Beer Me-al!

You don't always have to drink your favorite ale from the bottle to enjoy it. Instead, consider using your brew to create a warm, filling meal on the coldest of Winter days. Tonight, my meal of choice is a duo of spicy, beer based foods: Cheddar Beer Soup & Jalapeno Beer Bread. To drink? Beer of course.

If you love beer as much as I do, then you're probably wondering where to get a quick-fix recipe or kit for making these items. Unplug your Google machine and search no further.

Jalapeno beer bread can be ordered from Desert Gardens Chili & Spice Companies on their site: www.comfortfoods.com. In addition to breads, the company sells soups, salsas, sauces, dip mixes and more. Breads are merely $5.95 a piece and make up to 14 servings.

Cheddar beer soup can be ordered through Turtle Island Inc. on their site: www.tisoup.com. I paid a modest $4.50 for the package at a small market in Wisconsin. Other soups in their line include tortilla con queso, artichoke parmesan and white cheddar asparagus. Best of all, one box gets you as many as 6 servings. For this soup, consider adding broccoli to the mix and avoid using too dark a beer.

Both brands can be found at stores nationwide or ordered online. To make each, simply add your beer (I chose Sam Adam's Winter Ale- great for the bread, a bit too dark for the soup) and a few personal touches (I recommend hot sauce), then enjoy. Bread takes 50 minutes, soup 15. For the beer lover in your family or the next meal that makes a frigid day feel a bit more tolerable, consider making a few foods with beer as their feature ingredient.