The only time you'll hear me say "Mmmmm. Beeeer"

I've never been a big fan of beer. I do however love bread and years ago made a tasty beer bread from a box mix I bought at a home party. I recently saw a beer bread mix at Trader Joe's and made a mental note to try it out someday. That someday was New Year's Eve, and there was no pre-made mix involved.

With just some flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and a bottle of beer, I had the dough in the oven in 5 minutes and a loaf to eat just 55 minutes later. If you've never had beer bread, it's tangy, dense and super moist - and it can be quite addictive. So addictive in fact that I've made 2 more loaves in the past 3 days (at Brett's request).

Each loaf has had a unique taste, depending on the beer used. The first was made with Brooklyn Schnieder Hopfenweisse, and the bread came out strongly flavored and hoppy. We ate that one too fast for pictures.

The second was a blueberry bread made with blueberry ale, a bit of honey and some fresh blueberries. Slightly sweeter, this one was great in the toaster oven with a bit of butter.

The latest used a Newcastle Brown Ale, and it was our favorite. The bread is a bit sweet, not too strong, with a good consistency. With a little honey butter on top, it's a cheap, fast treat to make. Who needs an $8 beer bread mix when you have a basic recipe like this? Mmmmm. Beeeeeeer.