I’m lying awake at 2:30 am, so you’re getting 2:30 am ramblings, which can sometimes be quite entertaining and at other times can be quite incoherent.
Bedtime last night was 9:30 pm and I was so proud of myself for getting in there on time and falling asleep almost immediately as my head hit the pillow, giving thanks that I would get a full eight hours of sleep on a weeknight. [Insert pat on the back. Go Danielle!!]
At 1:45 am, I’m cursing myself for drinking too much water. I’ve memorized my little apartment at this point, so I’m sleepwalking with my eyes closed, down the hall, to the bathroom, lights off the entire time, and then… Ahhrrrkkkk – no toilet paper on the roll. No tissues in the tissue box. Lights flip on and…
And there I am, 30 minutes later, wide awake in bed, feeling like I’ll never fall asleep again. Mind racing. Four interviews tomorrow. Two meetings I need to prepare for. One outpatient to visit with. Emails that need to be checked. All the work that didn’t get done today, despite the 13 hours I spent at the office. Thoughts of how the gym was going to be a priority this week(!), and when am I going to fit in workout number two, and oh-my-gosh I’ll never get in four or five like I had planned.
Now I could be checking emails. And I could be preparing for a meeting. But instead, I’m sipping a cup of tea, getting all the stress out on [blog] paper, and contemplating if my favorite skirt is work-appropriate [because Hellooooo Work Crush! <3 <3] — you know, the important things.
And now all you friends are five paragraphs in and wondering if I’m ever going to talk about food.
Yes, I should. I LOVE food. I love making food and eating food and now working with food. And sometimes I get to make food at work, although making food for hundreds of people is quite different altogether and I’m not great at it yet.
However, I did make hundreds about 20 of these little Stout-Soaked Cheddar Toasts, no problem.
I made them on my Fresh Irish Stout Bread, but you can also build them with French bread. I just Googled “French Irish” to see if that was a thing. It’s not. So, on the one hand, it could be very weird to make Irish stout-soaked French bread, but on the other hand, you could call yourself culturally progressive. [I feel the need to remind you that it’s 3 am. Forgive my thought processes.]
Stout-Soaked Mushroom & Onion Cheddar Toasts
Ingredients
- 6 ounces button mushrooms sliced
- 1 sweet onion sliced
- 1/2 cup Irish stout such as Murphy's
- 4 ounces cheddar cheese sliced
- <span></span>1/2 recipe Fresh Irish Stout Bread or 1 French baguette sliced into rounds
Instructions
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<span></span>Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Prepare a baking sheet with cooking spray.
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In a large skillet over medium high heat, combine mushrooms, onions, and stout. Simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated and mushrooms and onions are soft, about 6-8 minutes.
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Meanwhile, arrange toasts on a baking sheet. Divide the cheddar in half, and use half to top the toasts. When the mushroom and onion mixture is ready, divide evenly among the toasts. Top with the second half of the cheddar.
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<span></span>Bake about 10 minutes, until cheese is melted and beginning to bubble. Serve warm.
