one of my simple, joyful pleasures. I like to enjoy one for a sweet breakfast or a bright afternoon snack. A grapefruit is sliced in half, sprinkled with spices and brown sugar, and broiled until the sugar melts into a sweet syrup. A dash of cinnamon and cloves brings a unique warmth to the tart grapefruit, which I find quite welcoming. Whether you serve one or two, Bruléed Grapefruit is a warm treat that adds a spark of energy to the quiet citrus fruit.

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Vanilla Bean Marshmallows

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Vanilla Bean Marshmallows

Vanilla Bean Marshmallows

It is cold outside. The small corner of my world has been in a bitterly cold spell the last few days, keeping everyone indoors and wearing thick wool socks. The weatherman cheerfully informed me this evening that the windchill will drop to -40 degrees F/C, which is actually colder than the South Pole at the moment (I checked). While my mind drifts to white sandy beaches and hot sunshine, my body reluctantly heads out into the cold air, bundled up in so many layers I can scarcely see the sidewalk beneath my feet.

The cold bites and slashes against my face, bringing tears to my eyes like a punch to the gut. The wind, when it strikes just so, steals my breath away as I gasp and struggle to open my lungs against the icy air, muttering unheard expletives from my lips.

Can it be spring yet, please?

Vanilla Bean Marshmallows

These past few evenings, I have found myself beneath a pile of blankets with a hot drink between my palms. With nowhere I need to be, I've turned the oven on for heat, roasting up dinners and making simple comfort foods. Staying warm can be its own art form.

As I finished off another mug of hot cocoa this afternoon, I was fondly reminded of the several batches of homemade marshmallows I made over the winter holidays. Though I have had this recipe in the cue for a little while, the time finally seemed right to pull it out. I can't be the only one with a hot chocolate addiction this time of year, can I?

Vanilla Bean Marshmallows

When the idea of homemade marshmallows was first proposed to me, I wasn't terribly interested. Couldn't I just buy what I needed from the store? Nevertheless, I wouldn't be a proper baker if my curiosity didn't get the better of me so I set out to make a batch of them for myself. The process was surprisingly easier than I had imagined it to be, but the results are what really knocked me off my feet. Friends, homemade marshmallows are divine. Store-bought marshmallows pale in comparison, both in texture and taste. I can't turn back.

I was so smitten with my marshmallow discovery that I made several gift bags for friends and family over the holidays and served them alongside the Christmas cookies. Plain or dipped in warm chocolate, these marshmallows will certainly bring a smile to your face.

Vanilla Bean Marshmallows

Vanilla Bean Marshmallows are soft and pillowy, with a bright flavor profile. Both vanilla beans and vanilla extract lend an intense flavor to these sweet marshmallows. Whether plain, chocolate dipped, or soaking in a mug of hot cocoa, there is no wrong way to enjoy this simple treat. Though the directions for the recipe may appear long, the process is simple. I wanted to provide you with the clearest instructions so there was no confusion along the way.

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