I really should pay closer attention when doing my menu planning.
For the last couple of weeks, I’ve been hankering after a dish my mother used to prepare for us growing up: Welsh Rarebit. I remembered tangy cheesy, saucy little points of buttery toast topped with crisp little wisps of salty savory bacon. Oh my! Such exotic fare in the midst of my Fluffernutter youth. Yes, I staunchly decided, my children needed to be exposed to the sophistication that is Welsh Rarebit. So I scanned my cookbooks, found a likely recipe and put it on the calendar for the next Thursday evening. But that Thursday afternoon as I was assembling my ingredients and looking a bit more closely at the actual … yanno recipe, I had a realization. Welsh Rarebit calls for beer.
Beer.
You know, the alcoholic beverage?
Casting my mind back, I could clearly remember my mother, opening one of my father’s little brown glass bottles of Budweiser ale and pouring it into a saucepan on the top of her avocado green Hotpoint range. And while beer was a ready commodity for my Episcopalian mother, exactly how in tarnation does a chubby little headcovering, dress wearing Baptist gal such as myself obtain a can of beer?? I did what any godly woman of the new millennium would do: posted a status update on Facebook. Like a boss. And sixty-some-odd helpful responses later, little Bethany solved my dilemma by offering to pick me up a can at the convenience store and drop it off at my house.
She’s not a Baptist anymore so it’s okay. Mmhmm.
So I made the Rarebit and served it alongside a fresh light salad of spinach and oranges when we had a nice young missionary couple to dinner last night.
Oh Facebook, I couldn’t’ve done it without you.
I adore you and this story.
I just have one question….were the missionaries Baptist????
Ha! Yes, they are Baptist, but they’re okay with consuming foods cooked with alcoholic beverages since the alcohol burns off during the preparation
i know a few beer buying and drinking baptists Diane! lol! glad bethany saved the day.
youre too cute!
xoxo
I do too Viv! I actually don’t think moderate drinking is sinful.. just for clarification. But when I joined myself to the church years ago, I agreed to stand by their standard prohibiting the consumption of alcoholic beverages, so I’m honor bound
I had such a nice chat with Bethany when she came over… I do love that girl ♥
Funny! Reminds me of a similar situation I encountered recently. I wanted to make homemade beer bread for supper so at the grocery store I placed 1 botttle of beer into my cart. Only to have the cashier inform me that they cannot sell only 1 beer. I stumbled over my apology while expalaining that I was only buying the beer for homemade bread!!
Ha! I can so see that happening to me. Oh the horror of having to buy an entire six package, lol. It’s a relief to know I’m not the only one who’s awkward about this stuff. ((hugs))
You can always make me smile. You are too cute!
I made you smile? Well then, my work here is done
Love you Lady Dee!
I’m sorry, Diane. This is an ongoing task. But, at least you know your mission.
It’s a heavy burden, but I will not shrink from it
Reminds me of the day I bought a big bottle of Vodka at the store to make homemade vanilla. The cashier had to remove the security tag before I could purchase it. When we got home, my son, who was about seven at the time, proudly told his dad about the lady at the store needing to remove the security tag from “mama’s bottle of vanilla”.
My friend Trina makes the most delish vanilla and I so want to follow her example, but the thought of braving the liquor store and actually purchasing some has prevented me thus far, lol
The very first time that I met a lady in real life who reads my blog, we were standing in front of the wine and beer at Trader Joe’s. We snapped pics, of course, and both of us posted them on our blogs. There we were, smiling happily, in front of the wall of wine! Turns out, though, that it was okay….both our families enjoy the occasional drink, but at the time, I was mortified thinking that she might offended. Gosh, that was years and years ago, and I count her a sweet friend now. Funny!
Funny story! I absolutely love reading your posts. Thank you for blogging, you are an encouragement and an inspiration.
Oh Michelle dear, I absolutely love reading your comments! This one in particular completely made my day ((hugs))
So. this reminds me of a hilarious story…
We attend a semi-conservative Mennonite church (i.e. head coverings and lots of long skirts) and my husband and his friend Jeremy own a camp together. On Sunday afternoons they would laze around camp and often would say, “We should really get some pipes so we can sit around and puff on them like a couple of old geezers.”
Finally, Jeremy decided to get some for a Christmas gift… so he sent his wife. Dear, sweet, Sharlene with the white head covering, ankle length skirt… pregnant with twins and toting a toddler.
She said it was a bit awkward but you know… no big deal.
Until the day when she was visiting with some friends and one of her boys brought in the mail and plopped it down on the table. There it was… a huge ad for some smoke shop with the words: “To our valued customer: we hope to see you again soon!” in bold across the top.
Jeremy thinks it’s the funniest thing in the world and Sharlene always moans and rolls her eyes when he tells the story. The men have owned those pipes for 6 years now but have never used them because Sharlene refuses to go purchase the tobacco.
Hahahaha.. I want to meet Sharlene and be her best friend! In other news, I am thinking of you this morning… Millen has been working on something to send to you and we hope to get it into the mail today
Love this story! And Sharlene, I’m sure!
A few years ago I had to buy some vodka to make some elderberry and echinacea tinctures and I walked in, long skirt, long hair, fish on the back of my van full of kiddos, asked where the vodka was and the fellow said, “what proof?”….I told him, “I have my license with me. You need it now?!?!” He was holding back a giggle and said, “no, what proof, strength, of vodka do you need?” We had a good chuckle over that one with the other person in the store. A big, burley,bearded man on a motorcycle! LOL!
Oh that is so funny! People are so nice aren’t they? I love hearing stories like this ((hugs))
Hahaha! Great story!
Oh dear! you are so funny! My Husband is a teetotaler, my Sister (who lives with us) keeps a 6 pack in the fridge… I thought his head woul melt the first time he opened the fridge and saw them sitting there
She had asked if it would be ok, and he said it was ok, but he had forgot 
I am glad you got to make your meal! It looks yummy!
And I so glad youposted again! I have missed your sweet presence.
Oh my, I think Noah could relate to your husband. This can of beer sat in our fridge for a day or two until I used it and its presence front and center on the top shelf really irked him, lol. He was very glad when it was gone
I think that recipe sounds delicious!
I don’t drink either, but don’t think it is sinful in moderation.
You would have loved the stories the Amish ladies told, in my medicinal herbs class the girls and I took a few years ago. About them going into the state store to buy vodka to make tinctures! Oh how they laughed at their own unease and the reaction of those who saw these older AMISH ladies buying vodka! LOL!
You’re right I would have loved to swap stories with those gals, lol
Oh, Diane, you’re so adorable! I love this story and your telling just makes it even better.
My parents never drank when I was growing up not out of conscience but because they wanted to be a good example for my sister and me. When we were both in Bible college we came home on a break to discover beer in the fridge. We seriously thought our parents had “fallen off the wagon”. LOL We had no framework for understanding that drinking could be ok in moderation.
I’ve come a long way and am now married to a wonderful, godly man who occasionally brews his own batch of beer (I know. So shocking! LOL).
This story makes me giggle. That dish looked amazing. May have to ask for the recipe.
Mary Price
Mary… the recipe I used is from a cookbook, so I hesitate to publish it due to copyright stuff. But it’s actually online (someone posted it as their own, but it’s a direct copy from the cookbook, which I hate. A lot.) If I can find the link again, I’ll post it… you’ll love it. I guarantee!
Mary, my love.. here’s the link for the recipe I used http://getcrocked.com/2011/07/28/crock-pot-welsh-rarebit/ And even though this blogger doesn’t mention it, the recipe is originally from this book righ’ chere –> http://www.barnesandnoble.com/listing/2681883403591?cm_mmc=GooglePLA-_-Book-_-Q000000633-_-2681883403591&cm_mmca2=pla&r=1
I hear ya Angela… I actually think my own kids lack that framework, which really is a handicap. Of course they see my parents drink (and always in moderation) so that’s a good thing. BTW< I would have loved to have seen you again this year at Relevant/Allume! ((hugs))
So given the name I had to google the recipe–pioneer woman has one on her blog–minus the bacon though.
So she does Kateri! Cool! I actually did the toast for mine almost exactly as she did for hers. Here’s the linkie too http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/09/welsh-rarebit/
And here’s the link for the recipe I used http://getcrocked.com/2011/07/28/crock-pot-welsh-rarebit/ And even though this blogger doesn’t mention it, the recipe is originally from this book righ’ chere –> http://www.barnesandnoble.com/listing/2681883403591?cm_mmc=GooglePLA-_-Book-_-Q000000633-_-2681883403591&cm_mmca2=pla&r=1
I’m sure the Welsh Rarebit was delicious too and the story of how it came to be created must have been delightful. I’ve heard of the dish but I don’t think I ever tasted it. And I never would have known it had beer as in ingredient either.
Twas truly delish.. even better than I had remembered
I am a good German Epicopalian, so a bottle of beer or a glass of wine is not a problem. We are vegetarians, so Welsh Rarebit is a staple; The Squire and the kids all love it.
You Lady Anne, are the epitome of a good German Episcopalian… and I do dearly love all things Episcopalian (wellll… almost all things
)
Hubby and I had Welsh Rarebit for lunch 2 days ago. But our recipe doesn’t call for beer… funny no one mentioned that yet. It’s just butter, milk (or cream), spicy brown mustard, cheese, and pepper. I also added bacon for that extra yum. (When I ordered it for lunch in Wales, it came with bacon.)
We don’t drink, either, but do cook with wine. I’ve recently started buying regular wine instead of the “cooking wine” and it is a little weird. My aunt tells a story of needing Sherry for a recipe… To avoid being seen in a liquor store she actually drove to another city to buy it.