As an avid fan of love languages, I fully believe that understanding your own and your partner’s love language is the key to a successful relationship. For instance, my love language is words of affirmation and Tom’s is quality time—knowing this helps us love the other in a way that makes them feel most fulfilled and truly loved.

That said, as much as I believe in Dr. Chapman’s list of five love languages (words of affirmation, quality time, physical touch, acts of service, and gifts), I think that Tom and I have realized we have our own special love language: food.

Yes, I’m serious.

Tom and I both love food…perhaps in different quantities….but, by golly, we BOTH are food-obsessed. We love to eat it, cook it, buy it, grow it, think about it, watch TV about it, and on and on and on. I mean, in our marriage “date night” isn’t about what we’ll do it’s about what we’ll eat!

If you’ve read this blog before, you also know that preparing food in a way that Tom can enjoy and that I can guiltlessly eat is a major focus for our relationship. It is truly an act of love the way we both give and take to ensure the other leaves each meal feeling full and satisfied. I am constantly thinking about how to make low-carb/low-sugar meals feel hearty and Tom is constantly keeping an open mind to what his favorite meals can look like (ie: sloppy joes out of minced veggies? yes, it’s a thing in our household)

When I look back on how far we’ve come in two years of marriage, I could almost cry. Being two food-obsessed individuals with very different ideas of what dinner should be like was really hard on our relationship. This blog was me trying to document what we were trying, thinking, and failing at (cough, cough–chickpea cookie dough—cough, cough) in this journey to find food that would “marry our tastes” and it’s amazing how far we’ve come.

But here’s the deal…it’s not always about marrying tastes. Sometimes, every once in a while, it’s about indulging your spouse and just thinking about what makes them happy. While our balanced menu works 99% of the time, there is something special about throwing compromise out the window and making Tom food that makes his heart (and stomach) sing.

In other words, me making Tom something to enjoy that’s just about him and what he likes is basically my version of a love letter.

And my most romantic love letter yet? Beer bread.

Yes, you heard me correctly. Bread made out of beer. Two things I do not (or rarely) consume. But that’s the beauty of it.

And you GUYS—this bread is good. It’s my grandma’s recipe and is literally as easy as 1-2-3.

There’s NO compromise for this recipe—it’s as simple as combining my husband’s three favorite food groups that he rarely indulges in since he married me:

1. Carbs
2. Sugar
3. Beer
   • And because this is my version of a love letter to Thomas, I don’t just use ANY beer. I use his favorite: Summit Saga. Details matter, friends! 

| Thomas’ Beer Bread |

Serves: 8 Tom’s or 16 Alaina’s

Ingredients:

• 3 cups self-rising flour
  • SELF-RISING not all-purpose! This is critical in getting the bread to rise properly
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 12 oz. room temperature beer (ideally, Summit Saga)

Directions:

• Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F
• Combine all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl
  • Note: I recommend using a strong wooden spoon or spoontula for mixing—this dough is stiff!

• Pour dough into a greased loaf pan

• Bake for 55-60 minutes

• Cool bread in the pan on a cooling rack for one hour—then remove loaf from pan and allow to completely cool before serving

  

Now while this bread is my love letter to Thomas, I wholeheartedly believe giving or serving this bread to anyone is a way to show people that you care for them. While simpler-than-simple to make, this bread is the epitome of comfort food and shows that you took the time to craft something from your hands (and from your heart) for the other person.

We’ve made this bread to welcome new neighbors, to serve at dinner parties, and to even thank our friend Jake for fixing our garbage disposal. It’s crusty exterior and oh-so-soft and crumbly interior is a reminder of just how good the simple things in life can be.

On top of all that, it’s perfect to serve as a side with most winter meals, but also outstandingly delicious simply toasted with butter for a quick breakfast. It also freezes really well—I have been known to make this bread for Thomas and freeze individual slices for whenever our dinner needs a little more oomph to make it more filling for him.

As Thanksgiving is rapidly approaching (which by the way, I JUST realized it was next week. When did this happen?!), it’s a time to be thankful and think about how blessed we are to have people in our lives that love us. For me, it’s a time to make Tom some beer bread and show him love through our shared “food” love language.

{Note: This bread is also a super good last-minute side for Thanksgiving. Just throwing that our there in case anyone else got thrown off by how soon Turkey Day is approaching! }

That noted, I did share with you that my personal love language is words of affirmation. And due to that, I would be remiss if I didn’t combine Tom’s beer bread “love letter” with how I know how to show love best: words.

To be frank, Thomas is the most selfless, genuinely kind person I have ever met. He constantly puts the needs of others, especially mine, in front of his own with absolutely no hesitation. He married a woman who literally tries to make cookie dough out of chickpeas and tries to tell him spaghetti squash is really just as good as spaghetti…even though all he ever actually wants is real pasta, white bread, and creamy mashed potatoes. He drives me to my bus stop every morning and always does the dishes simply because he knows how much I hate them. He warms up my side of the bed every night and has already learned all the words to Taylor Swift’s entire album…because he’s allowed me to have it repeat for an entire week. He’s an outstanding son, brother, “Uncle T-Rex”, “bomba”, friend, co-worker, and teammate, but more than anything he’s an amazing husband with killer dance moves and hips that just don’t lie.

This Thanksgiving I am so thankful for the greatest gift God has ever given me: my husband.

Here’s to making many more culinary compromises (just not today)…all in the name of love.

xoxo,

alaina